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Opinion
Letters

‘House-to-house ignition’ - is there a more chilling phrase?

Readers respond to the wildfires tearing through Los Angeles, falling solar tariffs, and a list of the top 50 GOATs.

Latest

Nathan McSweeney will have the chance for a Test reprieve in Sri Lanka.

How Nathan McSweeney is preparing for the Sri Lankan spin attack

Plenty needs to go his way to earn a Test reprieve, but the Queenslander believes he has the right moves to bat well in Sri Lanka.

  • by Nick Wright
Elon Musk and Alex Jones are driving conspiracy theories about the LA fires.

Disinformation reigns as bushfires devastate California

US authorities are struggling to counter misinformation at a time when miscalculations can have deadly consequences.

  • by Bianca Hall
Myer profits are challenged by the macroeconomic environment.
Opinion
Retail

Why Myer and Premier’s sluggish sales are a sign of pain to come

If you think about the two groups as the canaries in the coal mine of Australian retail, those two birds appear to be struggling to chirp.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Donald Trump

Donald Trump is driving interest rates up around the globe

Fears that the president-elect’s “America First” agenda will rekindle inflation and unleash economic damage have rattled bond markets and driven the US dollar sharply higher.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
The late Jimmy Carter and president-elect Donald Trump.

Pious Carter and profane Trump were very different, but not in every way

Both the late Jimmy Carter and the resurgent Donald Trump prided themselves on being outsiders and breaking norms, and they both were suffused with grievances.

  • by Maureen Dowd
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Both parties have hit the hustings with their campaign slogans, even though an election has not been called yet.

Albanese is ‘building Australia’s future’, Dutton is getting it ‘back on track’: Whose slogan will win?

The parties’ persistent use of three-word slogans sets up an election clash that pits the past against the future.

  • by Natassia Chrysanthos
Albanese dutton

Social media’s taken a giant leap to the right. Will it sway Australian voters?

If the move alters the campaign environment here, it’s likely to benefit Peter Dutton more than Anthony Albanese.

  • by Sean Kelly
Trump and presidents

If Trump is lost for graceful words, this long line of presidents could guide him

The deeds of US presidents can change the world; their words last forever.

  • by George Brandis
Nick Mongta’s parents, Walter and Tania, after their son’s death in 2015.

I’ve covered many tragic funerals. These are the details I always jot down

Hours after someone dies in dramatic or horrific fashion, journalists appear on a doorstep, hoping we’ll be allowed inside to ask a shocked and grieving person to talk about their dead relative.

  • by Konrad Marshall
Musk illustration
Analysis
UK politics

How Elon Musk put a decades-old UK sex abuse scandal back on agenda

In a series of vitriolic posts, the tech mogul has falsely accused British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other Labour MPs of enabling Britain’s grooming gangs, a decade-old scandal involving a series of child sex abuse cases.

  • by Rob Harris
They’ve got your number … unless you refuse to give it to them.
Opinion
Privacy

No, retailers, you can’t have my number. We’re not in a relationship

I used to give out my phone number to any old shopkeeper. From now on, I’m playing hard to get.

  • by Cherie Gilmour
In the New Testament, Jesus identifies himself as the good shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep.
Opinion
Religion

Jesus’ sense of humour shines in his parables

The message of Jesus came in story form, often with a side dose of humour.

  • by Jim Pilmer
Using your funds to top up your offset account can save you plenty of money in the long run.

I’m in my 40s with $60,000 saved. What should I do with it?

With such a significant amount saved, you have numerous options, though some will yield better returns than others.

  • by Paul Benson
Elon Musk is not the messiah. He is, however, “everyman” – and this has been his power.

Meddling Musk should discover his limitations. He’s not the messiah

How can a multibillionaire be an “everyman”? Elon Musk can – but he should appreciate that this is his strength.

  • by Parnell Palme McGuinness
What might be enough for some, could be too little for others.
Opinion
Pay

Is $120,000 a ‘good’ income? The answer’s not so obvious

A recent discussion of salaries on social media has unveiled a curious disparity over what people consider to be a “good” income.

  • by Victoria Devine
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The price of beer is seldom displayed in pubs. But it should be.
Opinion
Beer

How a $13 schooner pushed me past the pint of no return

Why can’t we know how much a beer costs before we buy it?

  • by Paul Marshall
Sam Konstas has split opinion very quickly.

Quiet, respectful, humble, orthodox: I watched Sam Konstas for two years and this is what I saw

Fans young and old have been drawn unconditionally into the Konstas tornado.

  • by Geoff Lawson
Letters
Letters

The possibilities of electric vehicles

Age readers react to the latest development in relation to rooftop solar panels.

US President-elect Donald Trump appears by video link at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Friday.
Analysis
Courts

Trump escapes punishment in New York hush money case

The US president-elect has been slapped on the wrist with wet lettuce.

  • by Farrah Tomazin
Starting early when it comes to retirement planning can make all the difference.

So you want to retire early? Here’s how to do it

If the idea of retiring early has taken hold and won’t let go, it’s time to talk about how to make it happen.

  • by Bec Wilson
Super.

This super strategy can help you avoid the ‘death tax’

If you’re not careful, the money you still have in super could be significantly taxed once you die.

  • by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Illustration by Simon Letch

Fossil fuels are back with a vengeance! And the world is cooking

The fossil fuel industry is fighting back harder than ever against those who would seek to curtail it to protect the climate. Profits are up, political pressure for change is down. Meanwhile, the planet just gets hotter.

  • by Nick O'Malley
Harry Brook bats during the Headingley Test in the 2023 Ashes series.

The England star who shapes as the next Tendulkar

Sure, Australian cricket is on a high. But England are in the box seat for the Ashes – and in Harry Brook they have a young star who shapes as a generational talent.

  • by Greg Chappell
Mark Zuckerberg  announced his decision this week to get rid of Meta’s professional fact-checkers,

Don’t blame Zuckerberg: The truth about humans is we can’t handle the truth

The Meta boss tied his axing of fact-checkers to the “cultural tipping point” of Trump winning back the presidency. Let’s hope he doesn’t tip the digital age into a dark age.

  • by Alexandra Senter
President-elect Donald Trump
Opinion
Editorial

How Australia, and the world, can respond to an unpredictable future

There are limited and difficult choices ahead for those who believe in a multilateral world order.

  • by The Age's View
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Structures burn during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. The most destructive wind storm to strike the Los Angeles area in 14 years is fanning wildfires and has sent thousands of residents fleeing for their lives, with dangerous gusts expected to persist for at least another two days. Photographer: Jill Connelly/Bloomberg

Could what happened in LA occur here? Short answer: Yes

Australia has all the ingredients for bushfires to burn into suburban neighbourhoods.

  • by David Bowman
Stuart McCallister, 64, hugs his son-in-law Donald Bryce after viewing McCallister’s home, which was destroyed in the Palisades fire.

I lost my home to bushfire, and now my heart breaks for LA

In 2018, my family and I lost our home in Tathra, NSW to a bushfire. Watching the images from LA, I’m filled with despair for what those Angelenos are facing.

  • by Jan Harris

Congrats Sydney, you just bulldozed your own legacy

AC/DC are the biggest thing ever to come out of Australia. So why did we just flatten their childhood home?

  • by Tom Compagnoni
Mark Zuckerberg wears a pair of Orion AR glasses during the Meta Connect conference on September 25, 2024,

Zuckerberg has turbo-boosted enshittification, and we’re all going to pay

When I first joined social media, my feed was filled with what my friends were up to. Now, Facebook has been taken over by unhinged suggested posts from groups I have no interest in.

  • by Sophie Boyd
Donald Trump begins his second term with few checks to restrain his actions.
Analysis
US politics

Term-limited and immune from accountability, Trump’s power is unprecedented

If Trump dismantles American democracy, Australia must answer a tough question.

  • by Bruce Wolpe
Bumrah, Kohli, Bumrah, Konstas

You might hate it, but T20 saved Test cricket this summer

The white ball game was the reason behind the enthralling Test series this summer - but not in the way you think.

  • by Malcolm Knox

I was glad to help the ocean novice, but then I learnt her secret

Sal’s confidence picked up as quickly as her swimming speed. But there was a reason she left me in her wake.

  • by Anson Cameron
CVC’s interest in Comvita comes during a busy time for investors in the premium honey sector.
Opinion
Wellbeing

I have daggy hobbies, but there are some you should seriously never adopt

On paper, my hobbies mostly mark me out as either an early settler or massive dag. Tapestry, for one. But some pursuits should be left to the experts.

  • by Kate Halfpenny
Test call-ups Cooper Connolly, Matt Kuhnemann, Todd Murphy, Nathan McSweeney.
Analysis
Test cricket

Why a rookie was picked to tour Sri Lanka – but Glenn Maxwell wasn’t

This squad is less about next summer’s Ashes series and more about India in two years’ time.

  • by Tom Decent
Our exchange rates are almost always changing – at least on weekdays when the foreign exchange market is open 24 hours a day.

The Aussie dollar took a plunge. Here’s what’s in it for you

Our dollar dropped to a two-year low as we rang in the new year, but it’s not all bad news.

  • by Millie Muroi
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Could your colleague be coldly and cynically employing a tactic? It’s certainly possible.

Why is my workplace abuser trying to blame everything on me?

Your co-worker’s lies may not be the product of grand delusions, but they are clearly an attempt to construct a false version of past events.

  • by Jonathan Rivett
Opinion
Protests

It’s Midnight hour for ‘woke’ politics

The success of Trump has repudiated a politics that demands obedience over exchange, presumes bad faith in its opponents, and has no patience for persuasion.

  • by Waleed Aly
Alcaraz and de Minaur shake hands at the net at the end of their charity match on Rod Laver Arena.

The full draw: Australian Open matches to watch, and those to wait for

The Australian Open takes centre stage again on Sunday. We take look at what to expect in the first round and beyond.

  • by Scott Spits
Cricket late bloomers composite
Analysis
Test cricket

Webster reminded the nation not to lose hope. These men can follow his lead

At 31, Beau Webster joins a growing list of late bloomers to don the Baggy Green.

  • by Nick Wright
Cooper Connolly.
Analysis
Test cricket

From boating accident to bolter: Why Cooper Connolly is on the plane to Sri Lanka

Australia’s newest Test tourist is heading to Sri Lanka with limited first-class experience, a bizarre history of injuries and a skill set that could serve well on the subcontinent for years to come.

  • by Dan Walsh
Baking a cake.
Opinion
Dementia

Dementia has taken many of my grandma’s memories. Today, we connect through play

There are many things I will never know about my grandma. But we can still delight together in the twists and turns of her mind.

  • by Lauren Ironmonger
Reigning champions Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner bring the trophies along to the official 2025 draw ceremony.

Sinner v Alcaraz: Why the dream final could finally be realised at Melbourne Park

World No.1 Jannik Sinner and four-time grand slam champion Carlos Alcaraz have the best rivalry in men’s tennis – but they’re yet to meet in a major final.

  • by Marc McGowan
Trump with Greenland and Canada map

So Trump wants Greenland? Don’t laugh, America’s been here before

The president-elect won’t rule out the US seizing Greenland by force, or annexing Canada. But America first made these overtures in 1868.

  • by Stuart Rollo
Fire raging in the Hollywood Hills area.

How it feels to watch your city burn from the other side of the planet

Things moved quickly from remote to very real when the mandatory evacuation order drew its line at the end of my street.

  • by Michael Idato
If you want to make 2025 a great year, a MAP can help show you how to get there

Want to have a great year at work? You just need a map

There’s a simple way to set yourself up for your best work year yet – and ironically, it involves focusing on your life outside work.

  • by Tim Duggan
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St Albans, pictured in 1973, when it had an 80 per cent migrant population.
Opinion
City life

I grew up in Melbourne’s west. We knew it wasn’t a nice place to live

In many ways the west never existed. We weren’t united by anything other than a vague geography and the discriminating gaze of those on the other side of a bridge.

  • by John Weldon
Star runs casinos in Sydney, Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.
Opinion
Casinos

Can Star Entertainment survive? It’s a crap shoot

The casino operator’s prospects have continued to deteriorate to the point that it may need a gambler’s luck to avoid falling into the hands of administrators.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Reilly Opelka, Lulu Sun, Karolina Muchova and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

You may not have heard of them, but these five players can shock the Australian Open

The top-ranking stars may have dominated coverage in the lead-up, but who are the dark horses who could spring an upset when the first grand slam of the year kicks off on Sunday?

  • by Billie Eder
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

Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/opinion