A brothel in Sydney’s west has been shut down after police allegedly found customers and employees inside, not wearing face masks. A total of $12,500 in fines were issued after police were called to the Royal Asian Brothel on Euston Road in Rydalmere last night. A member of the public tipped off Crime Stoppers, claiming the business was open. Only essential …

A Sydney man has allegedly been caught after twice trying to cross the Queensland border with 145kg of cannabis worth $1.2 million. The 48-year-old was trying to drive his van through through a border checkpoint on Griffith St, Coolangatta, about 8.50pm on Thursday when police realised he had already tried to cross over earlier in the day. He told them …

In their first press conference since seizing control of the Afghan capital, the Taliban have assured women their rights would be respected “within the limits of Islam”. They said women will have a right to education and work, but exactly what life will look like under a new Taliban government is unclear. Many Afghan women are terrified of a return of the repressive laws that were imposed under …

A group of apartment buyers are pleading with the NSW government to help break their contracts after purchasing off-the-plan units in a Parramatta development where defects were recently discovered. NSW Fair Trading issued developer Hassall Developments with a Prohibition Order in early July, demanding the company rectify a number of defects in its Imperial Towers development in Hassall Street, Parramatta. Many buyers had …

Nicola McDermott has bettered the Australian women’s high jump record for the third time this year to win the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. McDermott cleared 2.02m at the second attempt, before just clipping the bar with her third and final try at 2.04m. It meant the gold went to Russian Mariya Lasitskene, the three-time world champion. The 28-year-old …

The Morrison government is putting big tech companies on notice as it tries to clamp down on cyber bullying and abuse, particularly against children. The government has opened public consultations on a new set of basic online safety expectations (BOSE), which sets out a series of demands reflecting the community’s expectations of safety online. “We we will always fight to …

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz became the first ever Olympic gold medallist from the Philippines and used water bottles to train for her Olympic glory during the pandemic. Diaz, who broke down in tears as her country’s national anthem was played, was forced to build her own DIY gym when she became stuck in Malaysia because of a Covid-19 outbreak. She was stranded in the country in April 2020 …

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 …

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 …

If the Queensland capital gets the backing of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it’ll be the third time an Australian city has hosted an Olympic Games after Melbourne in 1956 and, of course, Sydney in 2000. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is in Tokyo for the final pitch, which will be delivered in front of the IOC later today. Here’s everything you need to …