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Opinion
Spending

$550 for a haircut might seem a lot, but bad hair can really cost you

Attractive, well-groomed people usually get more promotions and make more money. But hundreds of dollars for a cut and colour, in this economy?

  • by Rachel Clun

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Holger Rune at the Red Ball Bassline event.

No umpires, DJs with loud crowds, and every game’s a tiebreaker: The verdict on Red Bull’s Bassline

A new kind of exhibition aims to allow players and fans to “experience tennis like never before”. So, how did it really go?

  • by Gemma Grant
Jensen Huang, co-founder and chief executive officer of Nvidia.
Opinion
AI

A billion humanoid robots: Nvidia’s plan for world domination of tech

Nvidia’s growth has been extraordinary. But replicating the meteoric rise in earnings and value for a company its size becomes arithmetically near impossible.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has reshaped the company’s approach to the truth.

In one fell swoop, Meta enters its ‘post-truth’ era

With Wednesday’s decision, Mark Zuckerberg has cemented Silicon Valley’s radical facelift as it cosies up to President-elect Donald Trump.

  • by David Swan
Position, position, position … competing cabanas at Bondi Beach.

Hear, hear, Albo: Get these cabana sand-bagsers off our beaches

We might merely fantasise about giving them a sunscreen enema, but the prime minister was right to call out their bad manners.

  • by Michelle Cazzulino
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation. His father, Pierre Trudeau (left) was elected prime minister in the 1968 and served until 1984. Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre (right) appears likely to win the next election.

Trudeau’s global fans might be surprised by his demise. No one in Canada is

Canada’s Conservative Party has carved out large leads in the polls among younger voters, those with migrant backgrounds and blue-collar workers.

  • by Scott Ryan
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The West Indies celebrate after defeating Australia in Brisbane in 2024.

Poor Test nations are dying – but I have a solution

Test cricket can be saved if the game’s leaders have the courage to introduce a promotion and relegation system and don’t kowtow to Australia, England and India.

  • by Michael Holding
“Stop the steal!” A supporter of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shouts slogans during a rally to oppose his impeachment near the presidential residence in Seoul, South Korea.

‘Stop the steal’ spreads to South Korea during presidential stand-off

South Korea’s democracy is facing its greatest test in decades as impeached South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol defies an arrest attempt.

  • by Lisa Visentin

Think the whole world’s going to hell in a handbasket? You’re wrong, and here’s why

More tragedy and turmoil is inevitable in 2025 but even so, for millions and millions of people around the globe, things are getting measurably better.

  • by Matt Wade
Izzat Abdulhadi’s major regret: his tenure ended without Australia recognising Palestinian statehood, despite momentum steadily building for such a move for years within Labor.

The Israeli ambassador calls him ‘wonderful’. But Palestine’s top envoy is heading home

The de facto Palestinian ambassador’s tenure is ending after almost two decades, with one big dream yet to become reality.

  • by Matthew Knott
Justin Trudeau and then-president Donald Trump in 2017.

How Trump’s taunts and threats added to the woes confronting Justin Trudeau

After more than a decade as prime minister, Justin Trudeau has succumbed to unpopularity at home - but what role did Donald Trump play in his departure?

  • by Patrick James
Shark nets could be removed permanently from Sydney beaches.
Analysis
Sharks

Why shark nets might not return to Sydney’s beaches next summer

The science has been clear for some time that the mesh nets do little to protect humans, yet do much harm to non-target animals. The politics is finally catching up.

  • by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Nine’s interim boss, Matt Stanton.

Pregnant with possibilities: Why Nine is primed for change this year

The biggest corporate guessing game in town is what will be born from changes at Nine as it attempts to recover from a tough 2024.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Virat Kohli (left) was fined 20 per cent of his match fee and given a demerit point for making physical contact with Australian debutant Sam Konstas.

Australia-India epic delivered the best of Test cricket, but I have some advice for Virat Kohli

Sam Konstas threw the Indians off with his unorthodox approach in his first innings, but then found out Test cricket runs are harder to get than headlines.

  • by Sunil Gavaskar
A full house at the MCG for day one.

What Cummins’ India triumph means for the Ashes summer

Australia’s enthralling 3-1 defeat of India has already set tongues wagging about next summer’s blockbuster Ashes series.

  • by Daniel Brettig
Roget’s Thesaurus

There is literally a word for the chaos of my desk. If I could just find the Roget’s

My collection of books, newspapers and other stuff has been growing very satisfactorily, despite the hopes of executives who introduced hot-desking.

  • by Tony Wright
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Trudeau’s deputy PM resigned last week. Next month, the government faces a vote of no confidence.

Justin Trudeau was once the ‘golden boy’ of Canadian politics. But he lost his shine

While Trudeau was initially applauded for returning Canada to its progressive past, he has become widely unpopular recently, under pressure from forces he can’t control.

  • by Farrah Tomazin
Beau Webster and Travis Head

A two-tier system will save Test cricket. Here’s why

Give cricket fans what they want – more matches between the very best.

  • by Michael Vaughan
 Peter Dutton

Dutton’s nuclear plan will never happen, but it’s still a gem of a policy

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s policy will almost certainly never get off the ground, but it has solved a deep and long-standing problem in the Coalition.

  • by Christopher Pyne
Sam Konstas has split opinion very quickly.

Sam Konstas played a role for Australia. So why is he copping heat for it?

Some of the reactions to Sam Konstas’ first two Tests have revealed once again how a worryingly large chunk of Australian sport doesn’t know how to act when they see something that challenges their sensibilities.

  • by Vince Rugari
My orphan earrings project an  optimism.

My parents feared earrings would corrupt me – I didn’t listen

Each orphan earring I own is a relic in my personal museum - the aftermath of an attempt at a micro-reinvention or a relationship breakup.

  • by Lily Chan
The pants that were once magic.

I have a pair of magic pants. They once transformed me, now they haunt me

Each time I buttoned them up I felt transformed from a twenty-something aspiring writer to a fully-fledged adult who knew things.

  • by Nova Weetman
Kitchen mixer artwork

My impossible choice: A kitchen Ferrari versus a retro model leaking motor oil

“Is it from a packet?” was my grandmother’s grandest insult upon tasting a cake baked by her progeny.

  • by Melissa Singer
Orange objects I can’t bear to touch.

A beanie, a bottle and a chair. The three orange things in my house I can’t touch

There are three immovable orange objects in my house. One is very soft, one is very comfortable, and the third is a cheap piece of plastic that no one else would give a second thought.

  • by Maher Mughrabi
A classic gamer’s must-have - a CRT TV.

My hobby’s not the same without my huge, heavy, ugly wingman

It can be a massive hassle, but I’ve never gone without at least one CRT TV in my house. The hardest part is choosing which one to keep.

  • by Tim Biggs

How the bank of nan and pop is making our polarised school system even worse

Cashed-up grandparents are driving private education fees ever higher. It’s just another degree of stratification for our dysfunctional school system.

  • by Jordan Baker
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Nicole Kidman accepts the international star award for Babygirl during the 36th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival awards.
Opinion
Grief

Like Nicole Kidman, I was not prepared for the heartache of losing my mum

Kidman’s heartfelt tribute to her late mother, Janelle, at the weekend was a public expression of a grief shared by anyone, including me, who has lost a loving mum.

  • by Sue Williams
Wicked’s Ariana Grande on the Golden Globes red carpet.

This year’s Golden Globes mostly got it right. But what about Wicked?

Australia came away empty-handed, Emilia Pérez was the surprise hit, and Wicked, the biggest film of the year, failed to cast a strong spell over the Globes.

  • by Michael Idato
Australia players celebrate their series win at the SCG.
Analysis
Test cricket

The 10 moments that won Australia the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Mitchell Starc dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal for a golden duck. Sam Konstas at the MCG. Beau Webster at the SCG. These are the moments that defined a breathtaking series.

  • by Tom Decent
Ambassador of Israel to Australia, Amir Maimon

‘How can I do better?’ Israeli ambassador’s candid confession

The ambassador knows he must do more to tell Israel’s side of the Middle East story and stop a once-close bilateral relationship from spinning out of control.

  • by Matthew Knott
Palmer was charged over alleged fraud and breaches of his duties as director of his company, Palmer Leisure Coolum.

Why Clive Palmer bets you can’t tell black from white. Or yellow from teal

Trying to trademark the word “teal” is just the latest effort by the home-grown billionaire to troll Australia.

  • by Jenna Price
Artists’ impressions of what the redevelopment might look like at Boggo Road, Albert Street, Woolloongabba and Roma Street in Brisbane.
Analysis
Development

Four urban renewal precincts left in limbo by Games, Cross River Rail

Uncertainty over the timing of new train stations and the location of Games venues has left a cloud over plans for housing, hotels, hospitality venues and more.

  • by Sean Parnell
Equalisation and appropriation clauses can help ensure inheritances are shared as intended.

Don’t say the S-word out loud, but Australia secretly loves socialism

Our nation has long considered itself the land of the fair go. But as housing affordability and healthcare standards slip, are we kidding ourselves?

  • by Gary Newman
g

Why Kohli’s cheap shot made Australia’s era-defining win even sweeter

Cheap shots, it must be said, are now all the rest of the world have left to fire at Pat Cummins’ team, after a seven-year journey that has seen them rise to the undisputed summit of Test cricket by playing the game the right way

  • by Daniel Brettig
Sam Konstas holes out in the second innings of the SCG Test.
Analysis
Test cricket

‘You can’t be that soft’: Konstas can shake off Gambhir sledge. He will get smarter too

India’s combative coach delivered two pieces of advice to the Australian tyro after endless hype and headlines around Sam Konstas’ Test foray. He only need take heed of one.

  • by Dan Walsh
Oh, what a night: Lisa Drought going to see DJ Vikkstar with her son.
Opinion
Gen Z

I went to a nightclub and what I found about a generation of young men surprised me

It had been 25 years since I’d been clubbing – what was I thinking? And worse, I was going to see a performance by someone who found fame posting videos of themselves playing games.

  • by Lisa Drought
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Beau

Where will the next Konstas or Webster come from? Hint – it’s not the Big Bash

There are plenty of Beau Websters growing in the Sheffield Shield despite widespread accusations of the competition’s mediocrity.

  • by Geoff Lawson
A view of Rod Laver Arena for the Australian Open men’s final.

A massive Australian Open awaits, and I’m tipping a couple of first-time winners

Leading into another blockbuster Australian Open, two-time reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka is in blistering form. But I’m not tipping her to win.

  • by Ash Barty
The return of exiles to Thailand.

Former exiles return as succession drama swirls around world’s richest throne

Meet the brothers Vivacharawongse - sons of a 72-year-old international monarch known for his massive personal wealth but no clear heir. 

  • by Michael Ruffles
Simon Letch
Opinion
AI

I’m unleashing a chatbot of myself. She has a few of my quirks but can go rogue

Ever wanted to yell at this columnist? Meet the virtual “me”. We’ve created her as an AI experiment – if you’re up for the argument.

  • by Parnell Palme McGuinness
Australia’s Scott Boland gets Virat Kohli’s wicket at the SCG on Saturday.

Boland and Rishabh hurtle the SCG Test towards a finish to remember

Scott Boland is almost impossible to keep out with a defensive bat on a seaming pitch. Rishabh Pant didn’t try to.

  • by Daniel Brettig
Jo Pybus’ “jar of joy” for 2024.
Opinion
Psychology

I was surprised by what brought me joy in 2024. But I have the evidence

I created a “jar of joy” to record blissful experiences. The results were enlightening.

  • by Jo Pybus
Beau Webster, Sam Konstas Sheffield Shield index image for Greg Chappell column

Australian cricket is at a crossroads. This is the path we should take from here

The current framework is stunting the development of our players. Here’s how we should redesign the season to ensure a steady supply of ready-made Test cricketers.

  • by Greg Chappell
Australia was forced to finance the Coral Sea Cable, connecting Port Moresby, Honiara and Sydney, to block China's Huawei from building it.

What are subsea cables, and what happens when one gets cut?

The text message you just sent and the show you streamed last night were almost certainly enabled by a subsea cable. So why are they so vulnerable to attack?

  • by David Swan
Michael van Gerwen
Opinion
Darts

The Olympics must be compelling, electrifying and showcase unparalleled skill. One sport is all of these

If shooting is an Olympic sport, and if breaking was, darts should at least be considered. Yet there’s more chance of Raygun becoming a two-time Olympian.

  • by Darren Kane
Joe Benke

Sink or swim: Why victory is a huge leap for leaden Albanese and Dutton

If Labor loses just three seats, it will lose majority government, but the Coalition must win 21 seats for an outright win. Prepare for a cliffhanger 2025 election.

  • by Nick Bryant
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What’s your Aussie summer staple?

From boogie boards to giant cabanas, the Aussie summer keeps evolving

What’s your Aussie summer staple?

  • by Richard Glover
Mother and child doing well: Bethany Williams with her daughter.
Opinion
Motherhood

Instagram almost shamed me into refusing pain relief in childbirth

Social media algorithms told me that I had to give birth at home, without drugs. But my baby didn’t care about the influencers’ rules around childbirth.

  • by Bethany Williams
The SCG was awash with colour, and drama, on Friday.

Bad clothes, bad blood and a bad person: What a day to be at the SCG

The first day of the fifth and final Tests of the Border-Gavaskar series contained something for everyone - whether they wanted it or not.

  • by Malcolm Knox
Illustration: Simon  Letch

It’s worse than any war or pandemic, so why are our leaders ignoring it?

Tell me I’m not dreaming: 2025 could be the year of bipartisan action on catastrophic climate change.

  • by Malcolm Knox

Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/topic/opinion-1ql