Sometimes being creative involves getting burnt. It's a lesson two gay podcasters in Sydney learnt the hard way.

MORNING BRIEFING: The first non-stop commercial flight between New York and Sydney will depart shortly, and a man is charged over an alleged $170,000 diamond fraud committed in 2002.

Tim Cahill may be Australia's all-time leading goal scorer, but the Socceroos legend has been inspired by a young player who was also told he won't make a top-ranked team because of his size.

Health authorities in Western Sydney want shisha smoking phased out over fears it causes cancer, saying research shows 45 minutes of smoking flavoured tobacco from a water pipe is the equivalent of smoking 100 cigarettes.

Nida Dar has overcome more than her fair share of challenges during her career and she is now looking to leave her mark on the WBBL as the first Pakistani cricketer to play in the tournament.

A Sydney jury is unable to reach a unanimous or majority verdict in the case of a Kulwinder Singh, who pleaded not guilty to setting his wife Parwinder Kaur on fire in 2013. She later died in hospital.

A group of cyber sleuths from Adelaide takes out the national missing persons "hackathon", finding nearly 100 new pieces of information for police to investigate.

Investigations will begin into how a number of dams in drought-ravaged parts of NSW came to be filled during a ban on pumping water along parts of the Murray-Darling earlier this year.

The Wanderers earn a valuable three points their second win in as many matches with the highlight a Keanu Baccus stunner in the 54th minute at Docklands.

After 17 races, it became clear this $180,000 thoroughbred wasn't going to cut it on the track this is how Absolutely Win ended up at a Queensland slaughterhouse.

The Federal Government is falling short on its own commitment to boost funding for services to keep Australia free from pests and disease.

Space advocates spruik the human benefits but critics say it costs far too much. Ever since the moon landing, space has been seen as a "giant leap" for humankind, but is it in the wrong direction?

The Australian racing industry is in turmoil after revelations of former racehorses being slaughtered at abattoirs, with leading trainer Chris Waller so shocked he "couldn't watch" the vision.

Signing off after 30 years at the ABC, award-winning reporter Margot O'Neill writes about the thrill of the big scoop and gives an insight into the grinding slog of investigative journalism.

Thousands of years of Jewish practice meet high-end architecture in Succah by the Sea a public art event in Bondi.

Chris Waller continues his big race domination, taking out The Everest at Randwick with Yes Yes Yes, on a day marked by protests and calls for change after an investigation revealed widespread slaughter and abuse of former racehorses in Australian abattoirs.

An 81-year-old man is charged over the alleged sexual and indecent assault of two minors in northern NSW and police say there could be more victims who were drawn in over CB radio at the time.

The Sky Blues make it two from two with a against the Phoenix, following Melbourne City's 2-1 win over Adelaide United.

First Nations cabaret Natives Go Wild peels back the PT Barnum legend to reveal the Indigenous stories and talent behind the spectacle.

Sydney beats Montreal and Houston in its bid to host WorldPride in 2023, becoming the first city in the southern hemisphere to host the major international LGBTQI event.

MORNING BRIEFING: A proposal to bring NSW sexual consent laws in line with Victoria and Tasmania is introduced, while a man is rushed to hospital with multiple stab wounds after a two-vehicle crash.

The Qantas flight, which landed in Sydney on Sunday morning, is the first in a series of trials of "ultra" long-haul trips which could become reality by 2022.

The NSW Government has revealed the exact locations of seven new stations on Sydney's Metro West line from the CBD to the western suburbs, which is due to open by 2030.

Five Dock is divided over the news a new train station will be built in the heart of the suburb with some fearing a repeat of the CBD light rail disruptions, while others looking forward to the economic injection from better transport.

MORNING BRIEFING: Police charge a man who allegedly returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.299 during a random breath test last night, and motorsport fans plan to protest against the NSW Government's decision to demolish the Parramatta Speedway.

Australia's biggest music events threaten to pull out of NSW and accuse the Berejiklian Government which is preparing to introduce tough new festival laws of "endless nanny state interference".

This organic farming program is turning residential backyards into market gardens to tackle food security, food mileage and social isolation.

Figures released by the Department of Finance last week show the budget is now back in deficit by $4.8 billion. Now some economists doubt the government will be able to reach the projected surplus, including former Treasury advisor Warren Hogan.

A senior constable who performed 19 strip searches during the Splendour in the Grass festival last year tells an inquiry the procedures were "unlawful" and that the experience had been "a massive learning experience".

Game fishers are predicting one of the best seasons in 30 years, but are wary about publicising their big catches online due to growing criticism about the sport.

As vulnerable patients arrive at one hospital's psychiatric ward with just the clothes on their back, a support service is ensuring access to free, clean garments of their choice.

The owners of Sydney's troubled Mascot Towers claim new test have revealed a "loss of soil" under the apartment complex's north east corner the same area cracks first appeared before the building was evacuated in June.

Burns Pet Food at Riverstone pleaded guilty to aggravated animal cruelty relating to dozens of cattle and an injured sheep only a month before the ABC's 7.30 report into the slaughter of horses.

MORNING BRIEFING: Commuters and HSC students have been advised to avoid the M1 at Berowra after a road worker was hit by a utility early this morning, causing lane closures, and a man dies in a blaze at a Maitland home.

Royal Life Saving Society Australia is warning parents to limit distractions and be vigilant with water safety, as new data shows one-year-olds are at the greatest risk of drowning compared to any other age group.

The Workers Compensation Commission finds in favour of a former House Rules contestant who claimed she was now unemployable because of the negative way she was portrayed on the Channel Seven show.

In the wake of the construction disasters of the Opal Tower and Mascot Towers, the NSW Government is introducing new laws to Parliament which would mean builders have a duty of care to owners and could be fined upwards of $100,000 for any faulty work.

Billionaire property developer Huang Xiangmo publishes a lengthy and scathing attack at the ATO, which is pursuing him over a $141 million tax bill, and ASIO, which revoked his permanent residency.

Chayse Gannon and his mother, forced to leave dad and baby brother behind, have changed accommodation around Sydney more than 12 times since he was diagnosed in February.

A NSW police officer is accused of "sloppy work" in an inquiry after she mistakenly inflated the quantity of drugs found on a reveller at Splendour in the Grass last year by nearly eight times.

A social media campaign quickly gathers followers as it shines a light on drought-affected towns struggling to maintain their businesses, and encourages people to buy remotely in the lead-up to Christmas.

A seagrass nursery set up to propagate seeds to restore lost seagrass meadows could also be a tool to offset carbon emissions.