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Weekend Fin

Today

Birkin bags sell for high prices on the secondary market.

The hedge fund flipping Birkin bags for profit

Asset manager Luxus buys the luxury accessories on the secondary market then sells them on. The fund says its first round earned a 40.6 per cent return.

This Month

Chris Minns and Anthony Albanese spoke eloquently that the attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on all of us. What needs to happen now? Action.

The unaffordable cost of not calling an antisemitism royal commission

How have you allowed your government to throw money at increased security for Jewish Australians rather than demanding the combating of the core issue of antisemitism?

Table tennis champion Marty Reisman, then 81, in action in 2011.

The real-life ping pong hustler who inspired Timothee Chalamet

The actor is a hot tip for an Oscar for his role in “Marty Supreme”, based on the antics of livewire table tennis champ Marty Reisman – a character in his own right.

Lila McGuire plays Evonne Goolagong in the three-part biopic.

New series captures Australian tennis great’s joy and grace on court

“Goolagong” charts the defining stages of Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s life without resorting to plucky underdog clichés or injecting politics into the story.

December 2025

Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

Rose Byrne’s Oscar hopes could be cruelled by ‘difficult women’ curse

The Australian has been hailed for one of the year’s best screen performances, but history suggests Academy Award voters have a tough time with tetchy female leads.

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Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson look like they’re enjoying themselves as Neil Diamond tribute act Lightning and Thunder.

Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson lift corny Neil Diamond tribute

The charisma of the two stars adds something special to “Song Sung Blue”, while “The Choral” makes some thoughtful music as it tackles the futility of war.

Ralph Fiennes returns in “28 years Later: The Bone Temple”.

When Hollywood kissed goodbye to the 90-minute film

Sequels and movies with two or three parts now dominate studio output. But the motivation is as much creative as commercial as filmmakers seek to build worlds.

In Dying for Sex, Michelle Williams plays a woman who, on discovering she has terminal cancer, pursues sexual adventure.

The best shows to binge over the summer break

A homage to music festivals gone by, a smart FBI drama and a dying woman on a mission to have interesting sex are among the hidden gems worth seeing.

ABC Classic presenter Mairi Nicolson (left) with Robbi Nicol in Bucharest as part of a music trip organised by Renaissance Tours.

The inexorable rise of niche travel experiences

Cashed-up Baby Boomers are driving a surge in specialist tours, from concerts in European opera houses to hooning around wine country in a $750,000 Ferrari.

Cultural capital now comes from “I did this”, not “I own this”. Curated experiences offer belonging in an increasingly lonely world.

The simple reason the experience economy is booming

In a world where more people have more money than ever, modern consumers are choosing to buy memories and social connection instead of yet more stuff.

Former Google vice president Hugh Williams.

The could-have-been billionaire who turned down Google

Australian Hugh Williams ran Google Maps and invented the tech behind “doomscrolling”. His take on the AI future is surprisingly upbeat.

As two of Hollywood’s most reliable comic actors, Jack Black (left) and Paul Rudd deliver the goods in “Anaconda”.

Your guide to this year’s Boxing Day films

It’s slim pickings on what is usually the biggest day of the year for cinemas. But at least it’s a diverse selection, with something for just about everyone.

Olivia Dean, the thinking man’s Taylor Swift.

10 top albums show how music went weird (in the best possible way)

After a bizarre year in politics, global affairs and popular culture, artists appear to have reacted by pushing the sonic boundaries.

Nick Diamantoploulos amid his crop in Mildura.

The man who revitalised Australia’s garlic industry

Three decades ago, Nick Diamantopoulos was told his plan to break China’s choke-hold on the vegetable was mad. Consumers thought otherwise, and business is booming.

Women and burnout

The fantasy shared by women with burnout

Sold the idea they could have it all, females leaned in. But domestic duties, mortgage pressures and expectations to be “always on” have left many exhausted.

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The insidious culture of “tip entitlement” seems to now be the norm in the US and increasingly in Australia.

How to fight back against ‘tip entitlement’

Leaving a gratuity was once confined to good restaurants to reward excellent service. Now it’s endemic, and the only option is to have a code of conduct and stick to it.

Justice Michael Lee.

Four hours (and 18 drinks) in the lion’s den with Michael Lee

The Federal Court judge who sits on all the big cases said he would “eschew the somewhat prim abstemiousness” of other lunch guests. He was true to his word.

Wade Forster plays a sold-out gig at the Twisted J in Stephenville, Texas, on his 2025 US tour.

This Queensland farmer sold 400 cattle for a shot at US stardom

Wade Forster has a fan base in America bigger than any Australian country singer since Keith Urban, but getting to them takes a serious investment.

Oona Chaplin as evil queen Varang.

Avatar 3 wants to be dazzling, but it’s all a bit meh

The latest film in James Cameron’s series is long and repetitive, and features some of the worst dialogue he’s ever written. The franchise should end here.

Walton Goggins as the Ghoul.

Fallout sticks with its winning formula

Season two expands the show’s scale and cinematic ambition while retaining its darkly comic vision. And Walton Goggins remains compelling as The Ghoul.

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