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Olympics newsletter
Never miss a medal or great sporting moment with our morning email.
Morning Edition
Our guide to the most important stories, analysis and insights.
NSW records 172 new cases; Victoria lockdown to lift
NSW has recorded 172 new cases, with at least 60 infectious in the community.
Updated
Coronavirus pandemic
‘This is imprisonment’: Blacktown unit block in lockdown after COVID outbreak
About 50 units are locked down after several COVID-19 cases emerged.
Opinion
Coronavirus pandemic
Lack of leadership creates a toehold for lockdown fury
Failure to condemn outlandish and extreme views, particularly from politicians, can give succour to those in the community who are seeking a cause for their anger.
Jenna Price
Columnist and academic
Western Sydney community leaders face vaccine hesitancy challenge
Vaccine hesitancy is one of the major challenges community leaders face in Sydney’s west in their efforts to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Live
Tokyo Olympics
Owen Wright powers way into surfing semis
Owen Wright has inched closer to an Olympic medal after beating Peru’s Lucca Mesinas to move through to the men’s surfing semi-finals.
Typhoon Tuesday: After COVID and heat, Tokyo braces for wind and rain
Australian gold medal favourite Jessica Fox is among athletes praying the impact of Tropical Storm Nepartak will be minimal if it hits Tokyo as expected on Tuesday afternoon.
‘I bleed with my athletes:’ The story behind Dean Boxall’s wild celebration
The Australian swimming coach has always been one out of the box. Now he’s a worldwide attraction after masterminding the gold medal victory of Ariarne Titmus.
Exclusive
Secrets of War
‘Wrong morally’: Official photo of Ben Roberts-Smith was altered to hide Crusader’s cross
Former special forces soldier Ben Roberts-Smith displayed a Crusader’s cross on his uniform while on duty in Afghanistan. Many Muslims find the symbol offensive.
Live
Markets Live
Record-setting BHP and Rio Tinto push ASX to new highs
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 rose to new all-time highs this morning as the miners and banks powered ahead. Tech and health shares dropped.
How Saint Peter chef Josh Niland has disaster-proofed his new venue
Josh Niland takes a moment to reflect as he launches his new cookbook and the fish shop equivalent of a charcoal chicken joint.
Lifting weights? Your fat cells would like to have a word
We all know that lifting weights can build our muscles, but weight training may also shrink fat, according to a new study.
Just take the mental health day. Here’s why more of us are doing just that
There has been a marked increase in workers – particularly young workers – taking a mental health day, with several drivers behind the trend.
Solar power tax to boost energy grid gains backing of consumer advocate
Controversial changes to allow networks to impose charges on household solar power has won the backing of a peak consumer lobby group.
Analysis
Income tax
A sore point in the ranks: Inside Labor’s tax cut decision
After three terms of opposition, it might have appeared obvious Labor should dump two signature policies, but it did not come easy.
Tokyo Olympics
Opinion
Opinion
Older, slower, weaker: Olympics piles pressure on Japan’s spluttering economy
- by Liam Halligan
From the futon
Ariarne Titmus
Ariarne Titmus fires up to win gold — and, finally, so does Thorpey
- by Andrew Webster
Sydney
Broderick to conduct review of sexual harassment, bullying in NSW Parliament
The former sex discrimination commissioner will review Parliament and its management of unacceptable behaviour such as bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.
Lockdown leaving Aboriginal tourism sector at breaking point
After a domestic surge for Indigenous tourism made up for a lack of overseas visitors, Sydney’s lockdown is threatening to curb the sector’s recovery.
Exclusive
HSC
Catholic school boss calls for formal HSC exams to be cancelled
With no end in sight to Sydney’s lockdown, the head of Sydney Catholic Schools wants authorities to scrap formal HSC exams and base results on other data.
Fires ravaged not only plants and animals, but the soils beneath them
The Black Summer bushfires exposed critical top soil to erosion, stripping away millions of tonnes and placing at risk dozens of previously non-endangered plants and animals.
Exclusive
Coronavirus pandemic
Sydney Hillsong pastors gain permission to leave Australia
Brian and Bobbie Houston, the husband and wife team who are co-global senior pastors at Hillsong Church, took part in a service at the Hillsong Monterrey congregation in Mexico.
Politics
Sydney lockdown could wipe out recovery, BCA calls for smarter plan
The nation’s biggest business lobby says there needs to be a smarter approach to lockdowns as research warns this year’s economic gains could be wiped out.
Business
CSIRO ‘brews’ milk for animal-free dairy startup
The CSIRO has set its sights on helping animal-free dairy get to supermarket shelves, backing a startup that’s using fermentation technology to create an alternative.
World
‘Stop demonising China’: US-China stuck in ‘stalemate’
Chinese officials told their US counterparts they believed America was waging “a whole-of-society campaign” to bring down China during the high-level talks.
Opinion
America’s recent military history points to strategic shortcomings
Peter Hartcher
Political and international editor
Fed up? Take a walk on the mild side
Vicki Tennant
Lack of leadership creates a toehold for lockdown fury
Jenna Price
Columnist and academic
TikTok: Time’s up to protect children’s privacy
Anne Hollonds
Explore
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Property bydomain
Rich Lister Paul Fudge sells thoroughbred stud to Racing NSW
The 97-hectare Bong Bong Farm in the Southern Highlands, is tipped to become one of the racing industry's premier education and training facilities.
'It's the opposite of who we are': Tradies blast stereotypes
At a time when home owners are spending a record $1 billion a month on renovations, tradies are furious that publicly they’re being castigated and devalued.
Life & Culture
From The Missing to Baptiste: how our obsessed detective has changed
The 2014 thriller The Missing was a surprise success, especially for Tcheky Karyo, whose quiet detective has spawned a spin-off series now in its second season.
Sport
Live
Tokyo Olympics
Tokyo Olympics LIVE updates: McKeown headlines swimming, Fox paddles for gold, Matildas face biggest test
It’s a big day for Australia’s women in swimming, kayaking and football.
Are the Matildas the real deal? We’re about to find out
The biggest test of Australia’s Olympic campaign - and Tony Gustavsson’s short tenure as coach - is approaching on Tuesday night against a re-awakened United States.
How Titmus survived swimming’s most brutal test in Tokyo triumph
Katie Ledecky has made a career out of crushing the souls of her swimming rivals. Only this time, Ariarne Titmus made it out the other side.
No races, but no worries as Australian sprinter lands in peak condition
Australian sprinter Rohan Browning chose not to race ahead of the Tokyo Games but he is in the shape of his life and ready for the Olympics.
Cricket Australia eyes Euros-style vaccine passport for Ashes summer
Cricket Australia boss Nick Hockley is hopeful players won’t have to submit to tight lockdown bubbles this summer, and has been encouraged to see fans getting back to events in the UK.
‘What you expect from a pro’: Cleary pushing hard for miracle return
Nathan Cleary is at long odds to return against Melbourne but is not going to die wondering, and will even resume contact on his shoulder as early as Tuesday.
‘Sharp as ever’: Why Rennie is impressed with wiser, older Cooper
Called up from his holidays in Brisbane, Quade Cooper slipped back into the Wallabies training environment with ease on Monday.
Have Your Say
Webster from the futon: Ariarne Titmus fires up to win gold — and, finally, so does Thorpey
Sure, the 20-year-old’s performance in beating Katie Ledecky was breathtaking – but Ian Thorpe was the real winner on day three.
