Puzzled with David Astle newsletter
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Trial by Water podcast
A new investigative podcast about one of Australia’s most controversial cases.
The Traveller Quiz
Are you an expert traveller? Test your knowledge with our weekly travel quiz.
Exclusive
Nuclear energy
‘Nuclear will hold its own’: Switkowski backs Dutton’s energy plan
Business leader and nuclear physicist Ziggy Switkowski said the next generation of nuclear plants could justify their higher cost because of the value of their reliable baseload power.
Opinion
Opinion
Dutton’s nuclear play is delighting his Victorian opponents
There remains a broad level of interest in nuclear technology in Victoria, but the evidence is that many voters remain undecided.
Annika Smethurst
State Political Editor
Opinion
Companies
Dutton’s gone full throttle on nuclear and it’s playing out like a comedy
Even if one successfully argued that nuclear power is a good option, introducing it now is reckless.
Elizabeth Knight
Business columnist
Repco, Officeworks, cafes: Not out of the question for Melbourne’s public towers
Homes Victoria last year asked Ernst & Young’s advice on the value of adding thousands of square metres of retail and commercial spaces to some of Melbourne’s public housing towers.
Police reveal their biggest concern in latest crime figures
The latest Victorian crime data shows police responded to a record 96,000 family violence incidents.
Opinion
Healthcare
No hospital closures? Country Victorians can smell a dead rat
I can assure you, regional Victorians are not fools. We have a special relationship with our health services and we know the damage that funding cuts will wreak on our communities.
Jan Beer
Contributor
The view from flats where train announcements have become an ‘intrusive force’
A train station has moved and now sits less than five metres from balconies. Residents have been offered noise-cancelling headphones to deal with it.
Sunak’s bodyguard allegedly bet on early election days before PM called it
The police officer’s arrest throws the Conservatives’ election campaign into further scandal after separate investigations into two of its candidates related to election date bets.
Climate activists attempt to target Taylor Swift’s jet, but fail to find it
Two women were arrested after Just Stop Oil targeted a private airfield where they claimed Taylor Swift’s jet had landed hours earlier.
A Starc omission? How star paceman could find himself on World Cup outer
There is a view among players that Mitchell Starc is not in Australia’s best XI at the T20 World Cup, despite his record as one of the country’s greatest ever white-ball bowlers.
Need any salt and pepper shakers? An old piano could help
A 140-year-old upright in Helenmary Burnside’s family for four generations was past its best. She and hundreds of others have called in the piano upcyclers.
I found the business card in my door. Hours later, the drugs were delivered
In the US, where obtaining cannabis is as easy as ordering Uber Eats, Joe Biden hopes relaxing federal drug laws will help him win young and black votes.
How to get into trail running, whether you’re a runner or not
Maybe you’re new to running, or maybe you’ve been pounding the pavement for years. Here’s what you need to know before taking off on the trails.
Cancel culture is a boogeyman: feminist author Roxane Gay
The Bad Feminist author, who will appear in Melbourne and Sydney later this year, on progress for women, Trump and being recognised in public.
‘If we change our way of life … they win’: Paris, terror and the ‘light-touch’ Olympics
Most host cities undergo an expensive building spree to fit the Games. Paris is making the Games fit the city.
10 of Melbourne’s best bakery pies (including one of the city’s essential handheld snacks)
Thaw out with a hot, hearty pie – from old-school classics to fun and flavourful fillings – by one of Melbourne’s best bakers.
See and Do
Fame, glamour and tragedy: Griffin Dunne’s touching memoir
The actor, writer and producer’s memoir is a warm portrait of an unusual – and celebrity-filled – upbringing.
★★½
Despicably predictable fourth outing for Gru and his Minions
There are few surprises in this new instalment of the Despicable Me franchise.
Victoria
‘The state will need to pay more’: Metro Tunnel costs blow out once again
The cost of the $14b project will increase further as construction of the tunnel pushes past its contract date, but the government says it is still on track to open in 2025.
Time to say vale: St Patrick’s says goodbye to centuries-old tradition
On a cold winter’s night, the pews of the dimly lit St Patrick’s Cathedral were filled with hundreds of worshippers gathered for the final traditional Latin Mass.
Exclusive
Hospitals
A $1b rebuild was promised for this hospital. It might end up at Eastland
Labor had pledged rebuilding the Maroondah Hospital on its existing site. But the costs involved mean it could be rebuilt near a shopping centre or on land once used as a drive-in.
The underground issue that Victoria’s proposed nuclear plant would need to confront
Maps reveal a number of significant fault lines in the Latrobe Valley, including one that runs directly past the Loy Yang A power station.
Numeracy in schools doesn’t add up. Experts are calling for mandatory testing
All children would be tested for numeracy knowledge in the first two years of school under a plan to tackle underachievement in maths.
Politics
Dutton’s energy war spooks major global investors
Global investors have been ploughing billions of dollars into Australian renewable energy. Now, the Coalition’s plans for nuclear energy have them reconsidering their spending.
Business
Guzman y Gomez soars on ASX with $3 billion debut
Mexican fast-food chain Guzman y Gomez has clinched its place as the hottest float in years.
World
Trump belittles Biden so much that just staying awake could win the debate
What if US President Joe Biden clears the very low bar that opponent Donald Trump has now set for him?
Opinion
The public has voted on the next Media Watch host, and you’re in for a shock
Antoinette Lattouf
Broadcaster, columnist and author
Explore
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Property
How house prices will buck the trend in Melbourne next year
Despite higher interest rates, property prices are tipped to grow to new highs, but not all capitals will keep up.
Six of the best luxury homes for sale across the country
We’ve rounded up our pick of the bunch from across the New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia’s most luxurious properties.
Good Food
Lifestyle
Daggy to cool: How the humble cardi returned from fashion purgatory
Thick cardigans and strategic layering make up the trend that everyone from Queen Camilla to Kim Kardashian can get behind.
Opinion
Motherhood
Is my biological clock faulty, or is motherhood just not for me?
Genevieve Novak
Spectrum columnist
Opinion
Death
Please do this before you die. I just did and it nearly killed me
Jenna Price
Columnist and academic
Culture
The late Jurassic Park author’s final book gets a roaring release
Reviewers cast their eyes over new fiction and non-fiction releases including the late Michael Crichton’s Eruption, completed by thriller writer James Patterson and a memoir of hidden sexuality in Victorian-era regional Australia.
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
A Starc omission? How star paceman could find himself on World Cup outer
There is a view among players that Mitchell Starc is not in Australia’s best XI at the T20 World Cup, despite his record as one of the country’s greatest ever white-ball bowlers.
Draper poised to return; AFLW to adopt ‘wholly national draft’; Charlie McCartin bound for the VFL
Essendon are set to be significantly bolstered as they start their assault on the second half of the season, poised to welcome back guns including Sam Draper. Meanwhile, the AFLW will adopt a fully national draft model, to take effect for the 2025 season.
When he couldn’t do the Coogee to Bondi walk, Vaughan knew he was in trouble
Michael Vaughan has revealed his battle with a mystery stress-related illness which left him struggling to complete one of his Australian summer rituals.
Barty returns to Wimbledon grass for first time since 2021 triumph
The former Wimbledon champion will be stepping back onto the grass for the first time since announcing her shock retirement in 2022.
AFL teams and expert tips: Danger back for Cats, Dees react to gaping hole left by Petracca
Our experts have entered their tips for the six games of round 15. Patrick Dangerfield is back for Geelong against Carlton. The opponent in his previous game was the Blues too.
Opinion
AFL 2024
He’s a villain after just seven games. But this young Hawk will be a star
Nick Watson is only 19 and has kicked 5.15, but I’ve seen enough to be convinced he will, in time, become one of the most marketable sports stars in the country.
Kane Cornes
AFL columnist
Burnout fears for Head ahead of massive Test summer
World Cup strike force Travis Head is yet to receive Cricket Australia’s nod of approval to play in the US-based Major League Twenty20 tournament next month.
Have Your Say
Read the fine print, Swanny: Hall of fame man of the moment’s accommodation snafu
Collingwood icon Dane Swan’s induction to the Australian Football Hall of Fame couldn’t have gone more to script. We’re just glad he made it to the event in the first place.
