Opinion
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
Latest
Opinion
Australian cricket
Why a five-match series is the perfect Test for Australia and India
This Border-Gavaskar Test series is at a fascinating pass – and the great thing is that there are still three more matches.
- by Greg Baum
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
Opinion
Biodiversity
ABC show reckons we should eat invasive species. It’s a recipe for disaster
Eat the Invaders has an appealing pitch, but while well-intentioned, the show could end up doing more harm than good.
- by Carol Booth
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.
Opinion
Christmas
I’ve found my Christmas nemesis. It’s hate, actually
My raging, emphatic, unstinting hatred of the elf on our shelf is only getting worse.
- by Michelle Cazzulino
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
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
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
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
Opinion
NRL 2025
A PNG team will enter the NRL in 2028. We took $12.5m and built their inaugural roster
It’s real-life fantasy football as the PNG expansion side prepares to start recruiting its top 30 squad. We break down the key elements in building an NRL team from scratch.
- by Dan Walsh
Analysis
EPL
Tottenham’s capitulation piles more pressure on Postecoglou
These are increasingly dangerous times for Ange Postecoglou with Spurs, down to 11th in the table, having achieved just one win in their last seven games in all competitions.
- by Will Conroy
Analysis
Political leadership
Dutton takes the lead, but is he defying gravity?
The opposition leader is now ahead in the opinion polls at a time of deep unrest over the cost of living when he has no significant public plan to fix the problem.
- by David Crowe
Analysis
Australian Open
Australian golf’s biggest drawcard is also its most influential critic
Cameron Smith drew 20 times more spectators to his round than any other competitor every time he took to the fairways in Australia this summer. But he was also the most vocal critic. He’s left Golf Australia with plenty to consider about the sport’s future.
- by Peter Ryan
Opinion
Antisemitism
More than one community, this was an attack on Melbourne’s multicultural fabric
If the attackers hoped to deter us from practising our faith and culture, it simply will not work. On this past Sabbath, I held my Jewish identity closer.
- by Benjamin Preiss
Opinion
Energy
Gas is burning our climate faster, and Australia’s part of the problem
Gas will be part of our energy mix but, despite industry claims, new gas production and infrastructure is not needed in the transition to renewable energy.
- by Lesley Hughes
Analysis
Property development
The Allan government is already spruiking its housing success. Here’s what the data says
Over a year after its Housing Statement, Labor is falling short of its lofty targets – and that’s if its estimate stacks up. If it doesn’t, things are even worse.
- by Rachel Eddie and Kieran Rooney
Analysis
Australian cricket
This Australia-India Test series will only get more hot-tempered
Travis Head and Mohammed Siraj embraced and Australia triumphed, but history shows there will be more twists to come.
- by Daniel Brettig
Opinion
Test cricket
Player ratings: How the Australian and Indian teams fared in the second Test
Australia’s comprehensive victory at Adelaide was the result of a string of outstanding individual performances. But two veterans failed to fire, and will look for a big improvement in Brisbane.
- by Tom Decent and Daniel Brettig
Opinion
Pets
Who gets the dog when you file for divorce? In Australia, it’s complicated
Separating is painful enough. Yet increasingly, furry friends are being used as ammunition between exes while our court system tries to catch up.
- by Jane Libbis
Opinion
Olympics
There’s really no doubt about Gout Gout
Gout Gout has lightning speed and will need big shoulders to bear the expectations placed upon him. But he doesn’t look the least bit daunted.
- by Greg Baum
Opinion
Climate policy
ALP desperately needs Gen Z voters. Too bad Albanese just drove us further away
The PM will spend much of his time on the campaign trail arguing his government has served young Australians well – a statement that was largely true until last week.
- by Daniel Cash
Opinion
Big four
The one player fuelling the $148b bank bonanza
The surge in bank shares this year has been truly enormous. But if booming profits aren’t driving the great bank share rally, what is?
- by Clancy Yeates
Analysis
Australian soccer
Matildas mania is still going strong. But difficult times are ahead
The 2026 Women’s Asian Cup in Australia looks like the Matildas’ best and most realistic chance of winning a major trophy. And it could be their last one for a while.
- by Vince Rugari
Opinion
US Votes 2024
How a dynamist and a populist could make or break modern America
You can imagine a scenario in which these two men unite and create a fusionism that uplifts America. But the potential tensions here are also important.
- by Ross Douthat
Assad’s family ‘flees’ to Russia – but Kremlin ‘won’t come’ to Syrian leader’s rescue
Vladimir Putin is said to be disgusted by reports of Syrian troops fleeing their positions.
- by James Kilner and Daniel Hardaker
Opinion
Ask an expert
I’m about to receive my inheritance. Will I have to pay tax on it?
Inheritances are given a generous tax treatment in Australia, but if you invest the money, that’s a different story.
- by Paul Benson
Opinion
Australia
‘Fatty’ Vautin was a TV trailblazer. The silence from some after his retirement says a lot
After more than three decades of entertaining viewers - the Manly and Queensland favourite has called it a day.
- by Danny Weidler
Opinion
Feminism
Wicked unveils the tyranny of feminine niceness – and that’s why your daughters must see it
The new blockbuster movie of the stage show Wicked calculates the cost of female niceness and has radical things to say about the way women are cast into rigid roles.
- by Jacqueline Maley
Opinion
ABC
The ABC has lost its curiosity. Joe Rogan can help Kim Williams recover it
The ABC chair says he won’t tune into Rogan. Well, he should hope his journalists are doing it for him.
- by Parnell Palme McGuinness
Opinion
Five Minutes with Fitz
David Stratton’s top 10 lost movie gems, and the Aussie classics you haven’t seen
Two weeks ago, Margaret Pomeranz gave us 10 lesser-known great movies to watch. Now it’s the turn of her long-time collaborator and friend, David Stratton.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Opinion
Hip pocket
Ready to sip on your super? First, tick off this pre-retirement checklist
Before you hang up your work boots, make sure you’re financially well-prepared for the second half (ish) of your life.
- by Dominic Powell
Opinion
Religion
Naming a Jewish baby is an act of faith – especially now
As I prepare to welcome a new soul into our family, I pray they will grow up in an Australia where they can wear their identity with pride and without fear.
- by Nomi Kaltmann
Analysis
Competition
Will new competition laws make your digital life cheaper?
An EU-style regime aims to stop big tech locking down their platforms. But we are still a long way from making smartphones a truly open ecosystem, like home computers.
- by Tim Biggs
Opinion
Financial planning
This new law could transform your retirement, but the clock is ticking
How financial advice is delivered in Australia is likely to change for the better and there’s plenty to unpack here for the average person.
- by Bec Wilson
Analysis
Australian cricket
Head-strong: Hometown hero’s appetite for destruction floors India
For more than 50,000 spectators at Adelaide Oval on a balmy Saturday night, nothing could possibly have been more fun than watching Head take his cutlass to the Indian attack.
- by Daniel Brettig
LETTERS
Letters
Standing for the rights of all to live peaceful lives
Age readers respond to the arson attack on the Ripponlea synagogue.
Opinion
Insects
The single most annoying sound of summer
The arrival of pleasant weather brings with it a far more sinister reality: the annual war against mosquitoes.
- by Thomas Mitchell
Analysis
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The friendship between Australia and Israel is on life support. There is a lot of blame to go around
Some self-reflection would not go astray from Israel’s leaders and advocates about why the nation has become so isolated on the international stage.
- by Matthew Knott
Analysis
Endangered species
Plibersek made a vow on environmental reforms. Albanese has put that at risk
It appears the prime minister has put Labor’s political survival ahead of the survival of Australia’s endangered species
- by Nick O'Malley and Bianca Hall
Opinion
The Fitz Files
FIFA, spare us the garbage and admit Saudi World Cup is a simple cash grab
Next week, world football’s governing body will sign off on the Saudi bid to host the 2034 World Cup. They’re selling it as a catalyst for human rights reform in the Kingdom. Rubbish.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Opinion
Real life
Scammers kindly take note, I could teach you a thing or two
Poor grammar, bad spelling, random punctuation and unrealistic, un-Australian terminology: all of this can be fixed, for a price.
- by Richard Glover
Opinion
WordPlay
The most unexpected way influencers are influencing us
It’s all very demure, very mindful.
- by David Astle
Opinion
Pacific diplomacy
Forget ping-pong. When competing with China, it’s rugby league diplomacy that matters
It’s the ultimate display of soft diplomacy, but when it comes to the brand new NRL team for Papua New Guinea, Australia’s playing hardball with China.
- by Matthew Knott
Analysis
Test cricket
The lights went out at Adelaide. The top order kept them on for Australia
In difficult conditions, after a nightmare start, under-pressure batters Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney held their nerve to build a promising platform for Australia in the second Test.
- by Daniel Brettig
Editorial
Editorial
No argument can justify this attack on a place of worship
Now is the time for leadership at all levels of government and community. To say as one, this is unacceptable.