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Lehrmann’s no-win, no-fee agreement with lawyers revealed in court
Network Ten sought access to documents revealing whether the former Liberal staffer had financial assistance in bringing his multimillion-dollar defamation case.
Opinion
Aviation
Sorry, not sorry: Qantas perfects the art of the non-apology
To suggest that the airline’s settlement over the ghost flights matter makes Qantas a trustworthy company is to be wilfully blind to its recent history.
Joe Aston
Columnist
Dutton attacks Albanese’s ‘weak’ response to China jet incident
Peter Dutton has accused Anthony Albanese of being weak for not picking up the phone to Chinese President Xi Jinping and condemning the superpower.
Editorial
Editorial
Victoria is driving towards a debt cliff. Here’s one way to hit the brakes
Projections that the state’s debt would rise from $135.9 billion this year to $187.8 billion by mid-2028 highlight a need for drastic action.
The Age's View
Editorial
Exclusive
Victorian budget
Sweeping hospital mergers on the table after Victoria’s bad-news budget
Victoria’s 76 health services could be slashed to 12 in an efficiency-driven overhaul revealed as the government dropped a budget notable for soaring debt, higher taxes, stalled projects and abandoned promises.
‘Not sick of Australians at all’: Anya Taylor-Joy on life Down Under, Nick Cave and her latest coveted role
The Hollywood star spent more than six months in Sydney ensconced in George Miller’s dystopian Mad Max universe, and lived to tell the tale.
Prince Harry in UK but won’t visit father because King couldn’t find time
The Duke of Sussex had made little secret of his hopes to see his father, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year.
Analysis
Gadgets
Apple’s iPad event: Five things you should know
We’ve had our hands on all of Apple’s newly announced hardware. Here are our first impressions.
Exclusive
Hunter Valley tragedy
Hunter Valley bus driver addicted to drugs, took pills before fatal crash
The bus driver, who killed 10 people in a crash last year, had a long history of opioid abuse that concerned doctors and employers.
Analysis
China relations
PM’s rinse-and-repeat response to China jet incident will do little to deter aggression
How stable are relations with China if the People’s Liberation Army is regularly putting the lives of Australian military personnel at risk?
‘Our hearts are broken’: Parents of surfers killed in Mexico share their grief
The Australian brothers were on a surfing trip in Mexico when they were allegedly murdered by Mexican nationals attempting to steal car parts.
AFL Briefing
AFL 2024
Beveridge criticism ‘aggressive and personal’; Blues consider big ins
The Western Bulldogs’ football staff and players met at St Kilda Sea Baths on Tuesday to thrash out the issues that have bedevilled their season.
Opinion
Social media
TikTok makes a stand against forced sale or ban in the US
TikTok has filed a court challenge against a recently-enacted US law that would force its Chinese parent to divest its US business or close it down.
Stephen Bartholomeusz
Senior business columnist
This legend of Australian acting no longer recognises himself
Thc celebrated actor has gradually turned into an eccentric child – awestruck and cheerful – since being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Review
St Kilda
These ‘genius’ dumplings are not what you might expect at a typical suburban Thai
Charlong is clever, creative, run by women and could only be in Melbourne.
Dorian Gray wowed the West End. Now this Melbourne-bound hit’s ready to take on the world
Just weeks after The Picture of Dorian Gray made a West End splash, this local stage hit is heading to the US.
Victorian budget 2024
We asked Victorians what they thought of the budget. This is what they told us
It’s a tight budget with a few standouts for families, but Victorians still have plenty to say.
Video: Victorian budget 2024 explained in two minutes
Treasurer Tim Pallas’ 10th budget is full of bad news and a $25 million-a-day interest bill.
Victoria
Driver in Lamborghini crash also accused of killing spectator at burnout event
A Ballarat mechanic has been refused bail after crashing into a house six months after he was involved in a fatal crash at a car festival in regional Victoria.
Exclusive
Literature
The Weirdo books once had a ‘prettiest girls list’. Now, they are re-recording the audiobooks
The best-selling children’s book author is revising his Weirdo audiobooks to remove a “prettiest girls” list. “I was ranked low on a list and it affected me for years,” he says.
Melburnians were encouraged to send an email about the city’s trees. They poured their hearts out
“Dear 1040090. Is it okay if I call you George?” A project mapping people’s emotional connections with trees draws on Melbourne’s beloved and viral “treemail”.
Updated
Mushroom case
Alleged killer mushroom cook Erin Patterson pleads not guilty
Accused triple murderer Erin Patterson will have her case fast-tracked to the Supreme Court where her barrister says she will plead not guilty to all charges.
Updated
Private schools
Private school boys expelled over list ranking female classmates
The principal of Yarra Valley Grammar said the school was characterised by respectful relationships “most of the time”.
AFL
‘Playing for their future’: Heat on Beveridge, Bulldogs ahead of Tigers clash
Western Bulldogs great Doug Hawkins is “a Bevo man” and has backed the coach to turn the Bulldogs’ season around. But he fears what could happen if his old club is beaten by Richmond on Saturday.
Analysis
The former tradie behind Demons’ success
Everyone knows a tradie who thinks they know everything about footy. There just aren’t many like former air conditioner technician Jason Taylor.
Politics
Exclusive
University
Colleges told to stop recruiting fake overseas students
The Age revealed the rise of “ghost colleges” that attract offshore visa holders who want to work rather than undertake genuine study. This new move clears the way for legal sanctions against providers with poor track records.
Business
Origin Energy-backed Octopus gains more investors to power global push
Australian power giant Origin’s stake in Britain’s Octopus Energy has gained hundreds of millions of dollars in value after the fast-growing UK company secured new backing.
World
Security guard shot outside Drake’s mansion in Toronto
The shooting comes amid a heavyweight rap feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
Opinion
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Property
Grandparents give up to $1m in home deposits to keep family from moving away
Average workers are priced out, but many property buyers who are left in the market now have extraordinary wealth – often from family.
The type of home that got 50 per cent more expensive within four years
Asking prices have skyrocketed since the depths of COVID-19 lockdown. Is any relief in sight for home hunters?
Good Food
Lifestyle
Groundbreaking? No, but these celebrities won the Met Gala red carpet
The Met Gala isn’t really a place for setting trends, but these celebrities were best in show.
Culture
Mona heads to Supreme Court in fight to keep Ladies Lounge for women
The art gallery was ordered to close a women-only exhibit last month after a NSW man launched an anti-discrimination case.
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
AFL Briefing
AFL 2024
Beveridge criticism ‘aggressive and personal’; Blues consider big ins; Draper’s response to podcast storm
The Western Bulldogs met at St Kilda Sea Baths to thrash out issues, the Blues look to bolster their line-up, and Brad Scott on how Sam Draper handled his podcast storm.
Money Talks
AFL 2024
Danger is staying, but here’s why some of the Cats’ biggest names aren’t their highest priorities
Geelong started the season with a long list of free agents to sign, but it won’t change the wait and see approach that has served them well when it comes to their veterans.
In just 19 balls, Fraser-McGurk heaps more pressure on Australian selectors
He wasn’t deemed good enough for Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, but Jake Fraser-McGurk’s responded in the best possible way with another IPL batting blitz.
Opinion
AFL 2024
Why personalities like Sam Draper should be celebrated, not gagged
Seeing Sam Draper’s reaction to the crucial decision late in the Bombers’ last-minute win against Adelaide was revealing and hilarious – unless you barracked for the Crows.
Mathew Stokes
AFL columnist
‘I’m not in great touch’: Hawkins’ form in focus ahead of games record
The champion Cat will match his triple-premiership teammate Joel Selwood’s games record on Friday night against Port Adelaide when he plays his 355th game for the club.
Cousins won’t be part of the hall of fame class of ’24
Former West Coast champion and skipper Ben Cousins will not be inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2024 and is not considered likely to be added to the honour roll any time soon.
Five years ago Tiana tried boxing for the first time. Now she’s off to the Olympics
Tiana Echegaray went to a boxercise class in 2019 to keep fit and it has led her to competing at her first Olympics at the age of 30.
Have Your Say
Not a top-four team: How rival recruiters really rate the Bulldogs’ list
It’s hard to get a handle on Bevo’s Bulldogs. List managers polled by The Age point to top-end talent, but a wobbly defence and a one-paced midfield.