Reinforcements on standby.

In February, the state government announced a youth crime crackdown, which included tougher anti-hooning laws.

Every day, on average, more than 200 children are in custody in Queensland and some are staying longer than judges deem necessary.

Science says children are learning important lessons and helping their brain development by believing in Santa.

Queensland faces a hard road ahead as it deals with rising cases, but it will be smoother than it could have been thanks to measures already in place.

Education officials will not have final numbers on how many state school teachers are vaccinated until after January 7.

Ken Kragen’s legacy lives on in the charity hit ‘We Are The World’.

Victoria has introduced the country’s toughest mask rules – covering children as young as eight – but turned down health advice that it should bring back density limits in hospitality venues.

Very few countries have cricket as their main sport. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are four such nations and they need to be supported at every turn.

Holiday makers at a Victorian beach are doing double-takes, and having a laugh, at the sight of a hen going surfing.

Justin Langer’s contract as coach-selector of the Australian side expires in June, and he is keen for a new contract with Cricket Australia.

Zac Heyes, 18, might have been heading to Byron Bay or further north if he was inclined. But a passion for the open ocean will see him compete in Australia’s blue water classic.

If selectors want evidence that there is more to picking teams than facts and figures, they should point critics to Marnus Labuschagne’s rise from maligned Sheffield Shield player to the world’s No.1 Test batter.

There was anticipation in the air as fishmongers readied themselves for the next 36 hours, with Sydneysiders rushing in to pick up prawns, fish and mussels to complete their Christmas Day meals.

With weather models predicting less than ideal conditions for Boxing Day, skippers are putting in the work to ensure their boats – and crew – simply make it through the first day in one piece. 

In Xian, only one person will be allowed out of the house to shop every two days. Hotel guests cannot leave.

NSW continues to resist mask mandates in most indoor settings as coronavirus infections hit record highs, but will reintroduce QR codes in retail and hospitality settings. Meanwhile, Victoria is expected to outline changes to mask rules today.

He’s dodged a clash with Coolangatta and another trip to Queensland, but can the young Newcastle trainer prepare his first Magic Millions qualifier?

Joe Pride says the lure of a $2 million race in the autumn is the reason he will pull stumps on Stockman’s preparation on Boxing Day, where he’s favourite for the feature.

He started favourite in his trainer’s hometown Cup two years ago and boasts Mugatoo formlines, but Lees says an injury-plagued galloper is finally ready to race again.

“This may be the event that provides us with community spread of the virus, very sadly and very unfortunately.”

The detection of a COVID-19 case in the WA community has led to new rules for everyday life to stop the spread. From 6pm on Thursday night these include the reintroduction of masks.

A former public servant is fighting for access to secret cabinet documents which may detail why the Commonwealth’s botched robo-debt scheme was introduced and which senior ministers were responsible for approving it.

Controversial former mayor commits to pushing for a demerger of the Inner West, the City of Sydney swears in a new council and Ryde looks set to change hands.

Former NSW minister Andrew Constance is all but assured of becoming the Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Gilmore after the locally backed party member withdrew.

Everything you need to know to find a winner on Boxing Day.

Everything you need to know to find a winner at the Riverina meeting.

If you see a chicken surfing at Ocean Grove beach, you're not seeing things: Elaine Janes has been taking her hen Mrs Chook to catch some waves, to add to the many activities she does with her hens and roosters, like swimming, skateboarding and going...

In a sign of the hold the hosts have over him, Joe Root has reshaped his practice to prepare him for the examination he will face from Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and co. in the Boxing Day Test.

Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of considering a new attack on Ukraine as early as next month.

The incident occurred after a heavy downpour of rain in Brisbane on Thursday afternoon.

Average temperatures across the state over the Christmas period are expected to break records across the state.

A leading child immunisation specialist has called for children with health conditions to be prioritised for coronavirus vaccines, as parents struggle to secure bookings and advocates warn that children with disabilities are being left at risk of sev...

Paramedics across Sydney are reporting rapidly increasing call volumes, with reported wait times for the highest level emergencies of up to an hour.

Remote Queensland areas with lower vaccination rates are increasingly recording COVID-19 cases, as authorities work to investigate more than 520 active cases and what regions they were in.

Crown Resorts has been fined the maximum penalty by Victoria’s regulator for “significant and serious non-compliance.”

A woman who is suing the church because she was abused by a priest in the 1970s says she’s shattered that the church’s lawyers are seeking her sensitive medical records.

Mr Perottett said new changes to indoor mask rules, indoor density limits and QR code check-ins would be implemented over the holiday period to avoid placing further strain on health workers.

The young mother of Zane Mellor has given an emotional tribute to her 12-year-old son, who died in last week’s Devonport jumping castle tragedy.

Evelyn Juers’ life of the Australian dancer Philippa Cullen pushes the boundaries of the form.

Combining secondary school and acting this year, Helmot found she had much in common with the character she plays.

Novak Djokovic has been scheduled to play another top-10 player in Sydney on New Year’s Day, adding to the intrigue of whether the world No.1 will feature in the Australian tennis summer. 

WA Health has sent text messages to attendees of the Geisha Bar warning them they were at the venue when a COVID-19 case was present.

The share rout earlier this week has already given way to a pre-Christmas relief rally as markets are realising extreme claims about the Omicron variant cannot be justified by fundamental science, let alone clinical observation.

Australian resident Bernie Osler had just arrived in the Philippine province of Cebu to meet his one-year-old son. Then he found himself in the eye of a storm.

The Federal Court has ruled the Morrison government’s decision to award $21 million in grants to a gas company to conduct fracking in the Northern Territory was invalid, but the minister at the centre of the dispute has also claimed the legal decis...

Jock Landale is making his move with the San Antonio Spurs and NBL great Lanard Copeland has urged him to keep patient.

Georgia Ryburn is one of a record number of Liberal women elected to NSW councils in what the party’s vice-president sees as vindication of the target set for female representation.

Tom Trbojevic will continue to work with David Opar, the respected expert who earlier this year received a $4 million grant from the NFL to further investigate ways to prevent and treat hamstring injuries.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has announced masks will be mandatory across the state in indoor settings from midnight Thursday, and workers are encouraged to work from home.