Catastrophic weather systems known as ‘fire clouds’, sparked by heat from the raging bush blazes outside Sydney, could see south west Australia hit by devastating lightning storms. The dramatic cloud formations have already been seen over some burning parts of the New South Wales bush last week. But a merging of the biggest wild fires into one ‘mega blaze’ could see temperatures... 

Australians still in the path of forest fires 140 kilometres west of Sydney were told on Saturday it was too late to be evacuated and they should take whatever shelter they could find. Lithgow, at the foot of the Blue Mountains in the south-eastern region, had lost nearly 200 homes in the firestorm that swept through Thursday. The blaze is the latest of dozens in an emergency that Rural Fire Service... 

A large group of protesters, mostly Australian-Syrian youths, have staged a rally in Sydney to voice their solidarity with the Syrian government, nation and army, Press TV reports. The protesters took to the streets at Sydney’s Martin Place Amphitheatre, calling for an end to foreign intervention in the violence-stricken country. Reme Sakr, an organizer of the event, dubbed Hands off Syria, told... 

To most Sydney siders, it was a magical moment- a majestic fleet of tall ships elegantly floating into sunny Sydney Harbour. But to some, including Greens MP Lee Rhiannon, it was enough to make them sea sick. Either way – The International Fleet Review is unlike anything the Australian public has seen before. This event has been one of the biggest public celebrations in Australia since the Olympic... 

The boycott, divest and sanction campaign, known as the BDS campaign, is a global civil movement that strongly opposes Israel’s occupation of Palestine. It says it hopes to promote a message of impunity of Israel in its serial breaches of international law and internal humanitarian law. The BDS movement is spreading in Australia with one of the country’s leading academic institutions, the University... 

The raid on the mega upload headquarters earlier this year seems to have awakened the rebel spirit within Kim Dotcom, Megaupload’s infamous founder. Since his release from jail he has made repeat promises to put “the dinosaur record industry out of business for good” and has announced the release of a website that will provide free music while paying the artists at the same time. Now he’s... 

Think twice the next time you play a video game or surf the Net: ‘Internet-use disorder’ is set to be added to the list of mental illnesses in the worldwide psychiatric manual. Kids are identified as being especially at risk. The international mental health encyclopedia known as the ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’ (DSM-IV) will include Internet-use disorder as a condition... 

Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets in the Australian city of Sydney to voice their support for the government of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, Press TV reports. Marching through Sydney’s central business district on Sunday, the demonstrators called for no intervention by foreign powers in the Arab state’s internal affairs. They held banners which read, “Let the whole world... 

Artist’s impression of the new supersonic commercial passenger aircraft which will fly at speeds of 2,500 mph Aircraft enthusiasts are waiting with growing anticipation for the unveiling of plans for a supersonic jet that may be able to fly London to Sydney in just four hours. U.S. builders – helped by the Nasa space agency – will reveal the prototype successors to Concorde at the... 

A man walks past a Malaysian Islamic bank The government of the Australian state of New South Wales, home to the country’s financial capital Sydney, has put the introduction of the Islamic financial system on its agenda. A delegation, led by New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell and including financial services professionals will travel to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, to discuss regulatory... 

Very old age: Dustin Hoffman plays 121-year-old Jack Crabb in Little Big Man Drugs that can slow the ageing process are likely to be available this decade, raising the prospect of people living to 150 or longer. ‘Wonder’ pills that help the body repair itself are in the early stages of development and will help us live well into our second century – while stem cell therapies will... 

19-month-old Alex Tesoriero is pictured with his parents Lisa and John at their home in North Balgowlah, on Sydney's northern beaches. He was born 11 weeks premature, weighing just 437 grams, and the tubes that kept him alive have left him with a physical aversion to anything going near his mouth or face. He’s the boy who simply won’t eat. Ironically, he is fed through a tube directly... 

Rabbi Yosef Feldman ONE of the state’s most high profile Jewish leaders is fighting off calls for his resignation after he urged rabbis not to report allegations of child abuse to the police. Rabbi Yosef Feldman, president of the Rabbinical Council of NSW and based at the Southern Sydney Synagogue, has sparked outrage in a series of emails to other rabbis when he said it should be up to them... 

The huge Avoca Beach waterspout was filmed from the air passing dramatically near built-up areas. Four colossal waterspouts swirled around off the coast of Sydney today amid dramatic thunderstorms. The gigantic twisters – created when tornadoes form above the sea – occurred near Avoca Beach, which lies just to the north of Australia’s capital. The amazing natural phenomena caused a huge stir... 

Detainees at an immigration detention centre in Sydney stage a rooftop protest about their living conditions. Australia’s latest initiative to deter asylum-seekers by sending them to Malaysia was roundly condemned yesterday, with critics noting that Kuala Lumpur has refused to sign the United Nations Refugee Convention and has a record of mistreating refugees. Under pressure to act tough on “boat...