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

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.

The world's largest producer of Indian Sandalwood has entered into a contract to buy Midway Station in the Northern Territory for $4.5 million.

The owner of a Darwin hotel where a man was glassed over the weekend says licensees should not have to remove all glass from pubs because of a small group of people doing the wrong thing.

Thai company Mitr Phol has extended its offer to buy shares in Australian agribusiness Maryborough Sugar Factory (MSF) in southern Queensland.

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.

A week-long maintenance shutdown at a major mine in north-west Queensland has been brought forward due to flooding.

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.