Rachael Merritt

With parts of the country already sweltering though heatwaves, support services are worried many people will not be able to afford to keep cool this year.

Parts of South Australia are bracing for catastrophic fire conditions amid a burst of early summer season heat, with neighbouring regions in Victoria also on high alert.

The 18-year-old drowned in Townsville's Ross River while fleeing police in 2022. A coronial inquest has heard it is unlikely that his death could have been prevented.

Crocodiles are on the move across Queensland and there is concern people are putting themselves in mortal danger.

Voluntary assisted dying has been legal in Queensland for nearly two years but advocates say awareness of the scheme is "non-existent".

The 39-year-old Palm Island woman died two days after suffering a life-threatening head injury.

Wildlife rangers are urging visitors not to feed cassowaries after shooting video of a pair of the big and potentially dangerous birds getting too close for comfort. 

About 3,000 athletes are set to compete in the World Triathlon Multisport World Championships in Townsville, in an Australian-first event spanning 11 days.

The family of the young aspiring police officer says 'justice has been served' after a jury convicted a driver over her death.

Jennifer Board was fatally struck by a vehicle driven by a vigilante driver in 2021. The manslaughter trial of the other driver involved in the chase is underway in Townsville.