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Breaking
Asylum seekers
‘They should never have been sent’: Fate of Biloela family decided within days
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke will make the final decision on whether to intervene in a long-running court dispute over the family’s claims, with Liberals and Nationals asking him to let them rejoin the community.
Seasonal flu ‘nowhere to be seen’ in Australia
Experts who have spent decades studying the flu in Australia have never seen anything like it, but they have warned the strange phenomenon may not last.
Updated
Tragedy
‘He always brought joy’: Hiker’s body recovered after Blue Mountains fall
Jack Chen, 60, has been remembered by his hiking group leader as “a good person” after a bushwalk through rugged terrain near Wentworth Falls ended in tragedy.
Exclusive
NRL 2021
NRL Player Poll 2021: Tedesco dethroned as the game’s best player
In a survey the Rugby League Players’ Association forbade their members from answering, the Herald polled 100 players from across the NRL to get their responses about a range of topics.
Opinion
Superannuation
Best super funds over the past five years
Despite the coronavirus pandemic-induced recession and resulting sharemarket meltdown, your retirement kitty has probably bounced back amazingly well.
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Money contributor
Half yearly report card: The best movies of 2021 so far
Film critics Sandra Hall, Jake Wilson and Paul Byrnes share their top films from the year to date.
Seasonal flu ‘nowhere to be seen’ in Australia
Experts who have spent decades studying the flu in Australia have never seen anything like it, but they have warned the strange phenomenon may not last.
PM meets Biden for first time, but not one-on-one as promised
Scott Morrison, Joe Biden and Boris Johnson agree more co-operation is needed because the “strategic context in the Indo-Pacific was changing”.
Australia waiting for ‘the right deal’ with Britain, says Morrison
Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson will thrash out the final terms over a lavish dinner at Downing Street.
‘They had fear in their eyes’: How to handle motherhood rage
More overwhelmed parents are losing it in front of their children. Here’s how to stop it from happening. Or fix things if you’ve crossed the line.
Opinion
Schools
There’s a lot at stake as the maths wars erupt
Australia can’t rely on parents to teach their kids maths basics.
Parnell Palme McGuinness
Columnist and communications adviser
Exclusive
Education
‘Sydney’s favourite question’: Where city’s powerbrokers went to school
A Sun-Herald analysis of the schools attended by more than 50 of Sydney’s powerbrokers found almost 10 per cent attended the same school.
Exclusive
Emerald City
Julie Bishop’s ‘stepdaughter’ turns Chemist Warehouse model
Laura Panton may not be as well-known as her father David, let alone his long-term partner Julie Bishop, but the director of medical supplies business Pantonic Health has her own star on the rise.
Opinion
City life
After a perfect Sydney trifecta – sunrise, swim, strong coffee – I read some unbelievable news
How can it be that Sydney is no longer in the top 10 livable cities? Even more astoundingly how is Melbourne making a come-back?
Helen Pitt
Journalist
Killing, arson spark fear for future of Rio Tinto’s South Africa mine
Problems in South Africa represent the latest challenge for the $185 billion miner, as it seeks to ensure safe operations across its sprawling global business.
NRL 2021
‘It was terrible’: Former Kangaroos hooker blasts son’s send-off
Jason Hetherington has delivered a passionate defence of his son, Broncos rookie Kobe, after the NRL was accused of its most inconsistent weekend yet.
Warriors 16 Storm 42
Bellamy reveals Papenhuyzen’s tough mental battle, scolds Munster for new kick incident
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy says Ryan Papenhuyzen is feeling anxiety over his slow progress back from a head knock, while the Storm’s Cameron Munster is in hot water again.
Sydney
Exclusive
Antiques
Highest auction price worldwide for rare Australian coins
A £5 coin minted in Melbourne in 1921 and a George V Sovereign minted in Sydney in 1920 sold in a Monaco auction for about $1.5m each.
‘If you are fully vaccinated you should get freedoms’: Young, jabbed and ready to travel
Increasingly, Australians are wondering when they will see the perks that ought to come with vaccination.
Exclusive
Plastic
NSW to ban plastic cutlery as end looms for single-use cups, plates and bags
Environment Minister Matt Kean says the government plans to phase out all single-use plastics by 2025 to stop 2.7 billion items from becoming litter.
Sydney’s bars and restaurants bounce back, but it’s not business as usual yet
Some venues based in CBD office buildings and caterers are still struggling, but suburban cafes and restaurants are on the up.
Exclusive
Heritage
May Gibbs’ studio to claim first heritage blue plaque
Heritage homes and buildings in NSW will soon sport commemorative plaques modelled on the famous blue plaques of London.
WEEKEND READS
Debunking Dark Emu: Did the publishing phenomenon get it wrong
In 2014, Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu overturned interpretations of Indigenous history. Now, two respected academics say that there is little evidence for the book’s claims.
Opinion
In Myanmar, it was my fellow expats who treated me like an outsider
Here I was in beautiful, beguiling Myanmar, about to start a month-long trial at its best-known newspaper, but finding a friendly face wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped.
Jessica Mudditt
Politics
Exclusive
Asylum seekers
‘It’s time they came back’: Coalition MPs call for Biloela family to stay
A growing number of Coalition MPs are calling the Morrison government to return the four asylum seekers to their Queensland home.
Business
Opinion
Home loans
Why I’ve locked in my home loan for two years at 1.84 per cent
Having vowed back in March to secure a home loan with a “1” per cent interest rate, I’m happy to share that I’ve finally been approved at a fixed rate of 1.84 per cent.
Jessica Irvine
Senior economics writer
World
Iowa man jailed 10 years for attacking and coughing on person who asked him to pull up mask
The heavy sentence comes amid a continuing flurry of incidents and arrests at places like banks and polling places across the US over masks.
Opinion
All-male club where they fear ‘bossy’ women
Jacqueline Maley
Columnist and senior journalist
There’s a lot at stake as the maths wars erupt
Parnell Palme McGuinness
Columnist and communications adviser
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Property bydomain
The country city where historic charm meets laid-back living
Nestled in one of Australia's popular wine regions, this city is defying its former reputation as somewhere to avoid.
Your own private island: Unspoilt land hits the market in Queensland
A private island in the Great Sandy Strait is set to go under the hammer. Accessible via an hour and a half tinnie ride, it lends itself to eco cabins or glamping.
Life & Culture
Exclusive
Workplace culture
Global Sony boss investigating bullying and harassment claims in Australia
Sony Music’s head office in the US has held confidential discussions with at least four former and current staff members.
Opinion
Private Sydney
Patience and empathy required from all as we navigate new gender terminology
Andrew Hornery
Private Sydney Columnist
Sport
Exclusive
NRL 2021
NRL Player Poll 2021: Tedesco dethroned as the game’s best player
In a survey the Rugby League Players’ Association forbade their members from answering, the Herald polled 100 players from across the NRL to get their responses about a range of topics.
Eels 40 Tigers 12
Match report
Moses twists knife into Tigers as Eels defy sin-bins to hammer rivals
Mitchell Moses walked out on the Tigers and has been walking over his old club ever since as the Eels inched closer to the top of the NRL ladder.
Rennie wants to see Wallabies’ ‘dark side’ against France
Lalakai Foketi, Andrew Kellaway and Michael Wells are the bolters in a 38-man Wallabies squad for next month’s three-Test series against France.
‘It was terrible’: Former Kangaroos hooker blasts son’s send-off
Jason Hetherington has delivered a passionate defence of his son, Broncos rookie Kobe, after the NRL was accused of its most inconsistent weekend yet.
Warriors 16 Storm 42
Match report
Bellamy reveals Papenhuyzen’s tough mental battle, scolds Munster for new kick incident
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy says Ryan Papenhuyzen is feeling anxiety over his slow progress back from a head knock, while the Storm’s Cameron Munster is in hot water again.
Roos 14.10 (94) Giants 14.10 (94)
AFL 2021
Underwhelming Giants play out season’s first draw against Kangaroos
Greater Western Sydney did not leave Hobart a loser on the scoreboard but their finals hopes were dealt a brutal blow.
Horton’s Olympic hopes still alive after dramatic 200m freestyle heats
It took a disqualification and a withdrawal but Mack Horton has made the 200m freestyle final as he fights for a place on the relay and the plane to Tokyo.
Have Your Say
Is James O’Connor the man to take Australia to the next World Cup?
I’m not sure if Australian selectors and coach Dave Rennie actually know whether O’Connor will be Australia’s chief playmaker in France in 2023.