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Live
State of Origin
Countdown to kick-off in Sydney begins - but which team will be celebrating at full-time?
A new-look NSW team. New halves, new coach, new skipper. But will it be the same old story when Australia’s fiercest sporting rivalry resumes?
Latest live posts
LoadingChammas at Origin
NRL 2024
The council restriction threatening historic Origin match in 2027
The NRL has been in negotiations with the NZ government about playing the first Origin game on Kiwi soil in a few years’ time, however there is an unusual obstacle to overcome.
Opinion
For subscribers
The dorky passion of NSW captain Jake Trbojevic
The Manly lock’s love of rugby league and life is exactly what the Blues need heading into Origin I.
Andrew Webster
Chief Sports Writer
Dad’s Dubbo house, the surprise ute and the missing $4 million
Ivan Webb’s son found a way to help his parents buy their family home. Now Benjamin Webb is at the centre of a corruption probe.
Fury on the floor: Dutton, PM clash with Greens over Gaza
Adam Bandt sought to condemn the government for being “complicit” in the invasion of Gaza but was shut down after Labor MPs branded him a “fraud” and a “liar”.
Ex-Liberal minister attacks own party on state’s housing crisis
Stuart Ayres has unleashed on his former colleagues over an attempt to kill off the government’s signature housing policy.
News Corp boss defends $376m AI deal amid looming job cuts
Michael Miller rebuked the likes of Facebook, X and TikTok for refusing to subscribe to Australian rules and values.
Almost 100 ABC news staff say they have experienced sexual harassment in past two years
An internal survey found 13 per cent of respondents reported they had been sexually harassed in the past two years, and one-quarter said they were bullied.
Exclusive
Terror charges
Dutton could face investigation over terror leader’s detainment
A Supreme Court judge has referred the detainment of terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika to the national security watchdog over Home Affairs’ failure to disclose expert reports.
Opinion
Cyber protection
Medibank on the hook for trillions but there’s more at stake
The $21.5 trillion in fines that the health insurer faces is an uncomfortable reminder to corporate Australia that it’s not just the cyber criminals that are now on the hook.
Elizabeth Knight
Business columnist
Former UTS worker accused of escalating series of sexual offences
The 28-year-old has been banned from visiting Bondi Beach and is subject to a strict curfew and other bail restrictions.
Hunter Biden’s memoir played back to narrate his spiral into addiction
It ended with bitter written words: expletive-laced, panicked texts to Hallie Biden, his brother’s widow and his one-time girlfriend, berating her for disposing of his handgun.
TV report card: The best shows of the year so far
You don’t get a good start to the streaming television year just because there are some great scripted shows on offer. What you need is the right viewing mix.
30 minutes from go to wow: Char siu pork skewers with cucumber and sesame salad
These stickily glazed pork skewers bundled into Chinese pancakes are a speedy meal that’s bound to please.
I haven’t lived on this island for 40 years – but it’s as if I never left
For this former local, returning to the Cook Islands means scooting about, breathing in sweet air – and being related to everyone (including a former PM).
STATE OF ORIGIN
Perspective
Is it time we just trust Billy? Even his baffling selection calls?
Billy Slater’s selection curveballs have divided opinion. But given the runs he has on the board, is it time to just believe in his instincts?
Why being ‘flustered and frustrated’ is the perfect Women’s Origin preparation
The Sky Blues ran an opposed session against the Knights’ Jersey Flegg team, and while frustrating at times, Kylie Hilder called it the best way to prepare.
Sydney
Household battery sales ‘grind to a halt’ as consumers await savings
The NSW government will offer an incentive of up to $2400 to buy a household battery from November 1. The solar industry welcomes it, but wants it brought forward.
Driver charged after cyclists injured in horror northern beaches crash
Two avid cyclists were seriously injured when they were hit by a car on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Kamahl to fight charge of intimidating woman on mental health grounds
The 89-year-old entertainer is accused of intimidating a 38-year-old woman in two text messages.
Sydney’s old trains to be kept in service for an extra 12 years
Used on rail lines across the city, the Tangara fleet was originally meant to be retired by 2027.
‘They were men with guns. I was in my PJs’: The crises where police aren’t wanted
Police should be relegated to back-up support for mental health workers or not respond at all to call-outs for severely mentally ill people in crisis, a major state inquiry has concluded.
Politics
High interest rates hurting, but help is on its way, says Chalmers
Excluding the pandemic, in the first three months of this year the Australian economy grew at the slowest annual rate since the 1990s recession.
Business
Exclusive
Cybersecurity
Four’N Twenty owner Patties Foods hit by data leak as invoice, banking details spill online
Thousands of documents, including invoices, orders and banking information of the parent company of a handful of major food brands were leaked online via an unprotected database.
World
‘Every reason’ to think Netanyahu is prolonging war, Biden says
Political observers say Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party would lose an Israeli election if one were held today.
Opinion
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Property
Why the housing market here is worse than our overseas peers
While building more homes is a part of the solution, experts say there are other measures that could bring prices down.
The suburbs where properties are at highest risk of fire and flood
More than 32,000 Australian homes face a high risk of bushfire, while 141,000 homes are at risk of flooding. The risks will push insurance costs up and home values down.
Good Food
Lifestyle
My boss talks in corporate-speak riddles. Am I obliged to join in?
Making sure people can understand what you’re saying is more important than any corporate jargon, says Dr Kirstin Ferguson.
Culture
Adam Hills is so popular he turns down offers from the royal family
The Spicks and Specks host is a huge star in the UK – and also a serious athlete.
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
Live
State of Origin
The countdown to kick-off in Sydney begins - but which team will be celebrating at full-time?
A new-look NSW team. New halves, new coach, new skipper. But will it be the same old story when Australia’s fiercest sporting rivalry resumes on Wednesday?
Chammas at Origin
State of Origin
The council restriction threatening historic Origin match in 2027
The NRL has been in negotiations with the NZ government about playing the first Origin game on Kiwi soil in a few years’ time, however there is an unusual obstacle to overcome.
State of Origin I tips: Experts analyse the series opener
NSW coach Michael Maguire is out to prove a point with a new-look team for game one in Sydney. Will new skipper Jake Trbojevic and his Blues have what it takes to draw first blood?
Exclusive
State of Origin
‘He’s Batman and I’m Robin. I want to be Batman’
With Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai formed one of the modern game’s great halves pairings. But he has always been the sidekick rather than the main man. Now, he’s ready to take the lead.
Playoff numbers to be cut under Super Rugby restructure
The competition’s maligned eight-team finals will be slashed to six next season to drive a more competitive season.
‘Do that for the nation’: Socceroos to unleash Bayern Munich-bound young gun
Nestory Irankunda will make his international debut in Thursday night’s World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, coach Graham Arnold has confirmed.
Why being ‘flustered and frustrated’ is the perfect Women’s Origin preparation
The Sky Blues ran an opposed session against the Knights’ Jersey Flegg team, and while frustrating at times, Kylie Hilder called it the best way to prepare.
Have Your Say
The Maroons are faster and flashier. But they have a weakness and Blues can exploit it
Game-day conditions at Accor Stadium promise to be perfect for NSW in the Origin opener. This is the gameplan that can lead them to victory.
Andrew Johns
League columnist
