By Jack Bettar Bankstown, Lakemba and Punchbowl are three of the many suburbs in Sydney we tend to correlate with the Lebanese and Syrian community. But away from these modern associations there is a little-known history of this very cultural group that lies in the most unlikely of places: Redfern. Immigrants came from the former Ottoman province of Syria, which …

Ash Barty is one win away from joining Australian tennis royalty after booking her spot in the Birmingham Classic final. Barty, after beating Czech veteran Barbora Strycova in Saturday’s semi-final, will become only the fifth Aussie world number one if she wins Sunday’s decider against Julia Goerges. If she succeeds, the French Open champion will emulate the feats of Evonne …

French Open champion Ash Barty warmed up for Wimbledon with a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 win over Venus Williams to reach the semi-finals of the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham. Barty is now two wins away from becoming the first Australian woman to top the tennis rankings in more than 40 years as a title win in Birmingham will allow her …

Liverpool has taken the first steps towards establishing a second university in the city centre, with the launch this week of Western Sydney University’s innovative Launch Pad in Moore Street. Liverpool mayor Ned Mannoun said the Launch Pad continued the momentum of the Great South West of Sydney in establishing itself as an education hub offering a wide range of …

A new study has established – in real numbers – that cardio fitness significantly lowers the risk of developing colorectal and lung cancers. It also found that people who developed these cancers, and were otherwise fit, were less likely to die than people with low fitness levels. The study, headed by Dr Catherine Handy Marshall, from the John Hopkins School …

You’ll never sleep again – new research partly funded by the British Heart Foundation has found people can drink up to 25 cups of coffee a day with no damage to their arteries. This contradicts one line of previous research, and is supported by another – but it’s the 25-cup a day claim that’s prompted a splash of media panic. …

The ABC is considering legal action for the return of about 100 documents seized during a federal police raid on its Sydney headquarters, its chair has confirmed. Recently appointed ABC chair Ita Buttrose said the broadcaster had consulted lawyers about its options but had not “briefed anybody yet”. “At this point, we’re really assessing the allegations to see what actions can be taken and …

A fantastic event titled “Spreading the Culture of Peace” organised by HWPL& IWPG in the City of Parramatta. This festival was held in Parramatta, where communities from all over Sydney who have experienced war in their homeland, those communities who support peace and peace advocates came together and united in support of each other and for peace. Philosopher Lao Tzu …

Ash Barty is through to the French Open final after beating American teen Amanda Anisimova 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 in a three-set tussle on Court Suzanne Lenglen. The Queenslander is the first Australian finalist at Roland Garros in nine years after fighting back from a set down and a break down in the third set. She will now face unseeded Czech …

After saying his “heart was breaking” when he filmed his final scenes on Game of Thrones, Kit Harington has checked into a US therapy program to “work on some personal issues”. His spokesperson confirmed the news after the New York Post’s Page Six reported the star had admitted himself to a “luxury rehab for stress and alcohol use”. A source …