Australia urged to show ‘true climate leadership’ as Pacific Islands Forum begins – as it happened

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Investigations under way after alleged theft of non-fuctional guns from museum

An investigation is under way after a museum in Lithgow, in the NSW Central Tablelands, was allegedly broken into overnight.

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Mardi Gras board decision to consult queer community on police joining parade hailed as ‘massive win’

Results of consultation will form independent report and motion will be voted on at annual general meeting later this year

The Sydney Mardi Gras board will vote on whether NSW police force members will march in its annual parade later this year.

In an email sent to members on Friday evening, the board announced three community consultation sessions – two online and one in person – would be held in September to gather feedback.

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NSW Liberal Andrew Bragg claims some party colleagues may be ‘playing footsies with nimbys’

Moderate senator says the idea of new developments in established suburbs does not sit well with some Liberals

New South Wales Liberal frontbench senator Andrew Bragg has accused some of his party colleagues of “playing footsies with nimbys” for blocking real estate developments in Sydney’s suburbs that he says would help ease the housing crisis.”

The shadow assistant minister for home ownership told Guardian Australia that some Liberals were encouraging a not-in-my-back yard attitude to expanding housing stock in some metropolitan areas and obstructing measures that could help increase supply.

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SafeWork NSW investigating Swillhouse hospitality group after staff allege harassment and discrimination

High-profile Sydney bar and restaurant group issues public apology as award-winning bartender comes forward alleging workplace sexual assault

SafeWork NSW is investigating high profile Sydney bar and restaurant group Swillhouse after a series of allegations by staff of harassment, discrimination and unsafe workplaces.

A Sydney Morning Herald investigation this week alleged staff had experienced sexual assault and harassment and drug use within the group’s venues. A former Australian bartender of the year who worked for Swillhouse has publicly come forward as an alleged victim of sexual assault while working at the hospitality group.

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Humpback whale in Sydney Harbour freed from rope entanglement in hours-long rescue

Operation to free young animal from ropes and buoys conducted ‘very carefully’

A humpback whale has been freed after being entangled in ropes in Sydney Harbour.

Jessica Fox, the second vice-president of volunteer organisation Orrca, confirmed the rescue late on Friday morning.

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When globally famous gay penguin Sphen died in Sydney, his partner began to sing

Zoo staff brought Magic to Sphen’s side to process the loss, and the penguin colony joined in his mournful call

Sydney gentoo penguin Sphen, whose same-sex love story made him and partner Magic an equality symbol worldwide, has died.

The couple shot to fame in 2018 when news of their same-sex male relationship in a Sydney aquarium made global headlines.

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Man’s body found in creek after multiple shootings in western Sydney

Police found the body of a man in a creek in Auburn early on Wednesday morning

A man’s body has been found by police investigating multiple shootings in western Sydney which police believe to be connected.

Emergency services were called to Antwerp Street, Auburn, shortly before 10pm on Tuesday, after reports shots had been fired into a home during a domestic incident, New South Wales police said in a statement.

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Sydney Metro welcomes commuters aboard new underground city section

The highly anticipated Chatswood to Sydenham extension will drastically cut travel times in Sydney

Tens of thousands of commuters have begun riding on the Sydney Metro’s city section on Monday morning as the first new train line running underneath the city centre in more than four decades opened to the public.

The first metro train service on the new section left Sydenham at 4.54am, travelling the newly opened stretch of the extension under Sydney harbour to reach Chatswood station by 5.16am, where it continued on to Tallawong on the original north-west line that opened in 2019.

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‘Butchered so barbarically’: heartbreak turns to anger about killing of rays at popular Sydney diving spot

Divers demand end to fishing of rays after mutilated carcasses discovered at Chowder Bay on Sydney’s north shore

Jayne Jenkins found the sandy floor of Chowder Bay on Sydney Harbour a mess of fishing lines, hooks and ray carcass, last Saturday morning.

Fins had been chopped from two bull rays, the diver told Guardian Australia. One had a big split across its head – Jenkins identified it as Stumpy, a well known ray that had its tail chopped off in previous years.

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‘Labor doesn’t care what we think’: doctor to take on Tony Burke in safe western Sydney seat

Exclusive: Dr Ziad Basyouny is the first of several independents expected to challenge federal Labor seats amid the Israel-Gaza war

While there are many things driving the independent candidate Dr Ziad Basyouny to challenge Tony Burke for the seat of Watson in Sydney, there is one word that wraps them all together.

“Injustice,” Basyouny declared, speaking from his medical practice in Lakemba.

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Riding the rails: a visual guide to the latest stretch of the Sydney Metro

The $21.6bn extension from Chatswood to Sydenham, crossing under Sydney harbour, is finally on the brink of opening. Join us on a tour

The next stretch of the Sydney Metro, set to open imminently, has been billed as a game-changer for city commuters.

Not only will the Chatswood to Sydenham section of the $21.6bn line drastically cut travel times and introduce a new crossing under Sydney harbour, it’s also set to dictate settlement patterns, with the New South Wales government basing much of its flagship housing policy along the corridor.

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Alleged bandit charged after stealing $600,000 worth of Bluey limited edition ‘dollarbucks’ in Sydney

NSW police allege 63,000 coins featuring popular tv show character were stolen from a Sydney warehouse

An alleged Bluey coin bandit has been charged by New South Wales police for allegedly stealing over $600,000 worth of limited edition currency.

The Royal Australian Mint’s “dollarbucks” coin collection featured Bluey, alongside other characters on the popular tv show, as part of a special limited release.

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Two people found dead on yacht in Sydney Harbour amid concerns fumes detected aboard

Bodies of a man and woman aged in their 50s or 60s found on 47ft yacht moored at Cammeray on Sydney’s north shore

Two people have been found dead on a yacht moored in Sydney’s north, amid concerns fumes were detected aboard.

The bodies of the man and woman were found on Wednesday night after emergency services conducted a welfare check at a mooring at Tunks Park, Cammeray, located on Sydney’s north shore.

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‘Plan ahead’: thousands of Sydney commuters to face travel chaos as opening of new metro line delayed

Revised launch date yet to be announced as NSW government awaits go ahead from Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator for new $21.6bn subway line

Thousands of Sydney commuters will have their travel plans thrown into disarray from next week due to a delay to the planned opening of the $21.6bn Metro project.

The transport minister, Jo Haylen, on Tuesday apologised to passengers as she confirmed the government was yet to secure approval from the national rail safety regulator and had not determined a new start date for the metro service.

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NSW Labor rejects conference motion to repeal anti-protest and youth bail laws – as it happened

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Turning to US politics, Greber says:

It’s a massive shift. You can see it in the way the Democrats feel the momentum.

One of my old sources, I used to be a correspondent in DC, one of my old sources it was as if a month ago the doctor walked in and said, “I’m sorry the test results are terrible, you got three months to live.”

They don’t have many options other than hitting people with mortgages to reduce demand in the economy, which by the way has been driven by an awful lot of federal and state government spending.

The RBA needs to get on top of this and unfortunately people who have mortgages will be the ones who are hit hardest.

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Knife-wielding man shot dead by police in Sydney’s south-west

The 34-year-old allegedly struck an officer with a knife in Middleton Grange before he was shot

A knife-wielding man has been shot dead in Sydney’s southwest after he allegedly attempted to stab a police officer, who narrowly avoided “catastrophic injuries”.

Emergency services were called to Bird Walton Avenue in Middleton Grange, about 40km from the CBD, about 11pm on Saturday following reports a man was armed with a knife.

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Sydney commuters face travel woes all week as light rail workers strike for better pay

All inner-Sydney light rail lines are due to grind to a halt during peak hours from 8am to 10am and 4pm to 6pm from Monday to Friday

Sydney commuters are expected to face major peak-hour disruption for an entire week with light rail workers shutting down tram services over pay and conditions.

All inner-Sydney light rail lines are due to grind to a halt during peak hours from 8am to 10am and 4pm to 6pm, from Monday to Friday, after the union decided to ramp up its industrial action.

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Child and man die after pram rolls off Sydney railway platform

Police say pram carrying two two-year-old girls rolled off platform at Carlton train station and they were treating it as an accident

A child and a man have died after a pram rolled from a railway platform on to train tracks in Sydney’s south on Sunday.

Police were called to Carlton station shortly before 12.30pm after reports a pram carrying two children had rolled off the platform.

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How Sydney’s endless rain is ruining football seasons and breaking young hearts

As Saturday after Saturday gets wiped out by bad weather, clubs are drowning in a sea of unplayed fixtures

The first thing Jamie Amendolia’s boys ask him when he picks them up from school every afternoon is the same: “Is training on? Is the game on? Has it been called off? Are we playing?”

Both of his sons, Sebastian, 10, and Alexander, eight, play football at Enfield FC in Sydney’s inner west. They’re footy fanatics. Except both have had their season thrown into chaos by the wet weather that has hit and bogged down Sydney’s weekends for months.

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Father charged with three counts of murder after young children killed in Sydney house fire

Man, 28, facing three domestic violence murder charges and five counts of attempted murder following weekend blaze at Lalor Park

A father has been charged with murder and attempted murder after three of his children died and four more were injured alongside their mother in a house fire in Sydney’s west.

The 28-year-old man was charged with three counts of domestic violence murder, five counts of attempted domestic violence murder and destroying or damaging property with intent to endanger life relating to domestic violence.

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In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org

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