The $7.4b transport plan is shaping up to be an election issue in the capital.

A European-inspired conversion in an exclusive inner-Sydney suburb has fetched $14 million, breaking records in what was a bumper auction weekend.

"Brompton" in trendy Paddington, part of the city's eastern suburbs, was created by joining two terraces built dating from 1877 to achieve a rare 16 metre-wide, double-fronted home.

Sitting on a 404 sqm block of land, the property was inspired by high-end European architecture, typically found in North London or New York's SoHo.

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A five-year renovation project has given the property plenty of wow factor across its five-bedrooms, five-bathrooms and four-levels.

Fittings have been sourced from across the globe and include oak floors and French wallpaper.

The property also has as a cocktail room, renovated sandstone cellar, roof terrace and courtyard as well as a heated spa/pool.

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The new owners will find "Brompton" only a short walk from the trendy coffee and cocktail strip of Five Ways in Paddington.

While there is front forecourt parking, the property is also handily placed for a short commute by train or bus to the Sydney central business district.

The median price for a three-bedroom home in Paddington is $3.125 million, according to Domain.

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Winter is set to sink its teeth into Australia this week as cold fronts sweep across the country.

The first week of the season has been warmer than usual across the country due to a broad, high-pressure system, and northerly winds, Weatherzone said.

But from today, a strong cold front will begin to push across the south of Western Australia.

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That system is set to move into the Great Australian Bight, which means a similar chill will hit South Australia by the end of Wednesday.

And later in the week, the cold air will spread across New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania.

But rain will be coming to the eastern states earlier, Miriam Bradbury of the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Bradbury told Today that inland NSW and the state's Western Plains could expect falls of five to 15mm today.

"There is a storm risk today as well, if we do see thunderstorms that risk of heavier downpours is greater," she said.

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A second rain system will follow, building across southern South Australia on Tuesday before it moves across Victoria, Tasmania, and again NSW on Wednesday and Thursday.

Falls of 30mm to 60mm are expected throughout the week, though Bradbury said most heavy falls should be done after Thursday.

Further down the track, Weatherzone said, a weaker cold front is set to arrive over the coming weekend, prompting another surge of cold air.

Ahead of the cold surge later this week, Sydney and Melbourne today are both looking at tops of 19 degrees, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Brisbane will reach 23 degrees, while Perth will stretch to 17.

Both Hobart and Canberra will be somewhat cooler with tops of 15 degrees, while Darwin (top of 31 degrees) and Adelaide (top of 21 degrees) are looking a little warmer.

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Prince Harry is going where other British royals haven't for over a century: to a courtroom witness stand.

The Duke of Sussex is set to testify in the first of his five pending legal cases largely centered around battles with British tabloids. Opening statements are scheduled on Monday in his case.

If he testifies, he'll be first senior British royal to give evidence in a legal trial in more than 130 years.

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Harry said in court documents that the royal family had assiduously avoided the courts to prevent testifying about matters that might be embarrassing.

His frustration and anger at the press, however, impelled him to buck convention by suing newspaper owners — allegedly against the wishes of his father, now King Charles III.

If Harry testifies as scheduled on Tuesday in his lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror, he'll be the first member of the royal family to do so since the late 19th century, when Queen Victoria's eldest son, Prince Albert Edward, testified twice in court.

The man who would go on to become King Edward VII testified in the divorce proceedings of a woman he was accused of having an affair with (he denied it) and in a slander case involving a man who cheated at cards. Edward VII was the great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II, Harry's grandmother.

A look at Prince Harry's legal battles:

Who is Harry suing?

The duke is taking on three of Britain's best-known tabloid publishers.

In addition to Mirror Group Newspapers, he is suing Murdoch's News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and Associated Newspapers Ltd., which owns the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

The claims are similar: that journalists and people they employed listened to phone messages and committed other unlawful acts to snoop on Harry and invade his privacy.

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In a sign of how much the cases matter to him, Harry attended several days of hearings in March in the case against the Mail publisher.

Several celebrities with similar allegations have also filed claims being heard alongside Harry's, including Hugh Grant in the News Group case, and Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley in the Associated Newspapers case.

Associated Newspapers "vigorously denies" the claims. News Group has apologised for News of the World's hacking but The Sun does not accept liability or admit to any of the allegations, according to spokespeople.

Both publishers argued during High Court hearings this spring that the lawsuits should be thrown out because Harry and the others failed to bring them within a six-year time limit.

The lawyer representing Harry and other claimants said they should be granted an exception because the publishers lied and concealed evidence that prevented them from learning of the covert acts in time to meet the deadlines.

What's the current trial about?

At the outset of the proceedings, Mirror Group appeared to fall on its sword, acknowledging instances when its newspapers unlawfully gathered information. It apologised in court papers and said Harry and two of the other three claimants in the case were due compensation.

But the admission involving Harry — the hiring of a private eye to dig up unspecified dirt for an article about his nightclubbing — wasn't among the nearly 150 articles between 1995 and 2011 for which he claimed Mirror Group reporters used phone hacking and other illegal methods to gather material. The trial is focusing on 33 of those stories.

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Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, said unlawful acts by reporters and editors at the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People were "widespread and habitual" and carried out on "an industrial scale." He pointed the finger at management, in particular TV personality Piers Morgan, a former Daily Mirror editor.

Morgan has publicly denied involvement in phone hacking, as has Mirror Group in its court submissions. Mirror lawyer Andrew Green said a substantial proportion of the articles at issue involved a "breathtaking level of triviality" and that with the exception of a few instances of unlawful information gathering, the company's reporters had used public records and sources to legally obtain information.

The trial is a test case involving four claimants, including two members of Britain's longest-running soap opera, Coronation Street. But the verdict could determine the outcome of hacking claims also made against Mirror Group by the estate of the late singer George Michael, former Girls Aloud member Cheryl and former soccer player Ian Wright.

The case is broken into two parts: a generic case that lasted nearly three weeks in which Harry's lawyer laid out evidence of alleged skullduggery at the newspapers; the second part, starting on Monday, with the four claimants testifying about specific acts targeting them.

What are the other lawsuits about?

Harry's fear and loathing of the press intersects with two active cases that centre around the government's decision to stop protecting him after he abandoned royal duties.

Harry argued his security is compromised when he visits the UK, saying that aggressive paparazzi chased him after a charity event in 2021. He sued the British government for withdrawing his security detail.

With that lawsuit pending, he unsuccessfully tried to challenge the government's subsequent rejection of his offer to pay for his own police protection.

A judge is weighing whether Harry's libel suit against Associated Newspapers for reporting that he tried to hide his legal efforts to get the British government to provide security should go to trial.

"How Prince Harry tried to keep his legal fight with the government over police bodyguards a secret… then — just minutes after the story broke — his PR machine tried to put a positive spin on the dispute," the Mail on Sunday wrote in its headline.

In past cases, Meghan won an invasion of privacy case in 2021 against the Mail on Sunday for printing a private letter she wrote to her father. That led to a £1 ($1.83) settlement for violating her privacy and an undisclosed sum for copyright infringement.

The couple has also settled lawsuits against photo agencies for flying a drone over their California home and a helicopter over a home where they were living in England.

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A popular Adelaide nightclub has apologised for a controversial promotion that offered free drinks based on bra sizes.

The Woolshed on Hindley Street advertised the event on social media promising an allocation of free drinks based on bra sizes.

"The bigger the better," the crude and disrespectful post said.

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The campaign, which involved the bras being hung from walls inside the nightclub, sparked outrage online.

The club sincerely apologised for the post, which it said made some of its patrons feel uncomfortable and body shamed.

It said based on the feedback it had cancelled the promotion and all future campaigns would be reviewed by senior management to ensure they created an "inclusive environment" for all patrons.

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A fisher has captured his close encounter with a massive great white shark on camera just off the Gold Coast.

Rodney Pacitti had cast a line when he suddenly noticed the predator lurking beneath the surface.

The gigantic predator started to circle kilometres off Broadbeach.

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"Oh s—, look at the size of this shark under me!" the fisher said in the video.

"Wow! That is unbelievably big.

"Is that a white pointer? Holy smokes."

While fishers are known to exaggerate the size of their catch, Pacitti was able to compare it next to his four-and-a-half metre boat.

The chance encounter lasted for 15 minutes but the fisher was not 100 per cent sure he was in the clear.

"The shark seems to have cruised off, I haven't seen him for a second," he said in the video.

"Oh no, he's right back behind me again, hang on."

Fortunately the gigantic predator didn't spook all the fish with Pacitti still heading home with a feed.

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Diversions are in place and motorists are asked to avoid the area if possible.

‘I will be a staunch champion and advocate for Māori independence,’ says Tākuta Ferris.

Opia will use the skills of local creatives to promote filmmaking in Hawke’s Bay.

It comes amid growing concerns about China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.