The Booklist
A weekly newsletter for book lovers from books editor Jason Steger.
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Please Explain podcast
Expert daily insight into the stories that drive the nation.
Updated
Coronavirus pandemic
Qld closes border to Greater Sydney as hotspot list expands
Travellers from Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour will now be locked out of Queensland from 1am on Thursday.
Exclusive
Gladys Berejiklian
Queensland gives man permission to visit his dying dad. Second family now seeks exemption
Stuck in Sydney, Stephanie Bryan is battling Queensland Health to see her dying mother, while Mark Kilian, who was in a similar situation, has finally been allowed to visit his dad.
Brisbane Metro tunnel and key upgrades won’t be finished in time for launch
A Brisbane City Council budget session also heard that almost a quarter of the $1.2 billion project’s cost will be sucked up by the 60 articulated buses.
Qld triple murderer threatened to escape jail to kill journalists
Retired journalist Robert Dutton told the Whiskey Au Go Go inquest on Wednesday that Vincent O’Dempsey’s girlfriend warned him of the death threat.
Exclusive
Nationals
Senator ‘maggoted’ in late-night sitting draws criticism from colleagues
Several senators said the apparent intoxication of a Northern Territory senator during an evening session of Federal Parliament was “totally inappropriate”.
High Court hears Qld climate change sceptic’s appeal in academic freedom test case
A cast of colourful characters packed the High Court to support Peter Ridd, a physicist whose firing from James Cook University has become a test case for academic freedom.
Analysis
Roberts-Smith case
Ben Roberts-Smith asked if stamps could be traced: trial
On Wednesday, as the media outlets’ barrister drilled into the version of events given by the former SAS soldier last week, the plot thickened at every turn.
‘Siege mentality’: Australia’s top diplomat warns that China is insecure and brittle
Australia’s outgoing top diplomat, Frances Adamson, says China’s “siege mentality” and resistance to scrutiny are in no-one’s interests.
Norwegian diver missing off North Stradbroke Island
The alarm was raised on Wednesday morning after a man in his 20s failed to resurface from a dive.
Updated
Immigration
Biloela asylum-seeker family given three-month bridging visas
Three members of the Tamil family that had been detained on Christmas Island have been granted bridging visas.
Interest rates could rise: Economists warn homeowners of higher repayments in 2022
Home buyers taking on huge loans could face higher mortgage repayments as early as next November.
Thought your house was clean? Dyson may tell you otherwise
Company’s latest devices include a vacuum cleaner that shines a light on your grubbiest spaces, and a fan that can tell how much formaldehyde is in the air.
Opinion
Rich families
Who wants to be a millionaire? Almost one in 10 Australians already are
The number of people joining the millionaires’ club in Australia is so high it has almost taken the cache out of what was once a financial status symbol.
Elizabeth Knight
Business columnist
Editor's Picks
Opinion
Political leadership
The man who was the id of Australian politics is once again deputy prime minister
Chris Uhlmann
Nine News Political Editor
Just in
Queensland
Possibly armed man still on run after police dog death
The police dog, Rambo, was hit by a car while he and his handler were tracking a man who allegedly fled police.
Euthanasia laws must pass with majority to avoid ‘rush’ to access scheme
Queensland MPs have been urged to pass euthanasia laws with a clear majority to avoid scaring people into choosing to end their lives early in case the laws are later reversed.
Qld challenges federal government to suggest a better quarantine site to Wellcamp
With the state’s plan for a quarantine facility near Toowoomba effectively killed off, Steven Miles has urged the federal government to “come to us with a ... suitable property that you think will work”.
Inquest airs interview of killer describing nightclub attack in detail
James Richard Finch told a journalist how he and others set Brisbane’s Whiskey Au Go Go alight in 1973, killing 15 people.
Mum to stand trial for murder over deaths of girls in hot car
Kerri-Ann Conley’s matter was referred to the Supreme Court on Tuesday after her two toddlers died in 2019 inside a black car in Beenleigh.
Politics
‘Not just windmills and solar panels’: ALP criticised by Joel Fitzgibbon over party’s climate change policy
The Hunter Valley MP has again attacked his own party over its position on energy policy.
Business
Exclusive
AUSTRAC
Money-laundering watchdog AUSTRAC to face grilling under new financial crime inquiry
AUSTRAC has recently stung big banks with huge fines, but now it’s facing criticism that it’s too reactive.
World
A sunken ship’s trail of destruction: turtle carcasses, dead dolphins
More than 100 dead animals have washed ashore in Sri Lanka since last week’s sinking of the X-Press Pearl. Hundreds more may have drifted out to sea.
Opinion
Banding together to cry freedom
Jim Moginie
Silencing transgender conversation leads us nowhere
Julie Szego
Author and freelance journalist
Explore
Property bydomain
Bargain? Penthouse apartment sells for a 75 per cent discount
The four-level apartment in a historic building has found a buyer after sitting on the market since 2015, and still managed to change hands for millions.
From rags to riches: How this derelict suburb became an upmarket favourite
This Brisbane suburb has evolved from an industrial wasteland to a thriving, hip and in-demand community.
Life & Culture
★★★★
Review
Hate romcoms? You’ll find it very hard to dislike this one
Award-winning New Zealand comedian Rose Matafeo’s six-part romantic comedy updates the genre for a modern audience.
Sport
The most lopsided Origin crowd in history? Sydney fans banned from Brisbane
The NRL has moved swiftly to counter the Queensland border closure, but it has a big headache looming, with Stadium Australia due to host Origin III next month.
Updated
Tokyo Olympics
Sun Yang to ‘persist’ with eye to Paris Games, despite being banned again
The court’s verdict ends Sun’s hopes of defending his Olympic title in the 200 metres freestyle in Tokyo next month.
Hunter claims Tokyo spot with second-fastest Australian time ever
Two weeks ago, Australia didn’t have a runner qualified to race the 800 metres at the Tokyo Olympics. Now, they have three.
Blues captain not buying Maroons’ jab that Qld comp is better than NSW
Earlier this month, Maroons captain Ali Brigginshaw had a sly dig at NSW to get the Origin rivalry flowing, saying Queensland had better club systems than NSW.
Qld lash ‘narrow- minded’ NRL stance as Sutton quits referee consultancy
Queensland has attacked the NRL’s stance on a perceived conflict of interest with the State of Origin referee, whose brother was advising the Maroons in game one.
White ruled out of France series as RA pushes ahead with SCG Test
Halfback Nic White has been ruled out of the series with a knee injury, while two other veteran Wallabies are under injury clouds.
‘Shattered’ Huni out of Olympics after injuring hand against Gallen
In the lead-up to last week’s fight, Paul Gallen said he hoped to destroy Justis Huni’s Olympic dream. He has, but not in the way he predicted.
Have Your Say
Bravo, Carl Nassib ... and let’s hope that, one day soon, no one cares
Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out as gay - a milestone and another step towards the day when a player’s sexuality does not count as news.
Peter FitzSimons
Columnist and author
