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Opinion

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The run home: How far can Penrith actually go in 2025?
Analysis
NRL 2025

Why the NRL finals should start next weekend

Our predicted NRL ladder and every club’s run home paints a pretty picture for the current top eight. For everyone else though, they might as well start their Mad Mondays now.

  • by Dan Walsh and Billie Eder

Latest

The Macquarie headquarters in Sydney.

Macquarie’s day of reckoning: Millionaires’ factory shareholders draw the line

In a humiliating first strike, management has been reminded that in achieving its objectives, executives also need to colour within the lines.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Does Anthony Albanese (right) really want to follow Donald Trump’s lead on defence spending?
Political sketch
Trade

Pistol and Boo should have disguised themselves as (maybe mad) cows

Australia’s strict quarantine authorities famously booted out the movie star dogs. A few years later they are overturning a ban on US beef. We’re truly living in Trumpworld now.

  • by Tony Wright
Remember the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Opinion
Jobs

Why older workers can be ‘too qualified’ to get a new job

The higher you climb up the corporate ladder, complete with larger salaries and expectations, the fewer jobs there are.

  • by Tim Duggan
The best returns over the past five years were not from the typical home in Sydney or Melbourne.

A new book aims to fix housing affordability, but there’s a better solution for Victoria

Abundance has captured the attention of economists and politicians alike, but could a simple solution be sitting right under their noses?

  • by Jim Malo
Palestinians, including children, line up this week in Gaza City to receive food.

Overkill in Gaza: Penny Wong was right to call out Israel

In an issue as complex as the Israel-Palestine question, it should come as no surprise that Australia and like-minded nations should hold both sides to account.

  • by Rodger Shanahan
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Trump says the deal is a “big” win for the US.
Opinion
Trade wars

Lost in translation: Trump doesn’t seem to understand the ‘massive’ deal he just made

Donald Trump says there has never been anything like the trade deal just struck with Japan. He’s probably right, but not in the way he thinks.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Donald Trump, seen cooking a hamburger, is a champion of the US cattle industry.

Albanese and Rudd will have to sell very different messages on US beef ban’s end

Donald Trump has been peeved by restrictions on beef exports to Australia, but a change to biosecurity rules is unlikely to prove a tariff game changer.

  • by Matthew Knott
Charlie Curnow might have considered a move to the Gold Coast Suns, but it won’t happen.
Analysis
AFL 2025

Charlie Curnow was feeling unhappy. Sydney and Geelong are keeping watch

Charlie Curnow would like to play for Gold Coast. Not that he has formally told Carlton or the Gold Coast that. It might be a nice thought for Charlie, but it won’t happen.

  • by Michael Gleeson
Harry Grant was penalised for this contact on Luke Brooks.
Opinion
NRL 2025

Playmakers are now a protected species. It’s making rugby league boring

In 2025, halfbacks can do as they please without worrying about being whacked. The flow-on effect is a boring, predictable game.

  • by Andrew Johns
It’s still called a lightbulb moment 150 years later for good reason.

Albanese’s guru talkfest won’t make you richer – he’s chosen the wrong people

Anthony Albanese’s three-day talkfest on the economy is heavy on tax and policies. But it’s missing what has made our lives better for 200 years - invention.

  • by Shane Wright
Australia has maintained tight restrictions on the use of vapes, even as other countries use them to help wean smokers off tobacco.

Australia has become the global village idiot on quitting smoking

Every day, 66 Australians die from the effects of smoking – not from an addiction to nicotine, but from the toxic delivery mechanism of cigarettes.

  • by Fiona Patten
Malaysian protesters display placards during a demonstration against the US envoy nominee Nick Adams outside the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur last week.

Trump’s Aussie ‘alpha male’ is falling flat in Malaysia

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is staring at a Nick Adams-shaped pickle.

  • by Zach Hope

Why ‘inconvenient’ friendships may be the best kind

There’s a powerful bond with mates who’ve known you since childhood.

  • by Jamila Rizvi
Steven May will miss the next three games.
Analysis
AFL 2025

Steven May’s suspension was justified, and won’t change footy as we know it

Steven May was unlucky in the sense he didn’t mean to concuss his opponent, Francis Evans. But don’t fall for the hysteria about this case changing the game.

  • by Peter Ryan
Letters
Letters

Be careful in changing rules on voting

The proposition to change the voting age in Australia draws a mixed response from readers.

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When I visited Sydney, I was shocked by the antisemitism I encountered

Growing up Jewish in Australia, I had no personal family narrative of antisemitism. A weekend in Sydney changed that.

  • by Marcus Solomon
Donald Trump appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during his 2015 presidential campaign.

I lived my dream on US talk shows – the axing of Colbert’s Late Show is about one thing

It seemed surreal that I could go straight from the Melbourne comedy scene to a job with Jay Leno. But don’t think for a minute that the suits running the place are champions of political causes.

  • by Simon Taylor
Labor MPs (red) in the House of Representatives now stretch across the aisle, while the Coalition (blue) are a hugely reduced opposition.
Political sketch
Political leadership

Question time returns, but you wouldn’t look here for answers

The inevitable dull roar from opposition benches signalled question time was back. Emphasis on dull. And roar? An exaggeration.

  • by Tony Wright
“Don’t mention the war!”

Planning a trip to the US? Don’t mention the Donald

Donald Trump is turning into the Basil Fawlty of American tourism.

  • by Anthony Dennis
NAB chief executive Andrew Irvine at the Australian Banking Association conference on Wednesday.
Opinion
Big four

Nowhere to hide for NAB boss after drinking accusations

Banking circles have been awash with personal views and informal “wine” audits by shareholders and analysts after the accusations levelled at Andrew Irvine.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

The Albanese government wants the Gaza war to end now. So do most Israelis

In Israel, the idea the war has gone on for too long is utterly mainstream, as is the idea Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is at least partly to blame.

  • by Matthew Knott
GM chief Mary Barra. There is more pain coming for the car giant.

Trump sparks a $6.4 billion wipeout for a US icon

Donald Trump said his tariffs would make the US car industry “great again”, but a different story is starting to emerge.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
A Palestinian man carries food collected from a humanitarian aid distribution point.

The rise in international pressure over Gaza should be welcomed

International condemnation may not be the catalyst for a ceasefire, but it cannot help but be a factor.

  • The Age's View
Donald Trump accused Barack Obama of treason in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

Under the gun over Epstein, Trump tries to finger Obama for ‘treason’

The latest attempt by Donald Trump to distract from the Epstein issue could be dismissed as frivolous, but it appears to be having some effect in media circles.

  • by Michael Koziol
If your super fund fails, there are options available for you.

My super fund has collapsed. Can I get the pension in the meantime?

When you’re left without access to your super due to a fund failure, you can apply for a special exemption to get the age pension.

  • by Noel Whittaker
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Nvidia became the first company to be valued at $US4 trillion ($6.1 trillion).
Opinion
Investing

Want your portfolio to grow this year? Just follow this rule

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, the game plan for investors involves a whole lot of AI, along with some other solid bets.

  • by Billy Leung
When it comes to aged care, the decisions you make can have significant financial and emotional consequences.
Opinion
Aged care

Getting aged care advice? Ask these five questions first

When it comes to aged care, the decisions you make can have significant financial and emotional consequences.

  • by Rachel Lane
Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal.

Defining antisemitism is no threat to free speech. Without a definition, we are adrift

The IHRA working definition of antisemitism is a lighthouse, not a bludgeon. Antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal has called for punitive action when patterned institutional antisemitism is not dealt with.

  • by Adam Slonim
Illustration by Simon Letch
Opinion
HECS

Cutting HECS debt is the least Albanese could do for young Australians. He should do more

Our tax and benefits system favours the old over the young. Then there’s our ridiculous housing market. No wonder young people feel dudded.

  • by Ross Gittins
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Sussan Ley.
Political sketch
Political leadership

Political enemies join parliament’s first-day love-in. Day two will be a different story

For just one day, love and homage to democracy were the central rituals as the 48th parliament opened.

  • by Tony Wright
The high cost of IVF is driving people to informal sperm donation
Opinion
Healthcare

Informal sperm donation is on the rise in Australia. So are the risks

Because of the informal nature of these arrangements, there is little oversight and even less data. But no woman should have to go through this kind of trauma in the pursuit of parenthood.

  • by Neera Bhatia
Australia’s voting age should remain at 18 years of age, especially because voting is compulsory.

An interest in politics is great, but only adults should be allowed to vote

Compulsory voting means that casting a ballot is a responsibility. Sixteen-year-olds aren’t ready for that.

  • by Brad Emery
Lowering the vote to 16 would force politicians to genuinely consider the needs of this ignored generation.

Whitlam gave 18-year-olds the vote. Now it’s time to lower it again

The UK has just announced it will lower the voting age to 16. What would happen if we followed suit?

  • by Vivienne Skinner
 James Packer

How James Packer plans to avoid passing the succession poison chalice to his kids

The fifth generation of Packers – James’ three children – will ultimately inherit riches rather than power.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Opting for an ETF means all your eggs won’t be in one basket. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any risk involved.

I’m in my 30s. Should I invest my savings or save for a property?

Buying property is so normalised that it can sometimes seem like a less risky option than investing in the sharemarket.

  • by Paridhi Jain
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Wall Street is brushing off the effects of the Trump chaos.

The world is more scared of Trump than America is

The Trump circus is in full swing, but Wall Street is surprisingly brushing it off.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was caught allegedly having an affair with his company’s chief people officer at a Coldplay concert.

Kiss Cam whammy made us chuckle, but it has triggered my bonk ban fixation

Workplace romances are almost always a bad idea. I’ve observed my share of HR (human relations) disasters.

  • by Jenna Price
September dreaming: Steele Sidebottom, Bailey Smith, Jack Ginnivan and Rory Lobb have premiership aspirations.
Analysis
AFL 2025

Who will make finals in the race for the top eight – and how can your team play spoiler?

The race for the top eight continues apace, with all spots still up for grabs. Who will make it, and who will miss out? And which games can those out of contention use to play September spoilers?

  • by Jon Pierik

Trump, Murdoch, Epstein and MAGA: Bannon predicts firestorm, but it’s not clear who will get burnt

Donald Trump’s original White House strategist Steve Bannon still insists the “deep state” runs the world. And while he has many questions, he has few answers.

  • by Peter Hartcher
Adam Doueihi
Opinion
NRL 2025

He’s the Mr Fix-It who can hold Tigers together. He can’t follow Galvin and Da Silva out the door

Adam Doueihi was the hero at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday, but the versatile star is off contract – and at least one rival club sees him as an ideal lock forward.

  • by Christian Nicolussi
Brandon Jack played 28 AFL games over five seasons for the Sydney Swans and has just published his second book.
Opinion
Literature

Young men have stopped reading books – and these are the reasons why

New data shows just 10 per cent of young men read books these days. And an industry that likes to play it safe isn’t helping matters.

  • by Brandon Jack
Riders pass silos on Kororoit Creek Road, Williamstown North in the 2014 MS Melbourne Cycle.

My suburb is the unglamorous sibling of a seaside gem. But we’re still better

I can’t imagine growing up in a fabulous house by the postcard-pretty beach. Instead, there was something freeing in our quiet spaciousness.

  • by Gareth Morgan
Nowhere to hide: Astronomer chief executive Andy Byron and chief people officer Kristin Cabot, scrambled to hide their faces at a Coldplay concert.
Opinion
Workplace

Coldplay ‘kiss cam’ lifts the lid on an astronomically common issue

Romance in the office happens all the time, but it’s what you do about it that matters.

  • by Tim Duggan
US President Donald Trump greets supporters during a dinner for Republican senators in the White House last week.

Trump has survived many scandals, but the Epstein story poses a new test

The MAGA base has rallied as it sees him under attack. The White House is trying to change the subject.

  • by Natalie Allison
Lachlan Galvin celebrates his match-winning play.
Analysis
NRL 2025

The good, the bad and other Galvin play Canterbury should treasure

Lachlan Galvin’s match-winner in his first outing as an NRL No.7 stole the show. But the signs were just as promising an hour earlier.

  • by Dan Walsh
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A crocodile.
Opinion
Wildlife

Noosa reptile sighting might be a croc, but I’ve been up close with the real thing

Residents of Noosa are in a lather over reports of a visiting reptile. They need to get a grip.

  • by Margot Saville
Rupert Murdoch.

Murdoch has picked a side – but not the one we expected

The media magnate’s gamble appears way more considered and one that shows he can read the room better than Elon Musk.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Brennan Cox of the Dockers handballs under pressure from Jamie Elliott of the Magpies.
Opinion
AFL 2025

How the Dockers dodged Collingwood’s tackling tactic to bring home four points

In the dying minutes of Sunday’s nail-biter, Collingwood implemented a new strategy to swing the game their way. But the Dockers changed tack too.

  • by Paddy Sweeney
Xi Jinping and his senior ministers are worried about imbalances in supply and demand and overcapacity in some industrie

The home-grown threat to China that has rattled Xi Jinping

Donald Trump’s trade war is not the only thing on Xi Jinping’s mind.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz

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