A teenager molested by Christian Brother John Laidlaw in the 1980s tells a Melbourne court he thought he was being "punished by God" when he was sexually assaulted at his family home, as the former teacher pleads guilty to abusing six boys over two decades.

This gaggle of geese is beloved by Instagrammers, but the local council says the abandoned birds are destroying the environment and must be rehomed.

A Christian Brother who sexually assaulted boys at some of Victoria's most prestigious Catholic schools is sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

A prominent urban researcher warns that Ballarat is heading towards a "social disaster" unless it can curb urban sprawl.

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.

Cardinal George Pell could be released from custody, ordered to face a new trial or sent back to prison when the Court of Appeal hands down its ruling next Wednesday. We explain the possible outcomes and what will happen next.

Thermostats and saunas become secret weapons as Australian athletes brace themselves for the unusual conditions of a midnight marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Doha next month.

George Pell could walk from court today or be sent back to prison to serve the rest of his six-year term, depending on the outcome of his appeal against his child sex abuse convictions.

The ABC understands the Victorian Department of Corrections considers the Hopkins Correctional Centre in Ararat, 200 kilometres west of Melbourne, to be the most appropriate place to send the high-profile cleric.

Making good on an election promise, the NSW Government has named its first dairy advocate, who is vowing to highlight the pressures faced by farmers at both ends of the supply chain.

As urban sprawl puts pressure on the food bowl on Melbourne's fringes, and as water becomes increasingly scarce, one council has a bold idea that might just catch on.

Rachel Griffiths's biopic about Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne, Ride Like a Girl, will remain unchanged despite horse trainer Darren Weir being banned from horseracing for four years.

This specialist nurse teaches thousands of prostate cancer survivors how to revitalise their sex life after diagnosis, but she is the only one of her kind in an area spanning 48,000 square kilometres.

A Victorian man accused of murdering Adelaide mother-of-two Suzanne Poll at her workplace in 1993 will plead not guilty to the charge, a court has heard.

Ride Like a Girl's real strength is it never lets anything get in the way of telling the superb true story at its heart.

A ratepayers advocacy group says a damning report into the risk of corruption within local government in Victoria highlights the need for greater scrutiny of regional councils.

A judge overturns the convictions of a bus driver who crashed into the Montague Street Bridge in South Melbourne, injuring six people. But Jack Aston will remain in prison while he is assessed for a community corrections order for lesser charges.

A bus driver jailed for seriously injuring six passengers when he crashed into South Melbourne's Montague Street Bridge in 2016 is released after an appeal.

By Joanna Trollope

When Kevin Richardson was a boy, all he wanted was to be eaten by a lion when he grew up.

Rob Minshull produces Weekends with Warren and is an avid reader

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

Rob Minshull produces Weekends with Warren and is an avid reader

Paul French

Set in San Francisco in the desolate aftermath of World War Terminus, the enjoyable science fiction novel 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' follows the journey of two humans who remain on Earth instead of undertaking the more usual interplanetary emigration.

Mark Haddon

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.

Lorelei and Peter Murko, and other members of their family, have taken an incredible journey together because of problems they have faced with their kidneys.

Authorities say a man had been trying to land a light aircraft near Braidwood, one hour east of Canberra, when he was killed in a crash this morning.

Police evidence presented to Wollongong Local Court reveals allegations of violent physical abuse against a 12-week-old baby.

Daniel Mansbridge was seven kilometres into a 1,000-kilometre charity ride for children's cancer when he was knocked off his bicycle and bashed by a group of teenagers.

Almost 30 years after a car accident left Picton artist Freya Jobbins' face disfigured, she's deconstructing dolls to make creations that shock.

Energy Australia has apologised to a customer for issuing him multiple bills that 'did not make sense' despite his repeated complaints.

As students stress and cram for final-year exams in the hope of getting into university, a small group of students prepares to finish high school without having to sit one test.

The CEO of Greyhound Racing NSW has vowed to "move heaven and earth" to ensure racing goes ahead at the Dapto Dogs tonight, following yesterday's shock announcement the track would close.

The rise of drag culture driven by RuPaul's Drag Race is giving a new generation of 'queens' a valuable sense of identity and an exponential rise in paid work.

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.