While a semi-aquatic resident gets brassed off.

Annette and Bob Simpson, aged 82 and 86, wanted to protect themselves from catching the COVID-19 from family members over Christmas.

There is a growing call for the immediate reinstatement of face masks in all indoor settings and a rethink on crowd numbers in bars and at the Boxing Day Test, to stem a potential massive spike in COVID-19 cases.

Boxing Day is going to be almost as hot, with 41C the Bureau of Meterology predicting a maximum of 41C and a minimum of 27C, with no sea breeze.

There’s been a narrative that Omicron may be milder than previous strains. But scientists say they don’t actually know this yet. And even if it is, we could still be facing a big problem for the health system.

Four ministers will be responsible for the NSW roads and transport network after Premier Dominic Perrottet split up the portfolios citing the need for more accountability of the state’s massive infrastructure pipeline.

Melbourne nurse who was sent to prison after he helped Syrian rebels faces string of new federal charges including allegations he broke a court order to access social media sites.

Keen on comedians poking fun at the Liberals, your home state or just listening to more F-bombs than a CFMEU rally? Then Ebsworth Tonight is the Perth show to catch on Christmas Eve.

Bianca Tarrant and Dave McGiveron didn’t know what to do when the bushfires destroyed their property in 2019. Now, they’re the proud founders of meat subscription company Our Cow.

Restoration of the indoor mask mandate and temporary caps on large indoor gatherings could help prevent the need for harsher restrictions that would cause greater damage to the NSW economy. 

Lawyers for Shane Bazzi, who was found to have defamed the Defence Minister in a six-word tweet, have filed a notice of appeal in the Federal Court.

Infectious diseases experts have urged Australia to reintroduce masks in indoor settings, as the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads across the globe. Meanwhile, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has unveiled his new cabinet.

Security is expected to be ramped up at the WA Supreme Court today when a former soldier who confessed to executing Rebels bikie boss Nick Martin at Perth Motorplex is sentenced.

Victorians are forking out thousands for local holidays to avoid the risks of interstate and overseas travel.

Today on Please Explain, North America correspondent Matthew Knott joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss his time as a foreign correspondent.

A COVID-19 cluster involving the Omicron variant is being tracked from a Brisbane university graduation ceremony attended by more than 2600 people.

Queensland has seen another jump in its COVID numbers, with health authorities warning it will keep going up, and urging those eligible to get their booster shot.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet is urging calm amid continued pressure from some health experts for increased restrictions.

Roxburgh, who played a walking scandal of a criminal defence barrister in the hit TV series Rake, was filming in Melbourne courts.

Greens MLC Brad Pettit said cash for access forums were bad for democracy. “They give the wealthy and powerful disproportionate access to ministers and the Premier and frankly reinforce policy decisions in favour of the groups that they represent w...

Health workers have already tested positive for COVID-19 and the coming weeks are expected to put the system under pressure.

Victoria has recorded 1302 new coronavirus cases as experts call for increased COVID-19 testing capacity and a rethink of large social gatherings in light of the infectious Omicron strain.

The technology is designed for longer duration storage, from four hours to more than 12 hours, where lithium-ion batteries can be too expensive.

Environmental approvals vital to Woodside’s $16.8 billion Scarborough gas project will be tested in the WA Supreme Court on Monday. Will the WA government step in to help Woodside if the approvals are disallowed?

Lights, Santa, action: Here’s where you can make the most of Christmas in Melbourne this year.

Some things have changed since 2019. But after all that has happened since the last election, the more stunning fact is that more has not changed.

The architect of a report that underpinned the Morrison Government’s COVID-19 response says reopening Australia should be put on hold as fears escalate over the Omicron strain.

Monterey Secondary College was dysfunctional in 2019, but it has enjoyed an astonishing upswing in results after adopting the Berry Street education model.

As the state prepares to reopen to the world after two years, how much of the negative impacts of the pandemic have we dodged and how much have we simply deferred?

The government has sent a please-explain to WaterNSW following evidence ecologists were pressured to downgrade the impacts the Warragamba Dam wall-raising will likely have on threatened species.

At full commercial rates, Crown’s private executive jets cost $10,000 per hour to operate, prompting questions about the federal government’s decision to use them for aid work.

More than 11,000 refugees and asylum seekers who arrived by boat now live in the community on temporary visas, unable to properly plan their lives in Australia.

I find it almost unbelievable that our government would cease to mandate mask-wearing, the cheapest and most effective protection for its citizens against COVID.

REI adamant on land tax, Rugby League war over, and Greg gets a wiggle on.

30 years ago, angry scenes erupted at Sydney Airport as Compass Airlines collapsed, stranding thousands of passengers on the eve of their Christmas Holidays.

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

Wave to your mum when you see the Google car driving by.

Chief Health Officer John Gerrard says the state’s high vaccination rate may mean only hospitalisations will need to be reported from the new year.

One person has died and two others have been critically injured after a a “microburst” , a severe storm downdraft often with winds strong winds.

The nursing union has called for people to be patient with testing staff and accept that wait times will be longer with demand expected to increase in the lead up to Christmas.

By May, it will have been five years since more than 250 leading representatives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people signed the powerful Uluru Statement from the Heart.

There’s a new choir for those who would prefer singing Metallica songs to All Things Bright and Beautiful.

Regional health services will offer boosters to Melburnians on holiday and ramp up testing as they brace for the arrival of Omicron.

At 7.30am last Monday, I woke up to a text message alerting me I had tested positive to COVID-19.

Temperatures in Sydney hit tops of 35.8 degrees on Sunday, with hot and humid conditions expected to continue into the night.

Greatly increased transmission rates and uncertainty about the new variant means that for the next few weeks we must rethink our opening-up plans.

Most cardiac arrests happen in the home. Would you know what to do? How tricky is CPR to learn and what’s it like to have to use it?

A new rooftop bar at the State Library of NSW will open a part of the library - and its views of Sydney harbour to the east over Fort Denison - only seen before by employees and those in the know.

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

Giant hail, flooding, monster waves and tornadoes in 2021- by Herald photographer Nick Moir