Regional Australia and rural communities
Tasmania Police have launched a large-scale air and sea search after a boat with four people failed to return from a fishing trip near Robbins Island on Sunday morning.
Zara Mitchell 
More than 20 firefighters responded to a fire at an ice cream shop in Williamstown on Friday afternoon. All eight people in the shop were evacuated safely.
Victoria Crawford 
A Melbourne-based hairdresser and fellow volunteers are heading to remote Northern Territory communities this Easter to offer professional hair colouring services and training.
Yuki Tamura 
A light aircraft carrying two pilots and five passengers crashed in shallow waters off Broome on Thursday, triggering a major emergency response with helicopters and marine rescue vessels. One person received treatment for minor head injuries.
Aisha Khoury 
A motorcyclist has died after striking cattle at a major highway intersection near Rockhampton early Thursday. The collision highlights persistent dangers posed by wandering livestock on Queensland's unfenced rural roads.
James Callahan 
A fast-thinking response from two teenagers has likely saved lives after a house fire broke out in Melbourne's north, leaving a woman fighting for survival in hospital.
Nadia Souris 
Main Roads Western Australia will install barriers this week at the Mitchell Freeway's Romeo Road intersection after two fatal wrong-way crashes in five months.
Mitchell Tan 
Two regional NSW towns have quietly built thriving sports cultures around a hybrid game that combines volleyball and squash, now drawing 150 players weekly and proving the formula for sustainable community sport.
Yuki Tamura 
A Virginia tomato grower's public claim about a virus return has drawn sharp criticism from industry leaders, who say unconfirmed warnings threaten trade and livelihoods across the sector.
Jimmy O'Brien 
Two Brisbane teenagers have died after falling on Mt Beerwah's summit track despite the mountain being officially closed due to dangerous wet conditions.
Zara Mitchell 
A female pilot escaped serious injury when her bi-wing aircraft lost engine power and crashed near Charters Towers on Wednesday, coming to rest upside down after striking temporary fencing.
Mitchell Tan 
A 73-year-old kayaker has been found alive after spending the night missing off the South Australian coast near Adelaide, rescued from mangroves after his crabfishing trip went awry.
Daniel Kovac 
Firefighters have contained a house fire that broke out overnight in Aubin Grove, with the garage sustaining significant damage. No injuries reported.
James Callahan 
Police and emergency services have launched a search for a man in his 70s who went missing after a kayaking trip off Middle Beach, north of Adelaide, on Tuesday evening.
Rachel Thornbury 
Emergency crews are conducting a rescue operation on Mount Beerwah after a climber suffered a shoulder injury, marking the second major incident on the Glass House Mountains peak in days.
Priya Narayanan 
Regional and remote Australian schools are grappling with their worst teacher shortage in years, with 78% of Queensland principals unable to fill vacancies and specialist STEM positions remaining empty for months.
Ella Sullivan 
A 23-year-old French crew member aboard an Antarctic research vessel has died after jumping into Hobart's waterfront. Police say alcohol may have been involved as investigators examine the ship's safety measures.
Samantha Blake 
Friends of an Irish man hospitalised with severe brain injury at Royal Perth Hospital have launched a GoFundMe to help his mother reach Australia in his final days.
Ella Sullivan 
An 18-year-old woman has died and another 18-year-old man remains in critical condition after falling from a popular hiking trail on Mt Beerwah. Community members have launched a fundraiser and shared the young woman's final artwork.
James Callahan 
Towns across rural Victoria have run completely out of fuel this weekend, leaving farmers scrambling for diesel and exposing Australia's dangerous reliance on imports.
Bruce Mackinnon