Colombian student Angelo Romero, unable to fly home due to coronavirus, is receiving emergency treatment in a Brisbane hospital for a shock leukaemia diagnosis, concerned his private health policy won't cover it.

Abortion service providers are left with chartering private flights to regional Queensland, saying infrequent schedules and short-notice cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic make flying commercial untenable.

Queenslanders hit the waterways and public spaces on the first day of relaxed restrictions, with residents able to picnic or visit national parks for the first time in weeks.

SA Police reveal details about the suspected murder of Michael Purse, who they say may have been lured to a property in Kilburn and murdered.

The 80-year-old from Beaudesert broke her hip and was unable to move for more than four days.

New funding will help a Nerang-based conservation group to build a 'fodder farm' for recovering wildlife.

Despite a staged re-opening of classes from Monday, May 11, no clear guidance has been given for boarding students, with many independent schools opening limited classes and boarding accommodation for selected year levels.

Zulya is a singing, guitar playing, native of Tartazan in Russia

This is grown-up music made for and by grown-ups, making for the perfect companion for surviving the depths of a Ballarat winter.

It is hard to believe that this Brisbane six-piece have only been together for less than a year.

An angry nursing home operator says she will keep the doors of her facility firmly closed to visitors, claiming the aged-care sector has been "demonised".

Water restrictions have been eased for residents of the Macquarie Valley, but it's unlikely affected councils will move back to unrestricted water usage anytime soon.

Farmers are finally starting to pick up the pieces from a devastating drought, but now those on the land say they have an even bigger issue as the wild dog problem strengthens.

Coronavirus survivor, Jayson O'Brien has thanked medical staff at Western New South Wales Local Health District for saving his life.

A Supreme Court Justice says allegations made by Robert Xie's legal team that a "dishonest" witness "covered up material" are among the most serious he's heard, as the former surgeon prepares to appeal his five murder convictions.

Police hunt two men they believe broke into a Cherrybrook home and assaulted 86-year-old Colin Saliba, who sustained fatal head injuries in the attack, and his wife Josephine, who remains in hospital.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro may be on the verge of announcing a switch to federal politics, in an audacious bid that would diminish Labor's parliamentary numbers and put Nationals leader Michael McCormack on notice.

Jeered in more conservative times for ordering a swimmer "wearing nothing but a smile" to cover up, lifesaving legend Warren Young now looks to call it a day.

MORNING BRIEFING: NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro is considering a switch to federal politics, after the resignation of Labor backbencher Mike Kelly triggers a by-election in the seat of Eden-Monaro.

The number of coronavirus fatalities at the Newmarch House aged care home in Western Sydney continues to climb, as the NSW Premier asks the Federal Government to intervene in the "horrific" situation.

Gold Coasters are warned that eased restrictions on travel in Queensland may not apply in NSW, with stiff fines for non-essential travel south of the border a possibility.

The native desert rice flower plant that appeared on New South Wales properties after widespread rainfall has caused death and serious illness in cattle

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance says he has passion for the federal seat of Eden-Monaro and will bring "something special" as he seeks Liberal pre-selection for the by-election.

People with Tourette syndrome appeal for compassion as pandemic panic exacerbates their neurological condition, causing their anxieties and tics to worsen.

MORNING BRIEFING: The multi-arts venue hosts Vivid, Sydney Writers' Festival and Fashion Week, but a new proposal would see the Sydney Opera House take control.

If Perth got the kind of photographic makeover that New York enjoys, it would be a fortunate city, says ABC 720's cultural correspondent Victoria Laurie

Two Perth Festival light artists take us far beyond the incandescent glow of digitised art, says 720 cultural correspondent Victoria Laurie.

This comedy about battling magicians may not be incredible or magicial, but its grab bag of stupid jokes is enough to create some decent chuckles.

Australian consumers are slowly opening up to the idea of eating a different kind of poultry the black-skinned chicken.

A self-described experienced horse breaker has been fined and sentenced to a community correction order for a "silly decision" to use a lasso to strangle a brumby.

A Chinese mining giant is being accused of underestimating the impact a proposed open cut mine will have on groundwater on the New South Wales Liverpool Plains.

Having retained all 16 of their seats, welcomed a record number of women to the party and consolidated under leader Michael McCormack, there could be a renewed sense of stability for the country-based party.

Communities in the grip of drought are doing everything they can to keep their local kindergartens from shutting down, but they fear they're running out of options.

Margaret Fulton, who inspired generations of Australians to think beyond bangers and mash, leaves a legacy of culinary flair.

A man is charged with two counts of murder after a woman and a young boy are found dead in a Tamworth house fire that police believe was deliberately lit. Two other people are in hospital with burns.

Whitehaven's Maules Creek coal mine is being investigated for allegedly unlawfully taking water, after farmers say their groundwater is drying up. The company has already been found to have allegedly unlawfully taken surface water by the NSW regulator.

Gaming business Federal Group says it will not have jobs for about 1,500 of its 1,930 Tasmanian workers because of restrictions on the operation of hotels and casinos introduced to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

A former shearer tells how he turned away from life as a wealthy businessman to find happiness.

Four men and one woman appear in court charged with murder over the death of a 23-year-old man in Burnie, in Tasmania's north west, early on Sunday morning.

Nursing homes have been locked down to protect vulnerable older people from the coronavirus but families who provide basic care, like feeding, say they need access because their loved ones may not survive without it.

Sex work, food vans at farmers' markets and race meetings are some of the latest activities banned by Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein, as part of the ongoing effort to slow the spread of coronavirus in the state.

The Tasmanian Government bans visits to all of the state's hospitals, with some exceptions for parents and on compassionate grounds, under new social distancing measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Regional Express Airlines has warned the folding of its services to some regional and remote communities could effectively shut residents off from the rest of Australia, as the company waits hopefully for vital federal government funding.

Many parts of Australia have worked hard to attract migrants to help boost the population and ageing workforces, but many like Rosan Bhattarai are now without a source of income because they are on temporary visas and can't get access to the JobKeeper program.

Coronavirus has forced some dramatic changes to how the ABC keeps the public informed, from home-based broadcasting to webcam interviews and recruiting people featured in a story to help film it on their mobile phone.

The Tasmanian Government unveils a $3 million package to support around 26,000 temporary visa holders stuck in the state because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Hotel Bruny owner Dave Gunton is helping to feed the island's residents during the coronavirus crisis, as many welcome a return to quieter times of growing vegetables and producing salt from seawater.

Tasmania records its 10th coronavirus death and its ninth in the hotspot north-west region, with another health worker case announced late Saturday.

Lavender farms are seeing a spike in online traffic as consumers stock up on essential oils and pillow sprays, even their own plants.