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A Mercedes driver charged over a CBD pursuit with two off-duty police officers on board has been revealed as a former nightclub promoter with a history of assaults. A TINY brain device that gives back the gift of communication to people with severe paralysis has been proven safe and effective in a world-first clinical trial in Melbourne. MELBOURNE’S traditional Australia Day parade has been cancelled for a third consecutive year. And.. VICTORIANS are gaining small, insidious amounts of weight every year in a relentless and costly kilo creep.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A peak body for the taxi industry has called out greedy drivers for price gouging, with the state government resisting calls to step in despite inflated fares at the Australian Open and safety concerns among female travellers. Tennis legend Margaret Court is set to snub this month’s Australian Open. Brit Selwood has made an impassioned plea to the state government to address the midwife shortage and save Epworth Geelong’s maternity ward, where she is due to give birth to her first child next month. And.. police in Queensland have confirmed they are investigating a public spat between former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke and his girlfriend Jade Yarbrough.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Explosive video has shown Australian cricket legend Michael Clarke and Today Show host Karl Stefanovic squaring off in wild scenes in a public park over a cheating allegation. Accused of being “tricky” with the public, Anthony Albanese has not ruled out legislating an Indigenous Voice to Parliament if Australians reject enshrining the body in the constitution. Victorian families are being hit with gas bill increases of more than $1000 this year. Up to 2000 jobs are up for grabs at Melbourne Airport, as travellers take to the skies in huge numbers after the pandemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victorian business identity Robert Belteky allegedly defrauded the car parking company he ran of more than $10m A $1 Million reward will be posted today over the strangulation murder of Middle Park socialite Jeanette Moss. Secret listening devices recorded accused High Country killer Greg Lynn talking to himself about Russell Hill and Carol Clay nearly a year after their alleged murders, according to police. And.. George Pell’s funeral looks set to be held early next month.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Intoxicated Victorians will be taken home or to “sobering up” centres under new rules decriminalising public drunkenness. A Sydney man who was a keen traveller and surfer is believed to have died in a fatal plane crash in Nepal that killed at least 68 people. Retail workers, cleaners, gardeners and hair dressers have had the strongest wages growth of any sector the country. And.. Tennis Australia’s dream of attracting a record 900,000 spectators to Melbourne Park has taken another massive hit with Nick Kyrgios the latest star to fall victim to what has been dubbed the “Netflix Curse”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley has called for a radical shake-up of Australian sports funding that would see lottery finances used to bankroll our brightest athletes. Melbourne’s 2022 real ­estate rollercoaster added up to $1500 a day to the value of homes in some suburbs even as others shed just as much in a ­tumultuous year for homeowners. Molly Meldrum has apologised for gatecrashing Sir Elton John’s farewell show at AAMI Park. And Australia has had stronger jobs growth than any of the world’s biggest economies. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at heraldsun.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria’s security industry faces a drastic workforce shortage that could affect major events. She is one of Australia’s most recognised faces – an actor, author and a mother of six. Designs for the Melbourne Airport Rail station have been quietly updated in an effort to combat fears the station could create congestion problems during peak times. And in sport, hundreds of thousands of tennis fans will visit Melbourne Park in coming weeks as grand slam season kicks off with the Australian Open on Monday. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at heraldsun.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singer Lisa Marie Presley – the only child of rock ’n’ roll legend Elvis – is dead after a cardiac arrest. More than one in five Australians have experienced suicidal behaviour in the last year – with one in six having serious thoughts of ending their own lives – as living costs have soared in the shadow of the Covid pandemic. The Mildura community has been put on alert after a rare but potentially life-threatening infection was detected in Victoria for the first time in more than a decade. And in sport, he’s used to flying under the radar but Aussie ace Alex de Minaur has sky-high ­confidence. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at heraldsun.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A boxing trainer has launched legal action against his star fighter over claims the middleweight champion walked out on their contract shortly after the trainer suffered a major stroke. New properties will be built to house almost 7000 athletes and officials during the 2026 Commonwealth Games in an unprecedented regional construction boom. A surgeon at the centre of a colonoscopy recall affecting about 2000 patients was also separately investigated over the death of a patient post-emergency surgery. And in sport, Nick Kyrgios has called it: the serial showman is getting serious. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at heraldsun.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cardinal George Pell has died in Rome, three years after the High Court ruled that Australia’s highest-ranking Catholic had been unfairly jailed for alleged child sex abuse. Australia's former Navy chief has been criticised for using a military submarine as his personal “love sub” after taking his girlfriend on an overnight ride and proposing to her. More public hospital beds are being occupied by patients medically fit to leave, aggravating “bed block” across Victoria’s health system. And Desperate recruiters are resorting to cash incentives to boost aviation ground staff numbers at Melbourne Airport See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian Open boss Craig Tiley has warned fans they will be kicked out if they unfairly target controversial former world number one Novak Djokovic. China’s ambassador to Australia opened an extraordinary press conference in Canberra by toasting the Chinese-Australian relationship with a glass of Barossa Valley red that is all but banned in his home country. Parents have been warned about the dangers of exercise equipment and young children, after new data from Victorian emergency departments revealed kids are significantly over-represented in treadmill and exercise bike accidents. And Cate Blanchett has firmed as Australia’s safest bet at the Golden Globes as the ceremony returns to centre stage after a year in the wilderness. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at heraldsun.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The majority of Victorians want local councils abolished or are unsure if they should exist, with Millennials among the biggest supporters of a major shake-up. Community greyhound rescue and foster groups are in crisis amid claims the racing industry is breeding too many dogs and discarding them at alarming rates. Older Australians are continuing to march into the workforce, with more working than ever before. And in sport, Novak Djokovic has touched down in Melbourne for the first time since he was spectacularly deported due to a vaccination scandal. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at heraldsun.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Underage teens are being fed videos on TikTok featuring images of graphic sex acts, rating their sexual “purity” and encouraging them to make explicit videos as concerned experts warn parents to protect their teenagers from the “vortex” of inappropriate content. The locations of 50 new urgent care clinics to treat non-life threatening injuries and illness have not been finalised despite the Albanese government’s pledge to have trial sites operational by May. Dramatic new photos have emerged from the Sea World helicopter crash, showing survivors covered in shrapnel wounds and holding hands in shock. Back-to-school costs are mounting for Victorian families, who are expected to spend an average of $944 per child in 2023. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A damning report has found more than a thousand ­complaints alleging neglect or abuse of adults living with disability in Victoria are not being investigated. The search for a young man who went missing in rough surf at a notorious Mornington Peninsula beach will continue for a third day after his father was unable to save him. Parents are being urged to do more to protect their kids’ personal data from being exploited by companies, hackers, foreign nations and paedophiles. Less than 40 per cent of Melbourne doctors’ clinics bulk bill all their patients For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The British royal family on Friday faced a barrage of devastating and damaging revelations when the Duke of Sussex’s book, Spare, was accidentally released. One in six Australian parents say they will consider pulling their children out of private junior schools and sending them to a state primary schools to ease cost-of-living pressures. Artificial intelligence-­enabled road safety cameras are about to be unleashed on the state’s road aimed at drivers who illegally use mobile phones or fail to wear seatbelts. Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer of Australian women, yet a study has found women wait longer than men for a common lifesaving heart valve treatment. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria Police is fighting for numbers and the force is struggling for recruits after almost one in nine officers left since 2019. New research has found a twelve-second voice ­recording could be used to work out whether people are drunk, More than $69m allocated to fix dangerous black spots on roads across the country has been ripped out of the budget by the Albanese government amid a spike in fatalities and serious accidents. The tax office is coming for Australia’s multimillion-dollar ­influencer industry with a promise to tax social media stars on gifts from companies, make them pay GST and stamp out bogus deductions. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suburban sky trains are coming to Melbourne’s west as part of the state’s level crossing removal program reshaping the city. A traumatised mother has spoken for the first time about how she clung desperately to her young son’s hand with “death in her eyes” as she watched the pilot frantically try to save those on board a doomed Sea World helicopter joy flight. Victorians were duped by ticket scammers more than 1100 times in the past year, prompting urgent warnings ahead of an event bonanza this summer. David Warner and Usman Khawaja have made a pact not to leave the game together to ensure Australia does not tumble into a black hole it knows too well. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria’s Education Department is facing a wave of injury claims before the courts as out-of-control students run amok on school grounds. A Geelong West mother thought she and her young son were going to die when their helicopter crashed into another chopper near Sea World on the Gold Coast. Australia's population will be just shy of 30 million people in just 10 years, but would have easily topped the milestone if the pandemic hadn’t slowed the nation’s growth almost to a halt. The Duke of Sussex is poised to attack his brother and complain how he was forced to play second fiddle, in a publicity blitz for his forthcoming explosive autobiography, Spare. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four people were killed and three seriously injured after two helicopters on holiday joy rides from Sea World collided mid-air over the Gold Coast. E-Scooters will stay on Melbourne’s roads after the controversial trial due to finish this month is set to be extended. Cricket Australia’s TV rights deal is done and dusted after Kayo and Foxtel saw off international streaming competition to retain the rights alongside Channel 7 in a billion dollar bonanza. A new financial snapshot has revealed women are more willing than men to cut their spending to deal with the cost-of-living crunch as they head into 2023. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria's Office of Special Investigator says its probe of the Lawyer X scandal is being hampered and it needs more money or powers to uncover the truth. Melbourne is notorious for its ability to have four seasons in a day, and its fickle weather could be putting people at greater risk of cancer and other conditions. Child killer Robert Farquharson is being blamed for the untimely death of his former wife a decade after he was sentenced to life in prison for murdering their three sons. Australia will introduce mandatory Covid testing for travellers from China amid a “rapidly developing situation”. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Graffiti supporters have covertly hijacked QR codes designed to help people report vandalism in the CBD, instead directing them to YouTube videos promoting the spray-can subculture. A new government document says the recovery effort from Victoria’s floods could continue for years. Victorian councils have been urged to avoid “gorging” on a 3.5 rate cap rise and instead provide much needed relief to ratepayers. Victorians can finally bid farewell to the wet and dreary summer of recent weeks as warmer conditions arrive to mark the start of the new year. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melbourne is gearing up to ring in the New Year with more than 400,000 revellers set to descend on the city for the biggest celebration ever. Victorian taxpayers forked out $1.3bn over the past two years to bail out WorkSafe after the Andrews government was secretly warned about the agency’s dire financial position. Suicides in Victoria are at a five-year high, with 686 deaths recorded so far this year. It was the year that we finally declared the Covid pandemic over, but 2022 was also the end of the record 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TENNIS Australia boss Craig Tiley has warned Melbourne risks losing the Australian Open to an interstate or overseas city unless there is continued development of its sports precinct, including a new ­stadium. A LEADING oral health expert has warned Victoria’s public dental system is well beyond crisis point, with vulnerable Victorians forced to wait longer than 17 months on average for general dental care. POLICE have seized CCTV footage capturing the moment a man allegedly set his neighbour on fire after an argument over noise. TAXI companies have warned there may not be enough drivers to handle massive New Year’s Eve crowds in the city, while travellers are being told to brace for rideshare prices that “will make your eyes water”. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ORAL health experts are warning Australia is in a “dire” situation if there is not an ­urgent and substantial increase in research funding. Criminals ordered to wear tracking bracelets are deliberately hacking them off in record numbers to roam free. A woman who attempted to diffuse an early morning dispute with neighbours was set upon in an alleged arson attack outside a Werribee South unit, when an end-of-year celebration among friends turned to tragedy. A mid-strength has topped the list of Australia’s highest selling beers for 2022. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hooligan who allegedly hurled a metal bucket at a goalkeeper’s face in the violent pitch invasion at AAMI Park is upset that he’s being “unfairly targeted” over the mayhem. The Opposition has warned supplying protective equipment and rapid tests are “not enough” to stem the deadly wave of Covid in Australia’s aged care homes and more “tangible” solutions are urgently needed. Kevin Rudd will be double-dipping on the taxpayers’ dime in his new role as Australia’s US ambassador, putting his income almost on par with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Call to a cancer helpline have spiked in the past year, as a leading charity warns some patients are skipping treatments and tests because they cannot afford them. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As an emotional sea of zinc-covered faces and floppy hats filled the MCG in honour of Shane Warne, the legend’s son Jackson had a message for others who had lost a loved one. Car drivers have been put on notice as thousands of road incidents and near misses involving passengers boarding or leaving trams are reported annually. Summer clothing was the hot ticket item at the Boxing Day sales as thousands of Victorians raced to stores to nab a bargain as the mercury finally climbed. Police have drawn up a hit-list of 13,000 vehicles of interest in a bid to target serious and organised crime across Victoria, in an expansion of their automatic number plate recognition technology fleet. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Motorists have been warned to brace for a week of traffic chaos from Boxing Day as repair works on the West Gate Bridge spark 90 minute delays and gridlock across Melbourne. Victoria's top traffic cop says driver behaviour has deteriorated in the post-COVID era. Victorian shoppers will be among the country’s biggest spenders during their Boxing Day bargain hunt. Princess Charlotte has stolen the show with her “priceless” reaction at a Christmas carol service attended by the royal family. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Football Australia has banned Melbourne Victory supporters from attending home A-League games for the next month unless they are ticketed members. Fire Rescue Victoria will be without its computer dispatch system, which sends trucks to fires, for “weeks” with the bill for its system-crippling cyber attack likely to run into the millions of dollars. Legislation will be introduced into the Victorian parliament for a two-year trial of pill testing in an effort to prevent people taking potentially lethal drugs. Health experts have urged an expansion of access to Covid antiviral medications as Covid cases and hospitalisation skyrocket. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A family has been left devasted after theives stole medals and letters belonging to one of the country’s most admired military figures and humanitarians, Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop, Shocking figures has found more than 9000 healthcare workers were abused, threatened or assaulted across Melbourne’s major hospitals in the last financial year. Deadly weapons are being sold on social media and retail websites with no requirements for buyers to prove their age or identity. Two teenage gang members arrested after the stabbing death of Hashim Mohamed at St Kilda foreshore have been released on bail. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of four teenagers who spent six hours drifting 22km across Port Phillip Bay has told how he couldn’t feel his hands as he desperately clung to his paddleboard. Thirteen alleged soccer hooligans have been charged over the A-League anarchy that erupted at the Melbourne derby on Saturday night. The minimum age of criminal responsibility would be lifted from 10 to 14 under a new Bill introduced on the first day of Victoria’s 60th parliament. Argentina'a World Cup winners led by captain Lionel Messi returned home from Qatar in the early hours of Tuesday morning ahead of a welcome home party in the nation’s capital. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three hooligans involved in Saturday night’s soccer chaos face prison sentences of up to 10 years if found guilty of charges of violent disorder. A former suburban drug dealer who became an accidental multi-millionaire when a small stash of cryptocurrency he made selling drugs online ballooned in value has narrowly avoided jail. A government report has revealed dodgy petrol pumps, incorrect weight labels on packaged goods and faulty scales are ripping off Australians millions of dollars. If you are having a baby, a knee replacement or need a hernia operation, it may pay to switch health funds to avoid a gap fee. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police are warning hooligans who stormed the AAMI Park pitch and attacked an A-League player and referee they will be “knocking on doors” imminently. A chance discovery by a Melbourne researcher may be a lifesaver in the fight against deadly colorectal cancer. The Victorian Liberal Party will not review its disastrous 2022 election campaign, but will instead begin work on its 2026 effort. And in sport, fans will pause to pay their respects to Shane Warne in a series of tributes at the Boxing Day Test. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at heraldsun.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AGGRAVATED burglaries committed by Victoria’s youngest offenders have risen 80 per cent year-on-year, with overall crime figures for children aged under 14 being at its highest rate in half a decade.TRAMS and buses will have priority at traffic lights across Melbourne under a program to improve traffic flow.DANDENONG Council has spent more than $650,000 in legal fees fighting the infamous slug saga.AUSTRALIAN doctors receiving payments from big pharma say their medical judgment is in no way compromised, after pocketing more than $42.56m since 2019.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria has shifted into the slow lane as motorists confront thousands of 40km/h zones, which are now almost as common as 60km/h zones. Two Greens-dominated Melbourne councils will be ­allowed to host citizenship ceremonies for the first time since 2017 after Immigration Minister Andrew Giles backed down on the previous government’s insistence they hold them on Australia Day. Local general-duties police officers formed a heavily armed “extraction team” to rescue their fallen colleagues, driving on to the Train family’s western Darling Downs property in the vehicle of the trio’s murdered neighbour while under fire. And in sport, Andrew Thorburn has quit his leadership of the church that cost him his job at Essendon. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at heraldsun.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of Australia’s top burns surgeons say lessons from the Bali Bombings have been forgotten, leaving the country under-prepared for mass-casualty burns incidents including major bushfires. Melbourne Grand Prix boss Andrew Westacott will stand down as chief executive after next year’s race, in a shock departure from the Formula One major event. Fire Rescue Victoria could be victim of a cyber attack after the emergency service was forced to shut down their system over an outage. And Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy for all. For some, it’s a time shrouded in stress and anxiety as the pressure to provide ample food and gifts mounts. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at heraldsun.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Footage of two men and two vehicles have emerged as potential breakthroughs in the underworld murder of Mickleham man Korey Kesici. Only one in five CBD employees are working in the office five days a week, a new survey has found. Victoria Police is on track to impound a record number of vehicles this year, as the force targets deadly drivers in a bid to halt the state’s soaring road toll. And Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Darren Weir has been spared conviction but told he should feel “ashamed” for using electric shock devices on three horses in the lead-up to 2018 Cup. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at heraldsun.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victorian cricket authorities are on guard as local matches become the focus of international betting. A new personalised vaccine against melanoma has almost halved the rate of recurrence and death in a major turning point described as cancer’s “penicillin moment”. A Queensland rookie cop who survived a deadly ambush on a remote Western Downs property sent messages to family saying she thought she was going to die as the killers tried to hunt her down. And frequently giving young children mobile devices to calm them down may prevent them from learning normal emotion regulation strategies, a study has found. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at heraldsun.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two Queensland police officers have been killed after they came under attack on the western Darling Downs. Victorian renters are routinely being asked by unscrupulous real estate agents and landlords to bid over advertised prices to secure properties, despite the practice being banned. Victorian schools have posted their best results in years, with grades spiking and students performing well beyond expectation. And pet owners could take sick leave to care for their furry friends in a new national initiative developed by Aussie vets. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at heraldsun.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

POLICE are monitoring 644 gang members who are on a statewide youth crime watch list.AUSTRALIA will offer upgraded defence and security support for Papua New Guinea as it seeks to shore up relations with close Pacific neighbours amid increased competition in the region from China.PROGRESS to close the gender pay gap between women and men in Australia has failed to make any ground for the first time this year, a new study shows.Police and ambulance triple-0 call-outs to the street of Melbourne’s only injecting room have more than doubled since the North Richmond facility opened in 2018.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE head of Victoria Police’s anti-bikie task force would support any new law wiping outlaw bikie gangs from existence. SUPPORT for renewable ­energy has dropped as voters feel the effect of power price blowouts on family budgets. Retailers are hiring extra security as more than $1 billion worth of goods will be stolen in the lead up to Christmas as interest rate hikes bite. AND… BLOCK star Shaynna Blaze says she could have died when she was violently attacked while walking her dog in Melbourne.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Mongols bikie killed fruiterer Paul Virgona on EastLink just 22 days after promising a judge he was a changed man. Daniel Andrews has exceeded his 2018 “Danslide” election victory success, with his party officially claiming 56 seats. The poorest Australians’ bills will be subsidised by hundreds of dollars over the next 12 months as part of the federal government’s plan to protect consumers from soaring power prices caused by the spike in global gas and coal prices And… Gisborne homeowners enjoyed the biggest value gains in 2022, but a leading real estate agent says it’s no longer lifestyle attractions pushing buyers further out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

19 month old Noah Souvatzis was feverish, vomiting, unable to support his head and developing a rash when he was discharged from Wangaratta hospital. Noah’s devastated parents Ben and Steph say a series of catastrophic hospital blunders led to Noah’s “totally avoidable” death, and that an investigation into the tragedy has been a “whitewash”.New Opposition Leader John Pesutto has vowed to ­rebuild the Liberal Party and says he’s confident he can win the 2026 election.Tuxedo-Clad terriers and ring-bearing rottweilers could soon become wedding staples, with demand for dog-inclusive ceremonies skyrocketing ahead of the new year.And David Warner’s manager has made bombshell allegations that Australian players were given the green light to ball-tamper in Test cricket.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE devastated mother of a teenager who was stabbed to death during an evening with friends on St Kilda foreshore has pleaded for action to combat knife crime. THE rising black market demand for breast milk from body builders, cancer patients and those with Covid has sparked a call for human milk to be classified as “tissue” and regulated in the same way as supplies of blood. THOUSANDS of Victorians are living with undiagnosed cancer following Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions. MORE CBD workers are returning to offices but Melbourne’s occupancy rate still lags behind most other capital cities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parents were being urged to not bring their sick children to the Royal Children’s Hospital emergency department, it comes as a top doctor is warning the state’s healthcare crisis will continue “well past Christmas”.The teenage victim of a suspected gang attack lay dying along the St Kilda foreshore, with a knife still inside him, in front of hundreds of shocked beachgoers relishing the first weekend of summer. Sinkholes are creating havoc on central Victorian properties, wiping out sections of roads and even appearing in school yards. A surprising number of Australians remain daily smokers despite fresh data indicating the number of people with the habit has fallen in the last decade.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mortgage-free millionaire Reserve Bank bosses have been accused of being out of touch as families struggling to pay off their soaring home loans face the spectre of an eighth rate rise in as many months. Spin king Shane Warne and distance runner Ron Clarke will be officially recognised as legends of Australian sport. A map war gaming potential threats from China’s land-based missile arsenal showing strikes across two thirds of Australia forms part of a dramatic submission to the highly anticipated Defence Strategic Review. A third of Melburnians say lives are “much worse” than before the pandemic began. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A City of Melbourne-owned company that collects rubbish for the council has been slammed for giving its chief executive an “outrageous” salary package of nearly $800,000 over the past year. A Liberal Party candidate has lifted the lid on a chaotic election campaign, accusing outgoing state director Sam McQuestin of doing more for Labor than his own party. The Defence Minister has declared Australia is in a race against the clock to complete one of its most daring missions in history by overcoming an expansive skills gap affecting the nation’s defensive efforts, Australian relationships are on the rocks, with the divorce rate up 16 per cent in the past year, and increasing portions of the population either separated or divorced. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ricky Ponting was taken to hospital yesterday, driven by the Australian team doctor, after suffering a heart scare on day three of the first Test in Perth. Hospitals will have the power to cancel staff leave from Saturday, as authorities place Victoria’s health system under new measures to combat “increasing demand” amid a fourth Covid wave. More statues of women are set be erected in Melbourne as Town Hall declares that the gap between male and female statues is absurd and a “moral hazard”. A special school in Melbourne’s north is so full that students are forced to attend class for just two hours a day. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New medical evidence detailing the impact of a second trial on Brittany Higgins’ mental health is expected to result in the charge being dropped and the trial not proceeding. Household gas bills are set to soar by about $500 for customers on basic contracts next year, delivering a crippling cost-of-living crunch. The Andrews government has ordered a security sweep of its ministerial cars just days after being elected to a third term. The ‘Balenciaga Bikie’, Tarek Zahed has been moved into Australia’s most secure prison after fears for his safety having recently been moved to Goulburn Supermax . For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Law enforcement agencies have joined forces to declare war on the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang, vowing to break them up and eradicate them from our shores. An elderly homeowner was shopping at Bunnings when a helicopter crashed landed onto the roof of her Mentone home of 55 years. Australian scientists have discovered how bacteria evolves into a superbug that can beat antibiotics, warning we face a “silent pandemic” of a greater risk than Covid. Victorians can temporarily pack away their winter woollies with sweltering conditions set to mark the first few days of summer for much of the state. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of children and teenagers turning up to hospital with eating disorders has skyrocketed since the Covid lockdowns in Melbourne, with desperate parents saying their children are only able to get admitted once they are near death. Monash University staff can be fired if they do not complete mandatory Indigenous culture training. Victorians flocked to this year’s Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales, shelling out an estimated $2.2bn despite soaring inflation and a string of interest rate hikes. A new professional Australian wresting major event inspired by global sporting empire WWE will be launched next year with multi-day drawcards earmarked for regional cities. For updates and breaking news throughout the day, take out a subscription at herald sun.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.