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What in the World newsletter

Our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world.

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Good Weekend newsletter

The best of Good Weekend magazine delivered every Saturday.

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Note from Editor

An exclusive newsletter for subscribers from Lisa Davies.


It is private boys’ schools that have captured the nation’s attention, because of how frequently young women have cited these schools as hothouses for sexual predation; and for what this might tell us about male and class privilege in Australia.
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Good Weekend

Privilege, porn and parent-free parties: Schoolkids and where it all goes wrong

Sexual assault allegations involving students from a raft of private schools underline the need for a healthier brand of manhood.

Top medic attacks doctors’ ‘narcissism’ for subverting rollout of vaccine

Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth says Australia needs to prepare for reopening international borders and the reintroduction of COVID-19 in the community.

Australia’s former deputy chief medico Dr Nick Coatsworth says the nation must reopen its borders and prepare to live with the virus.

Breaking
National

Half-empty repatriation flight from India touches down at Darwin

The first repatriation flight from India has touched down in Darwin.

Flight QF111, a Qantas 787-9 Dreamliner, touched down at Darwin airport just before 9.30am (AEST) on Saturday.

Phoney pandemic wars put recovery at risk

We cannot ride this pandemic out in an eliminationist bunker, so the public should not be distracted by activist doctors seeking to score political points.

Dr Nick Coatsworth
Dr Nick Coatsworth

Former Deputy Chief Medical Officer

Updated
Space

Chinese spacecraft lands on Mars in latest advance for space program

A lander is lifted during a test of hovering, obstacle avoidance and deceleration capabilities of a Mars lander at a facility in Huailai in China’s Hebei province in 2019.

The Tianwen-1 spacecraft has touched down and its lander, Zhurong, will undergo tests before rolling down a ramp to explore Utopia Planitia.

‘Winter is coming’: Snow and strong surf as cold front moves across NSW

Sydneysiders woke to cooler temperatures this morning as a cold front brings snow and powerful surf to NSW.

Inspectors investigate five-tower apartment block amid building defect allegations

The government is aware of “allegations of serious defects existing at the Skyview Building” in Castle Hill.

An apartment complex under construction in Sydney’s north-west has undergone an urgent inspection after allegations of serious building defects were aired by a whistle-blower.

A very Sydney paradox: How a significant development was spiked

A celebrated developer and an award-winning design could not save ambitious plans for a Castlecrag shopping centre rebuild.

Elizabeth Farrelly
Elizabeth Farrelly

Columnist, author, architecture critic and essayist

Nicole Kidman filming Being The Ricardos in Los Angeles in character as Lucille Ball.

Ball’s in her court: Nicole Kidman’s nerves over her new role

Nicole Kidman is not afraid of taking risks, but even the Oscar winner is understood to have expressed nerves about taking on the character of Lucille Ball.

Eleven killed as West Bank erupts in protest amid Israel-Hamas fighting

Eleven killed as West Bank erupts in protest amid Israel-Hamas fighting

The conflict between Israel and Hamas spilled over into the West Bank, as hundreds of young demonstrators clashed with Israeli troops, who killed at least 11 people.

Dysfunction is slowly engulfing Gladys Berejiklian’s government

Premier Gladys Berejiklian is popular with the people but her caution frustrates some within her government.

So dire is the situation, the NSW Coalition - with a Premier hailed for her handling of the pandemic - is now barely clinging to power.

Alexandra Smith
Alexandra Smith

State Political Editor

Why the budget is a ‘requiem for robust, rules based policy’

The Coalition loves to paint its political opponents as fiscally reckless. But the debt and deficit in this Josh Frydenberg budget is vastly bigger than anything Gough Whitlam committed.

Peter Hartcher
Peter Hartcher

Political and international editor

Fresh allegations made against Craig McLachlan in defamation case documents

Craig McLachlan pictured with his partner, Vanessa Scammell, in December 2020.

In documents released by the Supreme Court this week, the Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC detail a series of alleged incidents involving the Gold Logie-winning actor.

Breakthrough in AFP investigation of Ben Roberts-Smith

A new police taskforce investigating the former soldier has uncovered scraps of paper with the handwritten names and addresses of SAS soldiers.

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Sydney

The government is aware of “allegations of serious defects existing at the Skyview Building” in Castle Hill.

Inspectors investigate five-tower apartment block amid building defect allegations

An apartment complex under construction in Sydney’s north-west has undergone an urgent inspection after allegations of serious building defects were aired by a whistle-blower.

Premier won’t force Gareth Ward to quit over sexual violence allegations

Gareth Ward has predicted the Premier will prevail.

Ms Berejiklian said she was “shocked and distressed” by the allegations but said Mr Ward had done the right thing by moving to the crossbench.

‘Untenable’: Senior Labor MP quits frontbench over internal dispute

Labor MP Penny Sharpe.

NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay’s leadership has been dealt a significant blow on the eve of the byelection.

New firefighter union leaders kick ‘own goal’ trying to cancel open day events

Children love open days, where they get to play out their dreams of being a firefighter.

The union tried to ban popular fire station open day events but has backed down after being lashed by members and the Minister.

V’landys to appeal after losing ABC defamation case over racehorse expose

Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys will be required to pay the ABC’s legal cost after losing a defamation case against the national broadcaster over an expose into racehorse cruelty.

The Racing NSW boss sued the broadcaster over a two-year investigation, which he argued made him look very bad and flippant about issues of racehorse cruelty.

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WEEKEND READS

Joe Hockey explains his budget of 2014, focusing on the importance of paying down debt and deficit.

Till debt us do part: Why Frydenberg opted for big deficits

When Joe Hockey delivered his first budget speech it was filled with warnings about debt and deficit. Josh Frydenberg has recast Australian budget worries.

Johanna van Gogh-Bonger became a tireless advocate for Vincent van Gogh’s work after her husband Theo’s death in 1891. On the wall of her living room, circa 1909, are Henri Fantin-Latour’s Flowers and Vincent van Gogh’s Vase of Honesty (1884), with Landscape at Twilight (1890) at the top.

‘Without Jo there would have been no van Gogh’

The celebrated artist’s sister-in-law is finally being hailed as the person who brought his art to the world.

Opinion

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Property bydomain

Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler offers beachfront house off-market

Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler offers beachfront house off-market

The absolute beachfront property known as Moana was built in 1890 for a formative family of the era, and used to be home to the former boss of LJ Hooker.

The hobby farm offering the best of country living and city convenience

The hobby farm offering the best of country living and city convenience

This rural idyll offers a slice of country paradise likely to appeal to nature lovers, with easy access to a 'sophisticated, cultural and cosmopolitan city'.

Life & Culture

Sport

Cody Simpson
Exclusive
Swimming

How one night in Rio lit the fire for Cody Simpson’s return to the pool

The Australian recording sensation explains why, with the world at his feet, he hit pause to live the spartan life of a swimmer and chase Olympic glory.

Tom Trbojevic was brilliant again, with two tries and two try assists.
Sea Eagles 50 Broncos 6
Match report

Reports and sin bins wreak havoc as resurgent Sea Eagles hammer Broncos

Brisbane had six reports across four players, while two players from each side were sin binned as Manly destroyed Brisbane 50-6 at Magic Round on Friday.

Jack Madocks gets wrapped up by the Hurricanes defence.
Waratahs 48 Hurricanes 64
Match report

‘How do you score 48 points and lose?’: Waratahs one loss away from record streak

It was the fifth highest scoring Super Rugby match. But in the end, the Waratahs inched closer to the worst run of losses in their history.

Matt Giteau

Giteau, Ashley-Cooper join former Wallabies selling rugby to Los Angeles

If you had told Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper they’d be playing for an LA team in the twilight of their careers, they’d have laughed at you. Meet the Giltinis.

Ryan Papenhuyzen’s work-rate  is as much as 30 percent higher than his Storm predecessor Billy Slater.
Analysis
NRL 2021

Demise of the robots: Why ad-lib football is king again

NRL club data proves that NRL rule-changes in the past two seasons have led to a faster game, increased ball-in-play time, greater fatigue and more tries – enhancing the value of creative attacking players.

Adam Doueihi celebrates one of his two tries on Friday night.
Tigers 36 Knights 18
Match report

Madge-ic Round: Coach hails Brooks after Tigers’ big win over Knights

Luke Brooks was the star on the field and Michael Maguire off it as the Wests Tigers triumphed 36-18 over the Newcastle Knights.

Ash Barty speaks to her trainer before retiring hurt in Rome.

Arm injury forces Barty out of Italian Open in quarter-finals

The world No.1 was forced to retire from her Italian Open quarter-final against Coco Gauff, raising doubts about her participation at the French Open.

Racing

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