Darwin's off to the races and other top stories.

• Darwin's off to the races

  

  DARWIN’S collective dress sense can generally be described as casual at best, but residents have scrubbed up for the city’s most glam weekend of the year. Schmick dresses and suits were given a run at the Palmerston Sprint Race Day yesterday before the party moved on to the lawns at SkyCity for the Darwin Turf Club Gala Ball.Punters have one final opportunity to soak up the atmosphere this Darwin Cup Carnival, with the biggest race day of the year tomorrow.media_cameraGlenda Thornton with Karen ..

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• Arnhen Villain favourite to win Cup

  

  THE 13-year-old version of Jamie Hosking dreamt of this happening.And now, all grown up at 21, the Top End greyhound trainer is on the cusp of achieving something no other local has in 12 years — winning the Darwin Cup.Hosking and his team, including long-time partner Jasmin, will box two chances in tonight’s Cup final, with Arnhen Villain jumping out of box one as the $2.75 favourite. The other, Crystal’s Way, is the race’s biggest outsider.“I know a lot of people will be following it, especial..

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• Criticism of NT abuse inquiry continues

  

  Criticism of NT abuse inquiry continues

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• Cakau in sizzling form for Bunnies

  

  A STEFANO Cakau hat-trick of tries last night helped South Darwin book their place in Darwin Rugby’s grand final, as they beat Casuarina 34-18 at Rugby Park.The Rabbitohs got off to a perfect start within the first five minutes of the match. A shift to the right found outside centre Cakau, who got on the outside of his marker to stroll over for the first points of the night.media_cameraSouth Darwin player Setefeno Cakau strides out down the field. PICTURE: Ivan RachmanShortly after, Souths kicke..

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• PM's call on Rudd 'vindictive'

  

  PM shows Rudd more respect than Labor4:56Liberal senator Scott Ryan says the PM has shown more dignity to Kevin Rudd than his former Labor colleagues Former prime minister of Australia Kevin Rudd. Picture: AFPStaff writers and wiresNews Corp Australia NetworkAUSTRALIA’S former Human Rights Commissioner turned Liberal MP Tim Wilson has claimed Kevin Rudd is a “known bully” who did not deserve the role of being the United Nations Secretary-General.Mr Willson told Sky News Australia that we needed..

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• Gun-toting CLP candidate draws fire with NT election video

  

  A Country Liberals candidate has come out in defence of a campaign video in which he poses with an assault rifle while claiming to know how to "tackle" the Northern Territory's crime problems.Ben Hosking, who is running for the seat of Drysdale, released the law and order-themed ad just two days after the ABC broadcast an explosive expose on the Territory's juvenille detention system.Hosking came under heavy fire on several fronts over the video, which bills him as "a strong voice for law and o..

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• Thousands fight for change

  

  CALLS for the removal of the Northern Territory Government were met with raucous cheers at a rally against the mistreatment of young people at Darwin’s now notorious Don Dale detention centre yesterday.A crowd of hundreds protested the abuse and the Territory Government’s response at Raintree Park. Thousands more joined in at similar rallies across the country.Barrister John Lawrence SC said all children currently detained at Don Dale needed to be removed immediately.“They’re terrified,” he told..

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• Deal fails on who pays for US Marines

  

  DEFENCE experts say Australia and the United States need to get on with it and hammer out the final details of the cost-sharing arrangement which will see the full complement of Marines stationed in the Top End.US President Barack Obama announced the plan for Darwin to host rotations of 2500 Marines five years ago.But the deal has been held up as the two countries squabble over who will fork out for costs associated with the rotation, including upgrades to Robertson Barracks.Former national secu..

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• Hugh Bowman comes within a whisker of potentially losing ride on ...

  

  The untold story of the week was how close Hugh Bowman came to losing the ride on Winx. But the real question is why shouldn't he be staring down the barrel of missing the mighty mare's Warwick Stakes return?The bizarre chain of events started at Canterbury on Wednesday when Bowman, Australia's leading group 1 rider, was outed on a careless riding charge. Dynamic duo: Hugh Bowman has managed to avoid missing out on Winx's Warwick Stakes return.  Photo: James Brickwood Asked by stewards h..

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• Big game for 100-gamer McDonald

  

  MELBOURNE's 100-game defender Tom McDonald will be assigned the task of stopping star Gold Coast forward Tom Lynch in what Paul Roos describes as a "pivotal" match-up on Sunday. Lynch has been one of the few bright spots in a bleak season for the Suns, with the co-vice captain having booted 55 goals to sit third in the Coleman Medal race. West Coast's Josh Kennedy is first with 58, while the Sydney Swans' Lance Franklin trails the Eagle by one. Roos is confident the 23-year-old is up for the ta..

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Footage shows tear-gassing of children at Darwin centre .	Darwin youth stage musical Secrets depicts 'really frightening' reality ... .
Footage shows tear-gassing of children at Darwin centre .	Darwin Cup hopeful sensationally scratched .