Players with utility value will become more important than ever as Canberra coach Ricky Stuart was forced to shuffle his line-up all night after COVID-19 struck before the first NRL trial of the year.

Constable Zachary Rolfe left the Alice Springs hospital by a back door to avoid gathering crowds, the court heard.

Omar Saghir was granted bail by a Brisbane judge who questioned why police appeared “prejudiced” against religious defendants.

Pubs and clubs across the city are in a celebratory mood as density limits are done away with and dance floors are back in action.

The scramble for sports funding is ceaseless as Australia’s winter sport bosses state their case ahead of the next financial cycle leading towards 2026.

It was the incident that sparked an ill-in brawl the last time they played, now Dejan Vasiljevic and Matt Hodgson will face off again on Saturday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warns the UN Security Council that a Russian false flag operation could include a fake or real assault using chemical weapons.

Under-achieving clubs have under-achieving players. At Carlton, several who’ve banked hefty cheques have been anything but bankable performers.

WA’s hard border will come down on March 3, with Premier Mark McGowan making the call due to high vaccination rates and declining COVID-19 cases in the eastern states.

Battered, bruised and broken after a fortnight at the centre of a global doping scandal, the Russian world No.1 cried as she clasped a soft toy while her coach berated her.

Long before Bob Hawke famously held beer-soaked court for fellow union and Labor leaders at the John Curtin Hotel in Carlton, hard-bitten detectives gathered there religiously each evening.

The best photos from the international wires at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games in China.

Matthew Hanks will spend at least 19 months behind bars after pleading guilty to six counts of fraud in what he saw as a series of “mutually beneficial” arrangements.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has launched a probe into predecessor Mick Fuller over his horse racing interests while he was the state’s top officer.

The Magpies insist Jordan De Goey would still be fit for the start of the season, even with just one competitive game under his belt. But they were also confident last weekend his rib injury would not affect his availability for the practice games.

The continued upward trend in community COVID-19 cases in WA has seen the government announce a new border opening date and a swathe of new rules to keep transmission low.

The AFL’s confidence is shared by Richmond chief Brendon Gale and several other Victorian-based clubs, who have welcomed the return to uncapped crowds at the football.

Top chief executives and business leaders tell state government that Melbourne’s CBD has had enough.

Everything you need to know to find a winner on Hobartville Stakes day at the Gardens.

A magistrate ridiculed the name Panthers On The Prowl during the Tyrone May sex scandal hearing, but the charity will now appear on Penrith’s jersey.

Two men have been charged and a warrant is out for a Chinese national as part of what official sources say is a wider investigation into Chinese government espionage in Australia.

Central Coast coach Nick Montgomery says clubs were briefed at the start of the season about plans to use a drinks break in each half to allow for television ad breaks on Network Ten.

Big beverage manufacturers are calling for container deposit schemes to be extended to wine and spirit bottles to encourage recycling.

Perth Uber drivers struggling to make ends meet are urging each other not to accept ‘non-surge jobs’ near the city so they can drive fares to ‘surge’ heights.

With the season opener less than three weeks away, NRL fans will finally get a flavour of what to expect from their clubs this year in this weekend’s trials.

Tom Patterson delves into the story of a young man whose response to modern life was to remove himself from it.

Port Adelaide have signed Rachael Sporn as operations manager ahead of their first AFLW season.

North Melbourne remain hopeful that Jed Anderson will receive a second vaccination dose that will allow him to return to the club, but he has until Monday to make his call clear. Meanwhile Tristan Xerri and Aaron Hall were forced from the field in th...

Being up-to-date with the fast-changing trends, catchphrases and memes of the TikTok generation can be challenging – even for the under-25s themselves.

Apple’s next iPhone software update will address a grumble that’s been bugging users since the COVID pandemic started: You’ll finally be able to unlock your phone without first taking off your mask.

They first met on a double-date in high school. When quarantine stalled a budding relationship decades later, a solution was at hand.

Liberal members are preparing to go to court to block a decision that could help Prime Minister Scott Morrison choose candidates for the coming election.

Until last year, South Korea had never had reached 8000 new cases a day. But with Omicron, the daily caseload soared to 109,831 on Friday.

Phil Mickelson has dropped some truth bombs about Saudi Arabia.

It is a pointer to Cronulla’s ambition that they sacked a coach who made consecutive finals appearances. Will replacement Craig Fitzgibbon handle the expectations?

Ron Brierley, convicted of possessing child abuse material last year, was released from jail because “inadequate” prison conditions left him afraid to shower.

Tech giant Amazon’s gig model for parcel deliveries has been dealt a blow, with the NSW industrial umpire extending minimum rates of pay to thousands of drivers.

Tyran Wishart is not the same player as his esteemed father Rod, but he will carry the family name back on to an NRL field when he runs out for Melbourne Storm in their first trial game of 2022 on Saturday.

“The losses still seem to be outrunning the industry,” says the new chief executive of QBE, Andrew Horton.

Joe Pride’s training philosophy will be on show when he sends out second favourites Eduardo and Shalatin in the Lightning Stakes and Silver Slipper respectively.

The players’ union has spoken openly about wanting to work with the NRL and clubs to have digital currency payment options for the game’s best players, potentially as early as next year.

Matt To’omua sat out the end of 2021 due to lingering concussion issues but the Wallabies veteran is healthy and back on deck for Melbourne.

Evan Osnos examines three different communities in his new book to explain how America has become a combustible nation.

The central character’s grief at the murder of her sister is at the heart of Mandy Beaumont’s fierce novel.

Sustainability, ethical practices and inclusivity are some of the hottest values on the runway at this year’s Melbourne Fashion Festival, as small brands lead the way.

Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen and Steven Carroll cast their eyes over recent fiction and non-fiction.

For years people have been talking about the death and revival of the short story, but it has never gone away and remains very popular.

Why did this happen? And what does it mean for consumers, for workers and for emissions?

Authorities took into custody 1266 migrants “from different continents that were transiting irregularly”. More than 200 were minors travelling alone.

Long-time national security watchers are concerned with the way in which both major parties have politicised the issue over the past week.