NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance abandons his bid to enter federal Parliament less than 24 hours after announcing he would seek Liberal pre-selection at the Eden-Monaro by-election.

The NSW Liberal Minister announced his withdrawal from the Eden-Monaro by-election this morning.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard urges people to continue to observe social distancing measures on Mother's Day.

The Tweed River Art Gallery features a swag of interesting exhibitions just now, and there's nothing like a gallery hiatus to encourage you to get along to them. The Gallery closes for the first half of October to allow major works on the Margaret Olley Art Centre, which will open as an extension of the gallery in early 2014.

Gaming business Federal Group says it will not have jobs for about 1,500 of its 1,930 Tasmanian workers because of restrictions on the operation of hotels and casinos introduced to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Medical staff working in a coronavirus hotspot in Tasmania's north-west say a relaxed attitude towards hand hygiene and social distancing made it a "slow-motion disaster waiting to happen".

A stand-off in a suburban street between an armed man and police is captured on video, with officers pointing their weapons and ordering him to surrender before he is knocked down by a police car.

Six regional aged care facilities in South Australia are failing to meet standards, a State Estimates committee hears, with three based in the same region.

Rugby Australia chairman Cameron Clyne, who Michael Chieka said he had "no relationship" with after the Wallabies' World Cup exit, will stand down.

Eric Dier's brother was allegedly involved in a confrontation in the crowd during Tottenham's FA Cup loss to Norwich, with the Tottenham star hopping the fence to get amongst it.

Australia takes control of the Olympic football qualifier against Vietnam, as the Matildas cruise to a 5-0 win that puts them on the verge of qualification for Tokyo.

Ride Like a Girl's real strength is it never lets anything get in the way of telling the superb true story at its heart.

Disability advocates renew their push for local councils nationwide to ensure that new housing is universally accessible to address what they describe as a critical shortage of accommodation.

The rugby league player is slapped with an extra charge which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison as he is committed to stand trial in August over the alleged aggravated sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman in Wollongong.

Rugby league player Jack de Belin will stand trial on sexual assault charges in March next year, just two weeks before the start of the 2020 NRL season.

St George Illawarra player Jack de Belin has withdrawn his legal challenge to the NRL's no-fault stand down policy, with his lawyers telling a Federal Court in Sydney there was "no utility" in proceeding.

The NSW Transport Minister says he didn't decide to contest federal politics to be called "that type of smear" by his "mate" John Barilaro as he abandons his bid for pre-selection in the Eden-Monaro by-election.

Australia's national cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss relaxing coronavirus social-distancing restrictions, but NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warns nothing will be changed before Mother's Day on Sunday.

The Australian Federal Police sanctions recruits and staff who breached coronavirus social-distancing rules but none, so far, has lost their job over the incident.

MORNING BRIEFING: The NSW Transport Minister will no longer serve as Leader of the House, the latest episode in a tumultuous week for Mr Constance in which he announced his bid for the federal seat of Eden-Monaro before withdrawing from the race 24 hours later.

Some think Australia is spending billions in a "wasteful splurge on old-timers who were going to die sometime soon anyway". But it has Australia well placed to cautiously remove coronavirus restrictions while protecting lives, writes political editor Andrew Probyn.

Police charge two brothers, aged 18 and 20, over an unprovoked attack on an off-duty senior Victorian police officer near a Melbourne train station.

The biggest league match of the year rolling into Perth this week will inevitably trigger discussions about whether WA should have its own NRL side, but that decision depends on something far more important than crowd sizes, writes Tom Wildie.

The aviation safety regulator is being urged to relax maintenance requirements for Angel Flight and other charity flight services, after a Senate inquiry slammed an earlier ATSB report into the charity's fatal crash rate.

He has been earmarked as a Test batsman in the making, and now Victorian youngster Will Pucovski gets another chance to earn a debut after being named in the Australia A XI to play Pakistan in Perth.

Joshua Glenn is banned from competitive football for four years by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority after testing positive to a prohibited substance.

The closure of an historic brothel has provided another nail in the coffin for one of Australia's most famous red-light districts, which has operated illegally for more than a century.

After a devastating bushfire, one remote WA farming community takes steps towards a solar solution and it's cheaper, safer, and more reliable.

A health industry expert is calling on federal authorities to oversee the return of windfall profits, as customers negotiate with insurers to save money.

For babies born during the coronavirus pandemic, introductions to extended family members have been a little different. Parents have had to use technology to allow grandparents, aunts and uncles to meet their latest family member.

Australia is significantly expanding testing for COVID-19 across the country in order to stay on top of the virus and provide a path to re-open large portions of public life, but experts believe some tests are not up to scratch.

Australia's largest sawmill has stood down 51 workers in the south west Victorian town of Colac, as it prepares for a slow down in demand for its products.

A court has heard the most senior Australian Anglican clergyman to be charged with child sexual abuse used his power and influence to dissuade his alleged victim from disclosing the abuse.

Former rugby league star Jarryd Hayne is committed to stand trial on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a woman in the NSW Hunter region.

A champion surf lifesaver who was paralysed in a surfing accident while on holidays with friends last year has taken her first steps with the aid of a sci-fi-like robotic suit.

Honey from Australian native stingless bees is not technically honey and moves are buzzing around to change that.

A 3.5-metre leopard seal has come ashore in northern NSW as authorities warn eager onlookers to keep their distance from the potentially deadly marine mammal.

In the Northern Territory, where much of the population is sparse and remote, there are still wide gaps in understanding superannuation.

Tensions are rising within the Tasmanian Liberal party as some look to drop veteran Eric Abetz from the top spot on the Senate ticket in favour of his apprentice, Jonathon Duniam.

Consultants investigating Ambulance Tasmania found poor management of fatigue and workplace stress and a lack of workplace health and safety procedures across the organisation, a leaked report reveals.

Friends of a man allegedly murdered on South Australia's Nullarbor Plain on Monday say he had previously worked as an interpreter with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the US Army in Afghanistan, and had "escaped the warzone" in moving to Australia.

Researchers from the University of Melbourne find fruit flies in temperate areas of Australia are building a resistance to common insecticides.

Survivors of sexual assault in regional Australia are driving for hours to access forensic medical examinations, even though any GP or nurse can be trained to administer them.