The Watchlist
Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees.
The Morning Edition podcast
Get behind the headlines of the most important stories, with Peter Hartcher every Thursday.
Explainers
Expert background and analysis on key issues and news events.
Meangirling, catfishing: WA parents reveal hurtful social media ‘trends’
WA parents have said their children have been the victims of both new and sustained cyberbullying trends. How can it be stopped?
Resident shoots alleged intruder inside Perth home
WA Police said the homeowner found the intruder hiding, naked inside a bedroom wardrobe.
‘Greedy’: Perth council hikes rates on vacant blocks to deter land banking
A Perth council is hiking rates by 30 per cent on vacant blocks and will use the extra money to boost urban infill.
Analysis
Political leadership
Voters don’t care about Albanese’s broken promise – but now they expect much more from him
Labor is drifting towards the unhealthy primary vote of the last election – just enough to win, not enough to feel safe. On these numbers, betting agencies will be adjusting their odds on a hung parliament.
‘They definitely need a higher wage’: The group priced out of housing
Buying a home solo has become tougher over the past decade. Now renting has caught up.
Barnaby Joyce taking this week off parliament, says colleague
It comes after Joyce fell off a planter box and was filmed lying on a Canberra footpath earlier this month, which he said occurred after he mixed prescription medication and alcohol.
Breaking
Crime
Officer bought angle grinder, weights after alleged murders: police
A female friend was with Beau Lamarre-Condon when he visited the rural property where police are searching for the bodies of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, police said.
Updated
Police
Jesse Baird told friends of ‘shadowy figure in his bedroom’ late at night
News of the break-in came as police urged patience as they try to locate the bodies of Baird and partner Luke Davies, who were allegedly were killed by a Sydney police officer.
Exclusive
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Gaza conflict engulfs Melbourne Writers Festival as leaders quit over program row
The deputy chairman of the Melbourne Writers Festival has quit over what he says is “historically untrue and deeply offensive” material in this year’s program.
Police investigate ‘murder by spaghetti’ mystery
Maria Basso, who saved a small fortune during her career with Italy’s foreign ministry, including postings to Australia, died after eating spaghetti at a restaurant she attended with her niece, who is accused of plotting to kill her.
Zelensky says 31,000 troops killed in war as Ukraine warns of new Russian offensive
Ukraine’s president warned that the toll will rapidly rise unless promised military aid makes it to the frontline soon.
Opinion
Social media
The five scary social media trends every parent should know about
From the comment pile-on to social media receipts, here are some of the damaging trends kids are taking part in or becoming victims of.
Nicole Jameson
Meet the Australians leaving their jobs for AI
Annie Liao left her secure investment job to chase the $1.8 trillion AI sector. And she’s not the only one.
What happens to our mental health when we don’t get enough sleep
Poor sleep can make anxiety, depression and other mental health issues worse. Here’s what to do about it.
Are meat alternatives actually healthier than the real thing?
Plenty of us could do with less meat in our diets, but should we really be swapping it for plant-based products?
Analysis
Matildas
The Matildas don’t need Sam Kerr to win. But they do need a striker
The unexpected re-emergence of Michelle Heyman has given Tony Gustavsson a selection headache as he considers his 18-player Olympic squad with qualification all but secured.
Don’t leap to conclusions: The whos, whats and whens of February 29
The maths is mind-boggling and the marriage concept less than empowering. Here are the numbers, history and lore behind the (not quite) every four-year phenomenon.
Western Australia
Welcome rain for WA as Lincoln heads south
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Lincoln could bring heavy rain and strong winds to Western Australia’s interior as it moves southeast on Sunday.
Updated
Crime
Dead body washes up in East Perth
Police said the body of a man was located alongside the waters edge.
Rottnest Channel Swim abandoned due to dangerous weather
Swimmers were pulled from the water about 10am after organisers received advice it was unsafe for participants to continue.
Updated
Crime
Rottnest identity Peter Minekus walks free after court sentencing
Minekus, a well-known employee at the island’s general store, was given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to two assaults against a child in the 1980s.
Jail likely for Perth school shooter in Australian-first case
A teenage boy who opened fire at a school in Perth’s north, plunging it into lockdown, will likely be jailed in what is an Australian-first case.
Politics
Exclusive
Smoking & vaping
War of words breaks out over vape ban ‘fail’
Coalition MPs say vape sales to children are “skyrocketing” and ask if regulation would be better than a ban.
Business
US giant Alcoa set to take over Australian partner in $3.3b deal
Aluminium giant Alcoa has moved to take over Alumina Limited in a blockbuster deal.
World
Netanyahu says hostage deal in works, but won’t stop eventual Rafah offensive
The Israeli prime minister has confirmed that a ceasefire deal is in the works that would also see the release of dozens of hostages held in Gaza, as well as Palestinians, imprisoned by Israel.
Opinion
Explore
Property
Even a modest home is out of reach for first home buyers now
Young people who lower their expectations to an unassuming home in their second-choice location still could not comfortably afford the loan repayments.
The proportion of West Australians who own their own home is shrinking
Australia’s property market is one of the most expensive in the world, with the time taken for first home buyers to purchase a home rising in Perth.
Good Food
Lifestyle
Don’t leap to conclusions: The whos, whats and whens of February 29
The maths is mind-boggling and the marriage concept less than empowering. Here are the numbers, history and lore behind the (not quite) every four-year phenomenon.
Culture
Zoe Coombs Marr thought her life was boring. Until she remembered that smell
The comedian was feeling at ‘odds with her existence’, so she took a personal stocktake of her life. “It matters and it doesn’t matter at all.”
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
Analysis
Matildas
The Matildas don’t need Sam Kerr to win. But they do need a striker
The unexpected re-emergence of Michelle Heyman has given Tony Gustavsson a selection headache as he considers his 18-player Olympic squad with qualification all but secured.
Exclusive
AFL 2024
Hardwick on why he left Tigers, feeling reinvigorated and the Sun with potential to be ‘special’
After more than a decade at Richmond, Damien Hardwick has begun a new chapter at Gold Coast. He talks to Michael Gleeson about being reinvigorated by his new club, the young Sun with a licence to do a “Dusty” and why he doesn’t regret being open about his family life to build connections.
AFL briefing
AFL 2024
Cats midfielder unlikely for round one; Harley Reid quiet in first West Coast outing
The Cats were looking forward to having underrated midfielder Cam Guthrie back on the field in 2024, but he’s in doubt for round one, while Harley Reid’s maiden outing for West Coast did not live up to the hype.
Aussies sweep series, but Smith’s failures put his World Cup spot at risk
While others enhanced their hopes of playing at the T20I World Cup, Steve Smith’s performances in New Zealand have had the opposite effect.
Analysis
Australian cricket
Why the fall of Test cricket would hurt Australia the most
Australian cricket has bet most of its chips on the health of Tests. Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird must lead the way to save them.
Let’s go: First look at the NRL’s new ad campaign for 2024 season
We know how the NRL will market itself to American fans ahead of the historic Las Vegas double-header, but what about its pitch to the dyed-in-the-wool fans?
Updated
ATP Tour
First ATP title and career-high ranking: Thompson’s Mexican ‘miracle’
Australia’s Jordan Thompson will rise to No.32 in the rankings after winning an ATP title in Los Cabos, but it took what the man himself described as a miracle to do it.
Have Your Say
Poll reveals how clubs really feel about the NRL’s Las Vegas expedition
The survey asked club bosses if taking games to Las Vegas over the next five years would yield a big financial benefit for the sport. This is what they said.
