Daily Telegraph News & Politics

Desolate streets. Boarded up shop fronts. A sudden surge in homeless people camped in derelict doorways A court has heard how paedophile Grant Harden invited children as young as five over to his home for “sex party” sleepovers and often drugged them before the abuse. Penrith premiership hero Royce Simmons is battling dementia.  And Aussie TikTok superstar Peach PRC describes herself as a “pink obsessed, mentally ill musician”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Covid-19 equipment was thrown out by NSW Health last year because it was expired, faulty, or didn’t meet regulatory requirements. A serving member of the SAS has told how Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith shot a captured Afghan man in the back minutes after ordering another unarmed man be executed. Iconic music venue the Lansdowne is shutting its doors in a few months when its lease runs out. And Australian cricket coach Justin Langer secretly knocked back a six figure sum in bonuses because he felt it would be morally inappropriate amid Covid job cuts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taxpayers have already spent more than $57m to cover the first fortnight of the state government’s back-to-school testing program, analysis from The Daily Telegraph  reveals. Despite declaring her “strong support” for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has not denied calling him a “horrible” person  The Coalition government has spent more than $230 million on redundancy payouts for departing public servants. And Australian men may still be feeling the warm glow of an Ashes and T20 World victory but coach Justin Langer could be out of a job by Friday night.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man who was arrested after his girlfriend’s body was found in a bathtub of acid was recently accused of domestic violence against the dead woman’s family NSW has the nation’s lowest Covid booster uptake among eligible adults Oatlands Golf club members, divided over a planned Mirvac apartment block on the site of a proposed memorial garden to honour four children killed in a horror crash, have called for urgent government intervention  And The son of rugby league immortal Arthur Beetson has called for a review of the naming of four grandstands at the new $850 million Sydney Football Stadium See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Confusing advice that was sent to thousands of people ­diagnosed with Covid-19 could have led to people spreading the virus by incorrectly leaving isolation early. Gang members caught up in the bloody war between two Sydney crime families have been warned “there is nowhere to hide” as cops step up their crackdown on the conflict.  Rita Ora is ready to set down permanent roots in Australia. And Ash Barty won’t complete a career grand slam at the US Open unless there is a change of balls used for women’s singles.  For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a nation collectively held its breath, world No.1 Ash Barty showed why she is the most dominant force in women’s tennis, finding a way to overcome feisty American Danielle Collins Small businesses who suffered during the “shadow lockdown” brought on by Omicron will be able to claim up to 20 per cent of the payroll under a more than $1 billion NSW government financial support package. One of the state’s top cops says shutting down the key players in the conflict ­between the Hamzy and ­Alameddine families has left the two warring sides confused and in chaos. And a COVID-era land rush and decades of poor planning have pushed prices for ­shovel-ready blocks to new heights and encouraged buyers to take drastic steps to get into new estates. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A high school has banned “early marks” while teachers have been told to crack down on students vaping in the classroom “and exhaling out the windows” amid a 771 per cent increase in e-cigarette incidents in schools. Home-seekers will need to earn nearly $200,000 a year to be able to afford the typical Sydney house following another explosion in property prices last year. A woman who claims to have handed her baby son to a woman in a Sydney convenience store has been ­jailed for six months after ­refusing to reveal the whereabouts of the boy.  And heavyweight global broadcasters who have paid tens of billions of dollars for the rights to the Beijing Winter Olympic Games are dramatically scaling back news coverage of sensitive Chinese issues, amid a nervousness about the safety of staff on the ground. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Troubled former TV star Andrew O’Keefe has spent night in custody after being charged with assault.. Traumatised families who are unable to visit loved ones in aged-care homes due to Covid ...are furious the minister responsible attended the cricket instead of fronting a hearing on the pandemic response.  The mass surveillance of NSW school kids with a twice-weekly Covid test will be reviewed after a fortnight of term starting amid “mixed” health advice.. Ash Barty has annihilated Madison Keys to set up a blockbuster Saturday night of Australian Open finals at Melbourne Park.  For updates and breaking news throughout the day take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Families caught in the crossfire of Sydney’s deadly gang wars are sick of the gunbattles that go on day and night and getaway cars being torched outside suburban homes. Newly elected NSW councillors could be turfed out of their jobs after an “epic fail of democracy” meant thousands of votes were not counted and some councillors may have been ­declared winners by mistake. A $2 billion investment to turn the Entertainment Quarter at Moore Park into an arts and entertainment precinct and create 17,000 jobs could be lost because of a late night amendment to new laws made by an independent MP and the Greens. And Ash Barty has “unique’’ ­appeal in Australia’s sports marketing landscape which will linger long after she stops playing the sport. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Little Charlise Mutten was allegedly shot dead by her stepdad with a small calibre rifle. Tennis champion, Paralympic gold-medallist, advocate and philanthropist Dylan Alcott has been named Australian of the Year, becoming the first person with a disabil­ity to win the top award. It’s not just your imagination: Prices for everything from petrol to groceries are going up, putting cost of living issues squarely in the frame for this year’s federal election. And in sport, Ashleigh Barty cemented her status as the world’s best with an incredible, flawless charge into the Australian Open semi-finals. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sydney councils have been accused of using Covid-19 as a cloak to cancel Australia Day events and avoid controversy relating to the “change the date” movement, as others prepare to forge ahead with their own celebrations. Australia has passed the peak of Omicron and is approaching the “beginning of the end” of the pandemic, according to leading infectious disease specialists. The body of a young woman who was last seen at a Central Coast railway station was secretly disposed of by the alleged murderer’s brother. And in sport, there are growing concerns some of the NRL’s ­biggest stars are seriously considering not taking part in the upcoming All Stars match unless the NRL makes changes to some of the tough Covid protocols that will be in place for the six days players are in camp in Sydney. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE messy divorce of disgraced former federal politician Craig Thomson and his ex-wife Zoe has taken another ugly turn, with the one-time MP spending Saturday night behind bars after being charged with harassing her.IN what’s been dubbed a “blatant” act of political censorship, Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s account on the Chinese-owned social media site WeChat has been taken over and rebranded as a pro-Beijing propaganda outfit.TENNIS is paying the price for embracing Roger Federer, ­Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and nobody else, with the game’s No.1 entertainer Nick Kyrgios hoping his charge towards an Australian Open doubles title helps breathe fresh life into a “dying” sport.Ash Barty survived her toughest examination of the week to reach a fourth-straight Australian Open quarter-final.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every student and teacher will be asked  to take a rapid antigen test twice a week in order to attend school – but masks will be ­restricted to high school.Masks are here to stay with  Premier Dominic Perrottet to keep in place a raft of restrictions for the short-term as he focuses on getting kids back to school safely.Exclusive new polling by Yougov has revealed Aussies re in no rush to change the date of our national celebration, the look of our flag, the choice of our anthem or our system of government.Robbie Slater is asking not to compare Socceroos and Matildas teams' records after Matilda star Sam Kerr scored 54 times for Australia after her five goals in the Matildas’  18-0 Asian Cup demolition of Indonesia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's childhood Covid vaccination program has been labelled a disaster and it will be impossible to vaccinate every child aged five to 11 before school starts again this week.The heart-rending story that went around the world last weekend – of a distraught Sydney father recounting how his beloved  boy had died in the back of an ambulance on the way to  hospital from a heart attack after receiving the vaccination the day before- has been found to be fake. More than 18,000 dads and mums who have failed to pay child support will be banned from leaving Australia as the federal government strengthens laws to recover more than $160 million in  debts.A new diabetes drug    which suppresses appetite receptors in the brain is being ­hailed as a potential weight loss wonder drug.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A week before being ­officially sworn in as NSW Police Commissioner, Karen Webb has terminated the services of Deputy Commissioner Michael Willing, who was tipped to get the job ahead of her. Kallista Mutten is understood to have been staying at the Riviera Ski Park at Lower Portland, in the lead-up to her daughter Charlise Muttens death last week, with police swarming the park over the weekend as part of their search for answers.Deported tennis superstar Novak Djokovic is considering suing the federal government over “ill treatment” in Australia that included being unlawfully detained.Samantha Stosur’s singles career is officially over with a straight-sets loss putting a full stop on 20 years of singles competition at the Australian Open.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A JobSaver program is being looked at by the state government to get small businesses through the “shadow lockdown” sparked by the Omicron outbreak.THE man charged with murdering nine-year-old Charlise Mutten drove around Sydney for up to five hours with her body in the back of a boat while he tried to work out where to dump her, police will allege.PREMIER Dominic Perrottet has thrown his support behind giving parents access to HSC results to see how their child’s school compares to others after The Daily Telegraph revealed bureaucrats had attempted to censor the publication of results.WORLD No.1 Ash Barty has demolished qualifier Lucia Bronzetti 6-1 6-1 in just 52 minutes, thanks largely to a first serve the Australian said had taken some work.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A day before HSC results are set to be published, it can be ­revealed the NSW Education Standards Authority issued veiled warnings to media companies. SECRET mobile speed cameras raked in more than $46 million in fines for drivers going less than 10km over the limit last year, a 750 per cent increase on fines ­issued in 2020.THE stepdad of missing schoolgirl Charlise Mutten- Justin Stein is currently on supervised parole after a jail stint for serious drug offences, it can be revealed.WEST Australian Maddison Inglis is savouring her stunning upset of US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez as her finest on-court moment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A secret military-like operation is under way to get every student in the state’s public, Catholic and private schools access to rapid antigen tests (RATs) from the first week of term one.Police spent hours overnight combing through CCTV footage from cameras around the Blue Mountains in a bid to track the movements ofa red ute belonging to the fiance of missing girl Charlise Mutten's mother. Novak Djokovic will be facing an uphill battle to retain his title as the world’s best tennis player, if other countries hosting grand slams follow Australia’s strict approach to unvaccinated travellers.Justin Langer’s chances of holding on to his job as Australian coach have increased because  his deputy doesn’t want it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 BREAKTHROUGH familial DNA technology has resulted in new leads in more than 100 serious cold case crimes including 15 murders, 18 sexual assaults and three kidnappings which took place over the past 20 years.  Novak Djokovic was sensationally deported overnight after a unanimous federal court decision dismissed his fight to stay in Australia and compete for a record 21st Grand Slam.  The son of a millionaire family and a recovered ice addict who killed a friend in a car crash are at the centre of the hunt for missing nine-year-old girl Charlise Mutten.  A new survey has revealed business and consumer confidence has collapsed, with 40 per cent of businesses saying they don’t have enough cashflow for the next three months.  For updates and breaking news throughout the day take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An army of retired educators and final year student teachers will be hired to keep schools going during the Omicron outbreak.  Paying more than $3 million for a house has become the norm in ­nearly one in eight Sydney suburbs.  A leading vet has appealed to be allowed to import a Covid-19 vaccine for animals as he fears it is only a ­matter of time before infections among pets “explode”.  And radio king Kyle Sandilands has popped the question  to his partner of two years, Tegan Kynaston.  For updates and breaking news throughout the day take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.