A man has been arrested after he allegedly sexually assaulted a child in a toilet at a Sydney dance studio and stabbed another man who came to the girl's aid.

The high-powered US lawyer representing Jarryd Hayne's alleged rape victim in a civil lawsuit in California says he will "closely" follow the new Australian rape claims made against the rugby league star.

Life savers are harnessing the power of smart phones and wi-fi to stop foreign tourists drowning on Queensland beaches.

Facebook says it's setting up an independent body for people to appeal decisions to remove - or leave up - posts that may violate its rules.

Finally fit again, Jack Bird has vowed to overcome a nightmare year and "get cracking" in the centres for Brisbane in 2019.

The NSW government plans to introduce new laws if it's re-elected to recognise the death of an unborn child, while women's rights activists voiced their concerns about a similar proposal already before parliament.

National Guard troops have joined the grim search for more victims in the ruins of an incinerated northern California town, while the death toll climbed to 56 in the most deadly and destructive wildfire in the state's history.

New penalties and stronger privacy measures for the federal government's My Health Record system have passed the Senate, after the government agreed to extend the opt-out deadline.

Kangaroos star Josh McGuire is reportedly set to be granted a shock release by Brisbane to join North Queensland immediately.

Items from the wreckage of a plane crash in eastern Victoria that killed the pilot, have been seized as part of an investigation into what happened.