Chris Baghsarian: police hopes fade of finding 85-year-old kidnap victim alive after raid on Dural property

NSW police search ‘makeshift stronghold’ in Wildthorn Ave, Dural after Baghsarian abducted from North Ryde home last Friday in case of mistaken identity

Police say “hope is fading” to find Chris Baghsarian alive as investigations continue into an abandoned and “derelict” house where they believe the grandfather was kept sometime in the past week.

A warrant has been executed and a crime scene has been established at the semi-rural property on Wildthorn Ave in Dural, about 36km north-west of Sydney, after police swarmed the area on Thursday night.

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KPMG asks Sydney writers’ festival to delete its name from website after Randa Abdel-Fattah confirmed as speaker

Festival confirmed writer and academic would appear in two sessions in 2026 following disinvitation from Adelaide event

Global accounting giant KPMG has distanced itself from the Sydney writers’ festival, requesting its name be removed from the event’s website where it was listed as a corporate partner.

The move follows the festival scheduling Palestinian Australian academic Randa Abdel-Fattah to speak at two sessions in this year’s event.

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Sydney police charge four men over alleged ‘international satanic child sex abuse material ring’

Detectives claim to have uncovered Sydney-based network involving online distribution of child sexual abuse material involving ritualistic or satanic themes

Four Australians remain locked up after being charged for alleged involvement in a satanic child sexual abuse material ring.

Detectives busted an apparent Sydney-based pedophile network they claimed was actively involved in possessing, distributing and facilitating child sexual abuse involving ritualistic or satanic themes.

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Bondi Junction stabbings: ‘10 seconds warning’ from security could have saved lives, inquest hears

Families of those killed ‘angered’ that Scentre Group and Glad security did not accept control room operator was not competent to be in the position she was that day

Had new mother Ashlee Good been given “even 1o seconds’ warning” when Joel Cauchi began his stabbing spree at Westfield Bondi Junction, she might have been able to take evasive action to save her life, a court has heard.

Schizophrenic man Cauchi, 40, killed Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, Yixuan Cheng, 27, Pikria Darchia, 55, Dawn Singleton, 25, and Faraz Tahir, 30, and injured 10 others at Westfield Bondi Junction before he was shot and killed by police inspector Amy Scott.

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Man dead and two under arrest after daylight shooting on suburban Sydney street

Police say a man in his early 20s was found in Blacktown with gunshot wounds to his neck, chest and leg

A man has died and two others are in custody after a daylight shooting on a suburban street in Sydney.

Police were called to Carinya Street, Blacktown, at about 11.50am on Friday after reports of a public place shooting.

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Second teenage boy charged with murder after alleged stabbing behind Sydney school played ‘active role’, police say

Another boy, 15, charged on Monday after 17-year-old boy died from wounds to thigh in Rouse Hill

A second teenage boy arrested in his home over his alleged “active role” in the stabbing murder of a 17-year-old in a suburban park will spend months in custody.

The alleged victim died from a knife wound to his thigh after a confrontation at a park behind a school in north-west Sydney on Monday afternoon.

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All-male lineup take top slots at ABC Sydney after Chris Bath’s shock departure

Director of audio concedes ‘there is always more to do’ on diversity as station staff express dismay at dearth of female presenters

ABC radio’s chief, Ben Latimer, says “there is always more to do” on diversity after Chris Bath was replaced with a male presenter on ABC Sydney, leaving the station with an all-male lineup from Breakfast through to Drive in 2026.

Bath, who announced her resignation after only one year on Monday, will be replaced by Thomas Oriti in the key Drive slot, which was vacated by the veteran broadcaster Richard Glover after 26 years.

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Sydney restaurant Cairo Takeaway counter-sues pro-Israel activist, claiming he trespassed to ‘ambush’ staff

The Newtown eatery is counter-suing Ofir Birenbaum, who launched defamation action against the popular restaurant

An Egyptian restaurant in Sydney is counter-suing a pro-Israel activist over a News Corp stunt, alleging he trespassed on the popular eatery in a bid to get a “negative reaction” from staff.

Ofir Birenbaum went to Cairo Takeaway, a popular restaurant in Sydney’s Newtown, in February wearing a Star of David cap and necklace alongside reporters from the Daily Telegraph. The undercover operation, later revealed to be dubbed “undercover Jew” internally by the paper, made international headlines after it backfired.

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Teenager charged with murder after 17-year-old boy stabbed to death in Sydney’s north-west

The victim was treated by NSW paramedics for wounds to his thigh but died at the scene

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder after a teenager was allegedly stabbed to death behind a high school.

Police said a 17-year-old boy died from stab wounds to his thigh following a confrontation at a park in Sydney’s north-west about 4.20pm on Monday.

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Severe thunderstorm risk for northern and eastern Australia including Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra

BoM forecasts possible storms from tropical north and WA to central and eastern parts, with potential for strong winds and heavy rainfall

Much of northern and eastern Australia faces a risk of severe thunderstorms on Saturday afternoon and evening, with millions of people potentially in the firing line.

“It’s another severe thunderstorm outbreak for eastern parts of the country. It could be an active one,” said Angus Hines, senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology on Saturday.

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Severe storms forecast for parts of NSW as Victoria and Queensland face wet weather

BoM says destructive winds and ‘very dangerous thunderstorms’ are most likely across the Hunter, mid-north NSW coast and northern tablelands

Severe storms with the potential for destructive winds and large hail are expected to move across New South Wales on Saturday.

Storms were also expected in parts of Queensland and Victoria.

Sydney 32C with showers and then storms developing.

Melbourne 13C with rain increasing.

Brisbane 31C with a late shower or two.

Perth 28C and sunny.

Adelaide 18C and cloudy.

Hobart 15C and partly cloudy.

Canberra 26C with a shower or two and then becoming windy.

Darwin 34C and partly cloudy.

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Strap in for a feral lead-up into Christmas in the NSW parliament

The Minns government has two major pieces of legislation it desperately wants to pass – but to do so it needs to woo some crossbenchers

As the New South Wales parliament draws to a close at the end of November, expect it to be dominated by feral horses, feral pigs and feral politics.

The Minns Labor government has two major pieces of legislation it desperately wants to pass before parliament rises. But it faces obstacles in the upper house where a clutch of minor parties hold the balance of power.

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Woman arrested after allegedly sabotaging gas supplies at two Sydney hospitals

NSW police allege 42-year-old ‘cut water and gas mains’ at first hospital in Sutherland before switching off gas mains at nearby facility

A woman has been arrested after allegedly sabotaging gas supplies at two Sydney hospitals.

Sutherland hospital in southern Sydney lost medical gases on Tuesday morning, requiring them to switch to portable oxygen and air as part of their contingency plans, the New South Wales health minister, Ryan Park, said in a statement

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‘Kill crew’ allegedly sent photo of kidnapped Sydney woman before murdering her, police say

Police have charged three more men over the death of 45-year-old Thi Kim Tran

Three men have been charged with murder after allegedly taking part in the “kill crew” that murdered a 45-year-old woman from suburban Sydney.

Thi Kim Tran’s body was found bound and gagged in the back of a burnt-out SUV in the city’s south-west on 17 April.

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Two dead at Melbourne beach as wild wind batters state, while parts of Sydney hit by record-breaking heat

Sydney’s Observatory Hill peaks at 37C on Wednesday – below the 39C forecast – as the mercury in other parts of the city neared 40C

Two men have died after being pulled from the water at a Victorian beach amid wild weather in the state.

On Wednesday evening, Victoria police confirmed two men were found unresponsive in the water at Frankston beach, on the Mornington Peninsula, just after 5pm. The men, who are yet to be identified, could not be revived.

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NSW police officer who allegedly assaulted former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas charged with grievous bodily harm

Senior constable will now face two charges, including grievous bodily harm which carries maximum penalty of 14 years

A New South Wales police officer will now face a second charge over the alleged assault of Hannah Thomas, who sustained a serious eye injury after she was arrested at a protest in June.

NSW police said the 33-year-old senior constable, who last month was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, was on Wednesday also charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm.

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Sydney gay nightclub apologises after backlash over ‘Pink Pony’ name referencing lesbian pop hit

Owner and manager of venue which will be renamed say original decision was ‘error of judgment’ with mention of ‘preferred mix’ described as ‘tone deaf and hurtful’

A new gay nightclub in Sydney that was forced to change its name referencing a song by US lesbian popstar Chappell Roan has apologised for “any hurt caused” to the LGBTQ+ community.

The venue, which was to be named “Pink Pony”, also said nominating its preferred clientele as young gay men was “tone deaf and hurtful”.

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Sydney nightclub named after lesbian artist’s song changes name after ‘preferred clientele’ revealed to be men

Pink Pony Club, a song by Chappell Roan inspired by The Abbey gay bar in West Hollywood, was the inspiration for new Oxford Street club

A Sydney nightclub whose name was inspired by a lesbian artist despite “predominantly” targeting gay men has been forced to change its name after attracting a swift and “passionate” backlash.

Pink Pony was set to open on Oxford Street in Sydney’s LGBTQ+ heartland in early December. Kevin Du-Val, the owner of Palms on Oxford nightclub, and its manager, Michael Lewis, announced via social media their new venture was “unashamedly inspired by its namesake song that resonates so profoundly within our community”.

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NSW police reveal operation targeting ‘kill cars’ used by alleged Sydney crime gangs

Arrests have been made over alleged involvement in group of contract criminals that uses network of staged vehicles

A secret police investigation into alleged violent contract criminals and a network of “kill cars” has been revealed after an alleged murder plot at a daycare centre was disrupted.

NSW police on Tuesday pounced on a group of men driving through Revesby in Sydney’s south-west with balaclavas and pistols.

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Judges prohibit pro-Palestine march to Sydney Opera House and say protesters risk contempt of court

In landmark ruling, NSW court of appeal says anyone attending prohibited protest could be held in contempt of court

New South Wales’ top court has made a landmark ruling that criminalises attending a “prohibited” protest, with the court of appeal banning a planned pro-Palestine march to the Sydney Opera House scheduled for this weekend.

The court of appeal on Thursday ruled that anyone marching on the Opera House on Sunday could be held in contempt of court, as it sided with police against the Palestine Action Group due to “extreme” safety concerns.

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