Daily Telegraph News & Politics

The battle for Western Sydney kicks off this week as the two men vying to be Australia’s prime minister  The greatest comeback in Australian sporting history just had its second coming, with tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes becoming a co-owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs Shoppers are being urged to begin hunting for their Christmas presents as soon as possible amid supply  issues and labour shortages  And Parramatta is playing another dangerous game of contract poker over the stalled negotiations with captain Clint Gutherson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even a modest interest rate rise would send many homeowners who bought recently at high prices in hundreds of NSW areas into severe mortgage stress  Returned travellers now owe the NSW government more than $110 million in quarantine hotel fees When police switched a $186 million shipment of narcotics with a load of house bricks they didn’t expect to start an internal war inside a drug smuggling syndicate. And The NSW government is considering a $120 million project to put a retractable roof over Stadium Australia in HomebushSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tax cuts worth $1080 to millions of Australians could be extended to avert a hip-pocket hit to low and middle-income earners after next year’s ­election. A 13 y/o girl caught lighting a fire in Western Sydney will come face-to-face with firefighters, police and a victim of a devastating arson attack Australia's longest ever zip-line will be created on the edge of Sydney  And An undercover cop was ­injected into Mostafa Bal­uch’s alleged drug syndicate by a mysterious person known only as “Antman”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New world-leading capabilities created by the Australian Federal Police provided the crucial last piece of information that led to Mostafa Baluch’s return  Abti-coal activists are costing the economy millions of dollars by crippling the Hunter’s rail network  At least half of all Australia’s population growth should be in the regions under a bold push from the Nationals  And Brandon Smith will keep the clutch of Queensland clubs fighting for his signature on hold until he has met with the Sydney Roosters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Accused drug kingpin Mostafa Baluch was planning to sail from far north Queensland to Indonesia and then to Thailand, before finally taking a flight to eastern Europe to see powerful crime friends. A rain bomb has swept through NSW and triggered flooding in parts as the state braces for more than a month’s worth of rainfall in just three days. The crippled Inner West Light Rail fleet was deemed to be in “good” condition by government bureaucrats less than a year ago And Benji Marshall will make a ­romantic return to Wests Tigers next season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sydney’s spring racing carnival now boasts the two richest races in the nation with the Golden Eagle receiving a prizemoney boost to $8m from next year.  A new billion-dollar fund will invest in low emissions steel, aluminium, livestock feed, batteries and other technologies in a bid to ensure Australian green business ideas can compete globally. Questions about an actress, tweezers and a poem about quartz crystals left some HSC students stumped after their first exam yesterday but the trickiest test will be today when they are expected to write more than 3000 words in just two hours. And in sport, Manly’s Tom Trbojevic is the superstar behind the NRL decision’s to award Manly a staggering 12 free-to-air games in 24 rounds next season.  For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A senior member of the Finks bikie gang allegedly caught with a handgun while on bail for other offences was released back into the community by a Sydney magistrate the next day  Australia will be “cautious” in approving Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11  With a blitz of regional NSW featuring hard hats, factory tours and group selfies, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is stepping up his unofficial campaign as the next election looms. And Instagram has seen a dramatic slump in use by young Australians, according to confidential internal documents.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children aged five to 11 are unlikely to get a Covid-19 vaccine before the end of the school year, with the summer holidays looming as a nightmare for families as unvaccinated kids are subjected to longer quarantine.  The father of twin daughters who died in a blaze had returned with his girlfriend from a bonfire at her Byron Bay commune to find smoke billowing from the bedroom where they slept. The highest-ranked woman in the Perrottet government has taken a swipe at the NSW Liberals saying women were not given opportunities under Gladys Berejiklian. And in sport, Justin Langer is just two wins away from cracking Australia’s 14-year T20 World Cup curse and guaranteeing his bosses a major headache in sorting out his future. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Sydney mother is sickened and revolted after her family photos were allegedly “stolen” and used in fake accounts belonging to the man ­accused of kidnapping Cleo Smith. Dick Smith and  wife Pip will this week give $5 million to 66 charities they have supported over the past 30 years. In sport, Parramatta is  considering handing ­Curtis Scott a lifeline next season. And Covid lockdowns and ­travel restrictions have prompted professional surfer Julian Wilson to take a break with his family and choose life over the only livelihood he’s ever known.  For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sydney’s inner west light rail has been shut down for up to 18 months after cracking was found in all 12 vehicles. Childcare waiting lists are growing longer as working parents flock back to the office – but many centres are now struggling to find staff due to “no jab, no job’’ rules. Authorities have taken the dramatic step of ordering a Sydney nightclub to shut after its patrons got so drunk they ended up in a brawl and a police officer was punched in the face. And in sport, former State of Origin stars, ex-million dollar players and NRL hopefuls headline a list of players who have just weeks to prove ­themselves as first graders. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cleo Smith’s alleged abductor collects Bratz dolls and is pictured on social media wearing a shirt with cartoons on it. Drivers are set to find it easier to get a car park and people with unused driveways and parking spaces will be able to make extra cash on the side through the state government’s new Park’nPay app. Sydney pubs and bars are in a war for staff with young job-hunters picking up dozens of offers in a matter of hours – while some venues are going as far as posing as patrons to steal employees. And in sport, Mal Meninga is returning to help the Queensland Rugby League, with ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys giving the Australian coach the green light to return to the Maroons’ Origin program. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With just four words, 18 days of horror for one family was brought to a close and gave tear-filled joy to a nation that had held its collective breath. Australia will not apologise to France over the handling of a dumped $90 billion submarine contract  Thousands of offenders skipped bail last year but only 8 per cent of them had been made to lodge a financial ­surety with the court to ensure they turned up. And Tyrone May’s premiership afterglow lasted less than a month. On Wednesday, his pleas for clemency were ignored as the Penrith board decided there was no room in the club for the versatile half.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Waller sat in silence, watching in awe, as his champion mare Verry Elleegant raced clear in the Melbourne Cup. But all around him was sheer pandemonium. His wife, Stephanie, and their children, Tyler and Nikita, were doing the cheering for the trainer. A staggering 92 per cent of public schools selected under a government program to boost renewable energy are in the Coalition’s own seats. Australia has taken its low emissions technology plan to the world, positioning itself to be a global leader in cheap solar power that could also fuel a clean hydrogen boom. And in sport, Paul Vaughan will make his first official appearance as a Bulldog on Wednesday as the new-look Canterbury Bulldogs start off-­season training at Belmore. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

French President Emmanuel Macron knew long ago his country’s deal to build submarines for Australia was in trouble but “he just didn’t want to hear it”, despite Prime Minister Scott Morrison being upfront about issues even before the AUKUS arrangement was inked.  One in five maths classes in some rural areas of NSW are taught by teachers who lack any maths training in a situation bureaucrats admit is contributing to the disparity between city and rural schools when it comes to results. Gladys Berejiklian had no concerns that Daryl Maguire told her to get a private phone and download an encrypted messaging app  just four days after he told his secret lover he had been called to give evidence in a corruption probe. And in sport, Royal Randwick will be the unofficial heart of the Melbourne Cup today with a crowd that even Flemington can’t match. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription atdailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Secret phone conversation reveals former premier Gladys Berejiklian boasted to her then lover Daryl Maguire how she got “$170m in five minutes” for Wagga Wagga hospital.  There has been a surge of first-home buyer ­activity across pockets of Sydney’s northwest, southeast and suburbs on the city’s outer fringes. Australia is hoping for a Kiwi tourist boom this Christmas with quarantine-free travel from New Zealand set to resume from Monday. Incentivise is set to start the hottest Melbourne Cup favourite since the legendary Phar Lap. For updates and breaking news throughout the day take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An explosive day of evidence at the corruption watchdog has revealed Gladys Berejik­lian told Daryl Maguire she would command $140 million out of Dominic Perrottet Rolling strikes at the country’s busiest container port are set to continue for at least another month Australia's brewers want the Government to follow the lead of its UK counterpart and cut the tax rate on draught beer  And From cash incentives to paying for Ubers and accommodation, offering employee share plans and even a four day working week, Steve Sidd is doing everything in his power to attract the 130 new staffSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The proposed new drugs laws designed to give users a second chance would work out tougher than the current system Gladys Berejiklian discussed marrying secret lover Daryl Maguire and having a child with him, the Independent Commission Against Corruption has heard. A thriving regional Australia and net-zero emissions are not mutually exclusive, but leaders must be “honest” with fossil fuel workers now so they are prepared for new jobs, says entrepreneur billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes. And Usman Khawaja should be the new favourite to partner David Warner in the Ashes, in a move that could also benefit young blood Will Pucovski.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Members of the Alameddine and Hamze crews are trying to escape Sydney with police targeting anyone close to the two gangs following last week’s double murder. NSW has rejected a decade of pressure to conserve water in the Murray-Darling Basin at all costs, slamming the current state of the plan as ­“environmental vandalism”.  An Eastern Suburbs gym has lost hundreds of members who quit over its Covid vaccine stance, after staff were told they were not ­required to get the jab. South African star Quinton de Kock could find salvation in the Big Bash League as he faces a $500,000 banishment by the Indian Premier League over his refusal to take a knee.  For updates and breaking news throughout the day take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.au  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police are investigating whether a late night private jet flight from Bankstown Airport is how  alleged drug kingpin Mostafa Baluch fled Sydney only hours after cutting off his tracking bracelet on Monday night. Sydney’s revamped spring racing carnival and its cache of new big-money races are proving a smash-hit with punters. Summer Bay soap star Lynne McGranger has revealed her old habit of regular cannabis usage in an upcoming memoir. Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns has quit his role at the Eels to join the Knights coaching staff. For updates and breaking news throughout the day take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.au  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The love child of the late Australian cricket legend Dean Jones is suing his widow for a slice of the family’s estate. A multimillion-dollar grant to a Wagga Wagga gun club championed by Daryl Maguire would not have been ­approved by cabinet’s expenditure review committee if Gladys Berejiklian had disclosed she was in a secret relationship with the disgraced MP. Pregnant women in regional areas are waiting months to see doctors for check-ups with many towns left without a functioning birthing ward.  Sydney Roosters star James Tedesco has spoken to the integrity unit, denying claims that he directed a derogatory comment toward a woman during a night out with friends last week. For updates and breaking news throughout the day take out a subscription at dailytelegraph.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.