Usain Bolt has turned down a two-year deal to play in Europe, but that won't make Mike Mulvey and the Central Coast Mariners rush into offering the eight-time Olympic champion a deal.

The A-League confirms Usain Bolt has been offered a contract with the Central Coast Mariners, but it'sfor "much, much less" than what the Olympic great's camp has requested.

Usain Bolt's time with the Central Coast Mariners could soon be coming to an end, with the A-League club revealing any potential deal will need to include "financial contribution" from a third party.

Usain Bolt leaves the Central Coast Mariners after a trial, with the A-League club and Olympic sprint legend unable to come to a deal that would have extended the sporting experiment.

A NSW woman has started an anti-discrimination campaign demanding changes to the way people in wheelchairs can buy tickets to major events and access good seating.

Thousands of homes were left without power and Sydney Airport experienced flight delays due to the storm system.

Dissatisfaction with the major parties and the Murray-Darling fish kill could tip the scales in favour of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party at the state election.

Convicted Bali Nine drug smuggler, Renae Lawrence, has avoided a prison sentence for stealing a car and leading police on a high-speed car chase in 2005.

Music festival organisers and the NSW Police lock horns over the reason for the sudden cancellation of a Central Coast event, with organisers denying it was plagued by "mismanagement".

A disease that could potentially wipe out Australia's multi-billion-dollar livestock industry has been detected at Australian airports.

A man in his 40s is in a critical condition, and four people are on the run, after a "horrific" stabbing in a convenience store on the NSW Central Coast.

He dominated the world on the track and now Usain Bolt is determined to prove his worth on the football field as he begins life with the A-League's Central Coast Mariners.

A one-woman campaign to rehome egg-laying chickens at the end of their lay cycle gains momentum.

The former operators of three sushi outlets in regional New South Wales are fined more than $380,000 for ripping off workers including junior employees and vulnerable visa holders.

The Raiders outclass the Dragons in Wollongong, as the Eels beat the Tigers to spoil Benji Marshall's 300th NRL match, and the Cowboys enjoy a narrow triumph over the Roosters.

Children as young as 10 years old are being routinely strip searched in juvenile detention in NSW with minimal or no contraband found, according to new data, and former inmates claim the searches trigger mental illness issues.

A Gosford judge describes Troy Johnson, a father of three who stalked and sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl as she walked to school, as "hideous" and "depraved" before jailing him for almost 30 years.

MORNING BRIEFING: Dozens of firefighters from South Australia head to New South Wales as back-up for weary RFS workers, and two people are fined after a banner is hung from the Harbour Bridge.

A judge denies bail to an 18-year-old ride-share driver accused of getting into an argument with a group of passengers before ramming his car into two of them.

A Victorian dairy lobby group calls for the New South Wales Government to stop subsidising the cost of transporting fodder.

Alexei Popyrin took a set off 11th seed Daniil Medvedev but lost in four sets.

The niche sport, which puts leads on rabbits to guide them through horse-jumping-style events, is growing in popularity and it is hoped may soon reach an elite level.

Industry groups estimate a majority of sheep farmers are using pain relief when mulesing stock, but Victoria looks set to become the first state to make the practice mandatory.

John Burrows died at his mother's garage in Portland near Lithgow in 2015, with a bomb expert telling his murder trial he had never seen a device like the one used to kill the 58-year-old.

The NSW Government introduces fines of up to $440,000 and possible jail time for animal rights activists illegally entering farms.

Despite a tightening supply and smaller yields due to dry conditions, the value of Australia's wine exports has continued to grow.

The dairy industry has welcomed a surprise move, first by Aldi, then Woolworths and Coles, to raise the retail price of their home brand milk.

Caroline Harte is mostly confined to her bed after a fall at work. While her insurer completes modifications to her home she sleeps next to a portable toilet and shower.

The Tristar Medical Group's chain of 50 clinics across regional Australia has been under "significant financial stress for 18 months" resulting in doctors often not being paid for weeks or months.

As the drought continues, water is being carted by train for the first time in decades to keep production on track at a NSW coal mine and secure 140 full-time jobs.

From their humble beginnings inside former churches, hostels and retail stores, regional conservatoriums continue to play a leading role in music education outside metropolitan areas.

While many grain silos around Australia are getting large-scale mural makeovers, one century-old structure is still operational, little-known and unadorned.

What goes on inside a busy NSW local court from police pursuits to a letter from jail to a stolen vibrator.

MORNING BRIEFING: A new video of missing Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez is released as his family attempt to solve what happened to the 18-year-old, last seen in Byron Bay.

Australian scientists develop a drought-tolerant beer grain they hope will be a saving grace for some Australian farmers.

Australian grain growers will produce one of their smallest crops of the decade this year.

The BOM says "scraggly" showers moved over the Great Dividing Range with a few millimetres in places like Orange and Dubbo but nowhere near enough to make a difference to the enduring drought.