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National news LIVE: Elon Musk widens legal fight with Australia; Treasurer wants Australians to have more babies
Billionaire Elon Musk widens his legal fight with Australia, the treasurer would like Australians to have more children and some Labor MPs push back against gas plan.
Trump’s lawyer argues Stormy Daniels’s sex allegations were motivated by profit
In a combative few hours of cross-examination in the hush money trial, Trump’s lawyers sought to portray the former porn star as a promiscuous extortionist.
- by Farrah Tomazin
Analysis
NRL 2024
‘You know I barrack for Queensland?’ How Roosters won race for Fifita
Fed up with waiting, Roosters supremo Nick Politis was contemplating pulling the four-year, $3.3 million offer on the table to David Fifita. Then his phone rang.
- by Michael Chammas
Opinion
Wall Street
Warren Buffett has a $285 billion problem
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has become too big, and it’s getting bigger by the day. It makes it a lot less exciting.
- by Justin Fox
‘We will fight with our fingernails’: Netanyahu says US threat won’t prevent Gaza offensive
The Israeli PM’s comments indicate he might proceed with an invasion of the packed city of Rafah against the wishes of Israel’s closest ally.
- by Joseph Krauss and Josef Federman
Exclusive
Fair Work
Union at centre of IBAC probe being investigated for funnelling money into training organisation
The Victorian Health Workers Union is being investigated over allegations it secretly funnelled union money into a training organisation that an anti-corruption commission previously found was an abject failure.
- by Sumeyya Ilanbey
‘I used to be a snob’: Joel Edgerton on his return to TV in twisty thriller Dark Matter
During lockdown, the Australian actor watched so much television, he realised he wanted to be back on the small screen.
- by Louise Rugendyke
ASX set to edge up as Wall Street grinds higher
US stocks are drifting higher on a quiet session following two straight days where indexes barely budged.
- by Stan Choe
Opinion
Work therapy
I didn’t get a job because I’m Gen Z. Why did that happen?
It might seem like your potential employer was discriminating against your youth, but the truth is probably more complex.
- by Jonathan Rivett
Analysis
Workplace culture
Why open-plan offices are bad news for ADHD workers
Bright overhead lighting, noisy phone calls, unpredictable office temperature and smells from the kitchen are all triggers that can overload workers with ADHD.
- by Adam Mawardi
CBD
CBD
Inside Penny Fowler and Hamish McLachlan’s family house swap
Two prominent Melburnians found themselves living in properties that no longer suited their lives. So they sold up – to each other.
- by Stephen Brook and Kishor Napier-Raman
Opinion
Domestic violence
Why you won’t find this woman’s name on the list of Australian victims of domestic violence murders
Her partner pleaded guilty to doing “an act as a result of which the life, health or safety” of his victim “was likely to be endangered”.
- by Gary Adshead
Exclusive
Healthcare
Arden’s electrical issues were known three years before shock hospital move
Authorities knew in 2021 that electromagnetic waves from Metro Tunnel trains were a risk to Arden’s recently scrapped hospital towers.
- by Henrietta Cook, Rachel Eddie and Kieran Rooney
Drug kingpin’s former Sydney Road arcade for sale
Cashed-up Aesop founder and Canberra developer are selling hipster Sydney Road shops once owned by career criminal Tony Mokbel.
- by Nicole Lindsay
Opinion
Victorian budget
Pallas says Labor’s promises have been delayed. Many would say they’ve been broken
Parents whose children will never attend promised childcare or see promised school upgrades are unlikely to be satisfied by the treasurer’s postponement of election pledges.
- by Annika Smethurst
Exclusive
Domestic violence
Peta was assaulted by her ex. A safety device was supposed to keep her safe
A woman who was violently attacked for five hours by her former partner is suing the supplier of a personal safety device that failed to alert police.
- by Cameron Houston
Crown’s $90m sky home, languishing on the market, gets a $10m discount
Call it opulent, elevated, expensive – but the luxury home set high in Crown Resorts’ skyscraper can’t yet be called “sold”.
- by Swati Pandey
Exclusive
Education
Police warn unis to break up protests as staffer threatens to burn camp
Victoria Police told universities there is a strong likelihood of violence if they don’t break up pro-Palestine student encampments on their campuses, warning that agitators who are not students are inflaming tensions.
- by Sherryn Groch and Chris Vedelago
Opinion
Federal budget
If Chalmers gets the budget wrong, interest rate rises may kill his government
For Treasurer Jim Chalmers, this budget is existential. Bad decisions could increase unemployment or provoke more interest rate rises. Both would be political nails in the government’s coffin.
- by Shane Wright
Blast off for stories that will move you to laughter, tears, and fear
Ceridwen Dovey’s latest speculative stories, all set in space, unfold with fierce clarity and breezy wit.
- by Carmel Bird
How many times was Melbourne voted most liveable city? Take The Age quiz
How well do you know Melbourne and Victoria? Test your trivia and news knowledge with Stephen Brook’s weekly quiz.
- by Stephen Brook
Exclusive
Federal budget
Australia, let’s have more babies, says Jim Chalmers
Australians are having fewer children with the fertility rate tumbling. The treasurer says people should think about having more kids.
- by Shane Wright and David Crowe
AFL 2024 LIVE: Carlton on point as brave Dees fall short in MCG thriller
Follow along for all the major moments and post game reactions as Carlton and Melbourne face off at the MCG.
- by Danny Russell
Blues get belief back, Dees pay price for sluggish start
Carlton and Melbourne played out another MCG thriller, and the narrow margin could have far-reaching consequences for the fate of both teams this season.
- by Jon Pierik
Anna Funder on the ‘beautiful letters’ she received from men who read Wifedom
The Miles Franklin winner took on a “terrifying project” when she wrote about George Orwell and his oft forgotten wife.
- by Kerrie O'Brien
Musk widens legal fight with Australia as Labor pushes social media probe
Elon Musk’s company has launched a case in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to test the merits of the eSafety Commissioner’s order to remove church stabbing videos.
- by Paul Sakkal
Barron Trump named among Republican Party delegates ahead of US election
Former president Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, is about to make his political debut.
- by Annabelle Timsit and Andrew Jeong
Letters
Letters
No scientist can’t be shocked by this cut to cancer research
Readers are floored by the Victorian state budget cuts to a cancer research centre.
Sydney, Monash unis warn students as Dreyfus refuses legal advice
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus noted that people could make a complaint under the Racial Discrimination Act if they were concerned about phrases being used by protesters.
- by James Massola, David Crowe, Daniella White and Sherryn Groch
‘I’ve sacrificed everything’: Lydia Williams to retire from Matildas
After two decades, 103 caps, five World Cups and six Asian Cups, the 35-year-old goalkeeper will bid farewell to the national team - after her third Olympics this year in Paris.
- by Emma Kemp
Opinion
Mother's Day
By cancelling Mother’s Day, this school is so inclusive it excludes mums
Hunter Valley Grammar School has cancelled its Mother’s Day gift stall for children in K-6 and replaced it with a “Family Gift Stall”.
- by Brad Emery
Labor’s gas boost opens new front in crossbench election battle
Teal independents, the Greens and even Labor MPs are pushing back against the government’s gas plan as a Morrison-era rerun.
- by Mike Foley
Waratahs lose playmaker to Japan as Rebels saga causes chaos
The prospect of the Rebels closing and Wallabies No.10 Carter Gordon moving to NSW was a factor in Will Harrison electing to move offshore.
- by Iain Payten and Tom Decent
Updated
AFL 2024
Powell’s social media posts revealed after homophobic slur
Gold Coast’s Wil Powell used homophobic language online before abusing a Brisbane opponent last Sunday, as prominent gay rights advocate Ian Roberts called for the AFL to invest more into anti-vilification education.
- by Andrew Wu, Marnie Vinall and Michael Gleeson
‘The NT is ready’: Powerbrokers push for 20th AFL team
A Northern Territory club could join the AFL within a decade and play at a multipurpose 20,000-capacity stadium in Darwin, NT powerbrokers say.
- by Steve Larkin
Woman says she hasn’t sung since the day she was sexually assaulted by coach
One of Australia’s leading singing coaches sentenced for sexual assault.
- by Cassandra Morgan
Pulped fiction: Thousands of library books removed as collection culled
A truckload of books has been taken away under plans to reduce shelving at Melbourne’s City Library and replace it with meeting spaces.
- by Tom Cowie
Lawyers for celebrated surgeon say he can’t be held responsible for patients’ pain
Defamation trial hears that a multidisciplinary team, including a pain specialist and an anesthetist, was responsible for prescribing drugs.
- by Melissa Cunningham
‘Super-Earth’: Astronomers finally find a rocky planet with atmosphere
The planet, called 55 Cancri e or Janssen, is about 8.8 times bigger than Earth.
- by Will Dunham
The suburb stopping a developer from selling more homes
A council has banned a developer from selling more home and land packages until it fixes a dangerous intersection in one of Melbourne’s fastest-growing suburbs.
- by Adam Carey
Australia news as it happened: Tax cuts worth nearly $1900 in federal budget; Home Affairs botched sex-trafficking investigation
Home Affairs has been criticised for botching investigations, the treasurer will lift rent assistance in the budget and debate continues on deportation laws.
- by Josefine Ganko and Caroline Schelle
Girlfriend fled from killer’s car months before her fatal stabbing
A killer drove at his girlfriend and a group of people who came to her aid two months before he stabbed her to death in her apartment.
- by Tara Cosoleto
Updated
World markets
ASX breaks five-day win streak as big banks slide
The big four banks weighed down the Australian sharemarket after the Commonwealth Bank’s March quarter cash profit fell 5 per cent compared to the same time last year.
- by Jessica Yun and Sumeyya Ilanbey
Analysis
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Biden had hoped to send a quiet message, then Israel leaked it
The US decision to pause the delivery of bombs represents a significant turning point in its relationship with Israel. But it may not necessarily be a breaking point.
- by Peter Baker
TV therapists wipe away the pain. Here in real life, it’s not so easy
Another tragedy prompts more calls for action but when it comes to healing, there’s no quick fix.
- by Genevieve Novak
Speed limit cut to 30km/h on almost every street in two suburbs
The City of Yarra is also campaigning for limits on exempt roads in Fitzroy and Collingwood – including Hoddle and Nicholson streets – to be reduced to either 40km/h or 60km/h.
- by Rachael Dexter
ADF chief rejects China spying claim after helicopter flare incident
The incident, where a Chinese jet dropped flares in the path of a navy helicopter, has caused tension between Australia and the nation’s biggest trading partner.
- by Andrew Probyn
Blown-out North East Link’s extra $3.25 billion gets Albanese’s thumbs up
Next week’s federal budget will feature extra money for the blown-out road project, bringing the Commonwealth’s contribution to $5 billion.
- by Broede Carmody
Exclusive
NRL 2024
Fifita signs with Sydney Roosters, turns down Panthers
The Roosters have pulled off a major signing coup, beating Penrith to the services of David Fifita on a deal worth $3.3m over four years.
- by Michael Chammas and Adrian Proszenko
Updated
WA budget
WA budget gets more from ore as Saffioti promises to diversify
“A big challenge for us is to make sure we continue to diversify our economy to ensure we have a strong revenue base in the future,” Treasurer Rita Saffioti said.
- by Peter Milne
Westfield owner beefs up security after Bondi Junction attack
Scentre Group has increased its security and is working with local police across its 42 Westfield shopping malls following the attack at its Bondi Junction centre.
- by Carolyn Cummins
AFR to cut print in WA after Seven’s ‘abuse of power’
The Australian Financial Review will no longer have a physical edition in Perth after Kerry Stokes’ Seven West Media doubled the cost of printing the newspaper.
- by Colin Kruger
Opinion
Big four
CBA lowers the curtain on a profit season banks would rather forget
This season was not one that banks will be crowing about – all experienced a fall in profits and the themes were remarkably similar.
- by Elizabeth Knight
Opinion
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
When uni students endorse terror, it’s time for political intervention
The university protests in Australia arising from the Israel-Gaza conflict have moved beyond a debate about free speech.
- by David Crowe
Ordinary weather is now extraordinary, as Sydney braces for more rain
Australia has always experienced swings between hot, dry weather and heavy rain, but this is now amplified.
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Opinion
AFL 2024
Homophobic and dumb: Why the punishment is right for Powell’s slur
Gold Coast player’s language shows that changing behaviour takes both time and decisive action.
- by Peter Ryan
Murder trial for Jetstar pilot over ‘missing campers’ case set to begin
A jury has been selected in the Supreme Court to hear trial evidence regarding the deaths of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay.
- by Erin Pearson
Opinion
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Uni protests are messy, but they prove that campuses have come back to life
A sad legacy of lockdowns is that too many of us are unable to stop and listen to another side. But the noise of the encampments shows that campuses have come back to life.
- by Alexandra Wake
‘Like a ghost town now’: Palestinians flee for safety amid Israel’s threat of Rafah invasion
Residents said tanks, which had moved in to take control of the crossing, had not entered built-up areas of the city and gun battles were still outside the city limits.
- by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Hatem Khaled
AFL Briefing
AFL 2024
Pies running out of forwards with Elliott test; Bevo calm in face of Bulldogs pressure
Collingwood will have only one of their six first-choice forwards against West Coast if star Jamie Elliott doesn’t pass a fitness test, while Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is blocking out the noise.
- by Jake Niall and Marnie Vinall
Opinion
Gadgets
Apple’s tone-deaf iPad ad triggers our darkest AI fears
Apple has made its worst marketing faux pas since it forced everyone to listen to U2.
- by Dave Lee
Darcy Bulman had an infectious laugh. Her partner feels sick that he’ll never hear it again
Almost a year on from the horror Hunter Valley bus crash that killed Bulman and nine others, her partner, Nick Dinakis, has spoken out.
- by Angus Livingston
Orica boss says gas pledge won’t fix today’s soaring price problem
The high cost of gas in Australia is skewing investment decisions towards other countries, says manufacturing boss.
- by Simon Johanson
★★★★½
Sydney live reviews
Tales of young foolishness are comedy gold
Cameron James mines his early life for laughs in his latest show.
- by Daniel Herborn
CBA boss says rates to stay on hold after another profit drop
The country’s biggest bank has reported its net profit slid by 3 per cent as CEO Matt Comyn said the strong immigration rate was helping the Australian economy remain resilient.
- by Millie Muroi
Biden vows US will cut off weapons to Israel if it goes into Rafah
The comments represent the most direct threat the president has made to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the war began on October 7.
- by Farrah Tomazin
Journey into childhood memory takes surreal and dystopian turn
World Problems is a one-woman show that looks both backwards and forwards at the ideas, memories and possibilities that connect us all.
- by Cameron Woodhead
Opinion
Energy
It’s not easy being green for UK and European oil giants
The oil super majors are eyeing shifting their primary stock exchange listings to New York as a stronger push to reduce fossil fuels in their home markets weighs on their share prices.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Opinion
AFL 2024
Why AFL needs to embrace the coaching merry-go-round
In overseas sports, head coaches often transition swiftly between roles, quitting or being fired from one franchise to resurface as the head coach at another. The AFL’s landscape with more entrenched coaches underscores the need for more open minds on changing clubs.
- by Kane Cornes
Lyon: We’d have won the Ashes 4-0 if I’d been fit
Nathan Lyon believes Australia would have won the 2023 Ashes series 4-0 if he hadn’t broken down with injury.
- by Ian Chadband
Exclusive
Hospitals
The seven-day healthcare clinic that’s closed 14 per cent of the time
The GP clinic is meant to cut wait times at Northern Beaches Hospital. Instead, it’s struggling to stay open.
- by Angus Thomson
Exclusive
Funding
Discotheque: Music mogul Matt Gudinski joins investors sinking $10 million into start-up
Matt Gudinski is bringing his record label - which just turned 50 - firmly into the 21st century with a new investment.
- by David Swan
Warning as universities refuse police help with pro-Palestine camps
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said police were having daily meetings with security staff, worried by a growing risk of violence.
- by Robyn Grace
‘It took 10 years to become an overnight success’: How Penrith built the ultimate footy factory
The Panthers spend $3 million every year to nurture junior talent. The result is a production line of superstars, although the premiers can’t keep them all.
- by Adrian Proszenko
‘China played like a backbencher’: Xi’s self-serving push for peace in the Middle East
China is playing a calculated strategic game in the Middle East, positioning itself as a peace-brokering alternative to the US while having no real skin in the game, experts say.
- by Lisa Visentin
Bad hair day? This sexy, icky, potent display might just be the answer
A new exhibition at Heide Museum of Modern Art explores our sometimes weird relationship with hair.
- by Kerrie O'Brien
Beauty and horror collide in this famous exploration of ‘madness’
One of opera’s most famous ‘mad scenes’ is on show in Melbourne Opera’s production of Lucia di Lammermoor.
- by Bridget Davies, Cameron Woodhead, Tony Way and Andrew Fuhrmann
Historian who put colonial frontier violence on the map dies at 81
Professor Lyndall Ryan was a leading historian who showed that rather than being rare, massacres were a key tool of colonisation in Australia.
- by James Bennett
Miraculous: This play in a tiny theatre shouldn’t work but it does
Our critics give their verdicts on the biggest shows around town.
- by Chantal Nguyen, Daniel Herborn, John Shand and Harriet Cunningham
From Warrington to Wollongong: Kebab-loving darts cult hero heading to Australia
Luke Littler, the 17-year-old who took the world by storm when he became the youngest ever world championship finalist, will contest the Australian Darts Masters in August.
- by Ian Chadband
‘We want him back’: The personal note that could deliver a Cox Plate showdown
Moonee Valley has begun sending out the invites to some big-time internationals to come to Australia to take on Australian wonder mare Pride Of Jenni. If they accept, it could be a Cox Plate for the ages.
- by Danny Russell
Australian brothers’ accused kidnapper confessed to killing them, girlfriend says
Jesus Gerardo faces kidnapping charges in Mexico over the disappearance of Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad.
- by Alex Crowe
Updated
Paris 2024
‘Extremely heartbreaking’: Olympic medal hopeful suffers Achilles injury
Australia’s top gymnastics hope Georgia Godwin has suffered an Achilles injury just months out from Paris 2024.
- by Billie Eder
Acclaimed producer behind Nirvana, Pixies dies at 61
Steve Albini engineered albums like Nirvana’s In Utero, but took no royalties from it and railed against the music industry.
- by Ben Brasch