Puzzled with David Astle newsletter
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Sunday Life
Indulge in the best ‘me time’ reading with our new digital magazine edition.
Traveller
Travel news, inspiration and expert tips delivered straight to your inbox.
Exclusive
Crime
Police warn landlords about leasing stores to tobacconists amid turf war
Investigators have found illegal tobacco products in about 100 of the stores they have raided.
The ‘extraordinary numbers’ signalling years of pain for renters
An expert analysis shows migration, low vacancy rates and soft investment will drive rental inflation beyond its current 15-year high.
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.
Taiwan’s Kinmen islands are a stone’s throw from China. Its inhabitants are torn
If China were to attack Taiwan, this string of islands is at the front line. Kinmen is less than 10 kilometres from the Chinese mainland and remnants of past battles are everywhere.
Jubilant to hostile: How a done deal blew up in the nursing union’s face
Nurses Union boss Lisa Fitzpatrick thought the pay agreement with the government was a done deal. What happened next left her visibly shaken.
Rezoning battle in Daylesford pits country charm against more housing
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.
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.
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.
This town’s only store has closed. Now heartbroken locals are banding together to buy it
A campaign to save a town’s historic general store is asking the community to pitch in $5000 per person to help raise the money needed.
They’re not old enough to drink it yet, but these students are producing their own pinot noir
It’s been five years since Upper Yarra principal Scott Tully had a “crazy idea” to plant a vineyard on school grounds. This week, the school will launch its first drop.
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.
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.
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
Exclusive
Art
Why long-time supporters want controversial sculpture to be heritage listed now
Ron Robertson-Swann’s sculpture Vault has had its share of admirers and detractors across more than four decades. Now it is destined for heritage listing.
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.
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
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.
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
Let’s be clear, Peter Dutton: prosecuting Netanyahu is not antisemitism
Geoffrey Robertson
Human rights barrister and author
When they cater for women, even the menu is misogynist
Parnell Palme McGuinness
Columnist and communications adviser
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.
