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Victoria’s the most indebted state in Australia. That burden is set to rise
Today’s state budget will show that net debt will continue to climb until it peaks in 2026-27, fuelled by cost blowouts on the North East Link and higher interest rates.
Updated
Mushroom case
Alleged killer mushroom cook Erin Patterson pleads not guilty
Alleged mushroom cook killer Erin Patterson will have her case fast-tracked to the Supreme Court where her barrister says she will plead not guilty to all charges.
This is who will benefit: The one-off, $400 School Saving Bonus explained
The state government has announced new cost-of-living support measures for families with school children.
Punched 40 times, stomped on and choked, but a heart attack caused this young woman’s death
The family of a woman who was viciously beaten by her partner in an attack that included stomping on her head repeatedly feel betrayed by the justice system after he was cleared of contributing to her death.
Ben Cousins won’t be part of the football hall of fame’s class of ’24
Former West Coast champion and skipper Ben Cousins will not be inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2024 and is not considered likely to be added to the honour roll any time soon.
Live
Met Gala
Met Gala red carpet is so long Zendaya has already changed; SJP takes a ‘standing limo’
It’s the first Monday in May (at least in New York City), and that means it’s time for Anna Wintour’s Met Gala aka fashion’s biggest night.
Opinion
Life in the ’burbs
My suburb has a language barrier – and it makes people act differently
Owning a piece of sky instead of land? Raising a family in an apartment? All these things are normal in Asia, and yet so strange to many Australians.
Meg Davies
Contributor
If you’re on a health kick, drink more coffee
From reducing the risk of diabetes to staving off Alzheimer’s and cancer, your daily caffeine hit may be more powerful than you realise.
Exclusive
Tragedy
‘The part that is so raw ... is that I am just devastated’: Soul Barn owner has no answers on ‘toxic mushroom’ death
Michelle Mullins says the death of a woman from suspected mushroom poisoning at her Clunes wellness centre has left her devastated. And she says she’s been subjected to an “overwhelming” level of harassment.
‘New round of escalation’: Putin’s Russia threatens UK, plans tactical nuclear drills
The drills are a response to “provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Jobs at Bunnings, $200 a week: How musicians, actors and artists scratch a living in Australia
Half of Australia’s working artists are earning as little as $200 from their craft and just 9 per cent of professionals were making a full-time living from their creative practice, compared to 23 per cent eight years ago.
Opinion
US Votes 2024
Donald Trump’s manifesto for a second term is a disquieting smorgasbord of retribution and paranoia
Trump’s priorities for a second term are growing clearer. The tunes he sings are familiar, but the lyrics are becoming explicit - and they’re all about the “enemy within”.
Peter Hartcher
Political and international editor
Exclusive
Defence
Australian helicopter in near miss with Chinese fighter jet
The PLA Air Force plane dropped flares in front of an Australian Navy helicopter, in an incident Defence Minister Richard Marles condemned as unprofessional and unacceptable.
Victoria
Council orders former Goldfingers strip club site to be turned into a park
The derelict site of the former Kilkenny Inn and Goldfingers strip club will be turned into a temporary park by the City of Melbourne because construction on a promised multimillion-dollar development won’t begin next month.
Updated
Courts
Judge must undergo counselling after complaint from state’s top prosecutor
The Judicial Commission of Victoria has ruled some of judge Geoff Chettle’s conduct during a sex crimes trial lacked sensitivity.
Exclusive
Roads
Western Freeway upgrade under cloud as feud puts key road projects in doubt
A funding standoff between the state and federal governments has thrown the timeline of Victoria’s planned road projects into doubt.
A Grampians town’s remarkable recovery after ‘the beast’
A bushfire wiped out one-third of the tiny Grampians town of Pomonal 12 weeks ago. The town knew about resilience before the fire hit, and now it’s putting it into action.
Farmers of the sea want more rope to strengthen mussel industry
Mussel farmers say their local shellfish is a superfood and among the best in the world, but they need more space to help their crops grow.
AFL
Beveridge keeps the faith as pressure grows
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge expects the scrutiny to come, but he won’t deviate from his plan to make the Bulldogs a genuine contender.
Dockers unhappy with ‘manhandling’ of young gun Amiss
Rising Fremantle key forward Jye Amiss is being unfairly “manhandled” off the ball and needs umpires to protect him better, says Dockers coach Justin Longmuir.
Politics
Completion bonuses on the cards in university overhaul
Education Minister Jason Clare’s vision for getting more disadvantaged students into universities will be outlined in next week’s budget.
Business
ANZ boss sees ‘stress’ in the economy as bank profits slide 7 per cent
ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliott said competition especially in home loans was stronger than ever as the bank announced a cash profit of $3.55 billion and a $2 billion share buyback.
World
Updated
Australians abroad
Girlfriend leads tributes to Australian brothers slain on Mexican surfing trip
The girlfriend of one of the Australians killed in Mexico has posted of her heartbreak after police confirmed the identities of three bodies found in a well last week.
Opinion
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Property
Landlords hike rents nearly 50 per cent since the lows of lockdown
Rental prices for units have skyrocketed since COVID-19 lockdown, and house rents have jumped too. Is any relief in sight?
How the conventional wisdom of the property ladder broke down
Previous generations would start with a modest unit and then upsize to a house, but today’s buyers face a different outlook.
Good Food
Lifestyle
What will celebrities wear to this year’s Met Gala?
The annual event, which takes place on the first Monday in May, has surpassed the Oscars red carpet and the Paris Fashion Week front row as the biggest style circus.
Culture
‘As the Doctor and Ruby grew closer, so did we’: A new era for Doctor Who
As Doctor Who enters its new Disney era, stars Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson reveal why they’re like “besties at the back of the school bus”.
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
Ben Cousins won’t be part of the football hall of fame’s class of ’24
Former West Coast champion and skipper Ben Cousins will not be inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2024 and is not considered likely to be added to the honour roll any time soon.
Five years ago Tiana tried boxing for the first time. Now she’s off to the Olympics
Tiana Echegaray went to a boxercise class in 2019 to keep fit and it has led her to competing at her first Olympics at the age of 30.
Analysis
AFL 2024
Not a top-four team: How rival recruiters really rate the Bulldogs’ list
It’s hard to get a handle on Bevo’s Bulldogs. List managers polled by The Age point to top-end talent, but a wobbly defence and a one-paced midfield.
Batting phenom Fraser-McGurk opens up on World Cup snub
Australian short-form batting sensation Jake Fraser-McGurk said he didn’t feel he had earned a place in the T20 World Cup squad despite his recent pyrotechnics in the Indian Premier League.
AFL Briefing
AFL 2024
Mihocek played on with hamstring injury; AFL greats question the tackle trend
The thought never crossed Brody Mihocek’s mind to leave the ground, despite his hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Leigh Matthews and Nathan Buckley are convinced AFL umpires have changed their interpretation of holding-the-ball decisions.
Australia’s male sprinters on blocks for Paris relay, and they’ve still got our fastest man to call up
Like their female counterparts, Australia’s men’s team has qualified for the 4x100-metre Olympics relay for the first time since Sydney 2000. And they did it without even calling on the services of sprint star Rohan Browning.
Moloney falls short against Takei in Tokyo, losing bantamweight crown
Australia is without a reigning male world boxing champion after Jason Moloney’s unanimous points loss to a man in just his ninth professional boxing fight.
Have Your Say
Pie and Saint take the long way; former tradie behind Dees’ success: Key takeouts from round eight
Everyone knows a tradie who thinks they know everything about footy. There just aren’t many like Jason Taylor, the former air conditioner technician who is one of the main reasons for Melbourne’s success under Simon Goodwin.
