Category Archives: Sydney

Thousands attend pro-Palestine protests across Australia

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Protesters marched through the Sydney CBD on Saturday after police green-lit the event, with similar rallies held in Perth, Hobart and Brisbane

Pro-Palestine protesters declared they were standing on the right side of history, marching for justice and humanity, as they turned out in their thousands at rallies across Australia on Saturday.

Thousands marched through the Sydney CBD on Saturday after police green-lit the event, with rallies also held in Perth, Hobart and Brisbane as more information emerges from conflict-stricken Gaza.

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Sydney businessman accused of foreign interference tells court police evidence contains ‘exaggerations’

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Judge denies Alexander Csergo bail during hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre on Friday

A Sydney businessman alleged to have been an agent for Chinese state intelligence has told a court there are “numerous exaggerations” in the police version of evidence presented against him.

Alexander Csergo, charged with one count of reckless foreign interference, is alleged to have swapped reports on business and politics with two Chinese handlers, known to him only by the anglicised names “Ken” and “Evelyn”, in exchange for envelopes of cash.

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Sydney pro-Palestine rally to go ahead on Saturday despite premier’s concern over ‘bad faith actors’

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Chris Minns says he believes protesters do not want ‘hate speech within their march’ but final decision on event is up to NSW police

Saturday’s planned pro-Palestine march through the streets of Sydney will go ahead unless police launch an 11th-hour legal challenge amid rising concern about unrest.

The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, said a final decision on the event would be up to the police while warning the government had been briefed by senior officers who had expressed concern about the event due to “changed circumstances”.

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More Australians head back to the office and most prefer Thursday or Friday, study finds

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Exclusive: Transport Opinion Survey says in September workers spent 21% of their week working from home, down from 27% in March

As an increasing number of Australians favour the office over working from home, Friday has emerged as one of the most popular days to commute and be among colleagues, new research shows.

On average Australian workers spent just 21% – or between one and two days – of their work week at home during a two-week survey period in September, down from a corresponding data point of 27% in March. This is according to the latest Transport Opinion Survey conducted by the University of Sydney’s Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, based on data from 1,029 respondents, who were also asked about priorities and transport attitudes.

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NSW police release footage of man throwing flare outside Sydney Opera House as part of rally investigation

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Police wish to speak to man shown throwing flare as they consider application for upcoming march in support of Palestine

Footage of a man shouting and throwing a flare on the steps of the Sydney Opera House last week has been released by the New South Wales police as they consider allowing another pro-Palestinian march for later in the week.

Protest organisers have applied for a permit to hold a march on Saturday 21 October after holding a “largely peaceful” static event with about 6,000 people in Hyde Park on Sunday.

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Experts slam ‘disproportionate’ NSW approach to pro-Palestine rallies as government threatens ‘full force’ of law

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Human Rights Law Centre’s Alice Drury says response from police and government to rallies sets ‘very dangerous precedent’

Human rights and legal experts have condemned the New South Wales government’s “escalating”, “unnuanced” and “disproportionate” rhetoric and response to pro-Palestinian protesters following a rally at the Opera House.

NSW authorities have vowed to stop marches from proceeding while protesters have promised to “march next week and every week” after a “static demonstration” in Hyde Park this Sunday.

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Pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney calls for Australia to drop support for Israel

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Protesters march on Sydney Opera House but prime minister Anthony Albanese says people need to ‘take a step back’

Hundreds of Australians have marched in solidarity with Palestinians after the Israeli government formally declared war against Hamas in response to its surprise attack.

The militant group Hamas launched a co-ordinated attack across Israel on Saturday, killing hundreds of civilians were killed and taking dozens of hostages in the largest incursion since the 1973 Yom Kippur war.

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Boy, 16, dies and five teenagers injured after ute hits tree on Sydney’s northern beaches

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Emergency services were called to the scene on Cabbage Tree Road in Bayview in the early hours of Saturday morning

A 16-year-old boy has died and five others are injured after a P-plate crash on Sydney’s northern beaches.

Emergency services arrived at the scene on Cabbage Tree Road in Bayview shortly after 12.20am on Saturday.

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Car-free days: new push to open up Sydney’s high streets and let festival culture prosper

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Exclusive: The Committee for Sydney wants the city to follow the lead of New York, Jakarta, Mexico City and Bogotá

High streets in Sydney should declare recurring car-free days when pedestrians and cyclists can roam freely and local shops and restaurants can sprawl out to allow a street festival culture to flourish, an influential thinktank says.

The Committee for Sydney and the Sydney festival executive director, Chris Tooher, are appealing to the New South Wales government and councils to mimic cities such as New York, Jakarta, Mexico City and Bogotá in making so-called open street days established events, such as every Sunday.

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Australia news live: Elise Archer resigns from Tasmanian parliament after ultimatum from premier; fire tears through Kings Cross hostel

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Jeremy Rockliff writes to Elise Archer asking that she advise whether she will remain in parliament

No property loss in hunter region bushfires, NSW RFS deputy commissioner says

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, NSW RFS deputy commissioner Peter McAfee also provided an update on the bushfires in the Hunter region.

So some really great saves by firefighters in really challenging conditions.

We still have some high fire danger days right across northern NSW with with extreme up in the north-west, so it’s not over this period of fire activity, but some good news to see that change moving through the southern part of the state.

It really was a serious incident there right into the evening, with crews protecting properties throughout.

We’ll have our teams in there at daylight this morning. They’re already getting in there, just looking at exactly what’s occurred. It’s [was] too dangerous to do all that work overnight.

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Sydney man accused of murdering his mother while out on bail for allegedly assaulting her

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Troy Safranko was arrested and then released on Saturday on the condition he not return to his mother’s house


A man has been accused of returning to his mother’s home and killing her, and her cat, a day after he was granted bail for allegedly assaulting her.

Troy Safranko, 31, was accused of assaulting and choking his mother, Katherine Safranko, at her Bankstown home on Friday morning.

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Man dies after suspected whale collision capsizes boat in Sydney

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NSW water police respond after reports of the incident off Cape Banks at La Perouse

One man has died and another is in a stable condition in hospital after a boat capsized after it was reportedly struck by a whale in Sydney.

NSW water police responded to reports that two people were in the water off Cape Banks at La Perouse at about 6am on Saturday morning, after their unoccupied boat was found circling in the waters.

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Unseasonable heat to hit south-east Australia over grand final weekend

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Experts warn of increased risk for vulnerable Australians and say sports codes will need to put heat policies into effect earlier in the season

South-east Australia is set to swelter this weekend, with temperatures forecast to reach highs of 29C in Melbourne and 36C in Sydney.

The unusual heat is likely to impact both the NRL and AFL grand finals, with the NRL reportedly planning ahead with extended breaks and play potentially delayed depending on the conditions.

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‘He was on the way up’: mother of NSW police shooting victim demands mental health reform

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‘It’s not my fight, it is everyone’s fight and everyone has to work together so this doesn’t happen again’, says Judy Deacon

Judy Deacon didn’t shut herself away after her son, Jesse, was shot and killed by New South Wales police two months ago.

Instead, the 79-year-old harnessed her anger. She started lobbying politicians, health professionals and the force itself.

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‘Very unusual’ spring heatwave brings elevated fire risk to Australia’s south-east

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Stretch of hot weather enters fourth day as temperatures climb significantly above average in NSW, Victoria and South Australia

A vast swathe of Australia entered its fourth consecutive day of well above average heat on Monday, delivering elevated fire dangers and an early start to an unusually hot and dry warm season.

Northern Victoria, inland New South Wales and inland South Australia were all forecast to record temperatures from 10C to 16C above average on Monday. Port Augusta in SA was predicted to reach 39C, Penrith in NSW was set to reach 37C and Sydney was forecast to hit 31C.

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Sydney marathon runners warned about heat as above average warmth affects south-east Australia

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Bureau of Meteorology forecasts warm weather to remain over coming days, with Sydney set to reach 30C and Melbourne 24C

Marathon runners are expected to swelter on Sunday, with temperatures again set to hit 30C in Sydney on an unseasonably warm weekend across the east coast.

More than 17,000 runners has registered for the Sydney Marathon, the most runners it has ever hosted and making it the largest marathon in the country. But the event coincides with a surge of heat that is expected to see temperatures between 10C and 12C above average in Sydney until Tuesday night.

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AFLW game delayed by snake lying on field in western Sydney

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Match between the Giants and Richmond pushed back by about 30 minutes due to red-bellied black snake

An AFLW match between Greater Western Sydney and Richmond in Blacktown was delayed after a snake was spotted sunning itself in the grass.

The red-bellied black snake appeared to be taking advantage of the hot weather that parts of Australia’s south-east have been experiencing.

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Teen in coma after allegedly being dragged 2km by a car in Sydney

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A man has been charged over the Blacktown incident that has left a 15-year-old in a serious condition

A teenager has been placed in an induced coma after allegedly being dragged 2km through the streets in Sydney’s west before falling from a car.

According to New South Wales police, shortly before 7pm on Friday a 19-year-old man sitting in a car and a 15-year-old boy began arguing on a street in Blacktown.

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Heat alert issued as high temperatures bring early taste of summer to eastern Australia

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Residents cautioned to minimise heat exposure as the mercury in eastern states forecast to reach up to 12C above average

Australians can expect a hit of summer-like weather over the weekend, with temperatures expected to reach above the mid-20s in Melbourne and 30C in Sydney, prompting NSW Health to issue a heat alert.

Inland Australia will crack the mid to high 30s while the south-east corner of Western Australia will be the only region to hover below 20C.

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Sydney wakes to blanket of burn-off smoke that could linger for days

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Air quality measures at Randwick were ‘very poor’ according to the official gauge, with residents advised to stay indoors

Sydney awoke to a blanket of smoke over parts of the city on Monday from hazard reduction burns at the weekend.

Air quality degraded to “very poor” conditions in Sydney’s east, with residents urged to remain indoors and keep their windows and doors closed until conditions improved.

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