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The Catholic Church said Stephanie was lying about abuse. More than 20 years later, Eileen has cleared her daughter's name

A 95-year-old celebrates a win after a decades-long fight for an apology from the Catholic Church in Melbourne for the abuse of her daughter by priest Gerard Mulvale.




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Lockdown laughs: How Zoom could save Melbourne's live entertainment industry

With comedy festivals cancelled and stand-up clubs shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, Melbourne comics are turning to videoconferencing apps to reach audiences who have never needed a laugh more than now.




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Victoria will aim to test 100,000 people in two weeks before a decision is made on easing stage three restrictions.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says plans are underway to test 100,000 people over the next fortnight for COVID-19 in order to make an informed decision on which restrictions could be rolled back after the state of emergency ends on May 11.



  • Epidemics and Pandemics

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Human waste could lead to huge increase in crop yields, research trial finds

Researchers in Victoria are experimenting with biosolids in a bid to improve farm productivity, and the results are very promising so far.




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Family mourns 'big softie' police officer killed in freeway crash

The partner of Senior Constable Kevin King, who was killed in last week's Eastern Freeway crash in Melbourne, says her heart is "in pieces" after the loss of her "only love for 35 years".




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Commonwealth ordered to pay more than $200,000 in costs over Biloela asylum seeker case

The Federal Government is ordered to pay $206,000 in legal fees for a two-year-old Tamil girl who has been embroiled in a high-profile legal battle to stay in Australia with her family.




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Lockdown love: Sex shops say they play a crucial role in keeping people happy

As people look for new ways to cope with the isolation of the coronavirus lockdown, business is booming at adult retail stores around the country.




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Creswick Woollen Mills open to public for essential winter shopping, but closed to tourism

Creswick's famous woollen mills reopen to the public in time for winter after closing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but they remain closed to tourism for now.




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Victorian Premier doubles down on schools as state begins blitz of 100,000 tests

Two more cases of coronavirus are confirmed in Victoria overnight, as Daniel Andrews encourages people to be tested for COVID-19 and tells parents to prepare for term two to remain online.




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Wheat allergy, intolerance breakthrough could see harmful proteins bred out of varieties

Researchers have identified all the immune reactive proteins, then mapped and identified the parts causing chronic wheat ailments, giving growers a path to develop new lines.




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Push for 170km firebreak along Princes Highway

Fire-affected communities in eastern Victoria are calling for a permanent firebreak to be built along both sides of the Princes Highway into New South Wales.




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Victoria preparing for heavy downpour, snow, hail and a possible new rainfall record in Melbourne

The warm weather is about to end in Victoria, with the state set to be hit by a deluge of rain, hail and snow from today and temperatures set to hang around the low teens all weekend.




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'There's confusion between us': Families question states' differing school advice

A Victorian-New South Wales cross-border community is uncertain when students should return to the classroom, as term two gets underway.




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BOM says 'strong wintry blast' on the way

It's time to find those woolly socks and dust off the heater — a plunge in temperatures is on the way and it's threatening the record books.




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Nursing home lockouts doing 'nothing for compassion', as governments square off with aged care industry

Meredith Thompson and Adrian Brown fight to see their beloved relative, after his nursing home denied visits even though he only has weeks to live.




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'Might as well learn an instrument': Aussies rediscover joy of music in lockdown

Coronavirus sees many housebound Australians revisit instruments they haven't played since they were kids — rediscovering the trials and tribulations of learning along the way.




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Giant sinkhole filling up as the rain keeps coming down

The sinkhole, measuring 12 metres wide and five metres deep, developed in a broken pipe for stormwater access, the SES says. It came as Melbourne was hit by heavy rainfall ahead of three more days of wintry weather.




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One week on, Victorians sound sirens for killed police officers

Sirens sound four times across Victoria to honour four fallen police officers, exactly one week after they were tragically killed in a truck collision on one of Melbourne's busiest freeways.




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Unrecognisable: Historic photos show Australia in shutdown

One day, future generations will look back at the history we're living right now, captured in these photos of a nation in shutdown.




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These swim teachers feel they're the 'forgotten' service during the coronavirus shutdown

There are warnings Australia could experience a spike in drownings if swimming centres are forced to close because of the coronavirus shutdown, with predictions one in five swim schools around the country will close their doors for good.



  • Disasters and Accidents
  • Government and Politics
  • COVID-19

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Things were already hard for Isabel's grandkids. A pandemic made things even tougher

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.





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Here's what we know from the royal commission about George Pell's handling of child sexual abuse complaints

For years, questions have been asked about what Cardinal George Pell might have known about clerical abuse within the Catholic Church. A report that could be released within days may give us the best answer we will ever get.




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COVID-19: Why have we done so well?

Joining Raf is Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMilan, discussing Australia's success in handling the coronavirus pandemic and how we can maintain progress in the future.




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‘You feel like you're writing history': ABC journalist Richard Willingham on covering coronavirus

Victoria's state political reporter Richard Willingham tells of a dramatic week during the COVID-19 pandemic when everything changed, and the particular challenges of reporting a story unlike any other he's covered.




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'Publisher' Google ordered to pay $40k in damages for defaming Melbourne lawyer

Internet search giant Google is ordered to pay $40,000 in damages to Melbourne lawyer George Defteros after a Supreme Court of Victoria ruling found the internet giant was a publisher, and had defamed the man.



  • Law
  • Crime and Justice
  • Courts and Trials
  • Prisons and Punishment
  • Information and Communication
  • Internet Technology
  • Science and Technology

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Family, friends and Victoria Police farewell officer killed in Melbourne freeway crash

Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor is farewelled as a dedicated "hero" who will always be remembered for making a "huge difference to the community", as Victoria Police officers observe a minute of silence for their colleague.




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Four health experts weigh in on whether Australia is ready to lift restrictions

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.




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Timber industry calls for housing construction stimulus as pipeline of work dries up

The Federal Government is being urged to introduce a housing construction stimulus to prevent dire predictions for the timber industry being realised.




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Low numbers of pygmy-possums puzzle researchers

Summer's bushfires have cast doubt on the sustainability of the critically endangered mountain pygmy-possum population in Victoria's High Country, with scientists unable to access research grounds after.




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Victoria flags drug-driving law review, including drug testing truck drivers

Drug-driving has become more deadly than drink-driving and Victoria is flagging drug tests in trucking firms as one area needing urgent attention.




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Royal commission flooded with submissions as nightmare fire season officially ends

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




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Here's what you can and can't do this weekend as coronavirus rules are eased across the country

Across many states and territories, the coronavirus restrictions keeping people at home are finally being relaxed. Here are the things allowed as the country slowly opens back up.




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Under grey skies, Victoria Police farewells officers killed in Eastern Freeway crash

Victorians will never forget the sacrifice made by the four police officers killed in the Eastern Freeway crash, Police Minister Lisa Neville says, as Constable Glen Humphris and Senior Constable Kevin King are laid to rest.




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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews responds to the state's Deputy Chief Health Officer's tweet comparing coronavirus to Captain Cook's arrival in Australia.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews responds to the state's Deputy Chief Health Officer's tweet comparing coronavirus to Captain Cook's arrival in Australia at a press conference on May 1, 2020.



  • Epidemics and Pandemics
  • Infectious Diseases (Other)

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Alpine village pushes ahead hoping for business as usual as first snow falls amid pandemic

A north-east Victorian alpine village says it will welcome visitors when restrictions allow despite uncertainty whether the ski season will go ahead at all.




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'The system has failed you': Immigrant receives apology after spending two months in jail

A magistrate has apologised to a man who spent months behind bars waiting to be dealt with by the courts for minor theft charges.




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Wild weather lashes Victoria, Melbourne has its wettest start to the year

Melbourne experiences the wettest start to a year on record, and has eight times more rain than the same period last year.




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Pleas for children's heart specialist to allow patients to 'come home sooner'

Regional children with congenital heart disease must move to Brisbane to be closely monitored after critical heart surgery. One mum is petitioning for change.




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Socially distancing parents get creative introducing their babies to the world

For babies born during the coronavirus pandemic, introductions to extended family members have been a little different. Parents have had to use technology to allow grandparents, aunts and uncles to meet their latest family member.




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Puma sightings reported in Australia inspire new big cat documentary

A former Australia Zoo big cat keeper says an elusive population of wild pumas and panthers reportedly seen in the Australian wilderness could be long-escaped animals from travelling circuses, or former military mascots.





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On Victoria's Surf Coast, one town's population has doubled in 14 years, and locals say it's too much

Along the Victorian coastline, residents in booming seaside towns fear the rapid rate of development is ruining the character of the communities. The Government has promised to strike a balance between growth and protection, but residents fear it may be too little, too late.




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Victoria sees biggest coronavirus tally jump in a fortnight as school closed and abattoir cluster grows

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos announces that Epping's Meadowglen Primary School will be closed for three days as the state confirms 13 new coronavirus cases.




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Victorian Health Minister responds to criticism of Daniel Andrews

Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan accused the Victorian Premier of jeopardising the national consensus on Australia's coronavirus response be refusing to reopen classrooms.




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Snow blanketed alpine areas of eastern Australia

Heavy, early season snow has fallen across the high country in Victoria and NSW, driven by a wintry cold front.




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Small town gets major makeover courtesy of renowned street artist

The Gippsland dairy farming town of Yarram has received a colourful makeover with the addition of 10 new public art murals by a celebrated street artist.




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Nurse who blew the whistle on his hospital has died. His legacy should be remembered

Tim Griffin, the Austin Hospital nurse who blew the whistle about what he believed was medical negligence, has died.




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'Cataclysmic': This data reveals how we dodged a coronavirus catastrophe

For now, Australia appears to have kept the virus in check and avoided a full-blown coronavirus crisis. This data shows how we did it.




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'You can't change the nappies from 2m away': The reality for those left behind in the working-from-home experiment

Six weeks into the biggest shakeup of the Australian workplace since World War II, one economist is warning the adjusted work arrangements could be widening inequalities among workers.