The Member for O'Connor says he will be urging the Federal Government to remember struggling parts of Western Australia's grain belt in talks over drought assistance.

A man has been sent to jail for a crime spree, that included the theft of firearms, tens of thousands of dollars worth of jewellery, and an attempted theft of an ATM.

Police have seized a Taser, disguised as a torch, and drugs during a raid of an Albany house.

A Western Australian eastern Wheatbelt shire says the Federal Government should not overlook the region as it develops a new drought assistance package.

University of Western Australia (UWA) researchers have warned of the potential for "very large extinction rates" among marine life unique to southern WA due to climate change.

Residents in the Great Southern town of Broomehill West have expressed frustration over a lack of information during a recent blackout.

The cry of 'save our sharks' echoed through Ellen Cove in Albany over the weekend as hundreds gathered to rally against the WA government's controversial policy.

WA nickel miner Western Areas is attempting to raise about $100 million in a venture designed in part to reduce debt.

Western Australian Wheatbelt nickel producer Western Areas says it will make significant savings after raising the funds to pay off a $110 million bond.

Footballer Marley William's claim he acted in self defence when he punched another man is a "fantasy", the prosecution in his trial says. Mr Williams admits to punching then 29-year-old Matthew Robertson in the face outside the Studio 146 nightclub in the south coastal town of Albany, the Magpies defender's home town. He gave evidence on Wednesday and today, saying Mr Robertson and two other men had previously attacked him inside the club and he feared being 'beaten up' again outside.

How much training would you expect a soldier to receive before being sent to the frontline in the theatre of war?

The Shire of Plantagenet is facing a shortfall of nearly $1 million in its funding for a major sporting precinct upgrade, after receiving a smaller than hoped for Western Australian Government grant.

Residents have been left without water for a day after a breakdown at a local treatment plant and as western NSW sweated through a heatwave.

It's hard to imagine a subtropical island struggling with drought, but Norfolk Island has had only 12mm of rain all summer and dams and water tanks are running dry.

The drought could have major implications for life-saving medical procedures, such as dialysis with patients needing up to 4,000 litres each week for treatment.

This state-of-the-art shearing shed hopes to attract and retain good shearers in a safe environment.

Graham Morrison, 55, is given a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence after hitting a family car on the Newell Highway near the end of an 11-hour trip.

MORNING BRIEFING: Western Sydney residents concerned about the new 24/7 airport will have years to wait before they know proposed flight paths, while the enduring drought pushes Dubbo to cut water use even more.

MORNING BRIEFING: Firefighters say it could take weeks, potentially months, to contain about five fires burning around Armidale and Tenterfield, while a woman is injured and a firearm stolen during a break and enter in Orana.

The largest local council in New South Wales, whose patch includes the Darling River town that experienced mass fish kills, will spend another four years in administration.

A Dubbo man is handed a community correction order and community service after pleading guilty to animal cruelty following his appearance in a video of an emu being plucked.

The Yetta Dhinnakkal Centre, meaning "right pathway" in traditional language, was established as Australia's first prison exclusively for young Aboriginal men but next year it will close and locals are warning the impact will be disastrous.

The Bureau of Meteorology says almost 30 millimetres has fallen at Bourke in the state's upper-west but the widespread, heavy rain needed to end the drought is unlikely in the near future.

Parched parts of NSW received a welcome dump of rain over the weekend.

Heavy rainfall has filled up dams in the drought-stricken region of Coolabah in New South Wales.(credit: Anthony Hyde)

75mm of rain has fallen in the drought-affected town of Girilambone in NSW, filling up dams in the region and bringing relief to farmers.

Regional airline Rex is threatening to cut services on its Sydney-to-Dubbo and has sent a scathing letter to Dubbo households criticising their local council.

Indicted as a mass murderer in 1945, prominent Nazi Otto von Wachter goes underground. In a revealing and personal account, renowned human rights barrister, Philippe Sands retraces his movements and tells the intimate story of the inter-generational impact of such crimes.

It’s 250 years since the arrival of Captain James Cook. In maritime circles he’s celebrated as a great navigator and map-maker. But for First Nations people, Cook is the symbol of the European invasion which decimated their communities. So how should Cook be remembered today? Author Peter Fitzsimons and historian Professor John Maynard discuss the man and the myth.

While China's demand for Australian rock lobster soars, less international flights causes product delivery to be capped.

Despite not winning a match, Thailand proves to be the feel-good story of the Women's T20 World Cup, as Australian crowds warm to their positivity and sense of fun.

With rain forecast for Sydney on Thursday, Australia's up-and-down Twenty20 World Cup is at risk of coming to an anti-climactic and disappointing end.

Bad weather in Sydney means India goes through to T20 World Cup final without a ball being bowled — and Australia will lose out if the second semi does not go ahead.

Mitchell Starc comes home early from South Africa to watch his wife Alyssa Healy play for Australia in the T20 World Cup final — and criticises the lack of reserve days which nearly saw the hosts eliminated.

The T20 final brings to an end a five-year campaign to beat the world-record crowd of 90,815 for a women's sporting event, writes Brittany Carter.

Once the subject of "satanic panic" and seen as the epitome of nerd-dom, roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons finally hits the mainstream and is bigger than ever.

The parents of missing Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez, who disappeared in Byron Bay in May shortly before he was due to fly home, say they are hopeful their son will still be found alive.

After a US magazine visited the far-north NSW coast town, Byron Bay was abuzz. Dig a little deeper and the stories pour forth from angered locals.