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‘There’s no relief coming for us’: Weary workers dread surgery resumption
Hospital staff in Victoria are exhausted - and yet, with elective surgery lists blowing out, they may be called upon to continue working beyond their limit.
Watch: Andrews speaks as mask rules eased, return to work changes announced
At 11:59pm on Friday 25 February masks will no longer be needed in most Victorian indoor settings, the state government has announced.
Exclusive
Australia votes
More bad news for Morrison: Voters cut support for PM following debate about national security, leadership
Voters have cut their support for Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a fierce political argument over leadership and national security, but Mr Morrison holds a narrow advantage.
Opinion
Employment
Why we’re embarking on a great jobs experiment
Fractured by the pandemic, the employment market is changing. What happens next, and how we manage it, will have profound economic consequences for Australia.
Jo Masters
Contributor
Breaking
Ukraine crisis
Vladimir Putin orders Russian forces to ‘maintain peace’ in eastern Ukraine’s two breakaway regions
The announcement follows a day of fast-moving developments in which Putin announced the recognition of separatist regions in Ukraine.
How Putin has used Ukraine’s separatist regions for Russia’s gain
When Ukraine’s Moscow-friendly president was driven from office in February 2014, Russia responded by annexing Crimea.
Opinion
Investing
Markets will learn to love new Cold War
While no one wants a conflict, whether hot or cold, the truth is that they can be perfectly OK for the economy, and often quite good.
Matthew Lynn
America’s most expensive house hits the market for $411 million
Despite the record asking price, the luxury residence known as The One has actually had a hefty price cut.
Little for IOC to boast about after torrid Winter Games in China
The hypocrisy soared to record levels after an Olympics in which athletes were terrified to speak their mind, politics reigned and doping reared its ugly head.
Please, CEASE: Wordle etiquette, and what not to do when playing
The rules of Wordle are simple. The etiquette of playing the online word game, however, is a whole other matter.
Opinion
Domestic violence
Lethal lovers: National strategy needed to end domestic homicides
Two new reports have shed more light on why women continue to be murdered by their male partners. We need a serious national plan to prevent future killings.
Anne Summers
Columnist
From sexting to one-night stands, Send Nudes is a book of the moment
Our critics cast their eyes over eight new books to read, including Saba Sams’ short story collection.
Movie portrays how easily Bosnia slipped ‘from normal life into hell’
Bosnian filmmaker Jasmila Zbanic - whose latest film is Quo Vadis, Aida? - has been making movies about the struggles within Bosnia for 30 years.
What is a ‘vibe shift’? The latest sign you’re losing your cool
The process of growing less culturally relevant has a new name. Owners of New Balance sneakers beware.
Local
Breaking
Coronavirus pandemic
Mask rules ease indoors, working from home no longer recommended
The rules will ease in Victoria from 11.59pm on Friday and the recommendation for people to work from home will be removed.
Analysis
Crime
Prison would be an upgrade for fugitive-in-squalor
The murderer and suspect for conspiracy to murder jumped bail on February 1, 2010. That was six Prime Ministers ago.
Revelation casts doubt on entrepreneur’s ice pipe video claim
Doubts about the provenance of the video undermine details of Geoff Bainbridge’s claims that he was the victim of a six-year extortion racket.
One of Australia’s most wanted men arrested after more than a decade on the run
Graham Potter, 64, had been on the run since failing to appear on conspiracy to murder charges in Melbourne in 2010.
Haileybury fined $140,000 for safety breaches over groundsman’s death
Haileybury pleaded guilty to failing to provide or maintain safe systems of work.
Politics
Volume and targeting of political ads on social media creates ‘democratic dilemma’, experts say
The rules around when and where political ads can run have remained in the pre-internet era ahead of the next federal election.
Business
Analysis
Telecommunications
Money talks as Telstra and TPG hang up on hostilities
The stunning end to hostilities between TPG Telecom and Telstra on sharing mobile telecommunication infrastructure reflects the shifting priorities of two major operators in the local market.
World
England goes it alone as Boris Johnson ends all COVID isolation requirements and free testing
England will become the first jurisdiction to allow people with COVID infections to continue working and socialising without facing penalty.
Opinion
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Property
Is a short- or long-term letting better for your investment property?
The rental vacancy rate is so low in many regional areas, and rents, as a result, are so high. Does it make more sense to let out a property as a regular residential tenancy, or put it on a short-stay platform?
Would you co-buy with the government if it meant you could own a house?
A national shared equity scheme, where the federal government contributes up to 30 per cent of a property’s value, is being called for by the Grattan Institute.
Lifestyle
‘Very overwhelming’: Why can COVID impact your ability to exercise?
The effects of COVID-19 on fitness range enormously: some people snap back, some struggle to exercise for a couple of weeks, while others feel the effects for years.
Culture
Tributes flow for arts philanthropist Neil Balnaves
Neil Balnaves was one of the nation’s leading art philanthropists, his family foundation dispensing $35 miillion in the name of arts and culture.
Sport
Updated
Women's AFL
Harris inspires Melbourne to epic comeback win against Brisbane
Melbourne star Tayla Harris produced one of the best performances of her career in the Demons’ come-from-behind victory over the Lions.
The Marnus mat: Backyard brilliance gets Labuschagne in swing for Pakistan
Marnus Labuschagne has employed a home-made Bunnings pitch and backyard cricket as part of his preparation for the tour Pakistan.
Time for Tassie team to get the nod, says Jack Riewoldt
And the Richmond triple-premiership star says there needs to be a rethink of when the AFLW season is held, questioning how players can be at their best in the summer heat.
Updated
Australian cricket
Chairman ‘open to advice’ on split coaching role
Cricket Australia may split the coaching role to lessen the load on the new coach, says new chairman Lachie Henderson.
Eagles still wait on star’s vax, as Roo faces deadline
West Coast still did not know if star forward Jack Darling would submit to the AFL’s vaccination regime late Monday, as the odds lengthened of Darling making it back for the start of the season.
Analysis
Australian cricket
A World Cup hero at 24, what happened to Faulkner?
After his rise through the ranks James Faulkner had seemed to be an entrenched part of Australian cricket’s future.
Little for IOC to boast about after torrid Games in China
The hypocrisy soared to record levels after an Olympics in which athletes were terrified to speak their mind, politics reigned and doping reared its ugly head.
Have Your Say
Olympic leaders need to learn: Inaction isn’t neutral. It’s abdication
The IOC stayed out of China’s politics. It empowered a country accused of rampant human rights abuses with the cushiest home-turf advantage.
