An effigy of Federal Water Minister David Littleproud, dumped into the Murray River at a protest over the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is continuing to float towards South Australia.

In his first two international bestsellers Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse, Jared Diamond explored what makes civilizations rise and fall. Now in the third book in his trilogy, he reveals how successful nations recover from crisis.

Over the course of his life, Maurice Cole, a legend of the surfing world, has absorbed damage, inflicted it and come face-to-face with death more than once. Now he is helping his son try and reverse the damage his generation has done.

An Australian fiddlemaker is helping to spice up the dying craft by creating Hardanger fiddles, a Norwegian instrument that gained international fame in The Lord of the Rings soundtracks.

A Ballarat magistrate dismisses an assault charge against a police sergeant, agreeing his use of force was "reasonable" during an altercation in which he punched his neighbour in the face.

Lawyers warn child sexual abuse victims to be mindful of legal reforms before signing away their right to sue, as redress scheme marks its first anniversary.

A central Victorian woman is one of only three accredited teachers of a Japanese form of freestyle weaving that is beginning to grow in popularity.

A former Catholic priest who showed pornographic images to children and assaulted a teenager while he slept is jailed for two years and two months.

Australians' taste in beer is evolving and craft brands are on the rise, but that also means the nation's country pubs are changing.

Some koalas may be pickier eaters than others due to the mix of microbes in their lower gastrointestinal tract, but faecal transplants could help them diversify their diet, a new study suggests.

George Pell's lawyers lodge an application seeking leave to appeal the jailed 78-year-old's child sexual abuse convictions in the High Court of Australia.

There are only 600 registered British White female cows in Australia, but farmers hope selling the meat will increase consumer demand and breeding.

Twelve years ago Paul Preusker was disqualified for possessing an electronic jigger. Now he's back, training the Melbourne Cup favourite and insisting he's a changed man.

A jury hears of the moment the woman accused of causing a crash that killed four people in western Victoria realised the deceased were "probably grandmothers" as well.

Rob Minshull produces Weekends with Warren and is an avid reader

Rob Minshull produces Weekend with Warren and is an avid reader.

J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz

Jesse Blackadder

Gold Coast author Richard Davis says the time is ripe to re-evaluate the life of Australian opera singer, Marjorie Lawrence.

Purebred or mixed-breed Staffordshire terriers have killed at least four people in Australia in the past six months but the RSPCA says a dog's breed alone is not a reliable predictor of aggressive behaviour.

A joint operation between the Australian Border Force, ACT and NSW police has discovered about 384kg of cocaine inside a second-hand excavator bound for a regional NSW business. (Supplied: Australian Border Force)

Police seize more than $140 million worth of cocaine stashed in the arm of an excavator that was destined for a business in a small NSW town.

Beekeepers in New South Wales are hand-feeding their hives as the drought cripples the bees' ability to make honey, with a shortage expected to sting consumers at the checkout.

The NDIS cuts off at 65, so anyone who gets an acquired disability has to make do with an aged care supplement. This is not enough, according to a family caring for a quadriplegic.

High-profile members of the surf lifesaving movement have described a continual wrestle for resources between spending on sport and spending on rescue equipment.

The graves of five young WWII servicemen have been destroyed at a NSW cemetery in what has been described as a "disgraceful" act of vandalism.

A cold front moving across NSW dumps snow around Goulburn and the Blue Mountains, while erratic winds and lightning may hamper firefighting efforts in the north of the state.

The Hollywood star and avid pilot visits the Albion Park aircraft museum where he will donate his Boeing 707.

Stephen Keal was diagnosed with COVID-19 after travelling with his wife onboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship. The hospital asked his family to say their final goodbyes.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is so concerned about the handling of the coronavirus outbreak at Sydney's Newmarch House, it is considering revoking its licence.

The principal of a WA public school who was stood down for urging parents to keep students at home against Education Department advice is reinstated.

Initially postponed due to coronavirus, the deployment of US Marines to the Top End is back on, but questions remain about how many are coming, when they'll arrive or where they'll be treated if any contract COVID-19.

Japan reaches the decision to approve the antiviral medication previously used to treat Ebola patients just three days after the drugmaker filed for approval.

We checked whether every member of Federal Parliament had downloaded the COVIDSafe tracing app. Find out whether your local member has or not.

Many Australians look at the gun culture in America in disbelief. But examining our shared histories with guns, it was only a few sliding doors moments that stopped us going down that path.

As most of the world struggles to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, one country which should have been vulnerable is keeping deaths and case numbers extremely low.

Imagine trying to eradicate COVID-19 without knowing how many cases there are in Australia. That is the situation mental health advocates say is hampering the fight against suicide.

Coronavirus has crippled the global tourism industry and in Thailand that means it includes elephants. As a result of the pandemic many elephants are heading back to their natural habitats.

It's well established that coronavirus targets the lungs; but a growing body of evidence suggests COVID-19 may also cause blood clots that can damage vital organs, including the kidneys, heart and brain.

MORNING BRIEFING: The proposed changes allow councils to apply the rate cap more flexibly and comes as local governments suffer financial hardship from the coronavirus pandemic.

After watching turtles overcome horrific injuries, five-year-old Queenslander, Owen Harris, is urging everyone not to litter and to do the "right thing" when fishing.