Sydney news

A feathered fiend gets a second chance at a Central Australian jail, which has been taking in 'bad birds' for 20 years.

Police search for a man after he escapes from a correctional centre that houses sex offenders in Victoria's south-west.

Newcastle's Anglican Diocese says it may have to sell church assets to make up a $1 million shortfall in the amount due to be paid to survivors of abuse this financial year.

On the back of the Government's plan to drug test welfare recipients, Queensland MP and former policeman Llew O'Brien says it is a "no brainer" that politicians should be subjected to random breath tests in Parliament.

Jason Day makes a solid start to his title defence during the opening round of the Players Championship.

Nursing is not for the faint-hearted, and I'm not just talking about the blood. It takes a physical, mental and emotional toll on those who embrace the challenge. On International Nurses Day the ABC asks these Aussie legends, why they chose nursing?

"We see a lot of sad things", senior nurse Karen Hales admits, as she and colleague Kathryn Resili reflect on why nursing brings them daily satisfaction, as they mark International Nurses Day.

Convicted paedophiles could have their computers searched and be forced to hand over passwords if police suspect an offence has occurred, under new laws passed by the Queensland Parliament.

How do you educate teenagers about the dangers of drinking and taking drugs in a way that isn't boring and doesn't involve long notetaking lectures from teachers? Invite them to a virtual party.

ABC journalist Mark Colvin devoted his life to telling stories. After his death yesterday, these are the stories his workmates are telling about him.

The North Queensland Cowboys prove they can still win without Johnathan Thurston, beating the Canterbury Bulldogs 30-14.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten joins 7.30 to discuss his budget reply.

How Opposition Leader Bill Shorten spent the day preparing for his budget reply.

For decades Mark Colvin, anchor of ABC Radio's PM program, has been one of the standard bearers of Australian journalism with his insistence on facts not opinion, crisp writing, correct delivery and thoroughness in all his work. Mark Colvin died today and tonight we bid him farewell.

The Spirit of Tasmania II's crash into a Port Melbourne pier with 120 passengers on board last year could have been prevented, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

Indigenous performers from around the world gather in Melbourne for a new contemporary first-nations arts festival, which will feature a "city-wide treasure hunt" of art and music this weekend.

Australia's next big export industry could be its sunlight and wind, as game-changing technology developed by the CSIRO makes it easier to transport and deliver their energy as hydrogen.

A suppression order on the Salt Creek attacker is lifted with the court naming the man involved in the backpacker assault near South Australia's Coorong region as Roman Heinze.

Tony Jones, Jenny Brockie, Peter Greste and more share their memories of a generous and highly intelligent man.

Facing likely eviction after losing a court fight, an Adelaide charity group that helps disadvantaged children urges it be allowed to stay in its current premises or for someone to offer an alternative venue.

A man who smashed a lemon meringue pie into the face of Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce during a business forum in Perth is charged over the attack.

The last remaining butcher for nearly 700km of outback Western Australia says a prohibition order from his local shire could see him close his business.

A witness in the Vincent O'Dempsey triple murder trial says the accused admitted to killing a mother and her daughters, and warned him not to repeat a word if he wanted "to live a long and healthy life".

Students are learning how to stress less thanks to a new program being rolled out in the ACT and NSW regions, which involves volunteers sharing their experiences of living with mental health issues.

West Australian authorities appeal for help in locating an 11-year-old girl who was last seen at the Department for Child Protection's Cannington office two days ago.

Apples, pears, and stone fruit will be allowed to enter all states from Western Australia with the tomato potato psyllid quarantine effectively lifted.

A family dramatically reduces their household rubbish a bread bag a fortnight.

If you've ever dreamed of living off the energy grid and you live in some of the more remote parts of Western Australia, you might find it's not that far out of reach.

Former Australian of the Year finalist Eman Sharobeem purchased $12,500 worth of gifts for government ministers and her staff, using money from a not-for-profit organisation in Sydney's West, the ICAC hears.

Good autumn rain and floods caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie are not enough to break the back of a crippling drought still affecting 70 per cent of Queensland.

A suppression order on the Salt Creek attacker is lifted with the court naming the man involved in the backpacker assault near South Australia's Coorong region as Roman Heinze.

A man whose leg was "chomped and shredded" by a shark is told to undergo rehabilitation and get a prosthesis fitted before Centrelink considers paying him a disability support pension.

Sixteen Aboriginal nations from across the northern Murray-Darling Basin sign a treaty between themselves to have a united voice on Indigenous issues.

Sixteen Victorian teenagers being illegally housed in a wing of the adult Barwon Prison are being moved to a Melbourne juvenile jail, after a court ruled for a second time their detention was unlawful.

A turnaround in wheat prices is only a few bad weather events away, according to traders.

Talal Alameddine, who is accused of supplying the gun used to kill NSW Police employee Curtis Cheng in a terrorist-inspired shooting, is committed to stand trial.

Queensland's Premier apologises for past discriminatory laws that saw the hundreds of men convicted of gay sex offences. Under a new bill introduced today, those who were charged can apply to have their convictions wiped.

WA's Corrective Services Minister Fran Logan promises to "put the hammer down" on the private operator of Melaleuca women's prison, which has been fined three times for breach of contract since it opened in December.

Sarah Brown, CEO of Western Desert Dialysis, wins an award for her work with Aboriginal dialysis patients in remote communities in the NT and WA.

The family of Victorian man Jason Challis, who died during an Army training exercise in the Northern Territory, pay tribute to "the best son, stepson, brother and mate you could ever ask for".

Meet the Darling Downs women determined to keep their bush safe.

After a stellar first year as co-captain of the Adelaide Crows in the AFLW, Australian footballer and basketballer Erin Phillips is dropped by her WNBA team, the Dallas Wings.

The Townsville Naturist Community is looking for a new home after the owner of its 34-year-old base told the group he intended to sell.

South Australian schools will no longer have to budget individually to meet their electricity, gas and water bills, with the State Government to pay more than $60 million for a centralised billing system.

One of two men who died violently inside a Hobart home asked his mother to get his children out of the house because the other man was on his way, an inquest hears.

The NT Government did not act in the best interests of a seven-month-old girl who died in care, her aunt says, arguing the child should have been placed in kinship care instead.

The record-breaking grain harvest flows through to Australia's largest grain handler, GrainCorp, which records a half-year net profit of $100 million after tax.

Assessments by the body tasked with making sure agricultural chemicals are safe, APVMA, slumps amid an exodus of highly qualified staff.

A social media movement that encourages people to give away unwanted possessions is introducing neighbours while helping to reduce consumption and waste.

Scientists say dingo control measures are damaging Australian soils, with kangaroos overgrazing pasture and soils depleted of nutrients and minerals.