A Canberra man was told by a trio of kidnappers that his genitals would be cut off and that he would "die" for an alleged debt of $450 that he used to send to his family in Africa, a court has heard.

Quad bike manufacturer Honda has described the Government's new roll bar rules as a "ban by stealth" and says that today is a "disappointing day for farm safety".

A Federal Court judge finds the Registered Organisations Commission's investigation into donations made to the activist group in 2006 when former opposition leader Bill Shorten was leading the union was not politically motivated, but it was launched on a "flawed"basis.

Bradley Lester Grey, 54, pleads not guilty in the ACT Supreme Court to charges of allegedly telling prospective sex workers they would need to perform acts with him to prove they were right for the role.

Sackings demanded and threats to withhold hundreds of thousands of dollars are at the centre of a clash between an outback community and a Commonwealth-owned business.

Celebrated children's writer and novelist Gail Jones takes out two of six Prime Minister's Literary Awards, worth a total of $480,000.

The call comes as a probe into complaints handling and treatment of small business proposed better access to review schemes and beefed up compensation for taxpayers wrongly targeted by the ATO.

Steve Smith played every shot in the book and then some from outside the coaching manuals as his unbeaten 80 helped Australia to a seven-wicket win over Pakistan in their Twenty20 clash in Canberra.

Rape victims are being made to wait for hours in the clothes they were assaulted in before being examined, or sometimes not examined at all, a damning auditor-general report reveals, highlighting the lack of qualified staff.

Running or riding hundreds of kilometres for fun, sport, and a physical and mental challenge.

Queensland's Native Mounted Police massacred thousands of Indigenous people on the colonial frontier, and most of its troopers were Indigenous themselves. It's a difficult legacy for their descendants to come to terms with.

After pleading guilty to drug possession and admitting he uses steroids, Afghanistan veteran and former Invictus Games competitor Tyrone Gawthorne is handed a suspended sentence for steroid and cocaine possession.

They travelled across the world in the 1950s and '60s to build a new life cutting cane in the steamy paddocks of north Queensland. Now Basques return to learn the story of their ancestors.

The 7-metre boat left Badu Island on Wednesday afternoon bound for Dauan island, just south of Papua New Guinea, with two men, two women and a nine-year-old boy on board, but it never arrived.

Police call off the search for five people missing in the Torres Strait since Wednesday after they set off by boat from Badu Island to Dauan Island, prompting a large-scale operation.

State and territory leaders have agreed to establish a timetable to work towards a waste export ban.

Matthew Ross White pleads not guilty to the murder of Donna Steele, as the Supreme Court in Cairns hears her killing occurred when she fought back during a botched extortion bid.

Witnesses say neighbours tried in vain to rescue a man from a burning vehicle after the ute exploded on a Cairns street, describing the scene as "horrific".

A court releases the video of a police interview that shows the murder confession of Matthew White, who strangled Cooktown woman Donna Steele in a botched extortion bid and has been sentenced to life in jail.

Cardwell residents band together to save a large tree that arborists have declared unsafe due to beach erosion during the recent heavy wet season.

Queensland's Royal Flying Doctor Service trades training for loyalty in a new program to bring in more pilots.

Mango fans get ready, because the season is ramping up in the Northern Territory with more than 200,000 trays picked last week.

A father who threatened to kill a Federal Circuit Court Judge in a late night, expletive-laden phone call walks free from a Far North Queensland court.

The operator of a Gold Coast aged care facility is accused of taking money from the bank accounts of residents at the same time they were being evacuated because the centre was closing.

The Saints fall to the ladder-leading Cats in Geelong, the Crows humiliate the Suns by almost 100 points, the Bombers pipped the Kangaroos, while the Hawks and Blues also posted wins.

Manly sends fans home happy with a win over the Eels at Brookvale after the high-flying Storm down the Titans at Robina.

The Cats rebound to beat the Swans in Sydney, while the Bombers edge out the Suns in a pulsating finish on the Gold Coast and the Bulldogs trump the Dockers.

Regional trials of a world-first digital platform aimed at transforming access to mental health services for young people tracks how participants are feeling in real time.

It has been the beating heart of the Gold Coast for 90 years, now locals fear the Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade will be transformed into a 14-storey apartment block.

Gold Coast police are searching for a man and woman after they stopped their car in the middle of the Pacific Motorway before attempting to hijack two vehicles.

The proposed state-controlled corridor between Loganholme and Nerang would run parallel to the Pacific Motorway.

The Sea Eagles hang tough to defeat the Raiders 18-14 in a thrilling clash in Canberra, as the Storm consolidate top position on the ladder with a 24-8 win over the Titans.

Melbourne Storm claim the minor premiership and bragging rights over Manly Sea Eagles, while the Sydney Roosters tune up with victory over Penrith and the Knights get a feel-good win over the Titans.

Australian pro surfer Owen Wright says he hopes others will follow his lead and start wearing safety helmets in the surf, yet one neurologist warns of the "super-hero complex" and says helmets are not a magic bullet.

A research team is deployed in response to persistent smoke from a bushfire that has been burning for nearly two months in underground peat on the NSW Mid North Coast.

Thunderstorms have rolled west across Queensland's southern inland, bringing more rain than expected to the Gold Coast hinterland as well as numerous lightning strikes raising concerns about the possibility of new bushfires.

As the ban on climbing Uluru fast approaches there remains many locations attracting crowds, despite calls from local Indigenous people to stay away.

It was all over quickly, but a short, sharp storm has brought hail and a little bit of rain to parts of Brisbane, Toowoomba and the Gold Coast.

For more than 20 years, 178 children have stared at motorists driving along the busy M1 on the Gold Coast. We dispel the urban myths of who they are and why they are there.

Conservationists are claiming a coup after convincing Gold Coast Council to save a freshwater lake from being turned into a carpark.

Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world, so you might be surprised to find there are just 16 ultraviolet radiation sensors around the country monitoring the sun's rays.

A group of vintage tractor enthusiasts and restorers like nothing better than rummaging for old parts in the hope they can bring a machine back to life.

As Maryanne Dalglish's Maremma sheepdog convulsed on the floor, there was nothing she could do but watch. Two hours later, he finally died. WARNING: This story contains an image that may cause distress.

It's largely unknown what seabirds and marine mammals do when they are out in Australia's remote waters, but an ongoing project aboard at 94-metre floating laboratory is changing that.

Pro-refugee activism and the travel history of a Tamil father could see a Biloela family at the centre of an immigration row deported, an experienced immigration lawyer says.