Civil libertarians are worried by new legislation meaning passengers will not be able to opt out of undergoing full body scans at Australian airports.

A coroner has described the death of a baby during after a medical procedure in a Sydney hospital as a "human tragedy".

The NSW Government is in talks with the Royal Australia Navy to free up space in Sydney Harbour for the city's booming cruise ship industry.

A civil trial is underway in the Victorian Supreme Court as environmentalists try to save an endangered species of possum.

The New York Giants again proved the New England Patriots' nemesis, defeating Bill Belichick's side in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years.

Calm conditions have returned to far north Queensland, with Tropical Cyclone Jasmine continuing to move east in the Coral Sea towards Vanuatu.

Police investigating the suspicious death of a woman in Sydney's north have revealed a man who was living with her died in a fiery road crash over the weekend.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has launched a flood relief appeal, with the State Government contributing $2 million.

There was a surprise fall in retail turnover in the key Christmas shopping period, but official figures offer a glimmer of hope for department stores and fashion retailers.

The Queensland Government is facing a potential class action worth hundreds of millions of dollars over last year's floods in south-east Queensland.

A baby goat has caused traffic disruptions in Melbourne's inner north.

The 16-year-old daughter of a man killed by a prominent lawyer in a notorious hit-and-run collision in South Australia says the case has left her with little faith in the justice system.

Tom Brady capped a 96-yard drive by throwing a touchdown as New England took a 10-9 half-time lead over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.

The Australian share market has begun the week in positive territory, following strong gains on the major indices in the United States and Europe at the end of last week.

The NSW Government is bailing out Sydney's trouble-plagued new Waratah train fleet, which is already 18 months behind schedule.

Food drops are being prepared in north-west Queensland, where dozens of properties have been cut-off by floodwaters for several weeks.

The mother of a young girl who was taken by a crocodile three years ago says she is horrified a crocodile has moved into her backyard.

Rising prices for transport and utilities drove inflation higher in January, according to a private measure, but the annual rate remained within the Reserve Bank's target range.

Palm Island Mayor Alf Lacey says he fears the island's council, off Townsville in north Queensland, could go into voluntary administration if any more members resign.

The Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has seized close to 1 million chickens from a major poultry producer which had run out of money to feed them.