80 firefighters were deployed to a building in Melbourne’s Spencer Street on Monday morning to battle a blaze that has prompted fresh concerns about combustible cladding on apartment buildings.

The fire began shortly before 6am and shot up several floors of the apartment complex, prompting the Metropolitan Fire Brigade to upgrade the emergency.

Doctors may receive greater power to bring critically ill asylum seekers into Australia, according to a new proposal by prime minister Scott Morrison.

Mr Morrison is pledging to create a new independent medical review panel that would allow doctors to bypass departmental blocking if needed to provide medical or psychiatric care for those residing in offshore detention centres.

The proposal hopes to alleviate suspected human rights violations that have seen twelve people die due to medical neglect.

Around 400 fines were dished out last financial year to smokers who decided to light up in Queensland smoke-free zones, including bus stops, taxi ranks and ferry terminals.

A caution or on the spot fine of $261 is issued to people who breach a smoking ban, totalling to over $100,000.

Executive Director of Queensland Health’s Preventative Health Branch Kaye Pulsford said the fines were a tough, but necessary reminder that smokers not only put themselves at risk of serious health problems, but also the people around them.

A new format will see the Brisbane International tennis championship attracting ‘exclusive’ female talent, according to a new statement by Queensland Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk.

The championship will become a women’s only event from 2020 and combine with the first leg of a new international men’s team event, the ATP Cup.

Brisbane tennis fans will now receive ten full days of action from top international players instead of the usual seven.

North Korea is committed to closing the door on 70 years of war and hostility with the destruction of plutonium and uranium sites, according to US Special Envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun.

The US and North Korean governments must first reach an agreement on expert access and the mapping and monitoring of key sites before North Korea can achieve full denuclearisation.

History is being made at the 53rd Superbowl in Los Angeles with the first ever male cheerleaders participating in the event.

Napoleon Jinnies and Quinton Peron became the first ever male cheerleaders in the NFL in March 2018, and, almost a year later, they will make history again as the first male cheerleaders to perform during America's most-watched event.

While male cheerleaders are relatively common in high school and college teams, up until now they have been largely missing from professional squads.

The growing electric car industry is calling on Canberra policy makers to develop a comprehensive plan for the rollout of a national public charging network.

Professor Iftekhar Ahmed says further infrastructure must be implemented and electrical networks fortified to allow the popular uptake of the electric car and the potential boost to the nation’s renewable energy system.

Australia’s big banks have launched a public mea culpa acknowledging they have failed their customers, and arguing these findings from the banking royal commission is a chance to reset the sector.

New research reveals more than 200,000 cancer cases could be avoided if Australian adults maintain a healthy weight and meet physical activity guidelines.

The forecast released for World Cancer Day is prompting calls for individuals and government to do more to reduce our cancer risk.

CEO of the Cancer Council, Professor Sanchia Aranda, says too many Australians are overweight and need to take steps towards a healthier lifestyle.

The opposition council has criticised Brisbane City Council for jumping the gun in claiming victory after the development application for the controversial Mt Coot-tha zipline project was approved, because they’re still awaiting approval by the state government.