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Major research funding for childhood brain cancers gives families hope

The federal government says up to $20 million will be made available over seven years to find treatments for childhood brain cancers, including Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).
Eve Daher smiling with a balloon in the shape of the number eight.

Delight as necklace lost for two decades found during renovations

Isabel Wait had "all but forgotten" about the locket she was given by her mum and dad when she was seven, before it was found during renovations at her old primary school.
a picture of a young girl with a locket

Search for owners after teen finds esky full of black and white photos in floodwaters

Teen finds World War I photos of soldiers and army platoons and family photos from the early 1900's,in an esky floating in floodwaters less than 100 metres away from being washed out to sea.
Two pics of a man in army uniform

analysis:After 11 years this family is closer to learning what happened to their loved one. Many others will never get answers

This criminal case is at the heart of an unfolding crisis few Australians are aware of. This week there was an important breakthrough, writes Bridget Brennan.
legal representatives

Community crowdfunding effort helps Afghan teacher to relocate to Australia

One phone call sparked a community-led campaign to cover the relocation cost for a mother and her five daughters who had fled from Afghanistan to Iran on a tourist visa.
Three women with colourful hijab under a cherry blossom tree

First-time publicans take over the reins of not one but two country watering holes

Darren and Deana Tangey were looking for a career change when they decided to take on the challenge of running two outback pubs.
man serving a beer behind the bar of a pub

Meet the family fighting fires as well as misconceptions around female firefighters

Colleen and her two daughters are part of a growing number of female volunteer firefighters who have signed up, helping to dispel enduring misconceptions around what it takes to be a firie.
A mother and two daughters in protective gear

Burnt out by city life, Trang's family moved out west and has never looked back

A full year after pharmacy assistant Trang Nguyen moved to the remote community of Wilcannia with her husband and toddler son, the sight of her young family still stirs up curiosity.   
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A woman, small child and man smile at the camera behind them is red dust.

Residents count high cost of living as prices for goods and services soar in WA towns

Living in regional Western Australia remains a costly enterprise, with prices consistently higher than Perth for basics including groceries and fuel.
Lady's hand holding cash over the till

At a discount school supplies store in regional Australia, families are lining up down the street

More parents than ever are turning to charities for assistance to help afford school basics, from the right uniforms and shoes, to extensive textbook and stationery lists.
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A woman holding a bag on her shoulder looking at the camera, in front of a queue of people

Mary has made her own biodegradable coffin — and knows exactly where she would like to be buried

Books, boxes and knick-knacks might be stored in your spare room, but in Mary Flynn's home studio is a wooden coffin, which she made herself. She's never been frightened of death and wants to spark conversations about natural burials.
An alive elderly woman smiles as she lies in her handmade wooden coffin

The Tszyu brothers – following in their father’s footsteps

In the boxing world, big noting and trash talking is par for the course but brothers Tim and Nikita Tszyu are taking on the world with a quieter approach.
Updated
ABC News Current
Duration: 5 minutes 39 seconds

Being a firefighter gives this single mum flexibility to raise her family. She wants others to join her

When Charmaine joined NSW Fire and Rescue in 2021, she was the only woman on her brigade. Now, three of the brigade's seven members are women, with more expected to sign on.
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A female firefighter in a black uniform stands in front of a red fire truck.

analysis:‘Mum, Dad, I’m bored!’ Here's how boredom can teach kids important skills

Boredom is mildly unpleasant, but it's OK for kids to feel bored. In fact, boredom provides the context for children to develop a number of important skills that are central to developing a sense of control over their own happiness and wellbeing.
Boy leans his face on his hands looking bored while watching a girl draw.

Kelly thought her father was getting old. Then she saw him fight off machete-wielding thieves

A family trip to Malaysia becomes a crisis when Kelly Eng and her ageing parents are thrown into physical combat against men in balaclavas carrying machetes.
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A selfie taken by a woman with black hair and earrings next to an older man in glasses and both of them are smiling.

Woman whose 'decent guy' turned violent seeks cultural change after her cries for help went unanswered

After surviving an abusive relationship in which she was choked unconscious in front of her children, Jane says she wishes someone had answered her pleas for help much earlier.
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A woman with black curly hair faces away from the camera as she hugs another woman, outdoors in the midday sun.

Are gender reveal parties harmless fun or an undue emphasis on sex?

Would you hold a gender reveal party for your unborn child? Diversity advocates are urging expectant parents not to place undue emphasis on the sex of their infants.
pink and blue cookies

Lee was at her lowest point when her friends came to the rescue. Now she's paying it forward

The Christmas and New Year period can be one of the loneliest and emotionally complicated times of the year. Here's how some people are reaching out to connect with each other.
A woman smiles and wears a tshirt saying Best Day Ever at a community event.

He walked away from the family firm with $17b. Now this Hermès descendant has a plan for his riches

Billionaire Hermès heir Nicolas Puech is reportedly planning to bequeath part of his fortune to his gardener. It comes more than a decade after he walked away from the fashion company following a rival label's failed takeover bid.
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A group of people gesturing at a giant swinging orange tie

Tired of baking sourdough, this Melbourne family began an unusual lockdown project that went viral

Andrew Rovenko's otherworldly photographs of his daughter wearing an astronaut costume attracted fans from all over the world — and now feature in a coffee-table book.
A young girl wearing a spacesuit costume and helmet stands in a field of purple flowers under an overcast sky

Dave has the Chutzpah and the will, now if the weather plays nice, he can do it for his dad Bill

Legendary Tasmanian sailor Bill Watson died nine years ago — but when Chutzpah crosses the finish line of this year's Sydney to Hobart, he will enter a club reserved for the greats of the race. And his son Dave will be there to savour it.  
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A man with a beard sits on a yacht next to a young blonde haired boy in the 1970s

Tom Black says Archie's diagnosis means the future is uncertain for the family.

Tom Black says Archie's diagnosis means the future is uncertain for the family.
ABC News Current
Duration: 22 seconds

Scammers targeting families at the 'toughest times of their lives' via online funeral services

Australia's National Anti-Scam Centre has received reports of fraudsters using funeral live streams to steal people's card details, with a Queensland funeral home "dismayed" to find its clients targeted via a Facebook friend request. 
A camera inside a chapel with its screen showing the scene, ready to stream a funeral.

Homeless Bendigo family grateful for Christmas present: moving from a tent to a house

Emma and Dallas had feared that they and their nine children would be spending Christmas Day in the bush, but this week they received the best news they could have hoped for — a house they can call home for the next 18 months.
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A child smiles in her new lounge room

Handwritten letters from ambo Santa keep Christmas spirit alive in Queensland country town

Father Christmas is writing back to dozens of children in a Queensland country town and surrounds thanks to a local paramedic, parents and the post office.
A man wearing glasses sits at a desk with letters in front of him. There is a Christmas tree in the background.