Updating the traffic:
She became a household name with the famous feminist text The Female Eunuch but Germaine Greer has never been given an Australia Day honour.
In a letter certain to attract some heated debate, Deans Marsh reader Deb Campbell says Professor Greer, who turns 80 today, was made UK Australian of the Year in 2018 but has never received local acknowledgement.
As Ms Campbell says: "In the parlous intellectual wasteland that is Australia today, where our political leaders are either simply thick, or totally lacking in courage, Germaine and her constant efforts to rouse us from our torpor deserve to be celebrated."
Making news this morning:
A heartwarming story this morning from Age reporter Carolyn Webb, who met great-grandmother and music teacher Judy Hall, who's enjoying a budding career as a concert pianist ... at 96.
Now Mrs Hall is among the musicians hand-picked to perform at Melbourne Recital Centre's 10th anniversary concert on February 8.
Mrs Hall says she is ‘‘floating’’ at the prospect. ‘‘It’s like you’re up on cloud nine, or you’re on another planet,’’ Mrs Hall said.
Russian police have detained a suspect after a painting was stolen from a Moscow gallery. The brazen thief strolled unchallenged past visitors who mistook him for an employee.
There's a serious collision causing eastbound delays on Bell Street in Preston. Emergency services are on the scene. Speed has been reduced to 40km/h at Jackman Street.
Detectives have looked at a number of other armed robberies in the area and at this stage believe the St Albans incident may be linked to at least three other crimes.
The first occurred about 8.50am on November 11 at a gaming venue on Gillespie Road in Kings Park. Two men with firearms entered the premises just before opening time and grabbed a quantity of cash before fleeing.
The second incident occurred at a post office in Deer Park on June 7 last year, when an armed man demanded cash about 1.20pm.
The third incident was an armed robbery at the gaming venue on Clubhouse Place on June 13 in 2015.
Police have released CCTV from the gaming venue. The footage shows one of the men threatening a punter with a machete. The patron then punches and kicks the offender, knocking him to the ground before he flees.
In police news this morning, two men have forced their way into a gaming venue in a violent attempted armed robbery in Melbourne's north-west.
The men, armed with a machete and a metal pole, smashed a window of the venue on Clubhouse Place in St Albans about 11pm on November 12.
Staff locked themselves in a secure office. One of the men threatened a male patron with a knife and demanded his phone. The patron then punched the offender in the face.
No cash was taken and the men fled empty-handed.