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?

Ivan Milat, Australia's most notorious serial killer who was serving seven life sentences for the murders of backpackers, has died aged 74. Milat had been diagnosed with terminal cancer in May. He died at 4.07am at Sydney's Long Bay Prison hospital on October 27, 2019.

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.

The body of serial killer Ivan Milat is removed from Long Bail Jail and driven to the NSW State Coroner.

Backpacker killer Ivan Milat, who was serving seven life sentences, dies in Sydney's Long Bay Prison hospital six months after he was diagnosed with terminal stomach and oesophagus cancer.

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.

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.

In the decades since I covered Ivan Milat's crimes and trial, his story has become bigger than even my wildest imagination. But now he should be forgotten, writes Philippa McDonald.

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.

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

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.

Researchers uncover long-term patterns in Sydney's underwater ecosystem from illustrated diaries made by a 1950s scuba diver.

Some people are turning to professional organisers for help with decluttering does the industry reveal our complicated relationship with our stuff?

Court documents provide insight into the shambolic and costly planning issues being created by a major housing expansion on the southern outskirts of Sydney.

Having left Melbourne in her 20s because she couldn't see a place for herself, Thai-Australian playwright Anchuli Felicia King is now forging a global career, with plays in London, Washington, Melbourne and Sydney this year.

The first report from the 10-month royal commission into aged-care standards offers blunt condemnation of the system, describing it as "unkind and uncaring" and fails to deliver safe care.

Challenged by animal activists over the slaughter of newborn male calves, some dairy farmers are marketing older calves as veal to the ethical consumer.

MORNING BRIEFING: The Federal Energy Minister 'unreservedly' apologises to Sydney's Lord Mayor for falsely claiming her council spent $15 million on travel, while parts of NSW remain blanketed in haze as winds fan smoke from bushfires.

Defending A-League champions Sydney FC move to the top of the ladder after putting on a clinic to hammer the Newcastle Jets 4-1 in a one-sided affair at Leichhardt Oval.

A former Catholic priest accused of assaulting 40 victims across eight NSW parishes from the 1960s to the mid-1990s has pleaded not guilty to the 139 charges.

Western United come away with a 3-2 win in their Melbourne derby against the Victory despite trailing 2-0 after just seven minutes. Look back at that remarkable win and Western Sydney's 0-0 draw with Brisbane in our ScoreCentre.

The theory in media circles is that the banking royal commission was big news because "everyone has a bank account". There seems to be no corresponding extrapolation for aged care, writes Anne Connolly.

The New South Wales police watchdog finds an officer engaged in serious misconduct by using unreasonable force during a motorist's arrest. It is among just 2 per cent of complaints last year able to be fully investigated due to NSW Government funding cuts.

An entire wing of the school is being taken over for three weeks including "art bombing" of the halls with bubble wrap and transforming classrooms into discos and caves.

A $2.9 million payout is being challenged in court today after it was found Nationwide News defamed actor Geoffrey Rush in a high-profile case earlier this year.

MORNING BRIEFING: The $2.9 million awarded to Australian actor Geoffrey Rush in his defamation case will be challenged in court today, while much-needed rain has fallen in some of the state's driest areas.

The mayor of the Inner West Council says a "very deep hurt" is caused to Indigenous Australians by the "jingoistic celebration" on January 26. But an independent councillor has called the move divisive.

It's criticised for being "disingenuous", and many Christian students say it can be socially draining. So why hasn't face-to-face evangelism gone out of fashion in a digital world?

Four years ago, Jonda Stephen found herself in a life or death situation. Her partner had hit her in the head multiple times with an iron, so she picked up a knife and stabbed him, in self-defence.

Two-thirds of working mums and dads are struggling to look after themselves physically and mentally, according to a new report. The findings are pretty depressing. But what can parents actually do about it?

A father is dead and his son is fighting for life in hospital after both were stabbed at a construction site they owned in St Peters.

The case of Quanne Diec and former nightclub bouncer Vinzent Tarantino shows even when an accused person confesses to a crime, criminal matters can later play out unexpectedly in court.

Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry has notched up plenty of career highlights, but her biggest is being involved in the "watershed moment" of women's sport in Australia.

A Sydney mechanic who rescued a seven-year-old girl being raped by convicted sex offender Anthony Sampieri tells a court he still has nightmares about the "feeling of a scalpel being dragged across the back of my neck".