Good morning and welcome to the Morning Buzz for Wednesday, July 19. Today will be mostly sunny with expected highs of about 17 degrees. Enjoy your day!
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Australian Ninja Warrior contestants weren't screened for 'drug enhancements'
Australian Ninja Warrior contestants were not screened for performance-enhancing drugs before taking part in Channel Nine's new show, and some contestants are concerned the decision could undermine public trust in the country's latest television obsession.
One of the competitors, who spoke to Fairfax Media on the condition of anonymity, said there was no drug testing done before or during filming – but believed there should have been. Read more.
Early warning system exposes the rise of the gonorrhoeae 'super-superbug'
A critically drug-resistant strain of gonorrhoea dubbed a "super-superbug" has been detected in every Australian state and territory by a new national surveillance system.
The National Alert System for Critical Antimicrobial Resistance (CARAlert) identified 1,064 bacteria highly resistant to last-line antibiotics between 17 March 2016 and 31 March 2017 across 73 laboratories.
"These are super-superbugs," said Professor John Turnidge senior medical advisor at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, which oversees CARAlert. Read more.
Police search for baby remains in South Maroota
A search is underway in South Maroota as part of investigations into the suspected murder of a newborn baby a decade ago.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad recently received information that a child was born in late 2007 or early 2008, was deceased shortly after, and buried on a rural property outside of Sydney.
Strike Force Enact, which was subsequently established to investigate the reports, has involved extensive inquiries with the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) and NSW Health. Read more.
Muir family sells Good Guys property
The Muir family, who hit the jackpot with the sale of The Good Guys to JB Hi-Fi last year for $870 million, have added another $92 million to their fortune selling bulky goods stores leased to the retailer.
Wealthy private investors and a Sydney-based fund manager have pounced on nine stores leased to the electronics and whitegoods chain after a year-long sales process. Read more.
Beauty app seals deal for former Blue Mountains woman
Lisa Maree Boersma was raised in Springwood and Yellow Rock and after school she'd help her dad Leo with the bookkeeping for his health products and picture framing businesses.
Now 32, Ms Boersma lives in Bondi and is the co-founder of Glamazon, a booking app for the beauty industry, linking customers with freelance stylist and salons.
Ms Boersma and her business partner Lauren Silvers featured on Channel Ten’s reality TV show Shark Tank last Tuesday, sealing a deal with tech entrepreneur and investor Steve Baxter. Read more.
That winter feeling is set to return in Sydney
It was beautifully warm and sunny on Tuesday with temperatures reaching 22.7 degrees in Sydney around 3pm.
But don’t toss aside those winter woolies just yet – conditions are expected to change later this week with the mercury dropping to a top of 16 degrees on Thursday. Read more.
Go via Narellan Road, not through Blair Athol
It’s the site of one of Campbelltown’s biggest annual religious ceremonies, The Station of the Cross.
However, the green pastures of Maryfields are set to be the home of a large business park, seniors living complexes and a new residential estate.
The northern section of the proposed development has left Blair Athol residents like Pushpa Fernando less than impressed.
Plans for the development reveal those living in the 593 residential complexes to the north would access their properties via Maryfields Drive and The Kraal Drive, in Blair Athol. Read more.
'Name and shame' register reveals poor food safety standards in NSW businesses
Blacktown, Canterbury-Bankstown and Parramatta councils were home to the greatest number of NSW food safety law breaches in the past month.
From failing to prevent pests, leaving food open to contamination and neglecting to adequately clean and maintain equipment; a combination of bakeries, seafood stores and restaurants found themselves on the NSW Food Authority "Name and Shame" register, now in its ninth year. In the 30-day period, 22 businesses were the subject of 35 food safety offences in the three council areas. Read more.
Sydney beats Melbourne in global ranking for female entrepreneurs
Sydney and Melbourne have landed inside the top 20 in a global ranking of a city's ability to attract and foster the growth of women owned firms.
If you're a female entrepreneur Sydney is the 11th best place in the world to base yourself and Melbourne is the 17th according to the Dell Women Entrepreneur Cities Index announced on Monday in San Francisco.
The global gender-specific index ranked New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, London, Boston and Stockholm as the top-five cities for high-potential women entrepreneurs. Read more.
Sydney man hangs up on Oz Lotto call after winning $16 million
A man from Sydney's northern beaches initially hung up on Oz Lotto officials who called him on Tuesday night to advise he was a joint winner of a $50 million jackpot.
Oz Lotto officials persisted, eventually keeping the Manly man on the line long enough to break the good news.
He was one of three winners to share in the $50 million prize, telling Oz Lotto officials he chose his numbers based on family birth dates and had a "feeling" he might win. Read more.
$8 tolls each way planned for new roadway tunnels to Sydney's north
Motorists will pay tolls in both directions on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Harbour Tunnel under proposals to help cover the $14 billion cost of a 14-kilometre tunnel linking the northern beaches to the city's inner west.
The plans for the new tolls, detailed in cabinet-in-confidence documents, also reveal that motorists will be slugged about $8 (in today's dollars) for a one-way journey by car on the entire length of the proposed Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link. Read more.
Bridge signs with Western Sydney Wanderers on two-year deal
Mark Bridge will return to western Sydney on a two-year deal with the Wanderers.
Born-and-raised in St Clair, Bridge was a foundation player with the Wanderers and will return for his fifth season with the club.
Bridge said he was excited about re-joining his hometown club. Read more.
Bryce Cartwright to make return for Penrith Panthers
Bryce Cartwright will make his long-awaited return to the football field as the cavalry come back for the Panthers just in time for their premiership charge.
Cartwright will run out for Penrith's Intrust Super Premiership team alongside cousin Jed Cartwright against the Illawarra Cutters on Saturday.
If he gets through unscathed, the backrower will be a handy addition to a Penrith line up just one win outside the top eight. Read more.
Luke Lewis to add 300-game milestone to glittering NRL career
Most players can only dream of achieving what Luke Lewis has in rugby league. And on Friday night he will add another accolade to a glittering career.
Lewis will become just the 28th player to play 300 NRL games when Cronulla host South Sydney at Southern Cross Group Stadium. Read more.
Swans' defence again the best in the business after horror AFL start
As Sydney re-establish themselves as the league's defensive kings, one of the club's backline stalwarts says the Swans lost trust in each other during their horror start to the season.
Their season seemingly shot to bits 11 weeks ago, the Swans are now the form team of the competition and daring to dream of a top-four berth.
The momentum they have generated after nine wins from their past 10 starts means talk now is not whether they can hold on to their place in the eight, but how high they can climb. Read more
