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Australia news LIVE: Sydney’s lockdown extended; masks will no longer be mandatory in Victorian offices
NSW health authorities have urged an extension of stay-at-home orders until July 16, masks will no longer be mandatory in Victorian offices by the end of the week and Ash Barty is through to the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time.
- by Broede Carmody and Michaela Whitbourn
Employees in Iceland start working four days a week, and they’ll get more done
Researchers in Iceland have found that a four-day work week, without a pay cut, improved workers’ well-being and productivity.
- by Gabriela Miranda
From kick serve to slice backhand, the shots that make Ash Barty great
What is it – exactly – that makes the Australian world No. 1 so special?
- by Konrad Marshall
Luxe Listings wins with cliffhangers, cliff-top views and jaw-dropping prices
The new real-estate docusoap for Amazon Prime Video takes viewers inside a quarter of a billion dollars’ worth of property over its six episodes.
- by Karl Quinn
Ella to part ways with 1984 grand slam jerseys for new Australian Rugby Museum
Memorabilia from one of the Wallabies’ crowning achievements could soon be on display after the Australian Rugby Museum was given the tick of approval.
- by Tom Decent
What are the new COVID-19 restrictions for Victorians?
Masks are off in some workplaces and crowds will increase at public events under the new rules.
- by Mathew Dunckley
Explainer
Vaccination
Some nations relying on China’s vaccines are battling outbreaks. So do the vaccines work?
A quick guide to Sinovac and Sinopharm and what they mean for global protection.
- by Sherryn Groch
Opinion
Coronavirus pandemic
Europe refuses to heed COVID lessons from Britain as fourth wave hits
Europe has again misjudged the contours, time-lags and politics of the pandemic. Large swaths of the continent will be in an incontrovertible fourth wave by the end of this month, before they are sufficiently vaccinated.
- by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Opinion
Working from home
We need remote work for everyone
The ability to work from home shouldn’t be a nice-to-have for a select few, but an option for all.
- by Shira Ovide
Investigative reporter ‘fighting for his life’ after Amsterdam shooting
Three suspects have been detained, including the possible shooter, after crime reporter Peter de Vries was shot in the head as he left a television studio.
- by Toby Sterling and Bart H. Meijer
Breaking
State of Origin
Origin III tipped for Newcastle move after Sydney lockdown extension
NSW will get the chance to chase an Origin clean sweep on home soil with the expected announcement that next week’s third match will be played at McDonald Jones Stadium.
- by James Polson
Jeff Bezos hits new personal wealth record after Pentagon decision
The world’s richest man made $11.2 billion overnight as Amazon shares jumped after the Pentagon announced it was cancelling a lucrative cloud-computing contract with rival Microsoft.
- by Scott Carpenter and Sophie Alexander
Italy advance to Euro 2020 final after penalty shootout win over Spain
Jorginho converted the decisive spot kick as Italy beat Spain 4-2 on penalties after their semi-final ended at 1-1, earning them the right to face England or Denmark.
- by Richard Martin
Exclusive
Affordable housing
Families face life on the street as shocking new numbers reveal depth of WA housing crisis
While Australia’s individual wealth is rising to record highs, the number of West Australians staring into the homelessness abyss has skyrocketed.
- by Marta Pascual Juanola
Premier Mark McGowan livid after Perth council rejects $100 million WACA pool plan
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has vowed to make the City of Perth contribute to the $100 million WACA redevelopment despite the council voting not to back the project.
- by Peter de Kruijff
Analysis
Coronavirus pandemic
Unfolding disaster on our doorstep demands Australia’s attention
As Australia tears itself apart over the risks of AstraZeneca, near neighbour Indonesia is rapidly approaching a COVID-19 catastrophe.
- by Chris Barrett
Meet the man who wants to turn the State Library Victoria into a giant escape room
Dr Owen Spear is developing a puzzle experience that would send visitors across the building, seeking hidden corners and treasures, solving their way out of an intricate story.
- by Nick Miller
Britney Spears’ longtime manager resigns, her lawyer expected to follow
Larry Rudolph, who has managed Spears’ career for 25 years, says the singer plans to retire and he wishes her “all the health and happiness in the world”.
- by Jill Serjeant
Wall Street snaps rally as bond yields drop; Oil bounces off six-year high
US stocks fell overnight after closing at record highs for seven sessions as a plunge in Treasury yields weighed on banks and small caps. The US dollar strengthened and crude oil dropped after earlier hitting a six-year high.
- by Claire Ballentine and Lu Wang
Ashleigh Barty wins Aussie battle to reach Wimbledon semi-finals
World No.1 outclasses compatriot Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 6-3 to reach the Wimbledon semis as the ladies’ singles is whittled down to a strong group of four vying for the title.
- by Scott Spits
Pentagon bins $13b JEDI contract with Microsoft amid court battle with Amazon
The US Defence Department has decided not to go forward with the lucrative cloud-computing contract after Amazon claimed it missed out on the project because Donald Trump interfered.
- by Kate Conger and David E. Sanger
Analysis
NRL off-field behaviour
Lies and deception: Inside story of party that destroyed Dragons’ season
Despite the club forbidding a proposed bonding session at WIN Stadium, a few hours later Paul Vaughan texted players to invite them over for a barbecue.
- by Michael Chammas
A Tibetan monk’s journey from Chinese jail to country NSW
“They put their cigarettes out on my face,” says Venerable Bagdro. Now he fears Tibet is being overlooked as the world focuses on Xinjiang and Hong Kong.
- by Eryk Bagshaw
Exclusive
Defence
Hotel quarantine reviewer appointed to steady Australia’s $90 billion submarine build
Concerns about schedule slippages and cost blowouts prompted officials to look at alternatives to the strategically important project, but the French contractor is hoping to mend fences.
- by Nick Bonyhady
Joe Biden’s Asia tsar: China’s harshness to Australia looks ‘unyielding’
Kurt Campbell, Joe Biden’s top adviser on Asia, says he does not expect a thaw in China-Australia tensions anytime soon.
- by Matthew Knott
Demon-obsessed teen convicted of murdering sisters in London park
The 19-year-old British man was driven by the deluded belief that the killings would help him win a lottery jackpot, a court heard.
- by Jill Lawless
Cavendish closes on Merckx’s Tour de France stage win record
The Briton won a bunch sprint to take the 10th stage and rack up his 33rd career win on the Tour, one fewer than Belgian great Eddy Merckx.
- by Julien Pretot
Musicians, a former teacher and veteran soldier among first to receive Ramsay scholarships
Fourteen men and six women have been awarded the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation’s Rhodes-style scholarships, which will pay postgraduate students up to $85,000 to study abroad this year.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Ex-ASIO boss says foreign veto powers are ‘necessary’ but should be used carefully
Duncan Lewis doesn’t see the government’s power to cancel foreign deals as “a sinister thing”, but says it’s important research partnerships don’t become a casualty.
- by Lisa Visentin
Tragedy and trauma fuels Denmark manager’s drive for success
Christian Eriksen’s collapse on the pitch is just the latest ordeal for Kasper Hjulmand, who has been touched by awful events on the field before.
- by James Ducker
All-Aussie match-up to take centre stage at Wimbledon
Hopes were unsurprisingly high that Ashleigh Barty would go deep at Wimbledon, if not win the whole thing, but few pundits expected two Australian women in the final eight.
- by Scott Spits
Ride-sharing group Didi’s shares tumble after China crackdown
Didi Global plunged in premarket trading after a Chinese regulator ordered the removal of the company’s platform from app stores, days after a $US4.4 billion initial public offering in the US.
- by Divya Balji and Filipe Pacheco
Updated
Crime
‘Tragic circumstance’: Police say young Perth mother’s death in charity bin not suspicious
The grim discovery was made around 5am Tuesday after a member of the public noticed someone who appeared to be stuck inside a Good Sammy’s bin.
- by Heather McNeill
Swans, Giants still in limbo, derby may move to Canberra
Even if Sydney’s lockdown ends on Friday, the issue confronting the AFL is how the Swans and Giants would be able to travel interstate.
- by Andrew Wu
Updated
England
England forced to name entirely new ODI squad after COVID outbreak
Seven members of the England party tested positive on Monday, one day after the rain-ruined final match of a one-day series against Sri Lanka.
The real reason Tszyu wouldn’t reschedule Zerafa bout
Questions over why Tim Tszyu didn’t postpone his fight with Michael Zerafa can finally be answered ahead of his showdown with Steve Spark.
- by Adrian Proszenko
Campbell, Mills favourites to be unveiled as Olympic flag bearers
The shift to morning finals may be the key for Cate Campbell to join men’s top tip Patty Mills at the head of Australia’s Olympic team in Tokyo.
- by Phil Lutton
Formula One fans mourn loss of grand prix for second year
As the event fell victim to the pandemic yet again, some worried for the future of the race in Melbourne.
- by Ryland Sack and David Estcourt
RBA flags changes to housing market and interest rates as economy bounces back
The RBA has changed its rhetoric on keeping rates unchanged until “2024 at the earliest” and is war gaming how to take heat out of the nation’s booming property market.
- by Shane Wright and Jennifer Duke
The stats you need to know before first Test between Wallabies and France
We run through the key facts and figures before Wednesday’s clash at Suncorp Stadium.
- by Tom Decent
Commuter chaos after truck gets stuck under train bridge
The incident, between Southern Cross and Flinders Street stations, forced the cancellation of several train services and others to be delayed during the afternoon peak.
- by David Estcourt
If a disability carer is hurt at work, who is responsible?
Australia’s workplace health and safety laws are unclear when it comes to who has obligations for carers - the carers, those who hire them, or new platforms that connect them.
- by Nick Bonyhady
Updated
NRL off-field behaviour
Sexting scandal was first strike that led to Vaughan sacking
Hosting a house party in breach of NSW health orders was Vaughan’s third strike at the Dragons, having received an official warning for a sexting incident about 18 months ago.
- by Adrian Proszenko and Michael Chammas
Queensland’s Turbo: Ponga’s influence on Maroons likened to that of Blues superstar
Kalyn Ponga will have a Tom Trbojevic-like influence over Queensland according to his club coach, who will be watching the final Origin clash with his fingers crossed.
- by Christian Nicolussi
★★½
Review
What this movie lacks is what makes it worthwhile – but only just
In 2019 horror-thriller Escape Room, the stakes of the escape room puzzle proved to be literally life and death. It’s more of the same in the follow up.
- by Jake Wilson
Australia news LIVE: Sydney records 18 new cases of COVID-19 as exposure sites grow; Australian Grand Prix cancelled again
NSW Health lists new exposure sites for Sydney, Victorian authorities consider ditching mandatory office masks as soon as this week and Ash Barty is through to her first ever Wimbledon quarter final.
- by Broede Carmody and Michaela Whitbourn
Russian plane with 28 people on board goes missing
Authorities said they had pinpointed an area in the sea where the plane went missing after losing contact with air traffic control in Russia’s far east.
- by Maria Kiselyova
Offshore gas safety concerns bubble up after Mexico’s ‘eye of fire’
Staff cutbacks are risking safety and environmental risks in Australia’s offshore gas industry, according to unions and environmentalists.
- by Mike Foley
Hong Kong leader urges parents to spy on teens, as bomb plot emerges
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has said “ideologies” posed risks to national security and urged parents, teachers and religious leaders to observe the behaviour of teenagers and report those who break the law to the authorities.
- by Sharon Abratique and Jessie Pang
Philippines pins hopes of South China Sea peace on ‘Angels of the Sea’
Amid rising tensions with China, the Philippine coast guard has trained a new unit of 81 female radio operators hoping their warnings will deter Chinese boat crews.
- by AA Alegre and Nicola Smith
Get the message: The new attitude driving the Wallabies before French test
Before Wednesday’s opening Test against France, the Wallabies are not shying away from their goals against the fifth-ranked team in the world.
- by Tom Decent
Solomon Lew set to roll Myer board after acquiring larger stake
The billionaire rag trader is looking to replace the “emaciated” board of struggling department store Myer following his purchase of $16.4 million worth of new shares.
- by Dominic Powell
Exclusive
The Turnbull Memoir
A Bigger Picture on Turnbull memoir superspreaders
A long-running investigation into the leaking of Malcolm Turnbull’s memoir has netted thousands in settlement payments and drawn in top ranking Coalition leaders in a “family tree” revealing who received the manuscript and forwarded it on.
- by Samantha Hutchinson
Sydney Airport’s surprise takeover could flush out other bids, say analysts
Although the airport’s profits have been smashed by the plunge in international travel, market experts say it remains a prized asset.
- by Clancy Yeates
After Fiji’s initial success, second wave of COVID is causing grave concern
The mortuary at Fiji’s largest hospital is now full, the country’s health ministry says, and people are getting increasingly worried.
- by Georgia Forrester and Colin Packham
US firm in push to oust Adani director over risks at ‘globally unpopular Carmichael mine’
The recommendation marks the latest sign of deepening concerns among global investor groups towards divisive fossil fuel projects in Australia.
- by Nick Toscano and Mike Foley
Analysis
Radio ratings
Zempilas, Triple M can’t score with Perth radio audience but that’s still an ‘excellent result’
Ask Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas what it means to come almost last for Perth radio listeners and he’ll tell you that it shows he’s a success.
- by Aja Styles
Analysis
Please Explain podcast
What does the female swing against the Coalition mean for Scott Morrison?
Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the latest Resolve Strategic survey that has seen a powerful swing against the Coalition among female voters.
- by Nathanael Cooper
Updated
NRL off-field behaviour
Dragons tear up Vaughan’s contract after house party scandal
The now-infamous house party of former Origin forward Paul Vaughan has cost him his NRL contract at St George Illawarra after a second COVID-19 breach in 12 months.
- by Michael Chammas and Adrian Proszenko
Famed British seascape by J.M.W. Turner up for auction
Aside from a brief auction in New York in 1945, the painting hasn’t been displayed publicly in more than a century.
- by Urooba Jamal
Hostel owner fails in bid to ban Perth residents, FIFOs and over-35s
Marco Tassi said local guests were often homeless, drug addicts, or had recently been discharged from a mental health facility.
- by Heather McNeill
LGBTQ activists attacked, rainbow flag burnt by homophobic Georgian mob
“The situation is really bad,” Tbilisi Pride director Giorgi Tabagari said as activists went into hiding after protesters raided their office.
- by Umberto Bacchi