What in the World
Our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world.
Trial by Water podcast
A new investigative podcast about one of Australia’s most controversial cases.
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Test your knowledge of Melbourne and Victoria with Stephen Brook’s weekly quiz.
Exclusive
Tax cuts
Value of stage 3 tax cuts will be gone soon after next election
Australians will today start to see take-home pay improve as stage 3 cuts begin, but more cuts are needed to stop tax rates climbing higher again.
A miscalculation has left this booming municipality $224m short for kinders, roads, bridges, bike trails
Home prices in Melbourne’s outer west will rise by as much as $25,000 as developers look to pass on an increased levy for infrastructure.
The NAPLAN-topping school that says phonics helped get it there
Teaching reading using phonics, which is to be mandatory for state schools, has received strong praise from this primary school in Melbourne’s south-east.
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.
48 hours to fix a 90-minute mess: Inside the Biden camp’s post-debate scramble
The hours after the debate were a frenzied campaign within a campaign to save Joe Biden’s suddenly teetering candidacy, a multi-day damage-control effort.
Breaking
World elections
French voters slap Macron, propel far-right to strong lead in election first round
French polling agencies indicated that President Emmanuel Macron’s grouping of centrist parties could finish a distant third in the ballot.
Here’s what the ultimate island resort looks like
Nowhere does resorts better than the Asia-Pacific. From food to pools to wildlife, here are the best of the best.
Why that ‘healthy’ supermarket snack with the five-star rating might be bad news
Star symbols on food products are common on supermarket products, from 0.5 to five full stars. And how much should you rely on them?
The simple act of walking could be the answer to recurring back pain
Movement can simultaneously ease lower-back pain and also strengthen the muscles that support your back. Still, many people with back pain can be hesitant to exercise.
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.
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.
Opinion
Political leadership
Governments. They do better when they actually govern
Rather than talking about policies that may never be, Labor was able to spend the week talking about tax cuts, wage rises and power bill rebates taking effect.
Sean Kelly
Columnist
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.
Updated
Formula 1
Piastri claims podium place after Russell shocks with F1 win in Austria
The Australian capitalised on a crash involving Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to claim second place for McLaren behind the Mercedes of George Russell.
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.
CBD
CBD
UNcoupled from the UN, Gillian Triggs’ thoughts turn to downsizing
The former president of the Australian Human Rights Commission is selling her Albert Park terrace pad.
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
Victoria
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.
Updated
Crime
Murder accused fronts court after fisherman’s pier death
A homeless man will receive urgent medical treatment after he was charged with murder over the stabbing death of an angler in Frankston on Saturday.
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.
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.
AFL 2024
Analysis
Who are the iron men of the AFL? The names and numbers behind them might surprise you
They’re 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.
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.
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
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
World
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.
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
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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
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.
Updated
Formula 1
Piastri claims podium place after Russell shocks with F1 win in Austria
The Australian capitalised on a crash involving Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to claim second place for McLaren behind the Mercedes of George Russell.
Why an Australian tennis odd couple share their coach
Jordan Thompson and Chris O’Connell have vastly different personalities. But the lifelong friends have found a coach who can get the best out of both of them, so they share him.
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.
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.
