Masseur charged with sex assault in clinic

EMMA PARTRIDGE A masseur has been charged with sexually assaulting a 67-year-old woman at a massage clinic on Sydney's lower north shore.

Buildings scrapped to make room for casino

NICOLE HASHAM Buildings have been reduced in size or dumped altogether and an ornamental water feature has been scrapped to make room for James Packer's towering luxury hotel-casino resort at Barangaroo.

Australian student sues Duke University

Michaela Whitbourn An Australian student accused of sexual assault is suing Duke University after the elite US college banned him from his May graduation.

'Can you stop mentioning Henry please?'

PAUL BIBBY A Sydney grandmother who lost five members of her family tearfully regrets that she did not insist that her grandson stay with her on the night he was murdered.

Football

Western Sydney Wanderers sold

SEBASTIAN HASSETT One of the most protracted ownership handovers in Australian sport has finally been concluded.

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Vegetation-clearing curbs to be eased

PETER HANNAM Residents in bushfire-prone regions of NSW will be given greater scope to clear vegetation close to homes to reduce fire risks under laws proposed by the Baird government.

Commercial

$1b revamp in store for Wynyard area

CAROLYN CUMMINS Wynward station surrounds and the Sydney stalwart Menzies Hotel are set for a $1 billion-plus revamp with plans now lodged by the owner, Brookfield Office Properties.

Kidnapping and assault: Gao's murky past

Emma Partridge, Nick Ralston Slain university student Jamie Gao faced court on kidnapping and assault charges a week before he was allegedly shot dead by two former detectives during a botched multimillion-dollar drug deal.

Sydney urban planning wake-up call

Leesha McKenny, Kim Arlington Sydney will need more than 600,000 extra homes for an additional 1.6 million people in the next two decades, according to state government figures.

Booze laws 'sending a strong signal'

SEAN NICHOLLS Police Minister Stuart Ayres says the introduction of 1.30am lockouts and 3am last drinks for licensed venues in central Sydney is driving a cut in alcohol-related violence.

Truck in fatal crash had faulty brakes: driver

The tanker driver charged over a fatal crash on Sydney's northern beaches has claimed his vehicle had defective brakes.

Baird backs renewable energy target

PETER HANNAM The NSW government has broken ranks with conservative counterparts in Canberra and the other states by declaring its strong support for the national renewable energy target.

No shots after midnight: new bans on Sydney alcohol service

SEAN NICHOLLS Pubs, clubs and bars across central Sydney will be hit with a fresh crackdown on alcohol service from mid-July, including a ban on shots, doubles and pre-mixed drinks after midnight, in a bid to prevent alcohol-fuelled violence.

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Xie nervous as he told of family deaths: court

PAUL BIBBY A man accused of murdering five members of a Sydney family seemed "nervous" and "scared" when he told the surviving relatives about finding the bodies, a court has heard.

Chickens culled in egg cartel: ACCC

ESTHER HAN Australian egg farmers planned to kill millions of hens prematurely and bury their eggs as part of an industry-wide strategy to boost their profits, the Federal Court has been told.

ICAC finds SES boss Murray Kear corrupt

MICHAELA WHITBOURN The state's corruption watchdog has recommended Murray Kear be sacked for deliberately failing to investigate allegations of misconduct against a "mate" and for dismissing a whistleblower.

Baird challenged over co-payments

SEAN NICHOLLS Labor will introduce legislation to ensure people won't pay $7 to visit an emergency room. The Premier must back it, they say.