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.
Sunday Life
Indulge in the best ‘me time’ reading with our new digital magazine edition.
Exclusive
Abducted in Japan
‘Heartbreaking’: Penny Wong condemns abduction of Australian children in Japan
Parents warn Tokyo’s two-year delay in implementing new laws could trigger a “dash to the finish line” to abduct more children.
Analysis
Political leadership
Albanese had to act on Payman, but it creates headaches for Labor
It was Fatima Payman’s third strike against caucus solidarity but Labor is likely to face blow-back from Muslim Australians.
Years-long delays holding up vital advice that could help prevent family violence
A tripling in the workload of a specialised family violence unit at the Coroners Court is delaying the delivery of recommendations to prevent further tragedies.
The common but little-known virus causing disability in hundreds of babies
Every year, about 400 babies are born with physical and intellectual disabilities caused by a virus many pregnant women don’t know about.
Reinventing romance: Dating events are back as singles sour on the apps
Dating apps redefined romance for a generation. Now, local entrepreneurs are trying to redefine the industry for 3 million Australian users as many abandon them.
Opinion
Political leadership
I know what it’s like to be the politician’s son who makes mistakes. I wouldn’t wish it on Tom Dutton
When a photo of the opposition leader’s 18-year-old son made headlines last week, I immediately felt so sorry for him. Unfortunately, I know exactly what it’s like to go through that.
Nick Bracks
Author
Analysis
UK politics
Bregrets? They’ve got a few. Most Brits now think leaving EU was a mistake
As Britons head to the polls this week, a majority think that leaving the European Union has delivered few benefits.
I thought my husband was dead. Then 30 years later, a letter arrived in the mail
Amid chaos, Milda and Rudis Masens were separated. After five years in displaced persons camps hoping for news of Rudis, the young mother settled in Australia and remarried.
Four Points
AFL 2024
Dons sit in top four, but here’s why their issues go far beyond a few controversial umpiring calls
Umpiring decisions went against Essendon in Saturday night’s loss to Geelong, but coach Brad Scott seemed rightly less interested in what the umpires did or didn’t do than what his players didn’t do as they attempt to avoid another late-season fadeout.
No Tom, no worries: Blues back depth, trump Tigers without in-form ruck
The Blues planning for a premiership tilt is in full swing, so they took the cautious approach and made in-form ruckman Tom De Koning sit out the match against Richmond.
The country town that’s set to double in population
It’s a sleepy town just beyond Melbourne’s northern outskirts where geese stop traffic and there is a country feel – but a big change could be coming.
Explainer
Housing crisis
‘A diabolical mess’: How did we get into this housing crisis, and how do we get out?
Hard-won deposits, soaring rents, crippling mortgages, capital gains, negative gearing … What’s to blame, and how do other countries do housing?
Opinion
Russia-Ukraine war
How Putin handed America the keys to the world’s energy market
It did not take long for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine to reshape the world’s energy markets, but the Russian president might be kicking himself.
Jonathan Leake
All you need to know about Australia’s 14 Wimbledon contenders
Fourteen Australians – 11 men and three women – will compete at Wimbledon in 2024, spearheaded by top-tenner Alex de Minaur and dual quarter-finalist Ajla Tomljanovic.
Paying to play the field: Why singles like Carly are deleting dating apps
They have redefined romance, but the honeymoon is over for dating apps as users become mentally exhausted with the swiping, the small talk and the ever-rising price tag.
Opinion
Coffee
You can’t order hot chocolate as an adult, and other unspoken coffee rules
Your daily beverage sends a message about who you are as a person, and it can’t be: “I want a cute sweet treat in a cup.”
Thomas Mitchell
Culture reporter
WEEKEND READS
I’m a granny from the suburbs, a retired nurse and academic. I’m also a sex worker
I loved, and still love, being a sex worker. Sex work paid the bills while I solo-parented four daughters, keeping them in middle-class comfort. Sex work funded and informed my sexology and academic careers.
She was the most talked-about star at the Oscars. What is Lily Gladstone doing now?
The break-out star from Killers of the Flower Moon has two fast follow-ups from her award-nominated performance.
Victoria
Melbourne on track for driest start to winter in seven years
The cold snap continues this week, but it’s good news for Victoria’s ski resorts, where up to 20 centimetres of snow has fallen over 24 hours.
Weighing up Melbourne’s markets: The cheapest, the freshest, and the best vibes
As the cost-of-living crisis continues, market traders say they are seeing an increase in new customers as shoppers seek out a bargain.
Love Machine slapped with $20,000 fine, warned of harsher sanctions
Police found an unconscious man in a staff room at the popular Prahran nightclub, which also admitted to holding an event during a COVID-19 lockdown.
Exclusive
Education
The 164-year-old school hamstrung by rent brawl between a charity and the government
The Victorian College for the Deaf says its St Kilda Road home is dilapidated and needs capital works, but the purchasing power of a $10 million government grant has eroded over four years.
Exclusive
Legal Cannabis
Amnesty plea to allow medicinal cannabis users behind the wheel
A growing number of Victorians have been prescribed the treatment, but risk breaking the law if they use it.
AFL 2024
Stengle stays: Geelong secure crafty forward for next five years
The dynamic small forward has decided to remain at the Cats, knocking back a big offer from St Kilda.
One player has copped $14,375 in fines this year. The AFLPA wants changes
Players have told the AFLPA they are being stung by excessive fines, disproportionate to their indiscretions, and want transparency to show how the money is being spent by the league.
Politics
Exclusive
Political leadership
Payman suspended from Labor caucus after PM crisis talks on Palestine stance
Labor senator Fatima Payman was summoned to the PM’s residence on Sunday afternoon, hours after an explosive interview on the ABC.
Business
Opinion
IPO
Should you join the Guzman y Gomez fiesta?
Investors should be wary of piling into initial public offerings (IPOs) because for every Nvidia, Google, Apple or Microsoft that turns out to be a big winner, there are thousands of losers.
William Bennett
Money contributor
Opinion
Ask an expert
Will I regret never buying a house and investing instead?
Paul Benson
Money contributor
World
Rare insight into King and Queen’s private life as Balmoral opens to public
Buckingham Palace has revealed extraordinary details about the King and Queen’s private life at Balmoral as it opens up the royal residence to the public for the first time.
Opinion
Just don’t call him a hero. Assange’s recklessness may have cost lives
George Brandis
Former high commissioner to the UK and federal attorney-general
There’s no warning when you do something wonderful for the last time, so here’s what I do
Julia Baird
Journalist, broadcaster, historian and author
Explore
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Property
Only one buyer turned up for this five-bedder. It passed in at $1.62m
The vendor placed two bids in the hope of kick-starting the auction of the California-style bungalow in Brunswick.
The Melbourne suburbs where it’s cheaper to buy than rent
Rocketing rents in Melbourne mean tenants would be better off paying a mortgage in certain areas – and some are fast-tracking their plans.
Good Food
Recipe collection
Baking
Five old-fashioned biscuit recipes to bake this weekend
Lifestyle
‘I always looked to Dad with stars in my eyes’: Elly-May Barnes on her famous father
The daughter of Jimmy Barnes reflects on the great men she has known, many of them renowned musicians.
Culture
The hidden costs that are killing live music festivals
Pill testing could make attendance at music festivals and events much safer – but it could dramatically increase the financial risk borne by festivals.
Opinion
Literature
Australia’s last reader was on my tram, travelling to another world
Anson Cameron
Spectrum columnist, The Age
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
All you need to know about Australia’s 14 Wimbledon contenders
Fourteen Australians – 11 men and three women – will compete at Wimbledon in 2024, spearheaded by top-tenner Alex de Minaur and dual quarter-finalist Ajla Tomljanovic.
Four Points
AFL 2024
Dons sit in the top four, but here’s why their issues go far beyond a few controversial umpiring calls
Umpiring decisions went against Essendon in Saturday night’s loss to Geelong, but coach Brad Scott seemed rightly less interested in what the umpires did or didn’t do than what his players didn’t do as they attempt to avoid another late-season fadeout.
No Tom, no worries: Blues back depth, trump Tigers without in-form ruck
The Blues planning for a premiership tilt is in full swing, so they took the cautious approach and made in-form ruckman Tom De Koning sit out the match against Richmond.
Faster, higher … hotter: Why some Olympians fear a Paris heatwave could be fatal
Almost a dozen current and former Olympic athletes are concerned that intense heat at the Paris Olympics could lead to competitors collapsing, or in worst-case scenarios, dying.
Analysis
AFL 2024
How the Bombers ‘dropped the bundle’ in horror second half against Cats
It takes a lot to build trust, and a lot less for it to be lost. The credibility the Dons had slowly built in 14 games was eroded in one miserable half, vindicating why sceptics had not rushed to endorse the club’s finals credentials.
‘Very dangerous’: Demon wary of all-Aussie Wimbledon clash with Duckworth
As a teenager, Alex de Minaur was desperate to hit with James Duckworth. This week, the Australian pair face-off as rivals at Wimbledon.
‘Gut wrenching’: South Africa’s choke puts India on top of T20 World
India had all the advantages in this World Cup, but it still took an extraordinary collapse by South Africa and a marginal umpiring decision to secure the trophy in Barbados.
Have Your Say
Who are the iron men of the AFL? The names and numbers behind them might surprise you
They are not necessarily speed demons or endurance beasts, but these players give their coaches tactical flexibility. And at a time when the tag is back, their importance is greater than ever.
