The Booklist
A weekly newsletter for book lovers from books editor Jason Steger.
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The Watchlist
Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees.
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Earthquakes
Thousands homeless, fatalities reported following powerful earthquake in Japan
It was the strongest quake in the region in more than four decades, triggering mass evacuations and tsunami warnings.
Breaking
Tragedy
Man dies after apartment fire in Sydney’s north
The 45-year-old man suffered severe burns after a blaze broke out following reports of an explosion in a Meadowbank unit on New Year’s Day.
Exclusive
Housing crisis
The statistic that illustrates Sydney’s housing crisis
Despite all the talk of increasing supply, Sydney built fewer homes in 2023 than five years ago, new estimates show.
Exclusive
Australian cricket
‘The truth sets you free’: Warner on Sandpapergate
In the first of a two-part interview before his Test swansong at the SCG, the Australian opener talks about the impact of the ball-tampering scandal at Cape Town in 2018.
Opinion
Australian soccer
Who will triumph in football’s ultimate survival of the fittest?
It may take a century, but soccer is on a path to turning league, union and AFL into niche sports in Australia.
Roy Masters
Sports Columnist
The best beach towns if you can’t afford Byron Bay
House prices are sky-high in Byron, but a handful of towns nearby offer a laid-back coastal life for a fraction of the price.
Updated
Road cycling
Cyclist Rohan Dennis drove ute that killed Olympian wife Melissa Hoskins
The two-time Olympian and former world champion died after she was struck by a ute in Adelaide.
Why flying Jetstar was not a great way to start my holiday
Jetstar’s low international fares are appealing, but at some point my patience with cancellations and delays will run out.
What an abandoned tunnel reveals about Sydney’s past
There are hopes that a labyrinth tucked into the cliffs at Balmoral – now home to microbats – could once again be open to the public.
House prices are up, but interest rate hikes are starting to take a toll
Home prices in Sydney grew 11.1 per cent in 2023 – outpacing the national average – but most of that growth occurred in the first six months.
Exclusive
University
What Sydney University does with its foreign student billions
Sydney University makes more money from foreign students than any other university – more than $1.4 billion in fees last year alone.
As Aussies return to Bali, Indonesia pushes for a better visa deal
Australians have returned to the island in droves and the Albanese government is being urged to finally make travel to Australia easier for Indonesians.
Opinion
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
I tell my family’s Holocaust story while I advocate for Palestinians and Israelis
I exist only because a Nazi SS officer saved my mother’s life. History and human behaviour are complicated. And now, we can cry for Gaza’s children and for Israeli victims of Hamas.
Karen Kirsten
Writer, educator
January can be the loneliest month. Here’s how to cope
The summer holidays can feel isolating if you don’t have any plans.
New Ferrari biopic puts viewers in the driver’s seat
Set in the summer of 1957, Michael Mann’s new film about racing car driver and entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari is not just about fast cars.
13 exciting restaurant and bar openings to look forward to in 2024
High-end Korean, fin-to-tail dining, Latin flavours and live music are all on the menu for Sydney in the new year.
Great books to help you ease into the New Year
A new year means fresh offerings in our bookshops. Here are 10 books that will be published this month to hit the summer-reading spot.
Sydney
‘Loved to death’: Parking woes spell trouble in paradise on the Hawkesbury
On the far outskirts of Sydney, people can’t find a park. Now the issue has torn apart a tight-knit community.
Blue groper spearfishing sparks investigation in Sydney’s south
The blue groper, the official state fish since 1998 and endemic to Australia, is protected by law from spearfishing.
‘You’re not Nelson Mandela’: A day in the life of a new year bail court
2024 got off to a bad start for those Sydneysiders unlucky to find themselves spending New Year’s Day at Parramatta Local Court.
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New Year
City sparkles for New Year’s Eve fireworks bonanza
As the clocks hit midnight, Sydney welcomed in a new year the same way it always does – with the world’s best fireworks.
Nellie Small: The queer black icon Sydney didn’t know it had
A long forgotten star of the Sydney stage, Nellie Small, will be honoured in a tribute show at the 2024 Sydney Festival.
SUMMER IN SYDNEY
How a childhood train trip opened my eyes to new possibilities
The melting pot of Cabramatta is much more than the vast array of exotic eating options.
The inner-city sanctuary that made me a Sydney convert
Between the wine bars and fancy restaurants, Surry Hills still holds relics from a time before chilled reds and roasted artichokes, if you know where to look.
Politics
The ‘once-only’ opportunity to expand Australia’s size by almost 50 per cent
Cabinet documents reveal the Howard government moved quickly to lock in a claim over huge areas of the seabed across the Pacific, Indian and Southern oceans.
Business
Exclusive
Climate crisis
Australia ‘risks climate tech exodus’ unless it follows US model
The Albanese government is being urged to reconsider its resistance to creating a Joe Biden-style Inflation Reduction Act.
World
Israel signals change of tactics as it pulls some troops from Gaza
Israel also pulled tanks out of some Gaza City districts as it announced plans to shift tactics and cut back on troop numbers.
Opinion
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Property
Cash to spare? Five dream beach homes that you could own
These are five of Australia’s most breathtaking beach houses – but they might be out of reach unless you have very deep pockets.
The luxurious holiday home rentals that cost up to $150,000 a night
The harbour city’s high-end holiday home market continues its rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Good Food
Lifestyle
Dry January too daunting? A ‘damp’ one is still worthwhile
If going cold turkey for a month isn’t for you, the new year is still a good opportunity for anyone to re-evaluate their relationship with alcohol.
Culture
Brett Whiteley kept thousands of LPs, the tunes have inspired new work
The artist’s dog-eared collection has provided the inspiration for a series of performances for the 2024 Sydney Festival, to take place in the painter’s studio.
Traveller
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Sport
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Australian cricket
‘The truth will eventually come out’: Warner reflects on Sandpapergate on eve of final Test
In the first of a two-part interview before his Test swansong at the SCG, the Australian opener talks about the impact of the ball-tampering scandal at Cape Town in 2018.
Opinion
Australian soccer
One code to rule them – why soccer may be the last survivor in world footy
It may take a century, but soccer is on a path to turning league, union and AFL into niche sports in Australia.
Roy Masters
Sports Columnist
‘They don’t care’: Waugh slams cricket bosses over South Africa Test farce
After the Proteas named a second-string Test squad to tour New Zealand, having given priority to their T20 competition, former Australian captain Steve Waugh said wealthy nations must do more to save Test cricket.
Exclusive
Australian cricket
Revealed: The full text of Khawaja submission that sparked emergency CA meeting
Usman Khawaja’s submission to the International Cricket Council to wear a dove and olive branch on his bat during the Tests against Pakistan and West Indies invoked the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and was approved by the Cricket Australia board.
Murray’s last hurrah? Even in defeat, British battler shows the fighting spirit admired by a legend
Rafael Nadal has hailed Andy Murray’s drive to keep competing, and the Scottish veteran showed there’s still plenty of fight left in him despite a loss to Grigor Dimitrov in Brisbane.
Updated
Australian cricket
‘It’s now a fairytale ending’: The special touch in Warner’s farewell Test
The veteran opener, who also announced his retirement from ODIs on Monday, will play his final Test at his home ground alongside a teammate who has been with him since the beginning.
Australia beat the USA to keep United Cup hopes alive
Matt Ebden and Storm Sanders have rescued Australia’s United Cup, beating the USA in the mixed doubles to progress to the quarter-finals.
Have Your Say
The greatest hits: Love or loathe him, you simply always had to watch David Warner
An entertainer right to the end, the retiring opener’s Test career has delivered some of the most exhilarating, emotional and memorable moments in Australian cricket.
