Just in
Latest
Opinions might offend, but this lawyer argues they shouldn’t cost someone their job
The social media pile-on is today’s baying mob, where algorithms reward “Colosseum-style” justice. Josh Bornstein says employers have become moral arbiters and control too much of our lives.
- by Kieran Rooney
Exclusive
Political leadership
Travel warning for Jewish visitors to Australia after synagogue attack
Anthony Albanese announced a new taskforce to tackle antisemitism, but a US-based Jewish human rights organisation still issued a warning.
- by Chip Le Grand, Paul Sakkal and James Massola
Australia news LIVE: Terror police hunt for synagogue fire suspects; Dutton won’t use indigenous flags as PM
Follow today’s top stories with our national news blog.
- by Josefine Ganko
Breaking
Political leadership
Liberal frontbencher and former minister Paul Fletcher resigning
Liberal frontbencher and former minister Paul Fletcher is resigning from politics.
- by Max Maddison and Paul Sakkal
Analysis
Political leadership
The Indigenous flag is an easy target for Dutton when he’s kicking down
The opposition leader’s decision to start a debate about the Indigenous flag comes just as he is about to reveal the cost of his nuclear policy. That timing is revealing.
- by David Crowe
Breaking
Political leadership
Wong defends criticism of Israel, rebukes Dutton
Penny Wong says Australia expects Israel to comply with international law in the same way it expects authoritarian regimes such as Russia and China to do so.
- by Matthew Knott, Josefine Ganko and Nick Bonyhady
Graphic content
Syrian conflict
The race to rescue those trapped in Syria’s ‘human slaughterhouse’
Footage emerging from the liberation of Bashar al-Assad’s most notorious prisons has revealed underground cells and body-crushing iron presses used to detain and torture.
- by Sarah Newey
Updated
Russia-Ukraine war
Volodymyr Zelensky says Vladimir Putin ‘fears’ Donald Trump
The Ukrainian president admitted the previously top-secret casualty numbers a few hours after Trump released the data as evidence that the war needed to stop.
- by Rob Harris
Win Bledisloe every two years: Rugby Australia sets out bold five-year goals
A new strategy paper through to 2029 released by RA includes some lofty ambitions.
- by Iain Payten
Chappell Roan? Sabrina Carpenter? Why Doechii should be music’s next star
Doechii’s excellent new mixtape is up for multiple prizes at the music awards in February.
- by Robert Moran
Updated
Billionaires
Rupert Murdoch fails in bid to change family trust
The move was an attempt by the 93-year-old to cement his eldest son Lachlan Murdoch’s control of the family empire after his death.
- by Calum Jaspan
ASX set for slow start after Nvidia weighs on Wall Street; $A jumps
The Australian sharemarket is set for a lacklustre open this morning as a slide for market superstar Nvidia helped pull US stock indexes down from their records.
- by Stan Choe
Five words: Usain Bolt’s verdict on Gout Gout is in
Australia’s teenage sprint sensation had already drawn comparisons with sprint king Usain Bolt before he became the talk of the athletics world again last weekend with his record-breaking run in the 200m. Now Bolt’s verdict is in.
- by Claire Siracusa
Kidman, Pearce, Blanchett and Watts nominated for Golden Globes
There’s a strong Australian showing among an especially star-studded list of nominees for the revamped awards.
- by Kate Lahey
Israel attacks Syrian air bases, destroying dozens of aircraft, say Syrian sources
The United Nations says Israeli forces are occupying a demilitarised buffer zone between Israel and Syria in violation of a 1974 ceasefire agreement.
Updated
Crime
Suspect in killing of UnitedHealth executive taken into custody
Luigi Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after he was spotted at a McDonald’s by someone who believed he resembled the gunman.
- by Costas Pitas
The former dishwasher engineer who just became a billionaire
Peter Beck has come a long way in the space industry with no university qualifications.
- by Ainsley Thomson and Bruce Einhorn
Exclusive
Immigration
Voters back migration cuts as Dutton retreats on target
Labor seized on the move to accuse Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of dumping a promise he made in May.
- by David Crowe
Exclusive
Arts
Who’s in, who’s out as Labor figures head cultural leadership shake-up
ALP veterans head a list of 10 new prestigious appointments to the state’s leading galleries and museums.
- by Linda Morris
Slash your energy bills: Suburbs with the most energy-efficient houses
Homes built after 2010 have higher star ratings than older homes, but some homes don’t manage to reach their rating at all.
- by Jim Malo
Exclusive
City life
Kouta’s $449,000 cash splash on failed lord mayoral campaign
The campaign to elect the former AFL star as Melbourne lord mayor spent a hefty amount with limited success. One of his supporters has called for electoral reform.
- by Cara Waters
At 31, Kirsty had just been pregnant – but she suddenly faced a ‘brutal’ reality
The months-long “medical limbo” Kirsty Costa fell into while trying to get a diagnosis has now helped to inform new guidelines for doctors.
- by Wendy Tuohy
Opinion
Globalisation
When Trump says the world’s ‘a little crazy right now’, you know it’s bad
We should rethink the designation of 2024 as the year of democracy and think of it as the year when everything, everywhere, all at once seemed to go off the rails.
- by Nick Bryant
Investigation
Crime
Hurricane Tim: The fraudulent force of nature with a long list of global victims
Timothy John Alford is a serial swindler who has allegedly cheated dozens of people out of an estimated $50 million throughout Australia and the United States.
- by Kate McClymont and Harriet Alexander
Billions needed for 900 new kinders, 60 supersized schools
The infrastructure agency says demand for early education is exploding across Victoria, and nearly 140,000 new places will be needed by 2036.
- by Noel Towell
British streamer closes in on Foxtel
News Corp is edging closer to selling its pay TV and streaming business, with a deal potentially putting the company that broadcasts AFL and NRL games into foreign hands.
- by Calum Jaspan
The MSO has a new chief. Just don’t ask him about art and politics
A bassoonist by trade, the New Zealand-born CEO says he’s preoccupied by change.
- by Kerrie O'Brien
Exclusive
Insects
The fluorescent red mozzies that could protect us from other blood-hungry biters
Floods and heatwaves are fanning a spike in mosquito-borne disease with one aggressive species threatening to invade Australia.
- by Angus Dalton
Updated
Test cricket
‘Aggressive and inappropriate’: Siraj fined 20 per cent of match fee as Head let off after Adelaide send-off
Travis Head escaped a financial sanction as he and India’s Mohammed Siraj were found guilty of breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct following the ugly incident.
- by Tom Decent
Updated
Pacific diplomacy
Australia fires Tomahawk missile for first time, spends $140m to China-proof Nauru
Faced with challenges in the Indo-Pacific, Australia revealed it test-fired a Tomahawk missile recently as it ramps up its long-range strike capability.
- by Matthew Knott
Tennis stars driven by missing trophy on the CV as Hewitts shine on blue carpet
Australia’s recent world No.1 doubles player Matt Ebden ticked off some big career goals in 2024 but the veteran is still driven by one thing missing on the CV.
- by Scott Spits
Why we’ll never see anything like the Eras Tour again
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour wasn’t just the most successful concert tour of all time. It was a “magic moment” that could be impossible to replicate.
- by Meg Watson
Top private school to set up ‘super-campus’ on big tract of Caulfield Racecourse
The agreement could have implications for the Melbourne Football Club’s proposal to build a $100 million training and administration base at Caulfield Racecourse.
- by Danny Russell and Peter Ryan
Opinion
Letters
Trust is rising in Peter Dutton, but it’s not well-placed
Readers respond to Peter Dutton’s nuclear policy and his growing support in the opinion polls.
Updated
Swimming
Dawn Fraser recovering from serious injuries after fall
The Australian swimming legend was admitted to intensive care after suffering injuries including four broken ribs in an accident at her daughter’s home on the Sunshine Coast.
- by Tom Decent
‘The fear is palpable’: Australian women and children trapped in Syria afraid for their lives
Australia has had five years to repatriate dozens of women and children who went to Syria under Islamic State.
- by Michael Bachelard
‘I was in shock for a week after being told I’d inherited an 88-room mansion’
At age 40, Caroline Magnus was bequeathed the country estate where Atonement was filmed.
- by Eleanor Doughty
Taxi driver jailed for 10 months after sexually assaulting unconscious passenger
The driver stole his victim’s engagement ring during an attack that she says left her a fearful shadow of her former self.
- by Brittany Busch
Girl once accused of Footscray murder pleads to be let outside
An application to keep the 13-year-old in a secure facility for another six months has been approved by the Supreme Court.
- by Emily Woods
‘Forever in our hearts’: Loved ones farewell Holly Morton-Bowles, who died during dream holiday
Many mourners chose to honour the life of the 19-year-old by wearing something pink.
- by Caroline Schelle
Opinion
Life in the ’burbs
Hands off, Camberwell: Melbourne’s most charming cinema is ours, not yours
My suburb’s stereotype is Lululemon, accountants and lawyers, with a lot of “Where are your kids at school?” There’s also the case of an inter-suburban theft.
- by Sarah Moller
‘It has come at last’: Sydney Syrians celebrate Assad’s fall
Diaspora are celebrating the sudden end of over half a century of dictatorship in their homeland.
- by Ben Cubby
As it happened: PM unveils antisemitism taskforce after Melbourne synagogue firebombing deemed ‘terrorism’; Unions protest outside RBA
Read the national news headlines for Monday, December 9.
- by Josefine Ganko and Lachlan Abbott
‘Lost his voice’: Dutton criticises Jewish MP over government’s antisemitism response
Labor’s Josh Burns said he “couldn’t care less” about Peter Dutton’s remarks, and they would not stop him standing up for the Jewish community.
- by James Massola and Josefine Ganko
Updated
World markets
ASX finishes flat after banks, miners retreat
The Australian sharemarket closed flat on Monday after initial losses behind the banks and mining giants, but things looked up after lunch thanks to consumer and healthcare stocks.
- by Daniel Lo Surdo
Exclusive
Nuclear energy
Bowen makes ‘hypocritical’ nuclear claims as Dutton accuses scientists of bias
Energy Minister Chris Bowen says he is happy to take expert advice after the nation’s top science agency had a second go at working out the cost of competing forms of energy.
- by Mike Foley and Paul Sakkal
Analysis
Syrian conflict
With Assad gone, a brutal dictatorship ends. But the new risks are huge
The overthrow of the Assad government could mean Iran’s pathway to Hezbollah is cut off. Now Iran, newly vulnerable, will have to decide between negotiation and the bomb.
- by David E. Sanger
Who’s fired? Trump signals an aggressive opening, threatening jail for Cheney and others
In his first sit-down broadcast network interview since winning re-election, Donald Trump vowed to pardon Capitol attackers and to try to end automatic citizenship for children of immigrants.
- by Peter Baker
Opinion
Big four
Why did ANZ look past its bench to pick a superstar CEO
The Big Four bank’s decision to fly in an overseas star banker is at the very least curious – and potentially risky.
- by Elizabeth Knight
Opinion
Middle East tensions
Netanyahu’s rebuke of Albanese is weak and unprovable but serves his purposes
Israel’s prime minister sees himself as the ultimate defender of Israel against an international left that he portrays as hostile and complicit in antisemitism.
- by Dan Perry
Analysis
Australian cricket
‘Serious technical issue’: Three moments that exposed the struggles of ageing stars
At 35, the question is beginning to be asked about how much the fire still burns in Steve Smith to return to his former dominance. He has Kohli and Rohit for company.
- by Daniel Brettig
Jack White returns to the grimy intimacy of the Melbourne venue where he wrote one of his hits
Jack White, rock and roll royalty, could fill a much bigger venue than the Corner Hotel several times over – but this grimy intimacy is what he prefers.
- by Will Cox, Vyshnavee Wijekumar, Cameron Woodhead, Andrew Fuhrmann and Tony Way
Record deal: Baseball star signs staggering $1.2 billion contract
All eyes had been on Juan Soto as he weighed up whether to stay with the Yankees or sign elsewhere. Now Soto has agreed to a mammoth $1.2 billion deal with the Yankees’ cross-town rivals.
Jay-Z denies raping 13-year-old girl in Diddy-related lawsuit
The billionaire rapper has been accused of raping a 13-year-old, alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs.
- by Kayla Olaya and Karl Quinn
He’s Australia’s newest sporting star. And we’ve all been spelling his name wrong
When Gout Gout’s parents fled Sudan for Egypt, officials reportedly made an error when translating the family name from Arabic - and so technically, his name should be something else.
- by Vince Rugari
‘One of the most evil acts we’ve seen’: Synagogue fire declared a terror attack
The investigation into the Ripponlea synagogue firebombing will be handled by a joint counter-terror unit as police throw all their resources at finding three suspects.
- by Cassandra Morgan, Chris Vedelago and Kieran Rooney
Analysis
Syrian conflict
Peter Dutton said it was too dangerous to go to this Syrian prison camp. We went there anyway
In the power vacuum left by Bashar al-Assad’s fall, amid the weakness of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, nobody knows who will control Syria or how they will rule.
- by Michael Bachelard
Analysis
Syrian conflict
The quiet media student turned rebel commander who toppled a brutal regime
Syria’s rebel leader Abu Mohammad al-Golani was once a middle-class student with middling grades and a quiet disposition. He is now credited with helping liberate his country.
- by Hassan Hassan
Opinion
Governance
The $78b question: Why a small investor is attacking Rio Tinto
An activist shareholder has ratcheted up its attempt to pressure the mining giant into making a major change.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Some see suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing as a folk hero
Support for the shooter is similar to what emerges after a mass shooting on websites such as 4chan and 8chan. But what’s disturbing about this is “it’s mainstream”.
- by Hurubie Meko
Melbourne Uni agrees to repay $72 million to academic staff
The prestigious university has agreed to pay millions in interest and superannuation on top of the wage repayments to 25,000 current and former staff. One worker was underpaid by $150,000.
- by Noel Towell
Michael Caine’s guide to life bursts with legendary anecdotes
Now 90, the storied actor reflects on his long career with charm and honesty. The result is riveting.
- by Peter Craven