It is not common place for students to be greeted at their school gate by their principal wearing fancy dress, but this is exactly what one school leader is doing each day to put his school community at ease and have a laugh.

Outbreaks at two locations — one in Sydney and one in Melbourne — are behind many of the new COVID-19 cases identified in the past week.

CRIME NIGHT

Matt Clifton grew up with a passion for music, but his small-town upbringing meant live music events were few and far between, so he brought one home.

With towns across New South Wales at risk of running out of water within months, there are renewed calls for an urgent upgrade of water storage infrastructure.

David Kelly from the Maayu Mali Residential Rehabilitation Centre in Moree

There are now 22 people in Tasmania who have tested positive for coronavirus, with five people being diagnosed today, the director of public health says.

Tasmania records six new cases of coronavirus, with four of those infected being passengers who returned to the state after disembarking the Ruby Princess cruise ship.

The former Children's Commissioner is calling for school-based care services to stay open for vulnerable students, even if tougher lockdown measures are introduced.

Six new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours are found in Tasmania, all of the them in the disease hotspot of the state's north-west, bringing the tally to 150.

Warm oceans are encouraging wet conditions for Australia, with the hint of a negative IOD and even a potential La Nina on the horizon.

Another five coronavirus cases in Tasmania's troubled northwest take the tally to 200, as the Health Minister urges people to remain vigilant.

A day after authorities said the coronavirus outbreak in Tasmania may be "trailing off", the tally jumps to 205 with four new cases detected in the past 24 hours — all in the state's north-west.

Retail restrictions are extended on Tasmania's north-west coast, as the state records its ninth coronavirus death and 207th case of the disease.

Money woes, climate change and personal crises mental health is the number one concern among young people. But are they more "emotionally fragile" than generations past?

Six regional aged care facilities in South Australia are failing to meet standards, a State Estimates committee hears, with three based in the same region.

Gundagai's beloved Dog on the Tuckerbox statue made headlines last month after being wrested from its perch, but that wasn't the first time the icon was taken and the identities of those behind the original heist have never been revealed.

A senior manager of a Melbourne aged care home initially refused to act on video footage of elder abuse for a month due to the Christmas break, the aged care royal commission hears.

About 300 people took part in Saturday's Reclaim the Night rally, where women and girls marched through the town to Victory Park, sang and carried banners.

The latest tool in weed eradication in New South Wales and possibly Australia has a wet nose, a wagging tail and is called Sally.

Cowboys fever is ramping up in Townsville in north Queensland in anticipation of Saturday night's elimination final against the Cronulla Sharks. Meet some of the fans who will be cheering the Cowboys to victory.

A maze that until recently was being eaten by sheep has been bought by a couple who are committed to restoring it to its full glory.

Day three of three of this year's Great Victorian Bike Ride took us down more country lanes as we wound our way to Dunolly.

Minister for Population Alan Tudge said "the temporary migrant system is an important part of our economy".

Labor's Home Affairs spokesperson Kristina Keneally has sparked controversy after declaring the COVID-19 crisis should force a revamp of the temporary migration program.

George Pell's lawyer tells an appeals court there are "questions of probability" over whether the child sex abuse offences the Cardinal is convicted of occurred, and a jury should have found him not guilty even if they believed his victim.

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 former private investigator is using her skills to try to crack a cold case murder in her own family.

Pamela Stephenson

Rob Minshull produces Weekends with Warren and is an avid reader

Sam Leishman was sexually abused by his high school teacher in Hobart in 1978. He and other survivors are suing the Department of Education for negligence.

Hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren visit the national capital each year to study history and democracy — except, of course, this year.

The Prime Minister wants to get the nation "back to work" and is expected to announce an easing of COVID-19 restrictions on Friday. But will Australians put their health at risk by taking public transport?

A lucrative but illegal trade in alcohol known as sly-grogging has developed in remote towns and there are allegations it is being facilitated by rogue taxi drivers.

A tiny rainbow-hued lizard which all but disappeared from the wild 10 years ago has been given the run of a brand new home, its very own tropical island off the WA coast, to bring its population back from the brink.

It’s a scarce resource and likely to get even more so. But is it causing an increase in political friction? The answer is yes… and no.

A woman is allegedly hit in the head with a rock and sexually assaulted in a northern suburb of Adelaide this morning, police say.

Police arrest a man after a woman was allegedly hit over the head and sexually assaulted in Adelaide's north last week.

A mining company whose lawyers have been accused of engaging in bullying and intimidation against an Adelaide Hills winery says it will formally apologise to the family-run business.

Parents raise concerns after videos emerge of school students simulating sexually explicit acts on a popular social media platform. Many of the videos are filmed on school grounds, with students in uniform.