Auslan appreciation one of the only good parts of 2020.

Scott Morrison has called a national cabinet meeting for Friday to discuss whether to tighten precautions on international arrivals in response to fears that travellers from the UK will spread a more infectious mutant coronavirus strain.

DFES' Greg Muir says firefighters are entering the worst fire weather in recent days and can't risk sending people home.

Genomic testing has confirmed a casual cleaner at a Brisbane hotel quarantine site to be infected with the more contagious strain, as authorities rush to trace her movements across the city.

There was plenty of emotion in the audience when musician Dan Warner stepped onto the stage at the Lomond Hotel after a nine-month hiatus, but the pub's live-music resurrection has hit a hurdle.

Families locked out of Victoria by the state's sudden border closure have told of continued confused messaging and incorrect advice from the government as they desperately try to return home from NSW.

The Department of Health has confirmed the woman in her 80s, who had returned from the United Kingdom on January 2, has the new strain of the virus.

NSW Police have handed out a dozen fines in two days to people across Sydney’s suburbs for failing to wear face masks on the city’s public transport network and in shopping centres.

The pair discovered the body of the 28-year-old Toowoomba man in Preston, about 10 kilometres southwest of the city, just before 9am on Thursday.

Mr Mehajer faced Parramatta Local Court on Thursday, where his lawyer said he has "no control over what his sister's texting".

The 24-year-old Spring Hill man, who was employed at the Capalaba massage practice, allegedly touched a 21-year-old woman 'inappropriately' during a session.

An alleged murderer went from playful posing to slapping a table minutes later when he learnt of the delays in the case being prepared against him.

Thousands of people were unable to check in at venues across NSW on Thursday after a statewide outage on the NSW government's signature Service NSW app.

The Ipswich suburb of Amberley recorded 100mm in two hours as a "wall of rain" swept through the region.

Brisbane lord mayor has urged residents to prepare their homes and belongings for any future floods during a high-rainfall La Nina weather event.

Premier holds out hope for stranded Victorians as he pushes national cabinet to adopt tougher rules for flight crews and hotel quarantine employees.

Jacob Donn was refused bail in court on Thursday. He is facing 14 charges following the Wellington crash that killed Sheldon and Shane Shorey, aged 6 and 7.

The two men were arrested during raids on properties at Forest Lake and Morningside in Brisbane's south on Wednesday.

Roberts played a geologist in A View to a Kill (1985), Roger Moore’s last appearance as Agent 007.

Albert Roux owned Le Gavroche, the first restaurant in Britain to gain a Michelin star.

A Chadstone outlet attended by a mystery coronavirus case is yet to be contacted by the Health Department after it was listed as a potential acquisition site.

The 41-year-old man was wanted for questioning in relation to the baby's death and was the partner of the baby's mother.

NSW has recorded no new local cases in the latest reporting period, but one linked to the Avalon cluster will be included in Friday's figures.

WA’s mid-sized travel agents look set to go to the wall after a known flaw in the rollout of a $128 million federal government package will end up paying out less than state support.

A Perth property expert reveals the areas where good schools, underpricing, gentrification and rezonings for higher density housing will spark sales this year.

The SES received 47 calls for help in south-east Queensland in 24 hours, mostly for leaky roofs and sandbags.

All patient transport workers will soon undergo daily COVID testing as health authorities ramp up surveillance protocols across NSW’s massive quarantine operations.

Rising numbers of COVID-positive travellers from the UK have raced home to NSW, as anxieties grow over the threat posed by the country’s more virulent virus strain.

It's usually their busiest time of the year, but pubs surrounding the Sydney cricket ground are preparing for a more subdued crowd this year.

Australians' proclivity to follow rules - which has served us so well in the pandemic - reveals a surprisingly high level of trust in our governments.

The porn industry is not just profiting from exploitation, it is miseducating our young people about sex, consent and abuse.

The NSW government will rely on 10,000 cricket fans wearing masks for the entire Sydney Test to avoid a Melbourne-style coronavirus cricket scare.

Julian Assange has been offered consular assistance which in reality has meant no assistance at all.

A recent string of high-profile acquittals will prevent people from coming forward to complain of already under-reported crimes.

Research has tracked the location of platypuses across Brisbane's waterways, finding some creeks no longer house the mammals.

Trivia buffs: test your knowledge with today's interactive superquiz and target.

A hazardous pursuit, a disgraceful raid, and nerves all on edge?

On January 7, 1931, Guy Menzies took off from Mascot in Sydney and landed in New Zealand just over 12 hours later, having kept his record attempt a secret.

Do authoritarian regimes such as China's have the magic formula for beating COVID-19 with limited disruption?

After a difficult 2020, Luba Cowall will be celebrating Orthodox Christmas on Thursday with her grandchildren at Brunswick's Russian Orthodox cathedral.

“We have not seen these challenging conditions for two to three years,” says fire chief Darren Klemm, who warns the next three days will be especially tough for crews.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called a special cabinet meeting to discuss the mutant coronavirus strain from the United Kingdom, while the MCG in Victoria became an outbreak site after a positive case attended the Melbourne Test.

With temperatures soaring and the dry easterly winds continuing, weather conditions could not have been worse for firefighters to stop a 102-kilometre fire front from impacting homes near Lancelin, about 140 kilometres north of Perth.

As the virus hits the road.

Melbourne's local football community is mourning the death of 21-year-old Mitchell Celantano, whose body was found in a Gold Coast canal on Tuesday in Queensland.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has signed off on Cricket Australia's proposals for strict quarantine rules for players.

A 25-year-old man was charged on Wednesday after allegedly fleeing the scene of the accident in the town of Wellington.

Three West Australians who came into contact with a recently returned UK traveller with COVID-19 have gone into mandatory quarantine after a health protocol failure.

The thunderstorms were predicted to also cause potential life-threatening flash-flooding.

A man in his 30s who attended sales at Chadstone on December 26 and the MCG Boxing Day Test match on December 27 later tested positive to COVID-19.