►New service available for family violence: With Legal Aid's funding tripling, it has partnered with Anglicare to offer integrated service.

►Dry and warmer autumn: Tasmania's autumn will be drier and warmer than average

►Penalty rate cuts reversal clears Senate: A bid from Labor to reverse changes to Sunday penalty rate cuts has passed through the Senate.

►Roberts in a rush to play in time: Launceston signs returning Tornadoes favourite Tayla Roberts to play against Frankston

Need a national news snapshot first thing - well, we have you covered.

► BATHURST: It may be only four round bales high, but the design and construction of the winner of this year’s Hay Bale Art Challenge involved a fair bit of work, especially the construction of the seven metre long plait made from baling twine.

Andrew and Maxine Meek created the winning entry in this years Hay Bale Art Challenge called ‘Let Your Hay Down’. Read more.

► WOLLONGONG: It was meant to be their first getaway together in four years. 

Now, Amy Hubbard and her partner, Nick Breslin, have memories of a Daydream Island holiday they won’t forget any time soon – for all the wrong reasons.

The Towradgi couple arrived at the Daydream Island Resort and Spa on Saturday – the day after Tropical Cyclone Debbie, then located well away to the north east of the idyllic holiday spot, was named as a category one system. Read more.

► NEWCASTLE: A 91-year-old woman from Dora Creek has been left without a landline phone connection for six weeks, but that’s not what has annoyed her most.

What’s really got Anne Fordham’s goat is Telstra’s failure to have a technician turn up at her Baker Street house when they said they would. Three times. Read more.

►TASMANIA: Tasmanian log truck drivers are “upset and irate” over “derogatory” comments made by Greens leader Cassy O’Connor.

During debate on the Forestry Bill last week, Ms O’Connor stated that “log trucks kill people”.

Now, truck drivers are uniting to voice their disappointment in her comments. Read more.

►TAMWORTH: One Tamworth business is practising (or pedalling) what they preach.

Along with sponsoring Pedal the Peel, Forsyths is entering to the charity cycling event, which raises money for local charities Youth Insearch and the Banksia mental health unit.

“Many of our staff volunteer on the day, and some even don their spandex and cycle in the event,” said Forsyths’ Andy Chambers said. Read more.

►WAGGA: When Combaning’s Jane Booker half-heatedly submitted an entry into Sunrise’s Cash Cow competition on Wednesday morning, she would never have entertained the possibility of ending the day $30,000 richer.

Yet when the former Cootamundra resident received an official call to congratulate her on her good fortune and winnings, Mrs Booker was exactly that. Read more.

►BALLARAT: Ballarat has continued to grow with a two per cent increase in the city’s population between 2015 to 2016.

The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed Alfredton, including the suburb of Lucas, was the second fastest growing suburb in the state outside of Melbourne.

It added 610 people and grew by 5.9 per cent from 2015-16, with only Grovedale in Geelong growing at a faster rate. Read more.

►WARNAMBOOL: Koroit export Willem Drew is a chance to make his AFL debut on Sunday.

The three-time Saints premiership player was named on the Power’s extended bench when round two teams were announced on Thursday evening.

Port Adelaide, which is coming off a surprise season-opening win over Sydney, will finalise its team to face Fremantle on Friday. Read more.

►JIMBOOMBA: As rain and wind intensify motorists are being urged to take heed of warning and stay off the roads.

The Mount Lindesay Highway was closed for more than two hours this morning after a two truck crash.

Flood warnings are in place for the Logan and Albert Rivers between Wyaralong and Logan City. All schools remain closed. Read more.

►Three years of wrangling over a section of Australia's racial discrimination laws has again amounted to naught after the Senate killed off the Turnbull government's proposed changes late Thursday night.

A bid to amend section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act and make it lawful to offend, insult and intimidate others on the basis of race was voted down by Labor, the Greens and a slew of crossbenchers, including Nick Xenophon and the Tasmanian Independent Jacqui Lambie. Read more.

►Six years ago, less than two months after the Coalition won the 2011 election, Gladys Berejiklian made a decision which will soon result in a lot of people missing a lot of family dinners.

Berejiklian's decision - more on that later - looked to be a relatively minor one at the time. But the decision helped trigger a chain of events which, from next year, will mean anyone travelling to places like Macquarie University or North Ryde will be unable to catch the train for at least six months. Read more.

►After years of infighting and protracted speculation, the NSW Police Force has moved into a new era, with promises of a fresh leadership style and no tolerance for past grievances.

Incoming commissioner Mick Fuller said his brief was different to that of his predecessor Andrew Scipione and in it was an aim to change the model of policing that has existed for 20 years. Read more.

► KOREA: The body of Kim Jong-nam will be flown to North Korea as part of a complex deal with Malaysia, brokered to end a bitter row between the two nations which began with Mr Kim's brazen nerve agent assassination.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the deal, which includes nine Malaysians being allowed to fly out of the North Korean capital Pyongyang to return to Malaysia. Read more.

►BEIJING: Chinese authorities would use "other options", such as persuading fugitives to return by pressuring family members, if an extradition treaty with Australia is not ratified, analysts said.

The director of Peking University's anti-corruption study centre, Zhuang Deshui, said the extradition treaty was only one way for China to return fugitives and recover stolen funds as part of its anti-corruption drive. Read more.

►BANGKOK: An Australian man plunged four floors to his death at Bangkok's busy Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thursday morning.

Surveillance cameras showed that the man, aged 32, took the escalator from the third to the fourth floor before the incident took place at 6.25am.

Medical staff tried to revive the man and he was taken to Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, according to the Bangkok Post, but he died from his injuries. Read more.

1492 – Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Aragon issue the Alhambra Decree which expels Jews from their Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon

1657 –  English Parliament makes the Humble Petition to Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell offering him the crown: he declines

1920  – British parliament accepts Irish Home Rule law

1965 – US orders first combat troops to Vietnam

Scott Eppelstun –

Three days was the verdict.

Three days to live unless new lungs became available or he would die.

This was the stark message conveyed to Jackie Eppelstun and her three daughters from Grenfell in October, 2005 about her husband and their father. Read more.