China says its reported ban on Australian coal is to "protect the environment" and warned against "baseless speculations" about a cyber attack on the Australian Parliament.

The unemployment rate in Western Australia has reached its highest since 2002 and, despite a new promise of 150,000 more jobs, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry warns there will be short-term pain before any long-term employment gains.

Nine years after the Chinese-owned coal carrier Shen Neng 1 ran aground on the Douglas Shoal, efforts to restore the reef are about to begin.

China says its reported ban on Australian coal is to "protect the environment" and warned against "baseless speculations" about a cyber attack on the Australian Parliament.

First your details are shared, then the abuse begins. And victims say the law is powerless to help them.

Bridie McKim says she has her old Brisbane drama teacher to thank for giving her the confidence to become an actor. Now the 21-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, has a starring role in the new ABC drama The Heights.

Michael Murphy, whose role in the 1986 abduction, torture, rape and murder of Sydney nurse Anity Cobby shocked Australia, dies of liver disease at Sydney's Long Bay jail aged 66.

The fact the commencement of the Super Rugby season has largely gone unnoticed shows just how much rugby union is struggling in the competitive Australian sporting landscape, writes Richard Hinds.

Look at the crowd figures, the TV ratings, the money and the media coverage and the conclusion is inescapable — women's sport across a range of codes is hitting mainstream relevance, writes Clint Thomas.

Ante Milicic faces the media to name his first squad for the Cup of Nations, saying he is unconcerned about the turmoil that came before his appointment.

This may be the last season for the 125-year-old Fish Creek football club and locals are angry that the AFL is not doing more to protect the "heart and soul" of the district.