The Booklist
A weekly newsletter for book lovers from books editor Jason Steger.
The Drop podcast
Your weekly hit of the most interesting pop culture news, reviews and recommendations.
The Traveller Quiz
Are you an expert traveller? Test your knowledge with our weekly travel quiz.
Charles Waterstreet sexually harassed trio of women, tribunal finds
A NSW tribunal found the former barrister showed a law student a sex toy during a job interview and played a pornographic film in front of a researcher.
Graphic content
Tragedy
Hunt under way after fatal stabbing of teenage boy
Police are searching for attackers who fatally stabbed a teenage boy near a Sydney school on Friday afternoon and left another fighting for his life.
All eyes will be on courtroom one on Monday
Once, cases like this would only play out in the courtroom, with very little capacity for the public to see how the sausage is made.
Karaoke kid kicked out: Lehrmann ‘evicted’ from Sydney house
The avowed party animal has been given his marching orders from the $4.1 million North Sydney home where he had been staying before complaints from neighbours.
Exclusive
Development
Council wanted to save this field from being turned into townhouses. It just lost
T.G. Millner Field in Sydney’s northern suburbs was the centre of a years-long campaign for green space in the area.
Palm Beach locals call in lawyers over Joey’s nighttime stoush
Special counsel Gary Green confirmed he was acting for residents as the local council reviews its decision to block The Joey from trading in the evening.
Exclusive
Crime
Mick Murphy spends hours every day searching for his wife, Samantha
About 1000 people gathered in Ballarat on Friday evening to protest over violence against women after the deaths of three women this year – all allegedly killed by men.
Solar panels may be great for the environment but at what human cost?
Modern-day abolitionist Grace Forrest is now at the same level as Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai and Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Her cause is to curb forced and child labour while there’s time.
Opinion
SMB Marketing
‘How did we do?’ Companies are getting clingy, but Bunnings is the worst
If you can find a clingier company, we’ll beat it by 10 per cent.
Jo Stubbings
Writer and reviewer
Harrison nails late drop-goal to give Waratahs stunning extra-time victory
The Waratahs have beaten the Crusaders 43-40 in a dramatic Super Rugby clash that went to extra time after the lead changed hands more than a dozen times.
Storm strike late to deny battling Bulldogs in thriller
For the second week in a row, Melbourne Storm have come back from a seemingly hopeless position to steal a late win.
‘Kids like him fight for everything’: Feelgood story flying under radar at Souths
About an hour before Jason Demetriou’s 27-second media conference, a Souths favourite was presenting a debut jersey to speedster Jye Gray.
Opinion
US Votes 2024
Trump is Bible bashing. Even the religious faithful are about to be shocked
Donald Trump, who is facing 91 felony counts, is using his favourite book to guide him onto the road to redemption and back into the presidency.
Bruce Wolpe
Senior fellow at the US Studies Centre and former political staffer
Exclusive
Australian War Memorial
Former Lendlease employee approved developer’s tender for War Memorial redevelopment
Veteran Affairs Minister Matt Keogh is demanding answers about the $500 million project.
Opinion
Loyalty programs
How to game Qantas’ frequent flyer program – and win
The airline’s new frequent flyer scheme is now open for business, so here’s how to make the most of the system.
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Money contributor
Opinion
Tripologist
Where can I have a Thailand beach stopover en route to Europe?
“I have four nights in Thailand to break my economy flights to and from Europe with a mid-journey stopover.”
Michael Gebicki
The Tripologist
The British romantic tragedy that will rip your heart out
Your instinct is to assume Alice & Jack is a British romantic comedy with a few dark twists, but the dark twists are very dark. But to call it a “romantic tragedy” undersells one key detail.
Does Alex Garland’s Civil War predict America’s future, or incite it?
The author of The Beach and director of Ex Machina has made a film about the collapse of democracy. It’s a harrowing vision but, he says, it needn’t come true.
NRL 2024
Cruel blow rubs salt in wounds: Four things learnt from Battle of Brisbane
A fruitless chase has ultimately cost the Dolphins their most electric talent, while one man proved himself to be a future captain.
Updated
Gone in 27 seconds: Under-fire Souths coach storms out of press conference
Embattled coach Jason Demetriou was in no mood to talk about himself in what may prove his final press conference in charge of the Rabbitohs. Watch it here.
Sydney
Man jailed after crashing into McDonald’s, chasing terrified woman with knife
Abbas Hayder Al-Khafaji threatened to kill the woman as she was backed into a corner of the restaurant, arming herself with a broom.
Smear campaign rocks Point Piper’s exclusive Royal Motor Yacht Club
An anonymous poison pen letter has targeted club commodore John Barbouttis, who says he will not dignify it with a response.
Bruce Lehrmann’s karaoke is killing the neighbourhood
The former political staffer’s partying is bringing epic levels of irritation to his new neighbours in North Sydney. The man who offered to put him up for a few days says he’s “ropeable”.
Exclusive
State Parliament
‘Unelectable for decades’: Liberal MP says renters’ votes vital to election win
Two MPs have urged the Liberal Party to adopt policies to help tenants, lest it become irrelevant.
Zoo break-outs, buffalo on King Street and baboons fleeing vasectomies
The horse that ran along a train station platform last week is the latest chapter in a storied history of unlikely animals roaming free in metropolitan Sydney. Not all the incidents ended well.
SEE & DO
Meet Australia’s biggest performing artist you’ve probably never heard of
Pub Choir is the art of teaching a song they’ve never heard to a bunch of beery strangers who might not be able to sing. It’s a hell of a ride.
★★★★½
Who would have thought a cost of living crisis play could be so funny?
Our reviewer give their verdict on acts all over town from the No Pay, No Way, Carmen, Chris Isaak and Grease.
Politics
PM warned against ‘slippery slope’ of picking business winners with taxpayer billions
Productivity Commission chair Danielle Wood said the government’s push to subsidise manufacturing risks creating businesses that rely on handouts. And her predecessors agree.
Business
Billionaire Stokes family wins support for takeover of Australia’s largest concrete maker
Boral’s independent directors have caved in to Seven Group’s hardball takeover bid.
World
Real estate tycoon sentenced to death in $19.1b fraud case
The court found Truong My Lan ran an orchestrated criminal enterprise that had serious consequences, with no possibility of the money being recovered.
Opinion
Corrupt? No. Acceptable behaviour for an MP? Also no
Alexandra Smith
State Political Editor
The PM has a new slogan. Just don’t play a drinking game with it
David Crowe
Chief political correspondent
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Property
The unexpected NSW towns where rents rose the most
Instead of moving to big name coastal hotspots for the lifestyle, a wave of city dwellers are moving to under-the-radar towns instead.
Analysis
Renting
Peak Sydney: Gemma paid $875 a week for a mould-riddled, rat-infested cottage
The 40-year-old had little recourse that would see real and timely change to her living conditions.
Good Food
Lifestyle
Serving looks: For winter, tennis is once again shaping our wardrobes
Thanks to Zendaya’s carefully curated looks on the press tour for the film Challengers, dressing like you belong to an expensive racquet club is back in style.
Culture
★★
Review
Back to Black: a tasteless melodrama that tarnishes Winehouse’s legacy
No one had a voice like Amy Winehouse. The film about this once-in-a-lifetime singer disappoints.
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
Harrison nails drop goal to seal stunning Waratahs win in extra time
The Waratahs have beaten the Crusaders 43-40 in a dramatic Super Rugby clash that went to extra time after the lead changed hands more than a dozen times.
Dogs show their teeth but eventually shaken off by Storm
Melbourne’s class proved the difference in the end in a 16-14 victory at AAMI Park, but they were given a huge scare after a second-half hat-trick by Josh Addo-Carr.
Exclusive
NRL 2024
Zac Lomax set to join Parramatta Eels on four-year, $2.6 million deal
Lomax’s management and the Parramatta Eels are finalising the terms of the deal, which is expected to be worth $2.6 million over the four years of the contract.
Calm after the storm: Super Netball returns after tumultuous off-season
The Super Netball season kicks off on Saturday, starting with the Giants hosting the Fever. Here’s everything you need to know about the prospects for the Swifts and Giants.
Updated
NRL 2024
Under-fire Demetriou lasts just 27 seconds in Souths press conference
Embattled coach Jason Demetriou was in no mood to talk about himself in what may prove his final appearance in front of the media in charge of the Rabbitohs.
‘Kids like him fight for everything’: Feelgood story flying under radar at Souths
About an hour before Jason Demetriou’s 27-second media conference, a Souths favourite was presenting a debut jersey to speedster Jye Gray.
Opinion
NRL 2024
Rugby league has never been quicker nor better — but at what cost?
The NRL have released stats talking up the game. But some clubs are facing enormous injury tolls.
Andrew Webster
Chief Sports Writer
Have Your Say
South Africa will be back if they can’t make Europe pay off
Move to Europe and the cash will flow, they said. Well, it hasn’t for South African teams just yet. If it doesn’t, they might be back in Super Rugby given the extraordinary cost of keeping up with the giants of European rugby.
Paul Cully
Rugby columnist
