Surry Hills establishment Marque is named Restaurant of the Year in the 2011 Good Food Guide Awards.

MasterChef's latest spin-off has raised concerns that it could be exploiting its junior contestants, writes Sacha Molitorisz.

Christchurch was rocked by a large tremor on Saturday, and the same could happen here, reports Glenda Kwek.

Matthew Newton allegedly assaulted his fiancee after an altercation with a man in pub who approached her.

Australian Muslim preacher condemned by Sydney leaders after he called for the beheading of an anti-Islamic politician.

Shoya Tomizawa, 19, comes off his bike and the two riders behind him run over him at full speed in shocking crash.

Mother's grief for son, 18, who had been living it up on his first trip overseas before dying in glacier plane crash.

Earthquake that hit Christchurch expected to create economic boost.

THE Christchurch earthquake shook up more than the house and surroundings of 89-year-old Bob McCombe.

QUEENSLAND Rail executives could have their pay slashed if the southeast CityTrain services do not run on time.

POLICE have been threatened with disciplinary action if they use "blue-light taxis" to give colleagues a lift home from the pub.

A PEDESTRIAN who was struck by a car as she talked on a mobile phone while crossing Logan Road has died in hospital.

PARLIAMENT will have an independent speaker and question time will be overhauled under changes agreed by Labor and the Coalition.

POLICE have revoked an emergency situation after the discovery of a suspicious package at Enoggera near the army barracks.

PREMIER Anna Bligh will work a night shift as a hospital orderly at PA hospital as part of her government’s 'Walk a day in my shoes' program.

MANAGER and her eight-year-old daughter have gun pointed at them by masked bandit during hold-up at a Gold Coast KFC.

BRISBANE City Council repeatedly warned Clem7 operators the tunnel's management and marketing was being "mishandled" before it posted a $1.6 billion loss.

THE Birdsville races have been cancelled due to wet weather for the first time in their 128-year history after a weekend of wild weather across the nation.

MasterChef's latest spin-off has raised concerns that it could be exploiting its junior contestants, writes Sacha Molitorisz.

The Swans overcome Carlton in a titanic battle to win their elimination final by five points.

Shattered Chris Judd says Carlton failed to meet its season expectations following club's second heart-breaking finals loss in 12 months.

Controversial former priest John Dominic Crossan has never shied away from uncomfortable questions of faith.

Make no mistake, the Cats are still in this flag race up to their necks, writes Rohan Connolly.

St Kilda was the most obvious winner out of the first weekend of this finals series.

Pianist, composer, conductor - musician Michael Cassomenos does it all, and does it well.

With luck, this political impasse will motivate us to modernise the constitution.

UPDATE MPs strike accord after talks with Abbott 'hit a snag'.

UPDATE 6.00pm:  SOME Wangaratta residents have been told to immediately evacuate their homes as floodwaters threaten.

NATIONALS MP Tony Crook's support for the Coalition could determine who becomes our next prime minister. 

VICTORIAN primary school students are standing up in class for half an hour a day in a radical plan to beat childhood obesity.

TWO people convicted of rape, one of drug trafficking, and one of armed robbery could be freed after a review of DNA evidence.

A JAPANESE court has sentenced two Greenpeace activists to suspended one-year jail terms for stealing a box of whale meat.

THEY present as the sweetest girls in the world, preaching peace, love and goodwill.

A RETIRED fruiterer who killed his wife of 50 years with a hatchet was today jailed for 13 years for his "brutal and horrific" crime.

POLICE were called to the home of Molly Meldrum last night after a terrified neighbour complained about an out-of-control party.

UPDATE 1.47pm: POLICE are on the hunt for a man they believe to be behind a string of sexual assaults in Melbourne's south-east.

The 32-year-old victim of an alleged glassing attack at a Northbridge hotel has recalled how he thought he had been punched in the throat until he noticed blood gushing from the wound.

Police are searching for two armed bandits who robbed a chemist this afternoon and then hijacked a Toyota Landcruiser.

A man who allegedly kicked and drowned his dog in an esky is due to appear in Esperance Magistrate's Court tomorrow.

Premier Colin Barnett says he has no problem with Government MP Troy Buswell joining political forces with the woman he had an affair with in a bid to stop a proposed coalmine in the Margaret River.

Rental prices across Perth have plummeted over the past year, with new research including 11 WA suburbs amongst the top 40 biggest weekly rental drops in Australia.

A man accused of murdering his fiancee after repeatedly slashing her during a domestic dispute is a "chronic schizophrenic" and his mental illness deprived him of capacity to know right from wrong, a court heard today.

A Perth magistrate will travel to Christmas Island tomorrow to take a site tour of detention facilities as part of a four-week trial into riot charges against eight Sri Lankan asylum seekers.

Border officials have stopped another big boatload of asylum seekers - the 94th vessel intercepted in Australian waters this year.

A Perth man wanted for questioning over the death of a Dutch backpacker has failed in an attempt to have a restraining order slapped on a high-profile Dutch crime reporter and his colleagues.