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Your weekly hit of the most interesting pop culture news, reviews and recommendations.
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State Parliament
Only 2% of Sydney housing shifts east under shake-up
Despite Chris Minns announcing an ambitious rewrite of the state’s housing targets, an analysis of the plans shows little movement in the overall spread of proposed dwellings.
Ex-Nine boss’ $1m golden handshake on the line
Nine will try to claw back at least part of the payment to the former news boss accused of drunkenly groping staff after complaints to management and anger from journalists.
Opinion
Immigration
The four reasons why the PM won’t sack Giles
The Coalition has dominated the debate on the release of criminals from immigration detention, yet Anthony Albanese won’t sack his minister. To fix the politics, Labor needs to fix the policy.
David Crowe
Chief political correspondent
The racist street name set to be wiped off the map over locals’ objections
When an Uber driver came across the tiny cul-de-sac in the Byron hinterland, it set off a chain of events that has now reached the state’s Geographical Names Board.
Labor Senator resigns from committees after ‘genocide’ comments
The Labor Senator accused Israel of conducting a genocide in Gaza used the controversial “river to the sea” chant in a dramatic intervention.
Surfer scored perfect 10 on ‘quite possibly one of the best barrels ever ridden’
Women were banished from Teahupo’o for 15 years because it was deemed too dangerous. Now they dominate like never before.
Six weeks ago, he was an Origin outcast. Now Luai’s in NSW’s leadership group
The Tigers-bound five-eighth was dropped for the final match of last year’s series and a recall looked a long way off. But injuries opened the door to a dramatic change of fortunes.
Returning Moses the difference as Eels outlast Sharks to win 34-22
Cronulla is supposed to be challenging for a premiership, but tonight’s match stats are grim reading.
Here comes winter … and with it even more rain
Heavy rain is set to hit the east coast of Australia to kick off winter after a soggy autumn.
ABC boss backs Laura Tingle, but not how she made comments
ABC managing director David Anderson said he regretted that Laura Tingle’s comments were made without the “usual qualification”, but declined to apologise to Peter Dutton.
Truth hurts but Tingle states the obvious on racism
That the ABC rebuked Laura Tingle shows how the organisation is losing its way in knowing what the population really thinks.
The plan to save the Mona Lisa from crass crowds and Instagrammers
Jostling crowds have made viewing Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece one of Europe’s most disappointing experiences. Now there are moves to protect her from the hordes.
His licence suspended, a man appears in court via Zoom from behind the wheel
The judge appeared to be stunned by the irony of the man’s actions given the charge he was facing.
Still scarred: The Japanese comedian who unknowingly starred in a reality TV show
Twenty-five years ago Nasabi went through his own version of The Truman Show.
★★★★★
Review
Martin Freeman is back in the best, most intense police drama in years
Created and written by former police officer Tony Schumacher, The Responder returns for another compelling – if anxiety-inducing – season.
I saw a woman call Kathy Lette a moll. It could have been me
A literary fan suffered an unfortunate affliction known as a spoonerism, where the beginnings of two words are transposed.
You can experience more than one type of anxiety. Here are tips to cope
There are many ways in which anxiety can manifest, and many people’s experiences don’t fit neatly into a category.
NRL 2024
Rye grass, whiskey bars, an ice skating rink and a cinema: Inside NSW’s Origin camp
Eight weeks ago, the hotel didn’t have a gym and the field looked like a “goat track”. It’s now the NSW Blues’ mountain hideaway.
Opinion
Origin in reverse: Queensland are raging favourites – and they can’t hide from it
Always the team which picks the no-nonsense workers and rises above their underdog status, the Maroons are in new territory this year.
Andrew Johns
League columnist
Sydney
Government blunders in published costing of Powerhouse Museum revamp
The Minns government has been left red-faced after a $350.4 million costing of the Powerhouse Museum redevelopment at Ultimo was published in error.
Police reveal new information about riverbank baby as mother remains missing
After police found evidence that a woman had given birth on the banks of the Cooks River, DNA testing has revealed the missing baby is a boy.
Mother of Charlise’s alleged killer denies making up evidence to help son
Justin Stein’s mother insists she heard a “cheeky voice” in the background of a call that may have belonged to nine-year-old Charlise Mutten.
‘My word against his’: Colossal failure in sex assault cases
Samantha was attacked by a man she thought was her friend. Fear stopped her pursuing justice. Sadly, she’s far from alone.
Two more Macarthur players caught up in alleged A-League bet-fixing scandal
Matthew Millar and Jed Drew have been named in court as participants in a criminal scheme – which used the manipulation of yellow cards to corrupt betting – that allegedly involved three teammates.
SEE & DO
This coming-of-age novel features strikingly precise characterisation
Our reviewers cast their eyes over new fiction and non-fiction releases including a swashbuckling tale of a woman pirate and a deep dive into the symphony beneath the waves.
Bob Dylan, Socrates and a speaking sky: this thrilling book has it all
Poet Anne Carson pairs words and drawings in a celebration of beauty and absurdity.
Politics
You might not like it, but bracket creep is aiding the inflation fight: Treasury boss
The head of the federal Treasury, Steven Kennedy, says bracket creep has been a helpful stabilising force over the past three years.
Business
Opinion
Company mergers
BHP walks after Anglo breaks off the engagement
Anglo American’s refusal to engage with BHP forced the world’s largest miner to abandon its $74 billion mega-deal.
Stephen Bartholomeusz
Senior business columnist
World
An image calling for ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ is going viral, but it seems AI-generated
More than 40 million Instagram users have shared this graphic to their stories using a user-generated template.
Opinion
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Property
‘A pretty magic spot’: Where you can sea-change for under $750,000 in NSW
Byron might be out of reach, but Sydneysiders are ditching the commute for coastal hotspots that cost half the price of the capital.
Eight of our favourite luxury homes for sale right now
From a palatial penthouse to an elegant Italianate villa and a hinterland showstopper with infinity-edge pool, here’s our pick of the bunch.
Good Food
Lifestyle
I saw a woman call Kathy Lette a moll. It could have been me
This literary fan had suffered an unfortunate affliction known as a spoonerism, where the beginnings of two words are transposed.
Culture
Opinion
WordPlay
Why the Streisand effect could be morphing into the Gina effect
The moment you tell us to look away, we can’t stop gawking, as Gina Rinehart recently found out to her detriment.
David Astle
Crossword compiler and ABC Radio Melbourne presenter
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
Moses the master as Eels beat Sharks
Their star No.7 is back and all is well with the Eels again. Finally, Eels fans have something to smile about again.
The Blues have been burned by pace before. So how do they put the brakes on Maroons?
Queensland’s back line boasts some of the fastest players ever seen in Maroon. Origin I could be gone in the blink of an eye if they find open space.
Analysis
Australian rugby
The Rebels are victims of a long-overdue austerity drive in Australian rugby
Is Rugby Australia’s decision to axe Melbourne another episode of calamity in the 15-man code, or a necessary act of leadership?
‘Paul Gallen is my hero’: The gesture that stuck with Jaime Chapman
A meeting with the NSW Blues great 14 years ago made a big impression on a young Jaime Chapman, then a Kurnell Stingrays junior and now a NSW Origin sensation.
Six weeks ago, he was an Origin outcast. Now Jarome Luai’s in NSW’s leadership group
The Tigers-bound five-eighth was dropped for the final match of last year’s series and a recall looked a long way off. But injuries opened the door to a dramatic change of fortunes.
‘It’s been a stressful week’: Crunch time arrives for Matildas’ Olympic hopefuls
Tony Gustavsson will unveil his 18-player Olympic squad next week, and said there are likely only three spots left up for grabs ahead of Friday night’s friendly with China.
‘This is women’s surfing’: A perfect 10 as history made at Teahupo’o
Women were banished from Teahupo’o for 15 years because it was deemed too dangerous. In heaving, two-metre waves on Thursday, the women dominated like never before.
Have Your Say
Forget the medals and PBs, I want Olympic poetry and romance
Higher, faster and stronger is far from the whole story when it comes to the Olympic Games.
Peter FitzSimons
Columnist and author
