Police patrolled the Eastern Suburbs beaches today.

Cases have soared in NSW and parts of the state, Melbourne, and the ACT remain in lockdown.

In Sydney’s winter sunshine on Saturday, most people exercising outdoors accepted the tougher rules as necessary.

A tale of two Sydneys: ‘We’re in the same storm, but different boats’

NSW will enter a snap statewide lockdown at 5pm on Saturday after recording 466 new cases of COVID-19, which continues to spread across the regions.

Ekka Dagwood Dogs, Strawberry Sundaes and Bertie Beetle showbags will be available via drive-thru from Saturday.

Like most of us, 19-year-old Will Richardson’s life feels like it has been put on hold. But it’s not just lockdowns holding him back – it’s an inability to get a copy of his birth certificate.

Victorian contact tracers say they haven’t been able to find the source of eight COVID-19 infections, as 21 new local cases were recorded and exposure sites topped 450.

To imagine dark matter, fill your mind’s eye with an image of the universe: a speckle of planets, stars, galaxies and black holes painted across a vast black tapestry.

The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors.

How does Australia’s border compare to the rest of the world, is it in line with the science, and what does the law say about shutting citizens out (and in)?

Established in 1959, the Mount Isa Rodeo is the richest in the southern hemisphere and attracts contestants from all parts of the world.

Daisy Noyes has for the past year been collecting litter from Merri Creek and fashioning it into dresses for her, her friends and her two sons to pose in.

The restrictions allowing Sydneysiders to move within 10 kilometres of their home have been halved as NSW Police will also ramp up its presence.

In an old gold mine shaft, one kilometre beneath the Victorian town of Stawell, scientists are hoping to further understand the foundations of our universe and the nature of Dark Matter. The Age photographer Joe Armao went deep beneath the earth's su...

The 10-kilometre movement radius in Greater Sydney will be halved in what Premier Gladys Berejiklian described on Saturday as an “extremely concerning situation”.

On climate, Scott Morrison is headed for a clash with his global peers. The NSW Premier, meanwhile, risks border wars with state and territory leaders.

Queensland has recorded six locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and one overseas case.

It was a thought bubble from my bubble to yours - and wow, what a busy and inspiring bunch you have been in lockdown!

Footage released by police shows two detectives dressed in full PPE escorting the man out of Perth Airport and into the back of a police wagon. 

When his young son was dumped by a monster wave at Sydney’s Bronte beach, this erstwhile New Yorker was intrigued by what happened next.

Turning to the courts to challenge orders that override some of our most fundamental principles is proving fruitless.

The powerful lobby group representing clubs in NSW has lashed out at a plan to allow an extra 1000 poker machines into Sydney’s Star casino.

SBS will use its television channels to interpret NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s updates in frequently used languages of the communities badly affected by COVID-19.

A steady departure of policy, media and legal advisers and administrative staff from the Premier’s private office means there are only a handful of surviving members from the team which took over the running of government after the 2014 election.

Nurses have been the backbone of the pandemic, but now Victoria’s healthcare system is battling a serious shortage of them

Nobody knew much about Dr Dianne Houghton in life. In death, a remarkable bequest will fund a new general practice to provide health care services to the homeless regardless of where they live or their Medicare status.

The loneliness of working from home and being cut off from the familiarity of everyday life were among pandemic-related factors in one in 10 Victorian deaths by suicide, a report has found.

The top-down nature of our COVID briefings, with their focus on individual accountability, misses the mark for many Australians, whose cultural traditions place greater weight on collective wellbeing and mutual obligation.

We’d do better by investing in local democracy to protect the public interest in planning decisions.

While residents of the east and north shore flocked to Sydney’s beaches when COVID-19 hit their neighbourhoods, families on the city’s fringe are instead taking advantage of larger spaces and nearby bushland to stay sane.

Premier, Police Commissioner, you need to show us a plan with achievable outcomes and people will support it.

Attention has been focused on year 12, but many believe kindergarten has been the year group hardest-hit by remote learning.

NSW will tighten the rules around the singles bubble and people exercising, a popular market in Melbourne’s inner south is a venue of concern and vaccine hesitancy has fallen in Queensland.

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

Queensland now has its “eyes on the horizon” for the next virus outbreak, with NSW considered a likely vector due to rising cases there, as harder border measures are again considered.

A variety of critical community services could collapse due to a shortage of insurance cover against National Redress Scheme claims.

Daily life in Sydney as NSW reported 390 new local COVID-19 cases, the highest daily case total since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 1500 casual outside-school care workers have lost their jobs and dozens of services face closure as the sector struggles under continuous coronavirus lockdowns.

The man said he couldn’t sleep after he checked the winning numbers on his Powerball lottery ticket late on Thursday night.

The week in photos from the award winning Sydney Morning Herald and Financial review photographers.

The bone has been collected for pathology testing, which will determine whether it is from a human body. 

The canned food giant received a number of threats after announcing it would mandate COVID-19 vaccinations, but is confident its products are safe.

A friend of Mr Roberts-Smith’s ex-wife is expected to give evidence for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald in his defamation case against them.

A golf driving range approved for Balnarring has come to symbolise the debate over Melbourne’s green wedges, which are now under review.

Police continue searching for clues as to what led to a violent daylight stabbing death of a man in Sydney’s inner west on Friday. 

A young man who narrowly missed hitting a police officer, pedestrians and cyclists as he sped a car through central Melbourne will be released after nine months in jail.

Herald letter writers tell us how to stay positive in Sydney’s extended lockdown and provide the essential pandemic playlist.

Australia is the only liberal democracy in the world that doesn’t have comprehensive legislation covering people’s rights.

Lawyers for the media outlets have a copy of the ABC’s full written defence to Christian Porter’s defamation claim, but most of the document is not in the public domain.