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Our guide to the most important stories, analysis and insights.
Good Weekend Talks
In-depth conversations with the people fascinating Australians right now, from sport to politics to the arts.
Sunday Life
Indulge in the best ‘me time’ reading with our new digital magazine edition.
Farmland or townhouses? The fight for the future of Daylesford
Like many areas, Daylesford is facing a housing crisis. But some locals fear a plan to extend the town’s urban boundaries will threaten its very identity.
Exclusive
Roads
The West Gate Tunnel is years delayed and $4b over budget. Now its builders are suing
The West Gate Tunnel Project’s builders have blamed the project’s engineers for design errors that led to cost blowouts and a three-year delay.
Jubilant to hostile: How a done deal blew up in the nursing union’s face
A collapsed pay deal has left the union reeling, insulted members are calling for long-time Victorian branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick to stand down and its industrial action is in disarray.
The YIMBY movement has made it to Melbourne. Their war on urban sprawl begins with unlocking these suburbs
The YIMBYs want to rewrite the planning rules, scrap heritage overlays and start a housing revolution. And they have the ear of government.
Alphington paper mill $500m property flip may delay much-needed supermarkets
People in Alphington and Fairfield might have to wait longer for supermarkets they have been expecting.
Gaza protesters may face criminal penalties under new hate laws
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the government was weighing whether people should face jail time for hate speech.
Live
AFL 2024
Dees secure top eight spot after downing lacklustre Saints
Narrm have secured a top eight spot after downing lacklustre Euro-Yroke, while Hawthorn climbed to 13th on the ladder by defeating Brisbane.
While Cummins, Starc and Head play in tonight’s IPL final, Adam Zampa is glad not to be there
He’s had a spin on the lucrative franchise circuit, but for Adam Zampa it will never compare to the “buzz” of playing in big tournaments for Australia.
Medal threat: Australia’s Hull smashes national record on eve of Olympics
Jess Hull is dramatically closing the gap on the world’s best and is now poised as a medal threat at this year’s Olympics.
Opinion
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Let’s be clear, Peter Dutton: prosecuting Netanyahu is not antisemitism
This is not about moral equivalence, but seeking arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders is an attempt to impose equal justice.
Geoffrey Robertson
Human rights barrister and author
Opinion
Women at work
When they cater for women, even the menu is misogynist
They put the MEN in menu and served chicken feed to a room full of chicks. Who’d dare cater for men with these ballerina rations?
Parnell Palme McGuinness
Columnist and communications adviser
Cats on the moon? Google’s AI tool is producing misleading responses that have experts worried
Google has unleashed its new AI tool, which is giving users wrong information – some of it funny, some of it harmful.
I was born from an extramarital affair. This is how my life has played out
My dad’s name wasn’t even on my birth certificate, but I was intent on not erasing him completely from my life.
The Australian who refuses to accept he did not invent bitcoin
Australian Craig Wright has long claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of bitcoin. But the courts disagree.
Opinion
Parenting
I’m a bona fido dog lover, but stop telling me a fur baby is the same as a kid
Last week, I passed another woman with a pram, but hers contained a plump little sausage dog, not a furious-for-no-reason two-and-a-half-year-old.
Hannah Vanderheide
Contributor
Explainer
Evolution
A quirk of fate: why Neanderthals went extinct and we didn’t
They were shrewd, complex and creative, and we shared the planet with them (and other types of humans) for thousands of years. So why did the Neanderthals die out and not us?
Recipe collection
Vegetarian
14 of our favourite midweek vegetarian recipes to cook next week
Load up on legumes, seaonal vegetables, and don’t forget the cheese. It’s time to settle in with some wholesome wintery vegie warmers.
Review
Video games
Xbox sequel raises the bar for audio, immersion and mental health in video games
Like a visually stunning eight-hour TV series, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a 10th century Viking adventure following a warrior who lives with psychosis.
Editor's Picks
Just in
WEEKEND READS
‘You had to hustle’: How Debi Mazar went from New York door girl to Hollywood star
The 59-year-old actor’s latest role has brought her all the way to Adelaide.
How a spicy midlife crisis launched The Unsatisfactory Spouses Club
When marriage trouble hit a group of Melbourne friends, they sought solace in each other.
Victoria
The ‘unusual’ solution to end long-running battle over hedges in leafy suburbs
Long-standing feuds between hedge lovers and neighbours fed up with conifers encroaching on footpaths are being tackled with a creative solution.
The lost delivery riders causing chaos on toll roads and tunnels
The increase in food delivery services means more bicycle and scooter riders are getting lost on some of Melbourne’s busiest freeways and tollway tunnels.
Nationals grassroots members go nuclear over Welcome to Country ceremonies
The Victorian Nationals rank and file want a future Coalition government to back nuclear power and to axe funding for Welcome to Country ceremonies.
Exclusive
Property development
The YIMBY plan to oust the NIMBYs from local councils
Candidates at the coming local government elections will be asked to pledge that they will not block apartment developments, as YIMBY and pro-housing groups seek to expand their clout in key inner-city areas.
‘Concerning’ rise in measles cases as travellers import virus
There have been 35 reported cases of measles in 2024 so far, compared with 26 last year. Experts blame international outbreaks and declining vaccination rates.
AFL 2024
Bombers defender makes stellar AFL return in Dreamtime nail-biter
Jordan Ridley’s seamless return lifted the Bombers to a 12-point Dreamtime victory over Richmond, who defied a league-worst injury list to still be in contention in the dying stages of the game.
‘It is dangerous’: Hardwick and Voss tackle umpires
Damien Hardwick has called on the game’s decision-makers to do faster calls on holding-the-ball decisions because players’ health and safety is at risk.
Politics
Antisemitic chants could be banned under new hate speech laws
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the government was also weighing whether people should face jail time for hate speech.
Opinion
Political leadership
Five prime ministers in five years was dismal. But a new reality is unfolding
Peter Hartcher
Political and international editor
Business
Lendlease investors to demand answers at Monday showdown
Embattled chief executive Tony Lombardo will outline the global property giant’s direction, with investors bracing for a barrage of changes.
World
Several children killed after Indian amusement park inferno, police say
A major fire broke out on Saturday at an amusement park in Gujarat state in western India, killing at least 27 people, police and media reports said.
Opinion
Immigration cuts only work if women have more babies. Dutton knows they won’t
Jacqueline Maley
Columnist and senior journalist
Explore
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Property
Comedian Rhys Nicholson’s ‘maximalist’ home sells for $842,500 after auction
The Coburg home passed in for $810,000, but soon sold to the highest bidders in post-auction negotiations.
Britt made a temporary move, but she loved the area so much she stayed
The rising cost of housing in a string of bayside and inner-east suburbs hasn’t deterred buyers, bucking the trend of Melbourne’s softening market.
Good Food
Lifestyle
‘$100 is a red flag’: What to know about cheap cashmere
Once a luxury fashion item, cashmere has never been more accessible. But how do more affordable iterations measure up?
Opinion
Trends
In appealing to the rich, has trail running lost its dirtbag spirit?
Sarah Berry
Lifestyle Health Editor
Opinion
Oral health
Yes, we love to hate them, but here’s some sparkling news for dentists
Jo Stubbings
Writer and reviewer
Culture
A lover, a one-time hater and a newcomer debate the original Mad Max
George Miller’s thrilling, apocalyptic vision spawned Australia’s biggest film franchise. How does it hold up nearly half a century later?
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
Live
AFL 2024
AFL 2024 round 11 LIVE updates: Narrm secure top eight spot after downing lacklustre Euro-Yroke
Narrm have secured a top eight spot after downing lacklustre Euro-Yroke, while Hawthorn climbed to 13th on the ladder by defeating Brisbane.
‘Not the same buzz’: Zampa rejects club riches to chase more World Cup glory
He’s had a spin on the lucrative franchise circuit, but for Adam Zampa it will never compare to the “buzz” of playing in big tournaments for Australia.
Analysis
Draft
Why some AFL clubs’ recruiting ‘war chest’ won’t deliver guns
The AFL’s new pay deal has created space everywhere, and smaller clubs have to offer more than money when competing against the powerhouses for signatures.
Medal threat: Australia’s Hull smashes national record on eve of Olympics
Jess Hull is dramatically closing the gap on the world’s best and is now poised as a medal threat at this year’s Olympics after smashing the Australian 1500 metres record in a Diamond League meet on Sunday morning.
Bombers defender makes stellar AFL return in Dreamtime nail-biter
Jordan Ridley’s seamless return lifted the Bombers to a 12-point Dreamtime victory over Richmond, who defied a league-worst injury list to still be in contention in the dying stages of the game.
Piastri to start on front row in Monaco as Verstappen’s record run ends
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc ended Max Verstappen’s record-equalling run of Formula 1 pole positions in style on Saturday and made himself favourite to become the first home winner of the Monaco Grand Prix since 1931.
Grayson Murray, a two-time PGA Tour winner, dies at 30
The American withdrew from a tournament during the second round at Texas before the PGA Tour announced his death on Sunday.
Have Your Say
Grounds for complaint: Why Dons, Blues and Saints want fewer Marvel games
Tenants of the AFL-owned Docklands stadium are queuing up to ask for more games at the MCG.