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Australian cricket
Boxing Day, women’s Tests in limbo amid stand-off with Allan government
A stalemate between Cricket Australia and the Victorian government has left the Ashes Boxing Day Test at the MCG and next season’s Women’s Test in limbo.
Breaking
Education
Melbourne Uni students agree to end building occupation
Organiser Dana Alshaer said the students would disband the protest once the university committed to disclose its ties to weapons companies on Thursday morning.
Updated
Melbourne emergency
Assumption College school bus driver dies in crash north of Melbourne
Police said the Wallan man, 65, died at the scene on Wednesday afternoon, but that most of his passengers escaped with minor injuries.
Alleged murderer changed colour of his 4WD after deaths, court hears
Gregory Lynn was also snapped by a traffic camera at the same time as missing camper Russell Hill’s phone was traced to the same stretch of remote road, the Supreme Court was told.
Exclusive
Nuclear energy
Powering ahead: Dutton to name nuclear sites within weeks
Despite a day of confusion among senior MPs about the timing of opposition energy policy, the nuclear plan is imminent.
Spurs, Newcastle fire in front of 78,419 at MCG
Ange Postecoglou brought his Tottenham Hotspur side home to face Newcastle United, but Spurs lost the match on penalties.
AFL round 11 teams and tips: Dogs, Swans make changes
The Western Bulldogs and Sydney have both made one change for their Thursday night clash at Marvel Stadium. Check out the teams and our experts’ tips for round 11.
Swans to challenge severity of Parker ban; Why the Dons want change at the tribunal
Sydney accept Luke Parker should be banned but believe six matches is excessive despite the serious injuries to Frankston’s Josh Smith.
Thousands of Australians want a place at a top US university. Here’s how Rizina got hers
Australian students vying for entry to elite US and UK universities are beginning their college preparations from as young as 12.
If you win $150 million, odds are you’ll have big decisions to make. Here’s what to do
The chances of you taking home the jackpot are extremely slim, but if you do, experts say there are ways to deal with all that cash and your emotions.
Opinion
Archibald Prize
An open letter to Gina Rinehart, from Queen Victoria (who loved her beer)
Julia Baird
Journalist, broadcaster, historian and author
Sunak calls snap UK election as Conservatives face thrashing at poll
In power since 2010, the Tories have tanked in opinions on the back of a post-COVID cost-of-living crisis and successive political scandals.
How to care for yourself while you’re caring for an ageing parent
Regardless of how much you love the person you’re looking after, caregiving can be difficult.
This memoir on grief is a treasure chest of honesty and raw humanity
When her partner of 25 years died, Nova Weetman found the necessity of work and her two children kept her connected to reality.
Australia’s first ‘glamping’ site still reigns supreme in the bush
Paperbark Camp has managed to package all the good things about camping with none of the annoyances.
Victoria
‘Jealousy, rage, entitlement’: Bodybuilder sentenced to 30 years for murdering girlfriend
Sven Lindemann, who shrugged off the attempts of a 10-year-old girl to save her mother as he stabbed her to death, has been jailed.
Labor dumps GP payroll tax after poll shows primary vote slump
Bulk-billing GPs will be exempt from payroll tax and other doctors will be spared the impost for a year after health clinics threatened to shame the government over its “tax on health”.
Exclusive
Political leadership
‘Just not happy’: Why Labor is faltering after a decade of political dominance
Support for Labor has slumped to its lowest point in years as voters fail to warm to Jacinta Allan and grow increasingly concerned about the size of government debt.
Exclusive
Healthcare
Heart surgery suspended at one of Melbourne’s largest hospitals
The fault in a machine that takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery was the second equipment malfunction at the Austin in the past month.
Exclusive
Roads
Trick of the light: How everyone was programmed to drive faster through the Burnley Tunnel
These green bars of light send a subliminal signal to drivers and Transurban says the move is working as intended.
AFL 2024
Opinion
The number of Indigenous AFL players has plunged – and it’s going to get worse
John Evans
Pro Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous engagement
Swans star Parker suspended for six weeks after ugly VFL collision
The VFL tribunal found Luke Parker had failed in his duty of care in a challenge that left an opponent with facial fractures and concussion.
Updated
Thomas to be barred from football if fresh charges are proven
Sacked North Melbourne footballer Tarryn Thomas was charged by police on Tuesday for alleged harassment and breaching a court order.
Politics
Shadow treasurer changes script on Dutton’s immigration cuts
Angus Taylor announced a different net overseas migration target to the one used by the opposition leader.
Business
Opinion
Board shake-up
Lendlease’s sacrifice of chairman won’t appease bloodthirsty investors
Many feel that the board has engaged in a bit of tinkering when full-scale renovation is needed.
Elizabeth Knight
Business columnist
World
Updated
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israel recalls ambassadors from Norway, Ireland and Spain after Palestine statehood recognition
Israel responded angrily to the news, recalling Israel’s ambassadors and summoned the three countries’ envoys in Israel.
Opinion
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Property
‘Early warning sign’: Why property owners are selling their homes now
Owners are selling up in greater numbers this autumn than they were at the same time last year, new figures show.
Seven of our favourite luxury homes for sale right now
We’ve rounded up our pick of the bunch, from double-height spaces to a double-sided fireplace.
Good Food
Lifestyle
Matthew Perry’s death under criminal investigation
Police are now examining why the 54-year-old star had so much ketamine in his system when he died in October.
Culture
How Martin Freeman went from The Office to an intense, troubled cop
Before playing the morally compromised Chris Carson in The Responder – a show full of violence, trauma and moral ambiguity – Freeman was an international star.
Opinion
WordPlay
Australia leads the world in the use of this oxymoronic term
David Astle
Crossword compiler and ABC Radio Melbourne presenter
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
Exclusive
Australian cricket
Boxing Day, women’s Tests in limbo amid stand-off with Allan government
A stand-off between Cricket Australia and the Victorian government has left the Ashes Boxing Day Test and next season’s women’s Test in limbo.
Exclusive
Super Netball
The crowds are booming, but netball has a $30 million problem
A multimillion-dollar loss for Super Netball, buried in financial statements lodged with the corporate regulator, comes amid a changing of the guard at the top of the cash-strapped sport.
As it happened: Newcastle beat Spurs on penalties, Kuol sinks shot in front of 78,419 at MCG
Follow along for all the major moments and post game reactions as Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United play on the hallowed turf of the MCG.
Why the Dons want change at the tribunal; Swans to challenge severity of Parker ban
Essendon coach and former AFL football boss Brad Scott is unhappy with the league’s “guilty-unless-you-can-prove-your-innocence system”, while Sydney are challenging the severity of the VFL’s six-match ban handed to veteran Luke Parker
From boy wonder to invisible: What happened to Garang Kuol?
Newcastle United swooped on Garang Kuol after he made a big splash at the 2022 World Cup. More than a year later, he’s back in Australia for the first time and keen to make his debut for the club.
NFL considering Australia as host for regular-season game
The NFL has confirmed Australia is one of the markets being considered to host a match in the near future as the league expands its reach outside America.
Starc stuns Aussie teammate, returns to his stump-smashing best
Travis Head’s duck in the IPL wasn’t all bad news for Australia because it signalled a stunning return to form by his national teammate Mitchell Starc ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Have Your Say
The booming kick set to be top pick in the mid-season draft
Meet Jasper Scaife, the forward with a famous work ethic whose WAFL coach thinks has such a booming kick he could be a punter in the NFL if he doesn’t make it in Australian rules footy