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Good Weekend Talks
In-depth conversations with the people fascinating Australians right now, from sport to politics to the arts.
Sunday Life
Indulge in the best ‘me time’ reading with our new digital magazine edition.
Exclusive
Medicare
The tracts of Melbourne where one in five medical clinics stopped bulk-billing
In several Melbourne electorates, more than one in five clinics said they stopped bulk-billing all patients during 2023 as more doctors in middle- and lower-income suburbs charge gap fees.
Trump victorious in South Carolina Republican primary
Nikki Haley has suffered another major setback in her ambitious bid to win the Republican presidential nomination.
Opinion
Governance
In short, Woolworths’ Brad Banducci simply couldn’t suppress his contempt for the public
It’s odds-on that the Banducci Four Corners disaster happened despite extensive preparation. He simply couldn’t contain his contempt for a growing public sense the supermarket giants aren’t playing the competition game straight.
Parnell Palme McGuinness
Columnist and communications adviser
Exclusive
Crime
Hotties, the must-have accessory for Melbourne’s criminals. First, the key goes
‘Hotties’, slang term used by the underworld to describe a stolen car, have become a crucial ingredient in serious criminal offending, whether it’s burning up a tobacco shop or turning a gun on an enemy.
Updated
Bushfires
Fire-ravaged towns warned to brace for the ‘worst fire day’ in four years on Wednesday
Forecast extreme heat, high winds and dry lightning mean Wednesday will be “a very dangerous and difficult day across Victoria”, Premier Jacinta Allan said.
David Roberts spent more than $10,000 on legal fees trying to get custody of the family dog
Under Australian law, pets are treated as property. But some legal experts point to countries that consider pet welfare in custody battles and say similar rules are needed here.
Opinion
US Votes 2024
A Swift endorsement would boost Joe Biden’s campaign. So why hasn’t it happened?
Like most cultural figures in America, Taylor Swift is appalled by Donald Trump. She endorsed Joe Biden in 2020. But this campaign, she’s been silent.
Bill Wyman
Columnist
Analysis
AFL 2024
Bringing the heat: The next step in the Blues’ quest for greatness
For Carlton to really make the September running, Michael Voss has indicated his team needs to make a statement through the home-and-away campaign, a point Harry McKay is keen to back up.
This must-visit capital can overwhelm. Here are nine ways to break it down
The following “must visits” will help you experience the many faces of this fascinating capital within accessible locales.
‘I still have that zebra dress’: How Blondie’s Debbie Harry keeps rocking it at 78
The queen of punk on her enduring career, distinctive style and plans for the future. Yes, there’s a new album on the way.
Opinion
Sunday Life
It’s in our interests to keep having sex after 50. But how to spice it up?
“First off, for fellas, no flossing in bed, toenail clipping, belching or passing wind. Ever.”
Kathy Lette
Writer
Divers on their hands and knees search Newcastle waterway in double murder probe
As tributes build, police are still working to locate the bodies of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, who police allege were killed by a Sydney police officer.
‘Just help us’: There’s only one thing on the minds of Dunkley voters
The byelection pits two candidates against each other who both have hard-scrabble stories. But for voters, their own struggles are front of mind as the cost-of-living crisis bites.
Opinion
Gender pay gap
Come Tuesday, there’s likely to be some awkward conversations in office kitchens across Australia
Gender pay gap data does have the potential to make businesses and companies look pretty bad. And it’s a powerful step in getting closer to achieving pay parity.
Victoria Devine
Money columnist
‘I was warned not to upset Nigella Lawson’: Colin Fassnidge’s brush with ‘royalty’
The producers on My Kitchen Rules “warned me ‘not to be me’, as she was royalty and they didn’t want me to upset her” but with 10 minutes, he and Nigella Lawson were planning a night out together.
Investigation
Food safety
The search for superbugs lurking in your shopping trolley
Is your scotch fillet, chicken roast or pork belly harbouring dangerous bacteria? Scientists are about to find out.
Editor's Picks
Opinion
Political leadership
In power, Keating was a gift. Now, at 80, he’s a tragedy
Peter Hartcher
Political and international editor
Just in
Weekend reads
Magazine
Have a Good Weekend wherever you are with the digital edition
Australia’s psychedelic world-first | One monk’s 11-year wait for love | Reviving a city relic for art’s sake | Facing the death of a “broken” mother
Kitchen Sink Drama
What causes the fog?
Paul Connolly’s Kitchen Sink Drama is a slice of domestic life, captured masterfully in only 100 words. This week: In the clouds.
Victoria
Jacqui’s rent jumped to $1700 a month for a room in a sharehouse. She’s moved back with her parents
A jump in the number of young adults living at home is working out for many – but is a sign of young people’s inability to secure their own housing futures.
Amy’s first melanoma was picked up by her physiotherapist. An algorithm found her second
A program trying to harness AI to radically change how skin cancer is detected is being considered by the Albanese government.
Up to 10 homes feared destroyed in Beaufort blaze, more towns under threat
More than 1000 firefighters have been battling the 14,000-hectare blaze and authorities are now warning of searing heat and strong winds returning next week.
‘It was like a tornado’: Courage, cries and community spirit in the face of a firestorm
As crews worked at breakneck speed to protect properties and build containment lines most residents could only sit and wait for news on if their homes survived.
Detectives believe ‘one or more parties’ involved in disappearance of Samantha Murphy
Police say “everyone in relation to Samantha is a person of interest”, as they use intelligence gathered from phone data in a renewed search for the missing Ballarat East mum.
See & Do
Traded for a bottle of whiskey as a child, somehow he survived
The fact Lonnie Holley is still alive at the age of 73 is astounding. The fact he became a renowned artist is even more remarkable.
The storytelling in Margaret Atwood’s group novel is an escapist’s dream
Our reviewers cast their eyes over recent fiction and non-fiction publications, including Atwood’s experimental response to the dark days of pandemic lockdown.
Politics
How to find gender pay gap data – once a tightly held secret – on your company
The publication of wage gap data for the country’s 5000 biggest businesses for the first time will arm employees with valuable information about their position in the workplace.
Business
Opinion
Russia-Ukraine war
Putin has Russia headed for economic ruin. The West can’t lose its nerve now
Russia’s defence spending has tripled since the invasion of Ukraine, approaching 8 per cent of national output – roughly what it was under the Soviet Union.
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
World
Trump says mugshot, criminal trials help him with black voters
The former president’s comments came in a speech to the black community in a last-minute bid for votes in the South Carolina primary.
Opinion
Is it OK to mine your past relationships to feed your art? Looking at you Tay Tay
Jacqueline Maley
Columnist and senior journalist
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Property
Beaumaris house sells for $2,325,000 in just seven bids
Two bidders slugged it out during the ultra-fast auction for the four-bedroom home, which was over in just a few minutes.
The type of Melbourne property that’s outperforming its neighbours
The conventional wisdom is that well-renovated homes in sought-after locations always sell well. But is that true?
Good Food
Lifestyle
After 148 years, Akubra is trying something different
Billionaire owners Andrew and Nicola Forrest usher in change at the enduring Australian outfitter.
Culture
The year ahead in art: The best exhibitions coming to Victoria in 2024
Pharaohs at the NGV, Melbourne Art Fair and The Ballad of Sexual Dependency are among our top picks.
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
Late blitz all but seals place in Paris for Matildas
After being frustrated for more than an hour, Australia hit three late goals against Uzbekistan to take a decisive lead back to Melbourne for the second leg of their Olympic qualifier.
Third T20 LIVE: Australia eye series clean sweep of NZ
The tourists are amongst the runs at Eden Park but the weather is playing havoc as Australia take on New Zealand in their last T20 before this year’s World Cup. Follow all the action live.
Watch Pendlebury analyse the Pies’ grand final win
The Collingwood great sat in front of a projector screen and revealed his fears - that this would 2018 all over again - and the conversations with coaches, teammates and umpires behind a modern classic.
Analysis
AFL 2024
Bringing the heat: The next step in the Blues’ quest for greatness
For Carlton to really make the September running this season, Michael Voss has indicated his team needs to make a statement through the home-and-away campaign, a point Harry McKay is keen to back up.
Sunday quiz: Equestrian high jinx and link between Ralph Doubell and Edwin Flack
Challenge yourself with our sports quiz, a mix of questions about the latest in world and local sport, and the big events in sporting history.
Match simulation
AFL 2024
‘Preferably four’: AFL urged to slap Port enforcer with hefty ban
Port Adelaide’s Sam Powell-Pepper is facing a delayed start to the home-and-away season for a bump which left Adelaide’s Mark Keane concussed.
Erased and exiled: Tarryn Thomas mural in North Melbourne disappears
Standing proudly in front of a large mural of himself three years ago, Tarryn Thomas seemed to be at the forefront of North Melbourne’s rebuild and a player long-suffering Kangaroos supporters could embrace.
Have Your Say
From player culls to short-lived coaches: Can the Kangaroos bounce back from five years of hell?
North Melbourne’s decision to axe troubled former player Tarryn Thomas on Thursday could mark the final chapter of the club’s five-plus years from hell.