Changing Australia: Sharon Lewin and fighting HIV and other infectious diseases

For most of us smart phones have become an essential tool in our everyday lives.

The US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency has confirmed the Australian computing company Diraq will move to the final stage of its program.

Business groups are repeating their calls for the Australian Taxation Office to reverse its decision to stop accepting credit card payments, saying it's the final straw for many small businesses.

The federal government's proposed private health insurance changes look all but doomed, with the Greens saying they won't back the bill in its current form.