The NRL is accused of treating players like "products" rather than people over its decision to ban New Zealand prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona for three Tests despite acknowledging he was provoked.

Police are searching for this man, who was armed with a knife, over a sexual assault in a Melbourne park. The woman managed to wrestle the knife away from him and stabbed him.

Victorian households could be separating rubbish into six or more bins instead of the usual two or three if the state adopts recommendations from Infrastructure Victoria, which has released its ideas for dealing with the recycling crisis.

A 21-year-old man of no fixed address is arrested by detectives over the alleged sexual assault of a woman in a park in Thornbury in Melbourne's north on Saturday night.

We all know the importance of blood donations to save lives, but have you ever thought about what happens when a pet needs a transfusion?

Frank Mullins has seen drugs, alcohol and violence consume people living rough in Melbourne for 44 years, but he says loneliness is what's killing people.

The current and former Victoria Police commissioners who knew about and authorised the recruitment of Lawyer X could face criminal charges, according to the state's former chief crown prosecutor.

A man appears in a Melbourne court charged with raping a 32-year-old woman who was walking a dog in Thornbury on Saturday night.

The headmaster of St Kevin's College in Melbourne has labelled the behaviour of his own students "offensive" and "misogynistic", after a group were filmed screaming an offensive song during the weekend.

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?

Liberal backbencher Dave Sharma and Labor MP Josh Burns join forces with alleged victims to seek Malka Leifer's extradition to Australia to face child sexual abuse charges.

Prince of Arran came third in last year's Melbourne Cup, and now the English racehorse who loves Australia wins the Geelong Cup, but a Flemington start is still up in the air.

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.

Controversial cartoonist Michael Leunig is accused of unfairly judging mothers in a cartoon that suggests some love their phones and Instagram more than their children.

Victoria's new deal with Beijing has angered some in the Morrison Government who worry about Chinese influence in Australia, but Premier Daniel Andrews says it will boost the state's economy and jobs.

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.

Usually by this time of year, there'd be 40,000 mutton birds on south-west Victoria's Griffiths Island. So far, fewer than 100 of the birds have arrived from their 15,000km journey from the northern hemisphere.

Plastic cutlery, paper bags and plates overflowing in bins have become a thing of the past for a Melbourne primary school with a tough stance on waste.

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.

In the wake of the racehorse slaughter scandal, calls are growing for greater financial support for rehoming thoroughbreds and an enforceable standard of care.

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

When Lily Yan first walked into an Australian pub, locals stopped and stared. But she hasn't let a few odd looks deter her.

The sister of murdered exchange student Aiia Maasarwe says she does not feel safe in Melbourne, as she returns to the city of her sister's death to help launch a fellowship in her honour.

Victorian racing authorities announce a plan for retired racehorses to be euthanased on farms to save them from abattoirs and knackeries, in response to an ABC investigation that exposed cruel treatment of thoroughbreds.

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.

Much-loved actor Anne Phelan, who featured in Australian TV programs including Bellbird and Prisoner, dies at the age of 71. The acclaimed actor was described as "simply one of the best humans".

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.

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.

Chloe Myors died suddenly, but based on a candid discussion with their 11-year-old daughter before her death her parents decided to donate her organs.

Senior Victorian police defend their tactics, including the pushing of a journalist and the use of pepper spray, during protests outside a mining conference, saying officers are ready to respond the same way tomorrow.

Furious connections demand answers from Racing Victoria after two fancied horses were withdrawn from the Melbourne Cup over fears they have incomplete leg fractures.

A police officer suffers a serious injury to his hand after his unmarked vehicle is rammed by a man attempting to avoid arrest on a property at Lara, south-west of Melbourne.

Rather than Michelle Payne's 2015 win being the game-changing moment it seemed, female jockeys still beg for the crumbs from the tables of owners and trainers who remain dubious about their capabilities, writes Richard Hinds.

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.

It's the size of a tea bag and plays dead if you manage to catch it but this little crayfish is starting to get noticed.

A senior police officer tells the royal commission Nicola Gobbo agreed to make a statement against Paul Dale in the murders of Terence and Christine Hodson because she did not want it to look like she was involved in the murder.

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.