Just in
Latest
Australia news LIVE: Australian aid worker reportedly killed in Gaza while providing food assistance; poorly behaved politicians face docked pay, suspension
An Israeli airstrike has destroyed the consular section of Iran’s embassy in Syria, and politicians who misbehave could be suspended or have their pay docked under new laws proposed.
- by Caroline Schelle and Josefine Ganko
Updated
World markets
ASX stays flat after Wall Street closes lower; Australian dollar slumps
The Australian sharemarket is trading steadily after US stocks slipped from record heights in response to a surprisingly strong report on American manufacturing.
- by Jessica Yun
Updated
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Albanese demands accountability from Israel for ‘unacceptable’ aid worker death
Australian Zomi Frankcom was among four foreign aid workers killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike while providing food assistance in Gaza.
- by Matthew Knott and Hannah Kennelly
Erdogan vows to make amends after humbling ‘loss of altitude’
Turkey’s opposition won the popular vote for the first time in decades, dealing a blow to the strongman who hoped a new constitution would extend his power.
- by Daren Butler and Ece Toksabay
Surreal and lewd (and sometimes nude): This year’s comedy festival is off to a strong start
From turning childhood trauma into laughs, to a show that is simultaneously dumb and deep, keep an eye on our ever-growing list of reviews here.
- by Mikey Cahill, Sonia Nair, Hannah Francis, Vyshnavee Wijekumar, Stephen A Russell, Cher Tan, Cameron Woodhead, Lefa Singleton Norton, Tyson Wray and Guy Webster
Uber back in court as taxi app GoCatch alleges intentional harm
GoCatch, a popular Australian taxi booking app, said Uber acted illegally and undertook espionage to crush it.
- by Tim Biggs
Analysis
Superannuation
Super funds urged to axe ‘sub-scale’ investment options
Many super funds have investment options that do not have enough funds in them to be sustainable.
- by John Collett
On their new album, Vampire Weekend are in a gloomy state of mind
Where Ezra Koenig might’ve once skewered the world’s absurdity, he’s now clearly affected by it.
- by Barry Divola
How a group of blind gospel singers from Alabama conquered the world
Gospel legends The Blind Boys of Alabama have remained constant in a changing world.
- by Nick Galvin
Does the peace sign still stand a chance?
A universal peace sign seems wildly optimistic now when almost everything from the colour of your hat to the emoji in your post is an ideological declaration.
- by Michael Rock
Opinion
Healthcare
Learn from my mistakes: What not to do when applying for a health card
Given the savings on offer, you might wonder why more people haven’t applied for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. Perhaps they heard about my misadventures.
- by Kaye Fallick
Tigers to call up another highly rated teen, Blues head west for Origin camp
Lachlan Galvin’s suspension brings one of the Tigers’ most talked-about signings in for his NRL debut as Cameron Munster pushes to return and Souths replace Alex Johnston.
- by Dan Walsh, Michael Chammas and Adrian Proszenko
Opinion
Wall Street
Donald Trump just got hit with a $1.5 billion reality check
The release of Donald Trump’s media group’s annual accounts rattled investors and wiped billions off the former president’s fortune.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
When Samuel Johnson woke up in emergency, he had one thought
The narrator of the observational series Paramedics got a first-hand look at the work of medicos after he was hit by a car.
- by Bridget McManus
Yes campaign groups received millions more in donations than No side for Voice referendum
The electoral commission has released figures detailing the sums received and expended by political parties and lobby groups involved in last year’s referendum campaign.
- by Paul Sakkal
Trump’s call for Israel to ‘finish up’ Gaza war shocks some on the right
Trump has long clung to the possibility of a grand bargain between Israel and the Palestinians, insisting that only he can broker the “deal of the century.”
- by Jonathan Swan
Analysis
Australian rugby
The Wallabies have poached a Kiwi ‘national treasure’ as scrum coach. It is a huge coup
Two-time World Cup winner Mike Cron is regarded as the world’s foremost expert on scrummaging - and he just joined Australian rugby.
- by Iain Payten
Exposed: How simple it is for cheats to buy a university essay
Despite authorities closing hundreds of essay cheating websites, the purchasing of assignments continues apace.
- by Daniella White
Analysis
BNPL
Fears as more shoppers use credit cards to buy now, pay later
Many people are using credit cards to pay off their buy now, pay later (BNPL) debt, stoking fears of a cascading “debt trap”.
- by John Collett
Updated
AFL 2024
‘The most disappointing thing’: Ginnivan opens up on Pies exit ahead of Gather Round clash
Jack Ginnivan has revealed post-grand final comments from coach Craig McRae combined with his exit interview showed him it was time to leave Collingwood, ahead of the new Hawk’s first clash against his old side on Sunday.
- by Marnie Vinall and AAP
Number four on Germany jerseys to be redesigned over Nazi symbolism
Adidas said fans would no longer be able to customise their jersey with the number 44 over concerns it resembles the symbol used by the SS.
- by Chiranjit Ojha
‘Fair thing to do’: ATO commissioner urged to wipe interest on ‘robotax’ debt
The ATO has been pushed to wipe accumulated interest on old debts that people weren’t even aware of, after it issued unexpected letters that distressed many Australians.
- by Jessica Yun
Woman almost drowns in Daylesford as rain drenches Victoria overnight
The 58-year-old woman fell into a drain about 8.50pm on Easter Monday and was swept away in fast-moving waters, Victoria Police said.
- by Lachlan Abbott
Asteroid that killed dinosaurs was a ‘big bang’ for bird evolution
Australian scientists have helped redraw the “tree of life” for almost every bird on earth, with a study finding their ancestors emerged after the dinosaurs disappeared.
- by Angus Dalton
Australia’s home values keep rising despite cost-of-living pressures
Property values rose across most capital cities in March, but the size of the increase varied widely.
- by Rachel Clun
Havana Syndrome: Russia military unit linked to brain injuries of Western diplomats
A Latvia-based media outlet reported that members of Russian military intelligence unit 29155 had been placed at the scene of reported health incidents involving US personnel.
Analysis
AFL 2024
Dees prove doubters wrong, Dons edge ahead: Key takeouts from round three
This week, we take a look at Melbourne’s performance in Adelaide, Essendon’s win over St Kilda and the case of the curious Cat.
- by Marc McGowan
ABC’s new comedy tackles race issues like you’ve never seen before
Actor and writer Ra Chapman’s new series explores the Korean-Australian adoptee experience through an unlikely lens: the romcom.
- by Kylie Northover
Exclusive
Live music
Less than $6000 a year: Australian musicians in dire straits, survey shows
Australian musicians are making less money than during the pandemic, and the collapse of the festival circuit is only going to make life harder.
- by Linda Morris
Israeli airstrike destroys Iran’s consular building, kills top commander
The strike on the Iranian consulate building could mark an escalation of the Israeli military’s ongoing targeting of Iranian military officials and allies in Syria.
Class act: Burnt beef investors left with thin slice of the action
A judge decided a multimillion-dollar settlement could be modest, poor and fair all at once as a litigation funder and lawyers landed the prime cut in a class action.
- by Noel Towell
Exclusive
Pollution
This factory contaminated the whole world. And you helped pay for it
Most Australians can expect to find forever chemicals – also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) – in their blood.
- by Carrie Fellner
This Australian billion-dollar luxury fashion retailer has taken the world by storm. But read the fine print
Cettire has dazzled both well-heeled shoppers and investors with its bargains and extraordinary growth, but it has also become the most polarising success story on the ASX.
- by Colin Kruger
Exclusive
Public transport
Commuters could get real-time tram data as hunt for new operator tightens
The next Yarra Trams operator may provide passengers with down-to-the-metre tracking.
- by Kieran Rooney and Annika Smethurst
Framework’s DIY laptop lets you upgrade rather than replace
I upgraded my laptop to a new generation processor and twice the memory in 20 minutes for half the price of a new premium portable PC.
- by Tim Biggs
Can Virginia Trioli’s new show fix the ABC’s arts problem?
The much-loved broadcaster is back with a new show highlighting Australia’s high-profile creative talent.
- by Kerrie O'Brien
Exclusive
Political leadership
Badly behaved politicians face docked pay, suspension under proposed new code
Politicians who breach parliamentary workplace standards could be fined up to $10,853, according to a leaked draft of new laws.
- by Olivia Ireland
Airport firefighters’ strike could hit school holiday getaways
The latest escalation of an ongoing safety and pay dispute could wreak havoc on school holiday travellers if airlines do not amend their usual schedules.
- by Amelia McGuire
The steps being taken to get better treatment for Australia’s autistic people
Australia has its first assistant minister for autism and is crafting its first national autism strategy. How the rest of society steps up will be crucial.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Letters
Letters
Empty rooms pile up as garden state abandoned
Readers react to the trend for houses in new suburbs to cover more of the block and to leave less space for trees
Lightning delay, Hawkins’ 350th and a Ginnivan free kick debate: Hawks fight hard but Cats win eventful Easter Monday clash
The Cats were victorious in Tom Hawkins’ 350th match, but bad weather caused a lengthy delay at three-quarter-time.
- by Marnie Vinall
At home among the gum trees: The carnival treasured since 1871
A pageant, sheepdog trials and running races featured in the 151st Rheola carnival in central Victoria on Monday.
- by Carolyn Webb
Exclusive
City life
Lime says its e-scooter riders spend less than 30 seconds per trip on footpaths
But the company’s study has been met with scepticism from critics, who say far too many riders are still putting themselves and pedestrians at risk.
- by Melissa Cunningham
Albanese government under fire over ‘disturbing practice’ of secrecy
Critics say the government’s use of non-disclosure agreements is accelerating, limiting feedback on contentious draft legislation to hand-picked participants.
- by Matthew Knott
Contending or rebuilding? Geelong show, again, it doesn’t have to be one or the other
Not even the 40-minute delay at the start of the last quarter, taken as a precaution against a lightning strike, could do more than temporarily stall the Cats on their path to victory over Hawthorn at the MCG on Easter Monday.
- by Greg Baum
Opinion
Life in the ’burbs
My suburb used to embarrass me. Now I get why its homes come at a 30% premium
I’m proud to live in McKinnon now, but as a child, I was embarrassed by the suburb my grandparents called home. Why couldn’t they live in the more fashionable Caulfield South?
- by Melissa Singer
‘The tourists have stopped coming’: Well-known restaurants close in regional Victoria
Cost-of-living pressures are biting regional hospitality businesses hard, with many forced to close their doors.
- by Richard Cornish
Updated
Olympics
‘We were actually praying for the rain’: Olympic hopeful wins Gift amid wild weather
In a Stawell Gift remarkable for even starting, let alone finishing, Jack Lacey has won the men’s final for 2024 and Chloe Mannix-Power the women’s at a waterlogged track where races were delayed and abandoned as wild weather hit.
- by Michael Gleeson
Flash flooding warning as heavy rain drenches Melbourne
Lightning forced players off the ground at the MCG during the clash between Hawthorn and Geelong and fans were told to seek shelter at three-quarter time.
- by Lachlan Abbott and Benjamin Preiss
Scammers are becoming patient: Banks say social media giants need to step up
Experts warn scammers are targeting victims through drawn-out investment and romance scams – and say social media platforms to step up prevention.
- by Millie Muroi
‘Too tough for his own good’: Why Tszyu’s warrior spirit may have cost him Crawford
Jeff Horn, the only Australian to have fought boxing’s pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford, says Tim Tszyu should have “swallowed his ego” against Sebastian Fundora.
- by Vince Rugari
Israeli government faces largest protests since war began, Netanyahu in surgery
Protesters blame Netanyahu for the failures of October 7, while some Israelis have grown tired of military service exemptions for the nation’s ultra-Orthodox Jews.
- by Melanie Lindman, Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy
Analysis
Defamation
Inside Ten’s eleventh-hour manoeuvre in the Lehrmann defamation case
The network is seeking to call Taylor Auerbach, a former producer on Seven’s Spotlight program, who was part of a team working to woo the former Liberal staffer into an exclusive interview deal.
- by Michaela Whitbourn and Kate McClymont
Updated
AFL 2024
‘We’ve just got to get him to take a breath’: How Rioli jnr can realise immense potential
Maurice Rioli won Adem Yze’s praise for a chase-down tackle in the decisive last quarter – one of six he laid for the match – and there was also a wonderful spin out of trouble at half-back and plenty of dash throughout.
- by Marc McGowan and Claire Siracusa