Recreational fishers slam licence bid Tasmania’s recreational fishers have hit out at a draft report by the Productivity Commission recommending the introduction of saltwater recreational fishing licences to Tasmania, labelling the proposal a cash grab. 

Ashley plans panned The state Opposition says a recent violent clash with a worker and an Ashley Youth Detention Centre detainee could have been avoided had the government acted sooner on warnings contained in a 2015 report.

Good outcomes from gym class The Launceston PCYC is expanding its range of KinderGym classes and is looking at developing one for children on the autism spectrum. 

Cigarette prices increase Smokers will pay an average of more than $1 a cigarette after an increase to the tobacco tax on Thursday.

Torns aim to stun Cobras Launceston Tornadoes captain Lauren Mansfield is hoping to carry the momentum and confidence from their preliminary final victory over Geelong into their SEABL southern conference grand final against Kilsyth in Melbourne on Saturday.

Need a national news snapshot first thing? Well, we have you covered. 

►NEWCASTLE: The Royal Commission has heard that bishop Michael Malone intervened to stop a priest later convicted for paedophilia being appointed as principal of St Francis Xavier College in 1997. Although he did this, he told the commission he did not report the priest, Brother Dominic, to the police, and left it to others to deal with. Read more

►ALBURY: A woman has been charged with murder after a man was stabbed to death in West Albury on Thursday. Police found Scott Dickinson, 48, dead in his Hibiscus Crescent home about 5.25am after receiving a triple-0 call.

►WAGGA: The city will absorb a significant blow to its highway patrol resources amid revelations two of the city’s police motorcycle units will be removed from the region. 

►BALLARAT: Wendouree MP Sharon Knight will table a petition calling for a school bullying inquiry in state parliament. Ms Knight said on Thursday she would table the petition currently being circulated around Ballarat by a concerned parents group in the Legislative Assembly.

►TAMWORTH: A police officer convicted of perjury and fabricating evidence after an incident in a police cell almost seven years ago has been handed a suspended jail sentence.

►TASMANIA: Recreational fishers have hit out at a draft report by the Productivity Commission recommending the introduction of saltwater recreational fishing licences to Tasmania, labelling the proposal a cash grab. 

►KATHERINE:  All votes received for the Division of Katherine will be counted for a third time on Monday. The NT electoral commission will conduct recounts in the divisions defined as close, with less than 100 votes separating the lead candidates. Read more

►The Turnbull government suffered an embarrassing setback just as MPs were preparing to fly home on Thursday afternoon, losing its first vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Senior ministers including Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, Justice Minister Michael Keenan and Social Services Minister Christian Porter were absent from the chamber, allowing Labor to defeat an adjournment motion.

►He's risen to national attention as the Chinese businessman who forked out for Senator Sam Dastyari's travel bill.But the story of Minshen Zhu is far bigger than just the NSW Labor powerbroker.

Dr Zhu is a man with links to the communist government in China, helping trigger renewed debate about political donations and the rising importance of Chinese money in Australia. Read more

►A planned concert series glorifying the life of Chairman Mao has been cancelled in Sydney and Melbourne after strong backlash within the Chinese community prompted police concern over public safety were it to go ahead.

The tribute to Mao Zedong, marking the 40th anniversary of his death, touched a raw nerve among many Chinese-Australians, whose families suffered under the former Communist Party's brutal legacy, with the Cultural Revolution and Great Leap Forward contributing directly to the deaths of tens of millions. Read on

International news

►BALI: A West Australian man jailed for a year in Bali on Thursday for using another man's passport has told of his life behind bars at the notorious Kerobokan jail.

Shaun Edward Davidson said he was expecting "a living hell" when he was initially incarcerated in April after being formally named a suspect over immigration offences. Read more

September 2, 1945:  Japan surrendered to the U.S. aboard the USS Missouri, ending World War II. The war ended six years and one day after it began. 

JUDY Martin was just 16 or 17 when she started working as a nurse at Inglewood hospital. Today, at the age of 70, Ms Martin is bidding farewell to her decades-long job and retiring.

Ms Martin’s mother worked as a cook at the hospital, so she began working there too. Read more