A leading international transportation strategist says Sydney can never have a world-class public transport system, despite the NSW Government's record investment in major projects.

A Federal Court judge rules Chinese property developer Huang Xiangmo should declare his overseas assets as the ATO which alleges the billionaire has an unpaid $141 million tax debt closes in.

A solicitor who offered pro-bono legal advice at the Splendour in the Grass festival in 2018 tells a public hearing of a "military-style" operation, which saw shopkeepers and bar staff among those strip-searched by police.

There are growing calls for a royal commission into the racing industry after the ABC revealed emails proving Racing NSW was told more than a year ago about the unauthorised sale of thoroughbreds for slaughter at a livestock auction.

The NSW Government will discuss establishing a national park south of Sydney to protect the state's last chlamydia-free koala colony under threat by urban expansion.

MORNING BRIEFING: Total fire bans are in place as temperatures are set to rise beyond the mid-30s on Friday, and a man in a wheelchair has fallen down 100 stairs at Macquarie Park Station.

Of more than 5,000 strip searches conducted by NSW police in the past financial year, less than a third found any illicit drugs, new data shows.

A NSW Police officer accused of tasering a 16-year-old boy and repeatedly bashing him with a baton will continue to serve in the force, despite being charged over the alleged on-duty assault.

Sudden stratospheric warming it's great for the ozone layer at the South Pole, but not so great for heat and rain levels over the next few months.

The high-end Rockpool Dining Group fronted by Neil Perry is hit by union claims it tampered with digital timesheets as it underpaid workers by up to $10 million, as a former worker enters mediation with the group in the Federal Court.

Pilots are still hungry for the thrill of flying a Grumman Tracker more than 30 years after they last launched it off the back of an aircraft carrier.

Phoebe Litchfield is a high school student in country New South Wales, who also happens to be one of the brightest young talents to hit the WBBL.

The first time I saw my baby Billie was in a photo she'd been born 11 weeks early. The next few months brought agony, loneliness and love and sparked lasting friendships with other mums in the intensive care unit.

At the tender age of 75, decorated Wollongong athlete Mary Thomas who could be described as a fitness fanatic is not your average septuagenarian.

The Federal Energy Minister says he will apologise to Sydney's Lord Mayor for "not clarifying" figures he used to criticise her over the council's travel costs.

If you think of your favourite British TV shows, one thing that stands out is the great variation in the way the actors sound. So why aren't Australians the same?

'My chest is very tight, it's hard to breathe': More children like Lincon are suffering from asthma as dust storms roll through NSW in the drought.

Shorebirds are increasingly under pressure around Australia, as the nation's wetlands and coastal estuaries continue to be swallowed by housing.

Fines for cyclists who do not wear helmets in New South Wales are more expensive than anywhere else in Australia, and should be drastically lowered, according to university researchers.

Western Sydney Wanderers claim a 1-0 victory over crosstown rivals Sydney FC, while FFA Cup champions Adelaide United celebrate a 2-1 defeat of Newcastle Jets.

He signed his prison letters "Ivan the innocent", but there is evidence to suggest Australia's backpacker killer took secrets of more victims to the grave.

MORNING BRIEFING: NSW's economy has dropped to third, behind Victoria and Tasmania, according to CommSec's State of the States report, which measures performance based on several factors.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance wants to follow London's lead and take "drastic action" by ditching diesel and renewing Sydney's 8,000 bus fleet.

Forty years ago Peter Smith died after being punched on a night out in Sydney but only now will his sisters get to the bottom of what actually happened and why police closed the case a day after his death.

A court hears an Australian Federal Police officer told ABC lawyers he did not want to see "sensationalist headlines" prior to a raid of the broadcaster's Sydney headquarters this year.

More than 90 fire fighters are battling the blaze in inner west Sydney.

Michael McCormack told the ABC the demonstrators were merely craving media attention.

MORNING BRIEFING: More than 90 fire fighters work to stop a factory blaze from spreading in Sydney's inner city, while 700 weekly buses are being added to the Hills District.

A jury hears how a woman who was allegedly gang raped by prominent Chinese actor Yunxiang Gao, and a producer, in a Sydney hotel room begged the men to let her go.

A copied artwork featured in the lounge room of Ricky Gervais's character in the Netflix series After Life results in a payout to Aboriginal artist Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri.

Manly Sea Eagles hooker Manese Fainu will spend the night behind bars after he was refused bail during a court appearance in which he was accused of stabbing a man outside a church in Sydney's south-west last week.

Up to 40,000 people are suing the Federal Government over PFAS chemical contamination, arguing their property values have plummeted. It's the largest class action in Australian history and it's backed by Erin Brockovich.

The acclaimed Australian artist is painting black squares on a gallery wall with his eyes closed to protest against the values that led us to climate crisis.

Last year, more than 12,000 students in NSW received long suspensions of up to 20 days and a new report reveals this could be creating a pathway from school to prison.

MORNING BRIEFING: Eastern suburb residents are particularly at risk after smoke haze blankets Sydney, and a north-bound lane on M1 remains closed after four trucks caught fire after a collision

A court hears how a woman had a "chunk" of her tooth fall out after treatment, in a case against two people accused of posing as registered dentists.

Wendy Morgan has a degree in science, 40 years of work experience and even a forklift licence, but no-one will give her a job. She says living on Newstart makes the job hunt even harder.