This week the royal commission in to Australia's aged care system has heard stories of residents left to soil themselves and elderly war veterans heavily sedated to treat their PTSD. It's left some questioning whether the sector's myriad failings can be fixed.

A 17-year-old is due to appear in a children's court today after he was charged with the murder of Maaka Hakiwai in Melbourne's west on AFL grand final day.

Perth Glory are held to a draw thanks to a controversial extra-time equaliser by Robbie Fowler's Brisbane Roar in the west, as A-League newcomers Western United enjoy a winning debut with a 1-0 win over the Phoenix in Wellington.

Letters, flowers and stuffed toys are placed outside the Kiddy Palace childcare centre in Melbourne's north where police say a three-year-old girl was killed after she was accidentally hit by a car.

A Melbourne man on trial for planning terrorist acts allegedly told others he wanted to "go around cutting throats in the city centre", a court is told.

Joseph Wong Kiia Tai had his assets frozen and was banned from travel under UN sanctions because of his ties to Charles Taylor, a Liberian war criminal. So how was he able to enter Australia and gamble at Crown's Melbourne and Perth casinos?

Austin Health chief executive Sue Shilbury resigns after just three years in the role, telling staff of her "difficult decision" to leave after a series of negative reports involving the Austin Hospital.

A worker who mistreated six elderly residents at a Melbourne home was suspended three times but allowed to continue working after he passed an elder abuse questionnaire, the aged care royal commission hears.

An investigation is launched after relatives were told their loved one had been discharged, prompting a search for the missing man whose body was actually in a Melbourne morgue all along.

A police car may have reached speeds of up to 154 kilometres per hour during a pursuit that ended in the death of Raymond Noel Thomas in Melbourne's inner north, a court hears.

The aged care royal commission hears chronic short-staffing is compromising the care of nursing home residents, leaving some workers to question whether they want to stay in the sector.

For Ashleigh Brazill, 2019 is truly the year she realised she can have it all. The Collingwood star made the AFLW All-Australian squad, has returned to the national netball side and is set to become a first-time mum.

Emergency services workers scale down a steep cliff on Victoria's Great Ocean Road to rescue a stranded dog named Jimmy.

One of the leading holdouts against an AFLW collective bargaining agreement, Darcy Vescio, says a new season of 10 matches plus finals looks set to be part of a new deal.

Podcasting has reached a tipping point in 2019. No longer the miniscule cousin of traditional radio, podcasting has gone mainstream, writes manager of ABC Audio Studios Kellie Riordan.

Victoria's one-stop shop for all things to do with fines has been crippled by serious IT issues. So what's behind the multi-million-dollar problem, and what does it mean for people facing a payment deadline?

A man accused of threatening his former wife before allegedly shooting her in the head has been granted bail because it took more than a decade to charge him.

Toxic masculinity's latest appearance comes in the form of private school boys chanting a sexist song on a packed tram. So what do we need to do to set things right? asks Emma Jane.

Airport authorities are calling for a crackdown on drivers touting their services at the the terminal but one driver says it is the only way he can earn enough money to pay his bills.

The artist sister of cartoonist Michael Leunig says she does not believe her brother understands how hard mothers work and that many are also juggling careers, after his controversial cartoon appeared to critique heavy use of social media by mothers.

A woman who worked as a financial officer at the since-failed SKM Recycling has been sentenced to six months' jail after siphoning more than $168,000 from the business into her own accounts.

The headmaster of St Kevin's College in Melbourne has vowed to improve education programs to combat "offensive and misogynistic behaviour", after students were again caught performing sexist songs in public.

The head of a community centre which houses Melbourne's controversial safe injecting centre is stood down after several staff linked to other services at the centre have been charged with trafficking heroin.

It is abysmal behaviour and the boys from St Kevin's may need to pay some kind of price, but if we think punishment alone can resolve this issue, we are mistaken, writes Justin Coulson.

A Swinburne University scientist loses his job after an internal investigation into alleged research misconduct and dozens of his papers were retracted by scientific journals.

Andrew Nabbout scores the winner as Robbie Fowler's Lang Park welcome ends in a meek 1-0 defeat for a misfiring Brisbane Roar.

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.

A man responsible for an "atrocious attack" on an off-duty paramedic during a crime spree on the Mornington Peninsula last year is sentenced to five years and nine months in jail.

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.

St Kilda's former number-one draft pick Paddy McCartin's problems with concussion reach a critical point, with the forward de-listed and sitting out the 2020 season to get his health in order.

A judge describes the attack on 21-year-old Aiia Maasarwe as "unsophisticated and opportunistic" in sentencing her killer to 36 years' prison, with a non-parole period of 30, as the victim's father and sister watch on in court.

The popular AFL program Marngrook Footy Show is cancelled after 12 years on air, with the decision met by anger from one of the program's hosts and its loyal following of viewers.

After Victorian police were found to have falsified hundreds of thousands of breath tests last year, the state's anti-corruption body warns there's a risk officers could still be conducting fake tests because of "meaningless and unachievable" targets.

Melbourne City beats Western United 2-1 in the season's second Victorian derby, while Perth Glory enjoy a win over Phoenix by the same scoreline in Wellington.

After being dropped from the Victoria Derby in controversial circumstances, Linda Meech has earned a Derby Day reprieve and a chance at some revenge.

An unbeaten half-century from David Warner sees Australia post a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka at the MCG to clean sweep their three-match T20 series.

A lewd sticker on a police body camera lands a Victoria Police officer in hot water, with the force launching an investigation into the "extremely disappointing" incident.

Some parent visas cost up to $40,000 while others have a 30-year waitlist, making them completely out of reach for many migrant families. But advocates say rather than being a drag on the system, elderly family members could actually boost the economy.

Benalla man Joseph McDonald is charged with one count of murder after handing himself into police on Saturday evening.

Betting on horse races has taken a dive amid a slew of scandals that hit the industry this year, but racing experts say a combination of factors are coming together at the wrong time for Racing Victoria.

A court hears Harold Mitchell was "pushing" for Tennis Australia to sign a contract for the broadcast rights of the Australian Open with Channel 7 when he was the sports body's director in 2013.

An 11-year-old boy who was missing since Sunday night on a 150-acre farm north-west of Melbourne returns home safe and well. Police say he was checked out by ambulance officers and was given the all clear.

A senior Victorian Liberal Party figure admits in court that signs used in May's federal election in Josh Frydenberg and Gladys Liu's electorates were designed to "convey" the appearance of official electoral commission material.

Around two dozen Koorie art unit students have compiled their own art exhibition in Bairnsdale and have been reaping the awards from their hard work.