Reeking bins and missed missions.

Eighty-six close contacts from the Perth COVID cluster have not come forward for a test, prompting the WA government to extend mask wearing and hospitality restrictions until January 4.

Long delays are forecast at testing sites across Sydney on Tuesday as Brad Hazzard accused the Queensland Premier of “effectively perverting the purposes of pathology testing”.

All the action from day two at the MCG as Australia close in on a 3-0 Ashes series lead.

As case numbers climb in Sydney, expectant mothers have been told by hospitals they must get PCR tests regularly.

The #hotvaxsummer of endless good times for a demographic who sorely missed social interaction has been doused by COVID-19’s rebound.

The MCG stands were heaving as Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland claimed two wickets each during a stunning final hour on day two of the Boxing Day Test.

Marcus Harris saved his Test career in admirable style against marauding England bowlers, setting up the Australian attack for a late Ashes-winning barrage.

Two Melburnians who skipped border restrictions to attend the AFL Grand Final in Perth before being jailed have now returned to Victoria.

This should be a busy trade period for retailers, but staff shortages due to the coronavirus is forcing them to shut their doors.

For eight months the EPA has been cleaning up the illegal dumping ground in country Victoria, making a range of toxic and grisly underground discoveries.

The MCG crowd could finally settle summer’s question, what is there about Pat Cummins that isn’t perfect? Answer: His team.

All the action from day two at the MCG as Australia close in on a 3-0 Ashes series lead.

England’s bowling attack, led by veteran James Anderson, struck back with their best performance of the series - but their batters wasted a day’s hard work with cheap dismissals yet again.

Pharmacies and supermarkets experienced an explosion of demand for rapid antigen tests ahead of Christmas, and it’s only set to increase as states change rules around travel testing requirements.

The US Justice Department’s has put the Wall Street establishment on notice, launching a criminal investigation into short selling by hedge funds and research firms.

Some good racing is expected at Tuesday’s seven-race meeting at Orange.

Race-by-race previews and tips for Tuesday’s feature meeting at Orange

The rapid spread of Omicron has forced companies to cancel shows over the Christmas break.

Authorities are treating three separate bushfires during a total fire ban across WA over the Christmas period as suspicious, with one man charged for allegedly igniting a blaze that tore through 30,000 square metres of land.

A feline family that lives in a pylon on the bridge feature as part of a recently opened museum.

The owner of a wholesale liquor business in Boronia has accused Victoria Police and the Office of Public Prosecutions of conspiring to financially cripple him, after freezing his assets and withholding almost $70,000 seized during a money laundering ...

Veteran NSW Liberal politician Andrew Constance is poised to run for the party in the federal seat of Gilmore after his final competitor for the preselection withdrew.

The battle is on for St George Illawarra’s five-eighth role - and one youngster says he wants to play every game alongside Ben Hunt in the halves this season.

As Richie Benaud impersonators treated the crowd to the sounds of summer, there was also something to smile about for English fans, such as Sophie McKenna in her sparkly Union Jack dress.

In a Kingdom where the long ban on cinema has only recently been lifted, young people in Jeddah have embraced a new festival culture that has brought film stars and DJ parties that allow mingling of the sexes.

What will happen if a player or players from England or Australia tests positive to COVID-19 during a Test? Your questions on day two of the Boxing Day Test answered.

Clubs with five or more COVID cases in their match squads will be allowed to postpone games but competition organisers still plan to end the season in May.

Australian NBA rookies Jock Landale and Josh Giddey had big nights as their clubs scored wins on Monday AEDT.

Kidd, who died on Sunday afternoon, had endured health problems over the past 15 years, including cancer and a cardiac episode.

Who ended up on the wrong and the right side of the 2021 ledger after deducting “the James McDonald Tax”?

From the Airbnb scandal to a Melbourne Cup-winning owner vaulting the mounting yard fence, horse racing had plenty to talk about in 2021.

Debt-laden construction titan Evergrande has restarted work at its housing projects, as it juggles more than $US300 billion in liabilities.

Some gems remained in a dance calendar beset by the pandemic.

No single Australian company will be able to build 8000 new electric buses the NSW government has committed to buy locally, according to Nexport chief Michael van Maanen.

Upmarket catering and lucrative sponsorship deals will be offered at next month’s Australian Open as Tennis Australia tries to claw back some of the cash it lost last year.

Of the 88 boats that left Sydney on Boxing Day, just 56 are still racing to Hobart after tough weather conditions caused havoc within the fleet.

In 1953, world record crowds packed into Kooyong to watch Australia and America battle it out for Davis Cup supremacy. After days of capacity crowds, Australia would retain the cup, beating the US 3-2.

The inconvenience of misplaced reading glasses could become a thing of the past for hundreds of thousands of Australians.

Catching COVID is not inevitable, even if you are living with someone who has the virus.

Some residents who had evacuated on Boxing Day evening returned home Monday morning, grateful for community support in helping them leave, especially those with animals and livestock.

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

The need for Boeing 787 pilots in Queensland to isolate for 14 days after each international service has put pressure on crewing.

Many PCR testing clinics are closed or operating at reduced hours in NSW on Monday due to the public holiday, triggering queues at sites across Sydney.

Further play in the MCG Test hinges on overnight PCR test results, with the possibility that the remainder of the Ashes could be played in Melbourne as CA tries to save the Sydney and Hobart fixtures.

Victoria reported 1999 new coronavirus cases on Monday and three deaths. NSW reported 6324 new cases of COVID-19.

State authorities are looking at allowing interstate travellers to do a rapid-antigen test, rather than a PCR test, on day five.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged parents to get their children vaccinated before they return to school.

This is not the first time we’ve been faced with what appears to be a seemingly unstoppable disease.

The Biden administration has made a critical miscalculation by rejecting the Senate Republicans’ offer of a $600 billion COVID relief bill and pushing ahead with its stimulus plan.