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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.
The virus soup that’s making so many Victorians sick
Xavier complained of a headache. Within hours, he was having seizures. The five-year-old is one of the rising number of Victorians falling victim to the flu, COVID or RSV.
Exclusive
Healthcare
Why Daniela faces a two-year wait for sperm and eggs
In a bid to help hundreds of patients wanting to start a family, a campaign is under way to encourage Victorians to donate their sperm and eggs.
Developers and business face Suburban Rail Loop levy to fund project
As much as $11 billion will be extracted from commercial operators located along the route of the Suburban Rail Loop’s first stage to help fund the $35 billion project.
Entrepreneur splashes near $100m on Toorak house, Portsea beach house
Grant Rule sold his company, bought the second-most expensive home in Toorak and added a holiday home on the beachfront.
Opinion
Arts
Gina, I, too, have suffered an unflattering image, and yes, it burns
The art world has apparently had a gutful of celebs trying to bury unflattering portraits. Australia’s richest person could learn from King Charles, who took his latest mauling on the chin.
Bianca O'Neill
Contributor
Exclusive
New music
How Billie Eilish reckoned with fame to create her astonishing new album
In an exclusive interview, the 22-year-old dual Oscar winner opens up about making her new album and how the process transformed her.
Updated
PGA Championship
‘He’s going to jail’: World No.1 golfer Scheffler detained by police at PGA Championship
Louisville police have charged the Masters champion with a variety of offences after he was handcuffed on his way to the PGA Championship.
Live
AFL 2024
Red-hot Swans score crushing win as Blues sweat on Weitering injury
Sydney showed why they are leading the competition, while the Blues suffered yet another injury concern.
AFL round 10 teams and tips: Roos, Power skippers on the sidelines
North Melbourne will be without co-captain Jy Simpkin after he was a late withdrawal for Sunday’s clash with Essendon, while Connor Rozee won’t return for Port Adelaide. Check out all the teams and our experts’ tips.
Broken love pact at centre of campers’ long-time affair
A Supreme Court jury has been taken inside the long-term affair between Russell Hill and Carol Clay before they were allegedly murdered together on a camping trip.
Updated
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Monash camp dismantled, La Trobe issues directive
At the University of Melbourne, authorities have held off from calling for support to remove pro-Palestinian protesters.
Warning Dutton’s housing and migration plans little more than ‘rounding error’
Economists and property industry figures say the opposition leader’s pledge to cut migration and ban foreign home buyers could make the nation poorer.
‘I think that’s dangerous’: The moment the new CSIRO boss decided to hit back at Peter Dutton
Doug Hilton didn’t back off when he felt the leader of the opposition had crossed a line.
The servo sails set for heritage protection and what makes them special
The sails on the West Gate service stations are set to be protected by a heritage overlay after the canopies were found to be of local significance.
Japan has finally changed its custody law. Australian parents fear it’s not enough
Australian parents of children abducted by their ex-partners in Japan say watershed reforms enabling joint custody don’t address the root cause of the issue.
Just a two-hour flight from Australia, idyllic New Caledonia implodes
This week, the tropical Pacific holiday destination erupted amid tensions with the French government in Paris over voting rights.
WEEKEND READS
The cricketer who averaged 207
Norman Callaway was just 18 when he made his scintillating first-class debut, and appeared destined for greatness. But then the world turned to chaos.
Analysis
As a reporter, my inbox is civil. Then I read what my female colleagues are sent
The internet is modern society’s sewer. It is vital to life but when it breaks, it is a disaster. And for women, it has proved toxic and dangerous.
Victoria
Knife-wielding attacker abducts young mother, baby in carpark horror
A school teacher and her six-month-old baby were held for two hours by a thief who forced her to buy him computers at stores across Melbourne’s south-east.
Two charged after allegedly vandalising world’s oldest dragon
Police allege the pair sprayed oily liquid on two dragons and other statues and paintings at the Golden Dragon Museum in Bendigo.
Exclusive
City life
The court fight that could kill off a rail line to a booming suburb
For 24 years, residents in these booming fringe suburbs have waited for a train line, but a VCAT dispute could halt the project before it even begins.
Weed sprayer recounts fateful camping advice to ex-pilot accused of double murder
Robbie Williams, who was working in the Wonnangatta Valley before Russell Hill and Carol Clay were killed, has told a jury a “sweaty, little fellow” had asked him where to camp.
The 50-metre ‘missing link’ fix that will open new cross-city tram routes
For almost a century, two sections of Melbourne’s sprawling tram network have passed tantalisingly close together outside Queen Victoria Market, but never joined.
AFL 2024
AFL Briefing
Blues not pointing finger at fitness boss; Lyon lauds Indigenous ‘fight’
Michael Voss says injury-ravaged Carlton will solve their woes together, as a spate of soft-tissue injuries jeopardise their flag tilt.
Suns torch Cats in Darwin heat as King takes lead in Coleman race
Gold Coast had an absolute blinder in very hot and humid conditions, and kicked the highest score in the history of their club with 164 points.
Politics
After Pete’s Black Hawk helicopter crashed, he was lucky in more ways than one
Army sergeant Pete Rudland survived serious injuries and then got compensation for his treatment relatively easily. Many of our veterans aren’t looked after so well.
Business
Opinion
Federal budget
For younger Australians, this budget falls woefully short
In the lead-up to the budget, younger Australians were hopeful for real cost-of-living relief. Instead, we’ve been left with little to celebrate.
Ryan Bourke
World
‘Inevitable’: NATO prepares to send troop trainers into Ukraine
As Russia advances and Ukraine’s manpower decreases, the US and its allies are getting ready to do more to stop the war.
Opinion
Peter Dutton is more than happy to help billionaires, except one
David Crowe
Chief political correspondent
Explore
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Property
‘As bad as it’s ever been’: Property prices blow out and pay rises lag
Home prices have risen much faster than wages over the long term, and the gap looks set to widen.
Shocking photos that reveal the reality of the housing crisis
Rents have skyrocketed, and rent assistance is set to go up in response. Even so, it’s slim pickings.
Good Food
Lifestyle
Loneliness changes how our brains function. Here’s how to address it
Experts reveal how chronic loneliness affects the brain and how we can go about overcoming it.
Opinion
Pets
What’s a good death? For Maggie we chose a sunny day and roast chicken
Kate Halfpenny
Regular columnist
Culture
First the vinyl revival, now DVDs? Why physical media is making a comeback
In an era of streaming anxiety, Leslie Haworth has lined his apartment with 4500 titles.
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
Live
AFL 2024
Swans clear out on top as Blues suffer another injury blow
Sydney shows why they are leading the competition, while the Blues suffer yet another injury concern.
Collingwood have a recruiting zone the size of Italy. It’s yet to produce a single player
The AFL shocked recruiters last month when it told them they needed to draft more Indigenous players to fix declining numbers in the league, sparking a much-needed conversation on how to reverse a worrying trend.
Updated
PGA Championship
‘He’s going to jail’: World No.1 golfer Scheffler detained by police at PGA Championship
Louisville police have charged the Masters champion with a variety of offences after he was handcuffed on his way to the PGA Championship.
Analysis
AFL 2024
The big night in Darwin that shattered records and the Cats
It was the record-setting night that embarrassed Geelong and potentially marked Gold Coast’s belated arrival as an AFL force.
Exclusive
AFL 2024
The footy club whose Auskick sausage sizzle has come under fire
A parent has asked her son’s football club in South Melbourne to scrap snags from its weekend barbecues on the grounds of animal cruelty and health concerns.
‘Extremely obvious’: How police allege A-League players were sprung in yellow card betting plot
The specialist police watching Macarthur FC games didn’t need a football expert in the room to tell them something was up. Three players have now been charged over the alleged spot-fixing operation.
Schauffele leads PGA with record round, Smith three-under after superb save
Perennial bridesmaid Xander Schauffele came agonisingly close to the first 61 ever recorded at a major in a blistering opening round at Valhalla Golf Club.
Have Your Say
The stats that show why the AFL should undo Hocking’s rule changes
The AFL’s implementation of the six-six-six rule and other recent changes have failed to deliver on the promises of enhanced scoring and improving the game’s look. Instead, we have confusion.
Kane Cornes
AFL columnist
