Good morning and welcome to the Morning Buzz for Wednesday, November 29. Be prepared for a possible shower today with tops of 26 in the city and 29 in the west. Enjoy your day!
Same-sex marriage a step closer after bill passes
The legalisation of same-sex marriage has moved a step closer after the Senate effectively passed a same-sex marriage bill for the first time in Australian history on Tuesday.
The bill breezed through its second-reading stage, and every amendment from Coalition senators was defeated in a debate that lasted late into the night. Read more
Dastyari warned big Chinese donor his phone was bugged
Labor senator Sam Dastyari warned Chinese Communist Party-linked political donor Huang Xiangmo last year that his phone was likely tapped by government agencies, including the US government.
Before the two spoke, Mr Dastyari gave Mr Huang counter-surveillance advice, saying they should leave their phones inside and go outside to speak. Read more
Don Burke campaigned against domestic violence in 1993
When the federal government launched its "Real men don't bash or rape women" campaign in 1993, four iconic Australian men were featured as "ambassadors" for it.
But when one of them was revealed to be Don Burke, then a major television celebrity, there was an immediate backlash. Read more via SMH
Heavy falls forecast as stable weather pattern starts to break
Widespread late-spring falls are predicted to soak much of Australia's south-east in coming days, with conditions described as "tropical" in areas used to much milder conditions.
The combination of a low pressure system and associated troughs will bring rain to inland Victoria and NSW from Friday onwards, Tom Hough, a meteorologist from Weatherzone, said. Read more.
When hay fever season blows in, don't bother popping tablets. Stick to nasal sprays, revised US guidelines confirm.
Roughly 18 per cent of children and adults in Australia and New Zealand have seasonal allergic rhinitis, triggered by windborne pollen most commonly from grasses, weed and sometimes trees.
Many seek relief with over-the-counter antihistamine tablets from the pharmacy. Read more.
Two-year-old girl dies after serious crash near Kemps Creek
Two children were critically injured following a serious car crash on Mamre Road on Tuesday afternoon.
Nine people - including three children - were injured in the crash near Abbotts Road in Kemps Creek at about 1.30pm.
The crash was between a van carrying nine people, and a commercial van carrying two people. Read more.
Shark caught in Georges River, prompting safety warning
Two Sydney fishermen have caught a shark in the Georges River, prompting a safety warning from NSW Maritime.
A post on Sydney's Fishing Forum Facebook page shows two men posing with what the Department of Primary Industries has confirmed to be a bull shark carcass in the shallows on Monday. Read more.
'Flames started to leap out': Bus explodes in Surry Hills
The engine of a public bus exploded and burst into "two metre high" flames while driving in a busy street in Sydney's Surry Hills on Monday evening.
Transport for NSW confirmed the gas-powered bus, operating on route 394 from La Perouse to the City, caught fire around 7.30pm on Monday, on Flinders Street at South Dowling Street.
The bus was safely evacuated, and no passengers were injured. Read more.
Australian Kangaroos not falling for Bennett's tricks
Australian stars are convinced Wayne Bennett doesn't even believe his own words when he claimed England are not playing well enough to win the World Cup final as the red-hot favourites brace for an old-school ambush.
Despite waltzing through their five games to reach the final, including a narrow 18-4 tournament-opening win over the old enemy, Kangaroos forwards David Klemmer and Wade Graham couldn't shower Bennett's England with enough praise before the final in Brisbane on Saturday night. Read more.
Ashes false alarm: Stokes at Heathrow with full cricket kit
Settle down England fans. Ben Stokes is not on his way to rescue the Ashes campaign just yet.
But there have been rumours he could play for Canterbury in New Zealand.
Stokes departed the UK for Christchurch on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) to visit family and work on his game while he waits to discover whether he can join England's Ashes tour in Australia. Read more.