Last Top Stories: Vandalism suspected as historic tall ship Defender sinks in Townsville

• Vandalism suspected as historic tall ship Defender sinks in Townsville

  

  Vandalism suspected as historic tall ship Defender sinks in TownsvilleBy Michael Clarke, Kathleen Calderwood, David Chen, Pat HessionUpdatedJanuary 05, 2016 16:40:22 A 120-year-old sailing ship has sunk at its moorings in north Queensland.People arriving to work in Townsville this morning were surprised to find the 35-metre tall ship Defender submerged at a wharf on Ross Creek in the city's CBD.The hull of the vessel was completely submerged, while its rigging remained above the water.Mariti..

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• Adelaide 36ers need Adam Gibson firing to overcome horror draw ...

  

  DOUBLE DRIBBLEVideo will begin in5seconds.Sport: The week's best playsFrom watermelon lovers to monster sixes, these are the most exciting, silly and downright crazy plays in the sporting world this week.PT1M52S620349If the Adelaide 36ers are going to make a late-season surge into the playoffs, they need to find a way to get Adam Gibson back in top form.The Sixers are 9-9, two wins behind the Illawarra Hawks and New Zealand Breakers, heading into the final six rounds of the season.As their recor..

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• Hawks looking to continue road run

  ILLAWARRA can make a dramatic leap from a team that seemingly couldn’t win away from Wollongong to the NBL’s road kings if round 14 goes to plan.FOCUS: Hawks captain Oscar Forman says Thursday's clash with Melbourne is a crucial one for his side as they look to solidify their top four position. Picture: Adam McLeanILLAWARRA can make a dramatic leap from a team that seemingly couldn’t win away from Wollongong to the NBL’s road kings if round 14 goes to plan.Illawarra have looked like world-beater..

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• Sam Stosur 'not freaking out' about arm injury ahead of Brisbane ...

  

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• Property gap widens in two-speed economy

  

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• 'It is an incredibly, incredibly big job'

  

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• New year resolutions in north Queensland keep health ...

  

  New year resolutions in north Queensland keep health professionals busyPostedJanuary 05, 2016 16:45:36 Health and fitness professionals in north Queensland have witnessed a demand in services after Christmas, with many attributing it to new year resolutions.Elvie Baker is the club manager at a gym in Mackay and said new year's health and fitness resolutions definitely drove gym memberships forward at the beginning of the year.However, she was concerned some people struggled to hold true to t..

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• Opal Ebzery hoping Flames shine bright

  

  Katie Rae Ebzery in action against Japan.OPAL Katie-Rae Ebzery has warned the Sydney Uni Flames must produce their best basketball of the season to topple Perth Lynx on Thursday but she is also confident they can produce it.The Flames have waited three long months for another shot at a rapidly improving Perth side who beat the Sydney side by 11 in their first game of the season.But fast forward to round 13 and the two teams — along with Townsville — are level pegging at the top of the WNBL ladde..

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• Repairs falter for livestock ship in WA

  

  A ship carrying 13,000 sheep and cattle that has been stranded in Perth for a week after an engine problem will take longer than expected to repair, angering animal welfare activists.The MV Ocean Outback was leaving Fremantle for Israel on December 29 when one of its two engines developed a cylinder malfunction.Repairs were expected to be completed this week, while additional fodder and chaff were loaded onto the vessel, which is owned by Wellard Live Exports but under charter by Otway Live..

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• El Nino's grip on Aus climate to weaken

  

  Despite rain in recent days in parts of Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology says the drought-inducing El Nino has likely reached its peak strength.And the Bureau of Meteorology says once the El Nino fades, better-than-average rain may follow.The El Nino, a warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific that tends to bring drier weather to Australia, is one of the three strongest of the past 50 years. Severe rain shortages, some extending back more than ..

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