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Our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world.
A critical error opened the door for Barnaby Joyce to unseat Michael McCormack
Nationals leader Michael McCormack thought a story about Barnaby Joyce challenging him again was just rabble-rousing. It wasn’t.
Joyce returns with demands to test Coalition policy
The Nationals leader will demand security for regional jobs and industries, as fellow MPs warn against cutting greenhouse gases to net zero emissions by 2050.
Opinion
Political leadership
Five reasons why Joyce is a terrible, horrible, no good choice for the Nats
In the year that has sharpened focus on women in the workplace, the Nationals have re-elected a man whose relationship with a staffer led to a so-called bonk ban.
Jenna Price
Columnist and academic
Lucrative surge in stamp duty cuts NSW deficit to $8 billion
NSW’s historic deficit has shrunk dramatically in just seven months to less than $8 billion, with the state on track to be $500 million back in the black within three years.
Five minute budget: what we know so far
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet will hand down his fifth budget on Tuesday. Here are some major announcements we know so far.
Potential long-term harms of AstraZeneca side effect drove vaccine advice
An emergency national cabinet meeting to discuss the vaccine rollout also updated states and territories on how many vaccines to expect for the rest of the year.
Most eligible people unvaccinated in NSW as new venues added
Two in five NSW residents aged 70 and over have not received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Mum dies while son pleads for quarantine exemption to be by her side
Australian James Turbitt flew to Australia from Belgium to be with his dying mother but says his mercy dash was thwarted by the “impossible” bureaucracy of hotel quarantine.
‘I have done nothing wrong’: MacGill speaks out about alleged kidnapping
The former cricketer has broken his silence about the kidnapping, revealing the heavy toll the incident has taken on his work, family and friends.
Killing of Sydney solicitor ‘done with some incompetence’, court told
Abraham Sinai is on trial in the NSW Supreme Court accused of providing assistance to the gunman who walked up to Ho Ledinh in 2018 and shot him dead.
Samuel Johnson in hospital after being struck by car
The Gold Logie winner was awake and talking but still recovering, his sister Hilde Hinton said in a social media post.
New book offers details about conflicts, chaos inside Trump’s pandemic response
At one point, Trump mused about transferring infected American citizens to Guantánamo Bay, where the US holds terrorism suspects.
Mouse plague forces evacuation of NSW prisoners
The mouse plague in the state’s central west is causing chaos at a prison.
How did Bill Nighy learn an Aussie accent? He went to a bar
For his new film, the Love, Actually actor had to rediscover his Australian accent.
Leap of faith: Turbo says rookie Walsh brings X-factor to Queensland
Tom Trbojevic says Reece Walsh makes rival teams “nervous”, but there’s a good reason Walsh and the Maroons should be feeling edgy about ‘Turbo’.
Lorde announces Australian tour for third album Solar Power
For Lorde - who sings in her latest release that “she’s kind of like a prettier Jesus” - it’s one better than a second coming.
Sydney
Community picket called to defend Willow Grove
A public showdown is looming over the fate of the historic villa Willow Grove that is to be relocated to make way for the Parramatta Powerhouse Museum.
‘She was costing developers millions per day’: The theories behind the death of Juanita Nielsen
Juanita Nielsen was an activist who advocated against developers via her community newspaper to preserve the heritage of her inner city community.
Roberts-Smith denies murdering prisoner, encouraging second execution
The former special forces soldier has told the Federal Court the two men killed on Easter Sunday, 2009, were enemy combatants who posed a threat.
Exclusive
Courts
Lawyer has charge of leaving car unlocked and windows down dismissed
David Keith Allen had his case proven but dismissed in a Sydney court, describing it as trivial and obscure.
‘Buyer beware’: Sydney agents selling units despite defect notices
Real estate agents are selling apartments off the plan when defects have been identified, but they say they haven’t been told about the new Building Commissioner’s orders.
Politics
Nation has waited long enough for anti-corruption watchdog, former judges, politicians say
The group of eminent Australians has written an open letter to PM Scott Morrison calling for an end to delays in establishing a federal integrity commission.
Business
Top of the crops: Nasdaq-listed pot firm ready to send cannabis down under
Last year, cannabis grower Clever Leaves launched onto the Nasdaq as part of the largest SPAC deal for a pot company. Its boss is now looking for Aussie partners.
World
Hong Kong’s Apple Daily to shut down within days, adviser says
The newspaper would be forced to shut “in a matter of days” after authorities froze access to the firm’s core operating capital on national security grounds, an adviser said.
Opinion
The contradiction at the heart of China’s rise
Peter Hartcher
Political and international editor
I did not dissuade Vladimir Putin from his crackdown but now Australia is employing the same tactic
Tim Costello
Former CEO of World Vision Australia.
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Property bydomain
'Ultimate luxury getaway' hits the market for a cool $20m
Interstate well-heeled lead a surge of buyer demand for Queensland's trophy homes as Mandalay House is returned to the market.
The seven-year slog: Sydney first-home buyers' new challenge
Sydneysiders have it tougher than anywhere else in the nation as the pandemic property boom pushes the time it takes to enter the market to record highs.
Life & Culture
Exclusive
Visual art
Banksy launches legal bid to stop famous works from being copied in Australia
The trademarks apply to the use of the images on a huge range of goods including posters, handbags, umbrellas, bedsheets, clothing, rugs and many more.
Sport
‘Disgraceful’: Gould slams Queensland for throwing whiz-kid Walsh to the wolves
Phil Gould launched an attack against Queensland, mystified by the decision to throw the seven-game rookie into the Origin arena after the game one shellacking.
Waratahs have a coach short list of three, but keen to make it four
Waratahs chiefs want to hear from Simon Cron, the wildcard in a pack of coaches battling for the job.
Analysis
Tokyo Olympics
Tokyo Olympics face their first gender test
As New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard becomes the first transgender Olympian, more work is needed to balance inclusion and integrity in women’s sport.
Netherlands beat North Macedonia 3-0 to complete clean sweep in Group C
Meantime, a coronavirus infection created disruption for two teams after a positive test for Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour also led to two England players having to self-isolate.
Kyrgios, Barty go to Wimbledon without grasscourt warm-up
The star Australians will go into third grand slam of the year decidedly underdone in terms of their grasscourt preparation, with both having struggled with injuries.
Opinion
State of Origin
Queenslander! The Origin horror movie Fittler doesn’t want to watch again
Thumped in Origin I, injury-ravaged Queensland have turned to broken-down veterans and a rookie who has played just seven NRL matches. This is when they’re at their best.
Andrew Webster
Chief Sports Writer
The A-League’s $1 million question: Melbourne or Sydney for the grand final?
Melbourne City have earned the right to host Saturday night’s A-League grand final - but holding the decider in Victoria, rather than Sydney, could cost clubs a significant financial windfall.
Have Your Say
DHP’s decision to keep playing despite the danger sends chill down spine
Only once before have I been brave enough to write a column suggesting a player should consider retirement, but the concussion factor is too serious to ignore.
