The likes of Zoom, Skype and Hangouts have brought an added layer of awkward delays and pixelated faces to our meetings, staff briefings and catch-ups. But there are ways to make the experience less painful and more productive.

A juvenile white-bellied sea eagle is back in the skies near Tasmania's Bruny Island after surviving being coated in fish oil and a enjoying a bubble bath spruce up.

Tasmanian police dismiss allegations, first aired publicly by Australia's Chief Medical Officer, that an "illegal dinner party" of healthcare workers contributed to Tasmania's coronavirus outbreak.

The sound of chatter and wind instruments being blown at different times fills the room at the Launceston College music centre as the band members warm up for rehearsals.

It has been three years in the making: Justyn Atkins from Launceston is now putting the finishing touches on his trusty ute in preparation for the 2015 Deni Ute Muster.

It's been two years in construction at a cost of $91.3 million but the first phase of the redevelopment of Dubbo Base Hospital is about to open.

The economic impact of the pandemic on Australia's regional towns and cities is varied, but with a smaller population base, the path back to recovery is likely to be longer and harder for many.

Are dogs and cats conscious? In his book The Feeling of Life Itself – Why Consciousness is Widespread But Can’t be Computed Christof Koch offers a straightforward definition of consciousness as any subjective experience, from the most mundane to the most exalted - the feeling of being alive!

Gillian Mears

Australia has an extensive list of previously banned books that were once considered "obscene" and a threat to the country's morals and literary standards.

A property search fails to uncover the remains of missing man Michael Purse, but SA Police say two men they suspect of murdering him are already in custody for unrelated crimes.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex throw their celebrity power behind a campaign to help children and families struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From balcony book clubs to re-reading, we asked professional readers how and what they're reading through the lockdown.

Theatres and art galleries around the country are on high alert after the NSW Government decision to withhold an annual grant from Australia's biggest multi-arts venue, Carriageworks, forcing it to appoint administrators.

The State Government has been defeated in a key piece of legislation which could have a major impact on its ability to win a second term in 2022, and it's not land tax, writes Casey Briggs.

The coronavirus pandemic has made life harder for most people, but spare a thought for 66-year-old Isabel McLeary, who is looking after three teenagers with disability who can now only access vital support online.

The curve is flattening, the growth factor is below one, but is it still too early to ease coronavirus restrictions? We asked four health experts what Australia should be doing next.

Prickles the merino sheep has been on the run from her Dunalley farm since the 2013 Tasmanian bushfires, but now she's out of self-isolation and ready for a trim.

A woman whose house burnt down in bushfires affecting the NSW North Coast said that she and her husband now plan on leaving the bush due to the hazard.

While you hear about children choosing the same career as their parents regularly, the opposite is true for this mother-daughter police duo.

An app designed to alert South Australians about bushfires is still not ready as total fire bans were issued amid sweltering temperatures. A watch and act message has been issued for a fire burning near Swan Reach in the state's Murraylands region.

Australia is the last inhabited continent on Earth that is free of the varroa mite, a parasite which has crippled honey bees everywhere it has taken hold. The threat is real but our beekeepers are preparing to meet it head on.

The Fair Work Ombudsman releases a report revealing widespread breaches of workplace laws by Caltex franchisees.

A self-funded engineer was 12 kilometres short of his goal of reaching space at a recent attempt in the middle of Australia's Outback.

The humble haberdashery shop was once a mainstay of many a town centre, but is browsing the colourful bits and bobs in these stores in danger of becoming a thing of the past?

The deadly march of pig-killing African swine fever is continuing, with one quarter of the world's pigs now dead, according to meat and livestock analysts.

Northern Territory Police send in reinforcements after a woman is shot with a crossbow during a violent outbreak in a remote Arnhem Land community

Australia's chief vet says a highly contagious disease that's led to millions of pig deaths is set to spread, but a new biosecurity levy is beset by costly delays.

Researchers say an online tool to help understand where Australia's Bogong moths have disappeared to is starting to show promising results.

Grant 'Scooter' Patterson may be half as tall as most people but he does not do things by halves. He works hard, plays hard and pushes himself in the pool, chasing his dream of winning a Paralympic medal.

Fire ants are spreading into new areas across south-east Queensland according to a Biosecurity Queensland insider who says the war to eradicate the potential killers is all but lost, a claim vehemently denied by the man tasked with stopping the spread.

Authorities say complacent city dwellers need to learn from their regional cousins and have an emergency kit ready for when a natural disaster strikes, including three days' worth of water.