...challenging and tricky to review but I can see me listening to this a lot over the coming months.

Doctors on the COVID-19 frontlines in Italy face stark choices, how Canada would fare if we faced a spike in coronavirus cases, sports leagues suspend their seasons, the 2011 movie that gets things (mostly) right about pandemics, Canadian comedian Mae Martin's new show Feel Good and more.

Floodwaters that crippled North Queensland's cattle industry have turned the Channel Country further downstream into a landscape of dramatic contrasts.

The heat is on beekeepers to deliver healthy hives for pollination this spring and into the summer.

Immigration Minister David Coleman overturns a department ruling based on Rajasegaran Manikam's kidney disease diagnosis that would have seen the Manikam family deported to Singapore.

Industry figures say unstable weather, a lack of infrastructure investment and poor international prices are hampering sugar sector confidence as mills open for crushing.

Roger Federer will play in Sydney, Rafael Nadal in Perth and Novak Djokovic will join Nick Kyrgios in Brisbane as the ATP Cup draw keeps major stars apart ahead of inaugural tournament in Australia in January.

Tim Kelly confirms what Geelong supporters have feared for some time, a trade request to join the West Coast Eagles for the 2020 AFL season.

The W-League is preparing for life without its biggest drawcard, with Matildas captain Sam Kerr informing officials she is pursuing a contract outside of Australia this summer.

Mining billionaire Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest goes all-in on Global Rapid Rugby but establishing the fundamentals of the start-up league is more important than securing high-profile talent, according to its new chief.

A new tax on foreign property buyers was celebrated by WA Labor when introduced less than a year ago, but there was no fanfare when the policy was significantly watered down this week, writes Jacob Kagi.

Researchers are puzzled by the discovery of a nest of loggerhead turtle eggs in Queensland. The find seems to indicate that the creatures have been unseasonably frisky, which should be impossible.

Research continues to point to blue-green algae toxins as a trigger for neurological diseases, with motor neurone disease under increased investigation.

The Royal Life Saving Society says WA's latest drowning figures, which reveal a 50 per cent increase on the previous year, should serve as a warning ahead of the festive season. A new report shows 31 people drowned in the state in 2012. Children under the age of four were the highest risk group for drowning and near drowning. Older people over the age of 55 were also at risk.

Farmers are gathering in Merredin this weekend to give thanks for what they believe was 'divine intervention' in the last cropping season.

Authorities say fire brigades have had to deal with a busier than usual fire season around Albany.

A reward of $50,000 is re-offered after firefighters battle more than 700 suspicious fires this season.

As southern parts of Australia look set for a wet winter, the northern part of the NT is grappling with its second poor wet season in as many years.

By the end of April there has normally been regular fire crew training, inductions, and planning, but social distancing has made that near-impossible.

As the global death toll from coronavirus continues to climb, a sizeable minority remains intent on downplaying the seriousness of the threat — with potentially dangerous consequences.

Sunshine Coast Council estimates that parts of the region are facing a mosquito population double the size of previous years.

The Templeton family, fourth-generation farmers who almost lost everything to a pest called pythium, turn to extreme cleaning — with the help of a $250,000 washing machine from Italy — and are recognised for their efforts.

Forty experts from the Asia-Pacific will train animal workers to spot virus outbreaks before they even begin, in a new government-funded scheme to reduce the risk of another virus crisis.

The Idea of North

NORPA's 2013 season opened with the captivating gothic classic, Frankenstein, and what a pick that was to see in the renovations at Lismore City Hall.

Last Friday, NORPA unveiled its 2014 season to a packed house at Lismore City Hall. The company's Artistic Director Julian Louis has stuck to a programming formula he's had success with over the years. The mix is one NORPA hopes will represent another year of strong houses. There are a couple of reinvented classics, some edgy new material, some drama, comedy, dance, circus, Indigenous and kid-friendly productions along with something homemade. Several shows use video technology extensively, while others ask you to just bring your imagination. In essence, there's something for everyone.

NORPA's 2015 season was announced earlier this month with the aim of drawing a broader audience to the performing arts.

With the olive harvest starting in some parts of South Australia, some farmers are now seeing fruit that has not developed or has shrivelled due to a lack of water.

Despite the heat, hail and fires, the Brumbies are planning to kick off their Super Rugby 2020 season tonight at Canberra Stadium, bringing some short-term relief to local fans.

Hundreds of residents from three Victorian towns are told to evacuate from their homes as part of one of the state's biggest-ever fire drills, in preparation for what could be a devastating fire season.

One of three peregrine falcon chicks that hatched, in front of thousands of online fans, has died in a nest perched high on a Melbourne skyscraper, marking the third year in a row the nest has suffered such a loss.

On a soft, misty morning, all was quiet and still on the swamp except for a piercing whistle and splashing of water.

Paul D Carter

St George Illawarra's season is all but over, but a sensational debut from young winger Jason Saab in the team's latest loss may be a sign of better things to come.

Music teacher and actress Kimmie Jonceski performed a lead role in a musical while undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer this year and wants her courageous story to inspire other young women facing a cancer diagnosis.

Rugby league player Jack de Belin will stand trial on sexual assault charges in March next year, just two weeks before the start of the 2020 NRL season.

Do you suffer from an indescribable feeling of vertigo, constant dizziness and motion sickness? Chances are you could have Mal de Debarquement Syndrome.

James Stuart Logue, a 29-year-old kitchenhand, also pleaded guilty to watching videos of young children being sexually abused in "depraved" ways.

The Health Department confirms a massive spike in the number of influenza cases in Western Australia this year, with 3,000 extra notifications and 14 deaths in the past week alone.

A man who donated his sperm to a lesbian friend with the belief he could play a role in the child's life wins a High Court fight to be named the girl's legal father, blocking her mother from moving overseas.

An 87th minute header from Ryan McGowan delivers Sydney FC a 3-2 win after a 10-man Adelaide fought back from two goals down in a feisty encounter at Hindmarsh Stadium.

The Carlton Blues have sacked coach Brendan Bolton mid-season, saying the win-loss ratio had become too dire to ignore.

Fire season is officially over in southern Australia, but the work is only just beginning for the royal commission into the deadly crisis.

Residents against a controversial abattoir take their fight to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in a final attempt to stop the plan going ahead.

If you think being stuck in short quarters with your family is hard, this family has have been living afloat overseas since September and 'boatschooling'.

Newcastle Knights coach Nathan Brown to leave the NRL club after four seasons.

Port Macquarie resident Kim Dahler was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in her 40s and wants others to know life can still be fulfilling.