Medical experts have welcomed a decision by the federal government to list a new treatment on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme which lowers cholesterol levels and can reduce a person’s risk of heart attack or stroke. Health Minister Greg Hunt said more than 20,000 Australians would have access to Praluent, a treatment for people suffering from hypercholesterolaemia, which results in abnormally …

New South Wales has recorded 210 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, with Health Minister Brad Hazzard warning the virus is “continuing to spread”. At least 32 of those 210 people were circulating in the community for all or part of their infectious period. Greater Sydney and surrounding regions are in lockdown until at least August 28, as health authorities battle …

Matildas icon Sam Kerr is racing the clock to be fit in time for Australia’s semi-final clash against Sweden on Monday. Kerr is the biggest name in a slew of Aussies who are battling the hefty toll of playing four games in nine days in at the Tokyo Games. Kerr was forced to push through injury in the Matildas quarter-final …

History was made today as the team in Tokyo claimed more gold medals for Australia in a single day than ever before. Emma McKeon led the way with a gold in the women’s 50m freestyle, then jumped back in the pool with the rest of the relay team to clinch gold in the 4x100m medley relay. Matt Wearn held command over the seas to …

Emma McKeon has won two more gold medals in Tokyo, taking her medal tally at this Games to seven — the equal most by any woman in any sport in Olympic history. The dual golds came in the 50m freestyle and the women’s 4x100m medley relay. McKeon has now won gold in the women’s 4x100m relay, the 100m freestyle, 50m …

Rising Australian star Kaylee McKeown is now an Olympic champion, blitzing home to win the 100m backstroke final with an Olympic record time. Fellow Aussie Emily Seebohm finished fifth, nearly a second behind 20-year-old McKeown, whose time of 57.47 seconds was only 0.02 seconds behind the world record time she set in June this year. McKeown turned in third position, …

Health authorities have identified a shopping mall in Sydney’s south-west as “a key venue of concern” amid fears customers could have been exposed to COVID-19 there for 11 days. NSW Health said anyone who attended the Campsie Centre between July 14 and 24 was deemed a close contact and must get tested, and isolate for 14 days regardless of the …

The Boomers have begun their Tokyo Olympics campaign with a gritty 84-67 victory over Nigeria at Saitama Super Arena. After a tight opening two quarters, the Boomers held a narrow three-point lead at half-time and it was not until the final quarter that they began to truly exert their dominance. Australia’s performance could not be described as polished, with 22 turnovers set to be scrutinised …

Australia’s world number one Ash Barty is out of the Olympics women’s singles after being dumped in straight sets by Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo, 6-4, 6-3. Barty looked out of sorts compared to the player who won on the grass courts of Wimbledon earlier this month. Sorribes Tormo controlled the baseline and moved the Australian around the court, winning points …

Australia has garnered enough international support to defer for two years an attempt by the United Nations’ cultural organisation to downgrade the Great Barrier Reef’s World Heritage status because of damage caused by climate change. UNESCO had recommended that its World Heritage Committee add the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem off the northeast Australian coast to the World Heritage in Danger list, mainly …