Good morning and welcome to the Morning Buzz for Monday, July 17. Today will be a mostly sunny day, with expected highs of about 20 degrees. Enjoy your day!
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More than one million asthma sufferers at risk because of medication misuse
Asthma affects an estimated 2.5 million Australians, and for sufferers, reliever or rescue medications provide quick, short-term relief of asthma symptoms by relaxing tightened airways.
Those symptoms can be frightening
More than 1 million Australians may be risking their health by misusing their asthma medications, which broadly fall into two categories: preventers, which reduce inflammation in the airways and lessen mucus production, and relievers. Read more.
Moving classes outside can improve test scores, wellbeing: report
Outdoor learning has been found to improve students' mental and physical health, resilience, critical thinking, problem solving skills, emotional intelligence and performance in class tests, according to a new report by Planet Ark based on local and international research.
However, only a small proportion of Australian teachers have incorporated regular outdoor time into their classes.
Nearly 30 per cent of teachers spend no class time outside and another 30 per cent spend less than 15 minutes outside every week, according to the Planet Ark study of 200 primary and high school teachers, which was conducted in April and released this month.
Australian army to take charge in terrorist attacks
The military will be given sweeping powers to deploy forces and even take charge during terrorist attacks under changes to Australia's national security laws.
The new system, which has been approved by cabinet and the national security committee, will be announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Defence Minister Marise Payne during a visit to Sydney's Holsworthy Barracks on Monday. Read more.
House price growth to slow further but not crash
Economists at investment bank UBS are increasingly confident a "correction" is taking place in residential construction, led by a slowdown in the apartment sector.
But they argue house prices are set to grow more slowly, rather than drop, due to very low interest rates and growth in population.
Scott Haslem and George Tharenou cut their forecasts for dwelling commencements for this year and next in a report to clients last week, also arguing house price growth had been "unsustainable". Read more.
Whalan man stabbed to death after coming to the aid of a woman and child
A 50-year-old man has died after he was stabbed while attempting to come to the aid of a woman and child involved in a domestic dispute with another man outside a home in Whalan.
Police believe the victim had gone outside to investigate the source of the disturbance when he was allegedly stabbed multiple times and left bleeding on the side of the road. Read more.
'Unheard of': The 2.5m shark caught near Gladesville Bridge
When fisherman Patrick Melograna felt a tug on his line near Gladesville Bridge over the Parramatta River, he knew he was onto something big.
But the 2½-metre, 150-kilogram mako shark exceeded even his wildest expectations, and he took almost two hours to haul in the mammoth catch. Read more.
Wilton skydiving victims named as Adrian Lloyd and Low Ke Wei
Two men killed during a tandem skydiving lesson in Wilton on Saturday have been named as investigators try to determine the cause of the fatal accident.
The 60-year-old instructor was Adrian Lloyd, an experienced skydiver with more than 10,000 jumps in his 30-year career.
His pupil, 29-year-old Singaporean national Low Ke Wei, also known as Mario, had just moved to Sydney for work in early June. Read more.
Woman killed after hitting a duck, swerving into a tree
Four people have been killed in three separate crashes in five hours on country roads in NSW.
Two people died after two cars collided head-on in near Euston in western NSW about 6.45am on Sunday.
Just minutes earlier, a duck on a country road in Tamworth caused a crash that killed a 19-year-old woman passenger about 6.40am on Sunday.
The car hit the duck on the road, and then crashed into a tree, police say. The woman, from Quirindi, died at the scene.
A 52-year-old man died when he swerved to avoid hitting a dead kangaroo near Tumut in southern NSW in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Clarence Colliery fined $1 million by Land and Environment Court
Centennial Coal has been sentenced $1 million for a Tier 1 offence in the Land and Environment Court.
The Environment Protection Authority pursued the maximum penalty of $2 million for leaking substances into the environment after 2000 tonnes of coal fines escaped from a holding cell at Clarence Colliery in July 2015.
Justice Robson handed down the smaller $1.05 million sentence to the colliery’s parent company Centennial Coal on the afternoon of Friday, July 14, at the Land and Environment Court in Sydney. Read more.
Game of Thrones to return on Monday
The wait is nearly over for the most anticipated return of a TV show in years.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would have heard the new season of Game of Thrones will be unveiled this week.
Season seven of the HBO show will launch at 11am (Australian time) on Monday, July 17. Read more.
Man charged: Three stabbed in pub at Arncliffe
A man, 37, has been charged after three men were allegedly stabbed following an altercation at the Rocksia Hotel at Arncliffe about 2am on Sunday.
“Initial inquiries suggest two men became involved in a verbal argument, with one of the men being escorted from the venue,” a police spokesman said.
“Police have been told a man, allegedly returned to the venue armed with a knife, where he stabbed three men, before fleeing the scene.” Read more.
Wimbledon 2017: Roger Federer wins record eighth title
Ruthless Roger Federer thrashed suffering Croat Marin Cilic 6-3 6-1 6-4 to become the first man to win eight Wimbledon singles crowns on Sunday, five years after landing his seventh.
The Swiss maestro, appearing in his 11th Wimbledon final, was challenged early on but once he broke a nervous Cilic in the fifth game of the opening set the match became a no-contest.
Not that Federer was concerned as, 23 days before his 36th birthday, the father of four became the oldest men's singles champion at Wimbledon in the professional era – doing so without dropping a set throughout a glorious fortnight. Read more.
Woods backs up from State of Origin with strong display in Tigers’ loss
The bitter disappointment was written all over Aaron Woods' face when he filed out of the visitors' change room at Suncorp Stadium late last Wednesday night.
On Sunday, the Wests Tigers captain wasn't exactly a picture of joy either after a 26-16 defeat to Manly at Lottoland, but a strong 80-minute individual performance will have at least served to help put the State of Origin capitulation behind him. Read more.
Andrew Johns rules himself out of NSW coaching race
Andrew Johns won't entertain the prospect of leading NSW out of the State of Origin doldrums, but has left the door ajar to form a coaching dream team with Brad Fittler if Laurie Daley walks away from the job.
Despite a push for the Immortal to take the reins, Johns, who was scathing in his assessment of the Blues in the wake of their Origin II capitulation and game three surrender last Wednesday night, has quickly quashed the idea. Read more.
Cameron in doubt for GWS Giants' clash with Richmond Tigers
Greater Western Sydney's flagging campaign has struck another hurdle with star forward Jeremy Cameron in doubt to face Richmond this week.
The Giants' leading goalkicker was a late withdrawal from their loss to Sydney due to a hamstring concern and is no certainty to line up in Sunday's vital clash at the MCG. Read more.
Australian batter Nicole Bolton sees impressive form surge in new glasses
West Australian Nicole Bolton faced a critical choice after an ACA health check revealed her eyesight had deteriorated just enough that her batting would be affected without corrective help.
She met with a specialist in Melbourne – the same man who looked after Chris Rogers' deficient vision throughout his 25-Test career – and was presented with two options: contact lenses or glasses. Read more.
Western Sydney Wanderers noble in defeat against rampant Arsenal
There's no substitute for class. That's the lesson Western Sydney Wanderers learnt on Saturday against English Premier League giants Arsenal, who completed a comfortable 3-1 rout of the A-League club to show just why they are one of the most attractive football units in the world.
It followed the Wanderers' bold declaration that they would take the game to Arsenal and while the highlights reel and scoreboard suggested they were humbled, it was a performance that would fill Western Sydney's supporters with plenty of optimism heading into the new season. Read more.