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13 March 2026

☀️ Chef's return & Oscar picks

Plus: Matildas advance, sacred drum returned, and your weekend stage guide ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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Morning Post

Melbourne

Saturday, 14 March 2026  •  Issue #621

☀️24°/11°
Mostly sunny with high UV — sunset at 7:41 PM
☀️ UV 8.2  •  🌅 Sunset 7:41 PM
 

Good morning! It's a beautiful autumn Saturday with plenty of sunshine. Today we're looking at George Calombaris's nervous return, Oscar predictions, and a packed weekend of world-class theatre.

— Nathan, Editor

At a Glance

☀️ 24°/11° — Mostly sunny with high UV — sunset at 7:41 PM

📰 George Calombaris returns to Melbourne after empire's collapse

🎭 West Gate — Melbourne Theatre Company + 5 more events

🍳 Recipe of the Week: Classic Lamb Shanks

🕰️ On this day in 1975: Cyclone Tracy survivors were officially allowed to return to Darwin...

Today's Melbourne

George Calombaris returns to Melbourne after empire's collapse

The once-celebrated chef is back in the city where his restaurant empire fell apart following a high-profile wage theft scandal. He says he's emerged from a dark spiral as a different man. It's the fifth instalment in a special series on reinvention and redemption.

via The Age

Mathematician vs critic: Who picks the Oscars better?

With the 2026 Academy Awards approaching, two very different minds are putting their prediction skills to the test. Can data beat intuition when it comes to Hollywood's biggest night?

via ABC Melbourne

Around Australia

Matildas survive scare to reach Asian Cup semis

Goals from Sam Kerr and Alanna Kennedy secured a nervy 2-1 win over North Korea in Perth. The quarterfinal thriller keeps Australia's Asian Cup campaign alive.

via ABC News

Should sellers pay for building inspections?

Victorian homebuyers like Toshi are spending thousands on reports before making offers. The state government now plans to make vendors provide property and pest inspections upfront, plus require sold prices to be made public.

via The Guardian Australia

Around the World

Six crew killed in US military plane crash in Iraq — A refuelling aircraft went down over western Iraq, with US Central Command confirming all six crew members died.

via BBC World

France returns sacred drum looted 100 years ago — The Djidji Ayôkwé talking drum was handed to Ivorian officials in Paris after being taken by French colonial authorities from Côte d'Ivoire.

via The Guardian World

What's On

Theatre & Performance

Every Saturday we spotlight theatre and performances around Melbourne.

10 Mar · Arts

West Gate — Melbourne Theatre Company

Southbank Theatre, The Sumner — to 18 Apr

Powerful world premiere revisiting Australia's worst industrial disaster that killed 35 workers in 1970.

12 Mar · Arts

Flora — Australian Ballet & Bangarra

Regent Theatre, Collins St — to 21 Mar

Historic collaboration with 35+ dancers and William Barton's score exploring Australian flora's evolution.

23 Apr · Arts

Julius Caesar — Bell Shakespeare

Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre — to 10 May

Shakespeare's political thriller reimagined in 1990s Eastern Europe starring Leon Ford and Mark Leonard Winter.

27 Apr · Arts

The Glass Menagerie — MTC

Southbank Theatre, The Sumner — to 5 Jun

Tennessee Williams' haunting memory play returns after 20 years with Alison Whyte and Tim Draxl.

14 May · Arts

Pride and Prejudice — Malthouse Theatre

Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse — to 23 May

Bloomshed's critically acclaimed inventive take on Jane Austen's witty romance and society satire.

06 Jun · Arts

Romeo & Juliet — The Australian Ballet

Regent Theatre, Collins St — to 16 Jun

John Cranko's sweeping choreography with Orchestra Victoria performing Prokofiev's beloved score.

Got an event to share? Let us know →

Recipe of the Week

Every Saturday we share a recipe worth trying.

Classic Lamb Shanks

Serves 4 · 3 hours

Nothing beats slow-cooked lamb shanks on a cool autumn evening. This is the kind of recipe that fills the house with the most incredible smell and practically cooks itself.

Ingredients

• 4 lamb shanks

• 2 tins crushed tomatoes

• 1 cup red wine (or beef stock)

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery sticks, diced

• 1 onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

• 2 tbsp plain flour

• Fresh rosemary, salt and pepper

Method

1. Season shanks with salt and pepper, dust with flour. Brown in a heavy pot with a splash of olive oil.

2. Remove shanks. Sauté onion, carrot, celery and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Return shanks to the pot, add tomatoes, wine and rosemary. Bring to a gentle simmer.

4. Cover tightly and cook in a 160°C oven for 2.5 hours until the meat is falling off the bone.

5. Serve over creamy mashed potato with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

What's your go-to comfort food recipe when the weather turns cool? Hit reply and share.

Just hit reply and tell us — we'll share the best answers on Tuesday.

Daily Brainteaser

🧩

What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?

Answer revealed at the bottom of today's edition.

Daily Games

💡 Today's Featured Game

Word Ladder

5 steps · ~2 min

GOLD → RUST

Change one letter at a time · Par: 5 steps

Play Word Ladder →
🧠 Trivia · Australia · 15 Qs→
What iconic Australian building features distinctive white sail-shaped...
✏️ Crossword · 5×5 Mini→
1 Across: Current fashion or direction
🧩 Sudoku · 3 difficulties→
Gentle · Moderate · Tricky

On This Day

Anniversary of

• Cyclone Tracy survivors were officially allowed to return to Darwin after the devastating December 1974 cyclone. (1975)

• Jack Ruby was convicted of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy. (1964)

• American astronaut Norman Thagard became the first American to travel to space aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. (1995)

• Karl Marx, German philosopher and author of Das Kapital, died in London. (1883)

🎂 Born on this day: British actor Michael Caine (1933), American music producer Quincy Jones (1933), and American actor and comedian Billy Crystal (1948).

Brainteaser Answer
'Short' — add 'er' and it becomes 'shorter.'

Have a lovely Saturday.

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