Culture Fix newsletter
A cultural guide to going out and loving Melbourne.
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The Age 2021 Impact Report
Explore the huge impact of Age journalism this year
‘Many places’: Hunt says chemists, state clinics have appointments
Patchy availability of vaccines for 5 to 11-year-olds, has fuelled concerns some students will return to school next week unvaccinated.
Do I need an N95 mask and if so, can I re-use it?
Experts disagree with the practice. But if you’re going to do it, it’s only advisable under certain conditions.
Updated
Victoria
‘Numbers dip’: Weimar says infection data appears promising
Active cases in the state dropped by almost 14 per cent from Friday’s number, but 1029 people are still in hospital with the virus in Victoria.
Beach and bay provide relief from heatwave
Melburnians flocked to the water to escape a low-level heatwave that will not give way to rain until mid-week.
Live
Australian Open
Fairytale run ends for wildcard Aussie Inglis; Laver backs Barty; Kyrgios in altercation claim
Tennis great Rod Laver believes a win at this year’s Australian Open would demonstrate Barty’s brilliance.
Latest live posts
LoadingAustralia finds unlikely ally in Djokovic stoush
The lesson from the Djokovic fiasco to all sports governing bodies is that, when it comes to preserving the social licence of your sport, even the biggest name athlete is only as good as their last jab.
Badosa primed for deep Open run
This time last year Paula Badosa was in the early stages of 21 days of “hard quarantine”, the Spaniard copping the double whammy of returning a positive COVID-19 test while doing hotel quarantine.
‘Liveable’ timber beach house listed for $30 million
This charming Portsea cottage’s most luxurious feature is hydronic heating, and it’s already had an offer from buyers keen on the location, location, location.
Sleepy hollow or Gerry town: the battle for Nagambie and rural Victoria
For decades, Nagambie was a hidden lakeside gem. Now developers and entrepreneurs have arrived, followed by an influx of tree-changers. Will country Victoria ever be the same?
Feeling down? Try going for a run on this giant rainbow hamster wheel
As participants run on the wheel, others can interact on social media by giving them “likes” for their effort.
Motherhood and massacre: Pedro Almodovar keeps a 45-year-old promise
In Parallel Mothers, the veteran Spanish director tackles Franco’s bloody legacy.
The waterfall hunter: adventures in Victoria’s undiscovered landscapes
What kind of author wears out a pair of bush boots every year and often ventures so far off the track he carries a GPS and satellite phone?
‘No regrets quitting’: Battle for talent could spark wage rises
With the labour market growing tighter wages could climb as employers fight to lure workers.
‘China’s doing everything it can’: Biden’s computer chip warning
Computing giant Intel will spend $20 billion building plants in the United States.
Baltic States sending anti-tank, anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine
Germany has reportedly blocked Estonia from giving military support to Ukraine.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2022
Young talent time: Danish teen on the rise and testing the best
Quiz Clara Tauson about last year’s US Open finalists and the emerging Danish talent can provide a detailed appraisal of Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez.
Barty serves up another masterclass
Ash Barty has powered past Italy’s Camila Giorgi on Rod Laver Arena to move into the second week of the Australian Open for the fourth straight year.
Local
Retired teachers urged to head back to school to fill COVID gaps
Inactive teachers, principals and support staff are being urged to head back to school in term 1 to respond to an expected teacher shortage due to COVID.
Psychiatric beds closed as mental health crisis worsens under Omicron
Psychiatric wards at Melbourne’s major hospitals are being forced to close beds and specialist 24-hour response teams for mental health emergencies are struggling to respond to a rise in callouts amid crippling staffing shortages.
‘Desperately waiting’: The Australians who need Novavax for medical reasons
Australians waiting for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for medical reasons have hit back at suggestions they held off due to vaccine hesitancy.
Exclusive
Coronavirus pandemic
Mandatory third jab on the cards for hospitality
The Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions has been holding discussions with hospitality and retail groups to discuss how making the COVID-19 booster mandatory might affect their staff and customers.
Births, marriages under a cloud after WA’s ‘ludicrous’ change of heart on border
Victorian families say they have been left disheartened by the government of Western Australia again “moving the goalposts” on travel into the state.
See and Do
★★★★
Elvis Costello’s new album a reminder of the old fire of yesteryear
Our music reviewers take a listen to Elvis Costello’s The Boy Named If, Grace Cummings’ Storm Queen and Orlando Weeks’ Hop Up.
★★★½
No easy escape as crime drama Ozark plays its final hand
Jason Bateman and Laura Linney return as money launderers for a Mexican drug cartel, but the net is tightening in a tough fourth season.
Politics
Exclusive
Coronavirus pandemic
Consumers spending more than they did during the Delta lockdowns
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has released figures from banks showing consumers are spending more in Omicron than they did during the Delta wave, giving him confidence the economy will rebound.
Business
‘We can’t keep going like this’: Retailers struggle to survive Omicron wave
Soaring Omicron case numbers - rather than government edict - are keeping shoppers at home and wallets tightly shut, with no end in sight for hard-pressed retailers.
World
US halts dozens of flights by Chinese airlines
Beijing and Washington have sparred over air services since the start of the pandemic.
Opinion
Explore
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Property
No signs of hot coastal holiday home market cooling, yet
Despite record prices, buyers are still flocking to popular beachside holiday spots across Victoria to buy a home, while others are cashing in.
Open crowd caps give fans the advantage on accommodation
Tennis fans looking for last-minute accommodation are likely to find plenty of choice and perhaps a discount as the latest virus outbreak puts a cap on crowds.
Lifestyle
We trialled four at-home bikes. Here’s our verdict
We jumped on four indoor bikes that have recently arrived in Australia to see what the fuss is all about.
Culture
Into the depths of life and death with a great Russian novelist
Kevin Birmingham’s life of Fyodor Dostoevsky concentrates on the writing of Crime and Punishment and pays less attention to his other great works.
Sport
Live
Australian Open
Australian Open 2022 LIVE updates: Aussie wildcard Maddie Inglis out of Open; Simona Halep, Alize Cornet, Elise Mertens through to fourth round
Australian wildcards are in action as a hot weekend gets underway at Melbourne Park
Alcott aims for eighth straight Australian Open title in farewell tour
Paralympic gold medallist Dylan Alcott says tennis has changed his life, and the Australian wants to win one more title before he retires from the sport on home turf.
‘I’m at peak happiness’: Groves-Little reflects ahead of AFLW Pride round
Tori Groves-Little announced themselves as the first non-binary athlete in the AFLW in October. This pride round will be the first where they feel completely accepted.
‘My best match yet’: Nadal embraces his moments, still chasing wins
Injury almost ended Rafael Nadal’s career this off-season, and it still might get him in the end, but for now, he is embracing every game and enjoying playing tennis.
Matildas 18 Indonesia 0
Matildas
Unstoppable Kerr breaks record as Matildas run riot
Sam Kerr netted five goals to surge past Tim Cahill’s mark for most international goals as the Matildas produced a record win in Asia.
Analysis
Collingwood
How De Goey’s career came back from the brink
When Jordan De Goey was arrested in New York City following a nightclub fracas on October 30, his viability as an AFL footballer was very much in doubt.
Analysis
The Ashes
The unusual suspects: How Australia’s support cast secured Ashes glory
If you told England last year that Australia would field three debutants, lose their captain, and Josh Hazlewood, Steve Smith and Dave Warner would average mid-30s, they would have felt in with a show. They weren’t.
Have Your Say
Swimming must let go of body obsession, says Perkins
Speaking after the release of a Swimming Australia report into the treatment of women and girls, the Olympic superstar says coaches who won’t change must go.
