Almost 45,000 Sydneysiders are still without power today, after severe storms caused extensive damage to the electricity network yesterday.

NSW was in a state of extremes as severe storms lashed Sydney, downing trees and powerlines and cutting off power to thousands of homes, while snow fell in Thredbo, and parts of the state sweltered.

As the deadline for a decision on Queensland’s 2032 Olympics bid draws closer, Associate Professor Judith Mair from the University of Queensland's Business School says that it is crucial for the government to address community concerns surrounding the financial viability of the bid.

Professor Mair believes that community collaboration will be critical to the long-term success of any Olympic bid at a local level.

Festival-goers to the Woodford Folk Festival can breathe a sigh of relief today, with confirmation that the popular music event will continue at its current location for the near future.

Land classification restrictions had prevented the festival organisers from gaining long-term authority over the site, but a bill tabled to State Parliament today will see the site reclassified as a conservation park.

An Airbnb-type app that allows people to rent their pools, instead of their rooms, has officially launched in Australia. 

22-year-old American entrepreneur Bunim Laskin designed Swimply to connect owners of private pools with people looking for a place to swim, and says the idea came to him “out of necessity” on a hot day.

“Australians love the outdoors and with the country’s long summers we are excited to be able to democratise the pool experience so every Australian can enjoy affordable access to this summertime luxury,” said Mr Laskin.

The cost of private health insurance is on the rise, and researchers at the Grattan Institute say “greedy” doctors, unnecessary care and inefficient private hospitals are to blame. 

“Private health insurance will continue its death spiral unless excessive private health costs and specialist bills are reined in,” said a report released today.

Researcher Stephen Duckett said premiums could be reduced by 2 billion dollars per year if doctors focus on treating patients, rather than keeping them longer than necessary.

Over the past week, on the Pacific island of Samoa, measles-related deaths (mostly among children) have more than tripled to 20 people. The government has announced eight days after the outbreak entered a state of emergency.

The island nation is only 200,000, located south of the equator, between Hawaii and New Zealand, and a measles epidemic was announced in late October after the first death.

Spain's far-right Vaux Party on Monday's refusal to sign a party-wide declaration condemning violence against women has sparked outrage among civil rights groups and embarrassed allies of the Conservative Party.

Vox's refusal to sign a statement from the Madrid City Council means that for the first time since a landmark gender violence law in 2004, local authorities in the Spanish capital were unable to issue a joint statement.