Teens return to school: attempt to join IS probed
Rachel Olding 6:00 PM Two high-achieving brothers have returned to their prestigious inner city school while the Australian Federal Police investigates their alleged attempt to flee Australia to join Islamic State.
Latest NSW news
Labelling reforms hit by conflict of interest
![An outbreak of hepatitis A linked to foreign frozen berries prompted Tony Abbott to announce a ministerial taskforce to tackle the reforms.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/3/s/3/u/s/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m65vv.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Esther Han 5:18 AM Consumers may not end up with the clearest country of origin food labelling standards because of a potential conflict of interest in the Abbott government's taskforce working on the reform proposal.
Australian-grown hard to find, but do consumers really want it?
![Many consumers are confused country of origin food labels.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/3/i/b/p/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m5azr.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Josh Dye and Kristen Ochs 5:17 AM Finding Australian-grown food in the tinned and frozen aisles of the supermarket is a challenge, with confusing labels and, in some cases, a lack of domestic produce available.
Weedkiller ingredient 'probably' causes cancer
![weeds](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/6/p/0/3/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m6fja.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Harriet Alexander 1:59 AM The household weed killer Roundup contains an ingredient that "probably" causes cancer, a World Health Organisation report has found.
Bullied worker had nowhere to turn
![Lynne Magee.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/6/c/6/8/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m3vhs.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Anna Patty 2:22 PM After being constantly belittled and yelled at in her office, Lynne Magee found nowhere to turn because she was working for the authority in charge of regulating workplace bullying.
Woman sues podiatrist after losing toes
![Lia Onorati.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/6/8/w/b/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m5hf6.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Rachel Olding 12:29 PM When Lia Onorati asked Dr Paul Bours to fix a serious case of hammer toe, she showed him a photo of the $2500 Yves Saint Laurent stiletto boots she wanted to wear.
Reality TV contestant loses appeal on sentence
![Joel Betts](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/6/b/j/8/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m6b3t.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Stephanie Gardiner 2:38 PM Joel Betts, who stabbed his former girlfriend more than 20 times, argued the court should have considered his injuries as extra punishment.
Ancient Rome as we've never seen it
![Claudio Tuniz and fort](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/5/m/t/j/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m5lr6.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Nicky Phillips 12:15 PM A new technique led by an Italian-Australian has turned archaeology on its head, unearthing the oldest known ancient Roman fort without a sod being turned.
Hope on the horizon for Bethany
![Bethany Edwards, 4.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/5/o/z/7/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m5c4d.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Kristen Ochs Parents of children with severe epilepsy are pinning their hopes on a trial of medical cannabis set to begin next year at two Sydney children's hospitals.
Child sex abuse allegations at Riverview
![Former student lodges historic allegations: Sydney private school St Ignatius, Riverview.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/5/r/u/g/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m5qkb.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Nick Ralston An investigation has been launched into allegations of child sexual abuse at one of Sydney's most prestigious private schools dating back more than 30 years.
EDUCATION
Clock ticks on Andrew's choice of trade
![Master clockmaker: Andrew Markerink in his workshop with antique clocks and watches.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/5/h/o/t/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m3mxf.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Alexandra Smith Cuts to TAFE are shaping as a major election issue, as students face higher fees for many courses, teaching staff is reduced and the roll-out of a new computer system causes major headaches.
Packer tower to cast a long shadow
![Packer's tower casts long shadow: Barangaroo skyline.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/4/3/y/u/z/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m5ffm.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Leesha McKenny James Packer's $2 billion tower at Barangaroo would literally be throwing shade at its competitor, documents show.
English language crisis faces NSW students
![Academics warn of literacy crisis: Adrian Piccoli and NSW Premier Mike Baird at Queanbeyan South Public School.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/5/y/h/6/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m5f7t.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Alexandra Smith Almost one in five students in NSW public schools should be getting specialist teaching support but last year more than 47,000 missed out.
Chinese ownership of power grid targeted
![Electricity privatisation proposal under scrutiny: Mike Baird.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/5/z/b/6/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m5hlw.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Sean Nicholls Details have emerged of a meeting between Treasurer Andrew Constance and a Chinese government-owned company over power privatisation plans.
Papers show Customs hid details of arrest
![justice](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/3/r/2/q/t/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m5jf6.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Neil Mercer It was a Saturday night and the Sydney-based Customs officer was at a nightclub celebrating his role in a big, successful cocaine bust.
Cuts on the cards as parties release costings
![Cuts on the cards: NSW Treasurer Andrew Constance.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/z/s/a/1/a/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m5sov.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Sean Nicholls, Nicole Hasham Labor and the Coalition have announced deep cuts as part of their official election policy costings signed off by the Parliamentary Budget Office.
Court allows banned pupils to compete
![Rowers: Jordan Kennedy (main picture) and Jack Bell (inset).](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/5/g/b/i/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m5fu3.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
The parents of two Christchurch college pupils have been granted a High Court injunction allowing their sons to compete with the school's Maadi Cup rowing team after they breached Auckland Airport security.
Poll shows Baird set for victory
![NSW Premier Mike Baird announces major refurbishment of the Prince Of Wales Hospital.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/0/9/g/w/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m4vmt.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Sean Nicholls Mike Baird is set to be handed an electoral mandate to privatise the state's electricity network with the latest Fairfax/Ipsos poll suggesting the Coalition will be returned.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Early intervention paves way to university
![Studying chemical engineering: Lewis Beard.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/4/v/1/t/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1lzyqj.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Rachel Browne Bringing forward the NDIS launch in Sydney will change children's lives. Here we assess each party's commitment to social services.
What privatisation means for clean energy
![New Zealand's Vector is at the leading edge of modern power distribution.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/3/t/l/f/r/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m3zyk.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Peter Hannam Imagine an electricity enterprise that is majority-owned by its customers and is promoting solar panels with batteries to save on unnecessary investments. It exists.
Taskforce to investigate training providers
!["They are exploiting some of the most vulnerable members of our community": Matthew Mason-Cox.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/2/6/7/q/q/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m4pjd.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Anna Patty A 70-year-old Vietnamese woman with poor English is among hundreds of people in NSW who have been allegedly tricked into signing up for expensive student loans.
Labor promises to build inner west bike path
!["It's clear that the growth in cycling in Sydney is not stopping": Penny Sharpe.](/web/20150324185243im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/1/j/8/i/n/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.1m4xui.11bc3y.png/1427222495191.jpg)
Jacob Saulwick A NSW Labor government would build the long-desired greenway bike path between the Cooks River and Iron Cove in Sydney's inner west.