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Daily Sudoku
Challenge yourself with today’s four difficulty levels.
Analysis
AFL off-field behaviour
Can’t beat the algorithm: The one Brownlow bet that didn’t land
Rather than plonking a few grand on a player in a particular round, the bets have allegedly been spread, divvied up, and bet almost simultaneously via different betting agencies.
The 2022 Brownlow votes that Michael Pell knew
Under the Brownlow Medal voting system, three AFL field umpires gather after officiating a game and decide on the three best performances from the match. These are the matches Michael Pell knew the votes for in 2022.
ATAGI does not recommend third COVID-19 booster shot
Australia’s expert vaccine panel has not recommended that people seek out a third COVID-19 booster shot, despite case numbers rising over the past fortnight.
Analysis
China relations
In Xi-Biden meeting, Taiwan’s future looms large
This was a chance for a reset. But beyond the rosy rhetoric, Tuesday’s hours-long meeting entrenched differences between the two superpowers.
‘My little angels’: Father speaks of devastation after finding wife, children dead
The father of three children killed in a murder-suicide has described to an inquest his grief at finding his family dead inside their Tullamarine home in January 2021.
The Age Good Food Guide 2023: Melbourne’s top 10 hot and new restaurants
From casual offshoots of fine-diners to unexpected Parisian chic hidden in the ’burbs, nostalgic Italian party palaces and more, these are the places to be, right now.
Heading out?: Here are the restaurants you need to book now
Who got the hats in this year’s The Age Good Food Guide magazine? Here’s the entire list.
The hats are back: Victoria’s best restaurants celebrated at Good Food Guide Awards
After a three-year hiatus of hats, scores and awards, the state’s restaurant bible is back.
Updated
Energy
AGL board dealt historic defeat as new directors are installed
Power and gas giant AGL has been dealt a stunning defeat after shareholders elected all four board candidates nominated by activist investor Mike Cannon-Brookes.
Opinion
Wall Street
Playing with fire: Why markets have been engulfed in chaos
Elon Musk and Sam Bankman-Fried can blame themselves for their companies’ predicaments but you can’t point the finger at them for wider meltdowns.
Stephen Bartholomeusz
Senior business columnist
Zelensky declares ‘beginning of the end’ in Kherson
Volodymyr Zelensky has triumphantly walked the streets of the newly liberated city of Kherson.
It’s agreed: Dominic West is too attractive to play Prince Charles in The Crown
No offence to the King, but casting McNulty represents a major glow-up for Charles.
World’s best golfers are heading to Melbourne, but don’t thank LIV: Sutherland
Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland says it’s not LIV Golf that deserves the credit for the strength of this year’s Australian Open field.
Everything you need to know about getting a good night’s sleep
Sleep is vital for our health and happiness, yet many of us are operating on a deficit. Ahead, we explore the latest research and speak to top sleep experts about how to get a better night’s sleep.
Updated
Floods
‘Certainly not over the worst of it’: Flood threat continues in Victoria
The flood emergency is far from over in Victoria, with the weekend’s deluge putting extra pressure on saturated waterways and catchment, and a beach on the Mornington Peninsula has closed after a landslip.
Exclusive
Wipeout
Revealed: The letter Scott Morrison ignored that foresaw the teal wave
Thirteen moderate Liberal MPs wrote to Scott Morrison with two demands. Seven of them no longer sit in parliament.
Bacchus Marsh students caught up in Singapore police probe
Victorian girls competing in a netball competition in Singapore have been questioned by police after an incident in the retail district.
Victorian election
Campaign launches more branding exercise than policy platform
The energy policies of both parties are now on the table. Unfortunately, the Liberals’ proposal does not appear to pass the sniff test.
Liberal candidate preferences Labor over Greens in key seat before backflip
Liberal candidate Lucas Moon bucked the directive from central headquarters, handing out how-to-vote cards that directed preferences to Labor.
Victoria
The school that never stopped remote learning after lockdown
Many schools reported improved engagement during lockdown among traumatised and neurodiverse students. Yet one expert says lessons from remote learning are being almost wilfully forgotten, despite the evident demand.
Pop-up bike lanes in Port Phillip a danger to cyclists, review finds
The independent review criticising the temporary lanes in Melbourne’s inner-bayside suburbs has fuelled calls from some residents to rip them up.
Porsche driver Pusey found guilty over offensive photos
Images from the Eastern Freeway crash that killed four police officers were attached to a complaint sent by Pusey to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
Targeted fruiterer had no links to crime, murder trial told
Melbourne fruiterer Paul Virgona, gunned down as he drove to work, had no connection to any criminal association or anything in his past that explained why he was targeted and killed, a jury has been told.
‘If local government were the Wild West’: Darebin councillor suspended after misconduct ruling
The councillor suspended for two weeks and must publicly apologise after an arbiter found he had engaged in misconduct by disparaging fellow councillors.
Politics
Analysis
G20 summit
Why Albanese won’t storm out on Russia at G20
Since the invasion of Ukraine, Western officials have shown contempt for Moscow in a range of ways. But as world leaders meet in Bali, Albanese won’t be adopting any snubbing tactics.
Business
Exclusive
Cybersecurity
Medibank faces new headaches as it finds staff data has also been hacked
The company has warned employees that information including their mobile and work device numbers was also stolen by the hackers, which potentially opens up new vulnerabilities for its computer systems.
World
Frustrated by protests, Iran unleashes its wrath on its youth
Iranian officials have said the average age of protesters is 15. Some have been beaten and detained, others have been shot and killed on the streets.
Opinion
What happened when our e-safety commissioner emailed Elon Musk
Peter Hartcher
Political and international editor
Explore
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Property
‘More pain to come’: Most expensive properties record deepest price falls
Homes worth at least $1.54 million have been falling at a faster pace than their more affordable cousins, but what’s around the corner?
‘Very onerous’: The huge hurdle facing first home buyers
It’s not just rising interest rates; there’s another steep challenge for anyone trying to purchase their first home now.
Lifestyle
Opinion
Mental health
I’ve spent my life looking for a cure for mental illness. Then I made a discovery
I used to imagine I carried, deep inside, a better version of me. But in the hunt for my “better” self, I realised I was missing the version that was already here.
Anna Spargo-Ryan
Writer
Culture
AFL great Shane Crawford is out of his comfort zone – and he’s having a ball
The Brownlow medallist says his stage debut as an Elvis-inspired character is “a bit daunting”, revealing nerves over his Pharoah costume – and how little there is of it.
Sport
Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
Club captain Zorko calls for Brownlow voting rethink
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has backed the league’s integrity measures after the Brownlow Medal betting scandal, coming as a club captain says it’s time for umpires to be relieved of casting match-day votes.
Analysis
AFL off-field behaviour
Can’t beat the algorithm: The one Brownlow bet that didn’t land
Rather than plonking a few grand on a player to poll three votes in a particular round, the bets have allegedly been spread, divvied up into smaller amounts, and bet almost simultaneously via different betting agencies.
World’s best golfers are heading to Melbourne, but don’t thank LIV: Sutherland
Australian golf is gearing up for its biggest month since Tiger Woods was in Melbourne for the 2019 Presidents Cup, but Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland says it’s not LIV Golf that deserves the credit for the strength of this year’s Australian Open field.
‘The schedule is packed’: Cummins makes ‘difficult’ $1m IPL decision
Australia’s Test and one-day captain Pat Cummins has withdrawn from next year’s IPL because of the national team’s heavy workload over the next 15 months.
The 2022 Brownlow votes that Michael Pell knew
Under the Brownlow Medal voting system, three AFL field umpires gather after officiating a game and decide on the three best performances from the match. These are the matches Michael Pell knew the votes for in 2022.
Exclusive
ICC Men’s World Cup
Climate change is another headache for cricket, says ICC chair
A cricket World Cup that began with controversy over the carbon footprint of sponsors has ended with an admission on climate change.
Carlton v Richmond to open next season
AFL sources confirmed that the league intended to revert to beginning the men’s season with the Carlton-Richmond game, which consistently draws a hefty crowd, rather than pitting Geelong and the Sydney Swans, the 2022 grand finalists.
Have Your Say
The Beveridge contract debate in front of the Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs and Luke Beveridge are keen to lock in a contract extension before the new season begins, but the length of his tenure is an interesting discussion.
Jon Pierik
Sports journalist for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald