The economic impact of the pandemic on Australia's regional towns and cities is varied, but with a smaller population base, the path back to recovery is likely to be longer and harder for many.

National Cabinet will meet on Friday to start lifting restrictions in a three stage process to lock in what the Prime Minister is calling "a sustainable COVID safe economy".

With the focus now firmly on rebooting Australia's economy, the Morrison Government intends to cut green tape and speed up nation building projects such as major roads, dams and mines.

An 85-year-old woman in rural Victoria campaigns for a bus stop outside her retirement village.

The Victorian Government is set to announce that it will take over the running of the state's only privately run public hospital.

Catherine Hamlin was born in Sydney. She worked in Ethiopia pioneering medical treatment for young women damaged by unsuccessful childbirth. In 2000, Pauline Newman visited Catherine Hamlin and her famous hospital in Addis Ababa. Catherine Hamlin died in March 2020 at the age of 93. By way of tribute today we revisit Pauline’s program from nearly 20 years ago.

The Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council in central Queensland gives its government-owned supermarket contractor the flick after years of battling inflated prices.

Camping under the night skies, documentary maker Don Meers says he looked out and saw what he had travelled for the famed Min Min lights.

The Central Victorian community of Baringhup finally sees the end to a seven-year battle to stop the development of major chicken farm.

Hundreds of abuse survivors could benefit from reforms that will allow them to sue their abusers, even if they signed "unfair" agreements not to take legal action.

A 21-year-old is flown to hospital after an axe hit his helmet while he was taking part in a mock medieval battle at Hawkesbury Showground in New South Wales.

When farmer Alistair Gabb fell into depression his doctor prescribed him medication and referred him to a psychiatrist for 10 free therapy sessions but it was far from enough.

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

Dozens of Victorians shared their painful and powerful stories during the state's royal commission into its broken mental health system. Commissioners now have the difficult task of finding a way forward, write Zalika Rizmal and James Bennett.

Tours of the 152-year-old Aradale Mental Asylum have been cancelled due to lead paint contamination. Operators fear this may be the end of the road for the historic site.

A contentious highway upgrade again comes under scrutiny after revelations a land deal was struck between Victoria's roads department and the former Aboriginal cultural heritage authority which approved the development.

More than 500 protesters stop traffic outside the Victorian Parliament to rail against the planned destruction of trees sacred to Aboriginal people in Victoria's west.

The wife of former AFL star Danny Frawley reveals her husband had removed himself from treatment and medication for his depression about eight months before his death last week.

The trial of Lorraine Nicholson, who is charged with culpable driving causing the death of four women in their 60s and 70s, begins in Ballarat.

A jury hears of the moment the woman accused of causing a crash that killed four people in western Victoria realised the deceased were "probably grandmothers" as well.

Jobs growth versus environmental concerns reignite with a coal company's proposed expansion under Sydney's water supply.

Do you suffer from an indescribable feeling of vertigo, constant dizziness and motion sickness? Chances are you could have Mal de Debarquement Syndrome.

A court has been shown video footage of a carer yelling and swearing at her 81-year-old dementia patient before police allege she punched the elderly woman in the leg.

Mining company South32 removes hundreds of workers from its two Illawarra underground coal mines as it investigates an issue with an emergency breathing mask.

Sydney's drinking water catchment is under threat from longwall mining with upland swamps and streams drying out as a colliery pushes to expand.

The graves of five young WWII servicemen have been destroyed at a NSW cemetery in what has been described as a "disgraceful" act of vandalism.

MORNING BRIEFING: An independent panel gives a 30-storey tower and retail complex at Barangaroo the green light, while police are perplexed how an SUV ended up on top of a parked car.

After police recorded her abusing an elderly woman, a carer told a court what it heard was "me slapping myself". In finding her guilty, the magistrate described the 26-year-old as "mean-spirited and nasty".

The NSW nurses' union says a staffing crisis at Shellharbour Hospital's mental health unit is putting staff and patient safety at risk.

The Federal Government says it has set a record for the fastest app to reach 5 million downloads in Australia with COVIDSafe, but acknowledges it might never work for 10 per cent of smartphone users.

RBG is the oldest justice on the Supreme Court bench and her return to work will allay fears of a vacancy that would have allowed President Donald Trump to appoint another conservative judge.

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.

As leaders prepare to ease coronavirus restrictions in their states, South Australia could be in the box seat to win the race to recovery by turning what might be regarded as weaknesses into strengths.

A property search fails to uncover the remains of missing man Michael Purse, but SA Police say two men they suspect of murdering him are already in custody for unrelated crimes.

The prosecution in the Claremont serial killings trial withdraws its case that Bradley Edwards was so emotionally upset about the breakdown of his relationship with his wife that he murdered three young women.

Two of the state's most powerful unions, which represent professions at the forefront of the coronavirus pandemic in Queensland, are fighting the Labor State Government's plans to freeze all public servant pay rises in the coming financial year.

Israel's Supreme Court rules that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may form a new government while under indictment for corruption charges clearing the way for a controversial power-sharing deal.

Coronavirus has been a catalyst for lots of Australians to speak up about their experiences of racism, but what happens when the attention fades away and people are left to deal with lasting psychological trauma?

MORNING BRIEFING: The NSW Transport Minister will no longer serve as Leader of the House, the latest episode in a tumultuous week for Mr Constance in which he announced his bid for the federal seat of Eden-Monaro before withdrawing from the race 24 hours later.

After five months of evidence from more than 200 witnesses, the Claremont serial killings trial is nearing an end. Here is the state's case against Bradley Edwards for the murders of three young women in Perth.

A defamation lawsuit launched by one of Australia's most decorated soldiers could be delayed until next year because of coronavirus and a decision by the Attorney-General to invoke special secrecy laws to protect sensitive military information.

Playgroups, playgrounds and visits to see grandparents are key staples in the social lives of many young families. So how will missing these things impact your young child's development and what can you do from home?

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says it is too far in the future to speculate on when life will get close to normal in Australia as the country looks to lift restrictions in stages.

Min Min lights are a mysterious phenomenon that have spooked many people in the outback of Australia. Is there any scientific proof that the lights exist or is it simply an Aboriginal folktale that has been passed down for generations?

A WA community is up in arms after a decision shut down a retirement village. The building has been deemed unsafe, but locals say their rights are being trampled on in favour of mining companies.

Cancer patients in the remote Pilbara will soon be trialling chemotherapy via video link, saving them a 1,500-kilometre trip for life-saving treatment.