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Opinion

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Nvidia

The $3.1 trillion monster that took over Wall Street

First it was the “Magnificent Seven” and then the “Fabulous Five.” Now, it seems, there is only “The One.” And the future of the sharemarket may depend on it.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz

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Sydney University.
Opinion
University

If we want more young people to go to uni, stop screwing them over

A generation of young people is being dudded with unfair levels of debt, indexation and repayment thresholds which mean getting a pay rise may leave them worse off.

  • by Chip Le Grand
Stephen Miller, Jun Bei Liu and Shane Oliver said there could be more tough times to come.

‘Too much optimism’: Investors nervous despite resilient recent earnings

Despite some cautious optimism over company earnings this month, some investors and economists have flagged tough times ahead.

  • by Millie Muroi
Michelle Heyman is back with the Matildas - can she make it to the Olympics?
Analysis
Matildas

The Matildas don’t need Sam Kerr to win. But they do need a striker

The unexpected re-emergence of Michelle Heyman has given Tony Gustavsson a selection headache as he considers his 18-player Olympic squad with qualification all but secured.

  • by Vince Rugari
Opinion
Education

Focus on fairness is an education, but Albanese’s ambition has yet to be tested

The Albanese government has talked a good game on significant education reform. Soon, it will be time for action.

  • by Sean Kelly
The more things keep going the way they are, the fewer kids will be left going to public schools and the less the pollies will have to worry about the raw deal they’re getting.

Two-class school system a great way to entrench low productivity

You’d expect a Labor government to care about public school students getting a decent education. We’ll soon find out if it does.

  • by Ross Gittins
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Albanese broken promise

Voters don’t care about Albanese’s broken promise – but now they expect much more from him

Labor is drifting towards the unhealthy primary vote of the last election – just enough to win, not enough to feel safe. On these numbers, betting agencies will be adjusting their odds on a hung parliament.

  • by David Crowe
Illustration: Badiucao
Letters
Letters

Who’s to blame for the cost of living and housing crisis?

Readers offer different opinions about who or what is causing cost of living pressures, but the Dunkley byelection might be the decider on who’s to blame.

Many public teachers are having their time eaten into through admin tasks.
Opinion
Education

Bogged down by admin, it’s no wonder public school teachers are going private

Many teachers in the public sector operate under excessive workloads, chiefly because they’re juggling extra tasks like running school carnivals and writing newsletters.

  • by Caroline Milburn
China’s President Xi Jinping.

What China’s blossoming relationship with the Taliban says about its long-game

Through an alliance with Iran and burgeoning ties with Afghanistan, Beijing is looking past the Indo-Pacific and toward another region.

  • by Amin Saikal
Republican presidential candidate former UN ambassador Nikki Haley speaking at an election night event in Charleston.

‘I’m not giving up this fight’: Haley vows to stay in the race

Nikki Haley didn’t lose the Republican primary for a lack of trying. While Trump barely campaigned in South Carolina until this week, she held about 30 events and spent millions on advertising.

  • by Farrah Tomazin
Travis Head entertains fans at last month’s MCG Test against Pakistan. Despite the adulation, his returns with the bat in that series were below par.

Why the fall of Test cricket would hurt Australia the most

Australian cricket has bet most of its chips on the health of Tests. Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird must lead the way to save them.

  • by Daniel Brettig
Shares of California-based Rivian are down by about 44 per cent since Tesla’s October warning.

Investors flee tumbling EV upstarts once hailed as the ‘next Tesla’

A duo of electric vehicle companies chasing Tesla’s tail have disappointed investors with their recent results.

  • by Esha Dey
Scott Morrison joined US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday to unveil the new AUKUS defence pact.

As Morrison leaves parliament, we should honour his legacy

Fallen Australian leaders are eventually remembered for the good, not the bad. Scott Morrison will be no different.

  • by George Brandis
The film adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Opinion
Religion

How C.S. Lewis made me a Christian

The author of the Narnia books helped shape my understanding of good and bad.

  • by Barney Zwartz
New rules for the financial planning sector will help Australians navigate what was previously a confusing system.

Do I really need to pay for two different financial advisors?

While it might feel like a lot to pay for advice from separate planners, it’s worth doing.

  • by Paul Benson
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According to the WGEA, women earned $1653.60 per week on average in 2023, which worked out to be $253 less than men.

How we can fight to help women achieve pay parity in the workplace

On Tuesday morning, there’s likely to be some awkward conversations as the latest gender pay gap data is released. But it can also be an opportunity.

  • by Victoria Devine
Some disabled job seekers say they are beginning to feel ripple effects of return to the office mandates.

For disabled employees, the end of remote work is worrying

Momentum for disabled worker employment gains is petering out, and some believe job seekers with disabilities may face a different outlook in 2024.

  • by Amina Niasse
Taylor Swift’s first Australian performance of the Eras Tour was the biggest of her career. Next up: Sydney.

Is it OK to mine your past relationships to feed your art? Looking at you Tay Tay

Artists invade the privacy of their loved ones with their work – but how much exposure is too much?

  • by Jacqueline Maley
Opinion
Governance

Banducci and Joyce shared special talents, and one crucial weakness

Brad Banducci, like Alan Joyce before him, was very good at lobbying governments. But the public lost patience with them, so they checked out.

  • by Parnell Palme McGuinness
Former TV executive producer Julie Ward now helps grieving families plan sustainable and low-cost funerals.

‘I like a show!’: From producing The Voice to directing funerals

Julie Ward had a stellar career as producer of The Voice and other hit TV shows. Now she helps people at their most vulnerable: when a loved one has died.

  • by Peter FitzSimons
Insurance can sometimes be seen as a necessary evil, but there are some things you can do to save money on your premiums.
Opinion
Hip pocket

When it comes to this insurance, it’s time for a healthy debate

More than half of us have private health insurance, but it’s not cheap. So, do you really need it? Here are a few things to consider.

  • by Dominic Powell
There is plenty of expectation surrounding Carlton ahead of season 2024, led by captain Patrick Cripps, coach Michael Voss, and star forward Harry McKay.
Analysis
AFL 2024

Bringing the heat: The next step in the Blues’ quest for greatness

For Carlton to really make the September running this season, Michael Voss has indicated his team needs to make a statement through the home-and-away campaign, a point Harry McKay is keen to back up.

  • by Jon Pierik
Taylor Swift and Joe Biden

A Swift endorsement would boost Biden, so why hasn’t it happened?

Like most cultural figures in America, Taylor Swift is appalled by Donald Trump. She endorsed Joe Biden in 2020. But this campaign, she’s been silent.

  • by Bill Wyman
Matt Golding
LETTERS
Letters

Wake me when it’s a better world

Age readers respond to the latest news locally and globally.

Leaving your screaming child with strangers might seem traumatic, but where else would they eat mushroom risotto and learn the ukulele?
Opinion
Parenting

Welcome to daycare, where everything is totally fine (we swear!)

Leaving your screaming child with strangers might seem traumatic, but where else would they eat mushroom risotto and learn the ukulele?

  • by Thomas Mitchell
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Garang Kuol composite image

How Manchester United’s sale could leave Socceroos young gun out in the cold

When Garang Kuol returns to Newcastle United at the end of this season after his loan spell in the Netherlands, his most crucial ally at the Premier League club will not be there.

  • by Vince Rugari
The Matildas will have to do without Sam Kerr for the next little while.
Analysis
Matildas

Five burning questions as the Matildas aim to seal Olympic berth

Tony Gustavsson’s side play the first leg of their Olympic qualifier against Uzbekistan in Tashkent on Saturday night. We take a look at the biggest questions surrounding the team.

  • by Vince Rugari
Eddie Jones is adamant these are the kind of weeks you want to be coaching.

Hard to swallow: The moment in Wallabies doco where Eddie’s excuses demand a reply

The documentary on Australia’s World Cup debacle is car-crash TV, but one scene should have veered from fly-on-the-wall to scripted film.

  • by Peter FitzSimons
Being smart with your cash can help your fuel your savings swiftly.

How to fuel up your retirement savings faster

Somewhere in our 40s, 50s or 60s, we wake up to the reality that retirement is not as far away as we thought. Here’s how to prepare.

  • by Bec Wilson
Bosses should be paying their staff so they can perspire as well as aspire – though maybe not for a $2 million Glebe terrace.
Opinion
Careers

What do young workers want? A pay rise, or a house

Employers are obsessed with knowing what younger generations want. More often than not, it’s a pay rise.

  • by Jim Bright
Children have determined that cards are more convenient than cash, but they don’t compare when it comes to teaching good money habits.
Opinion
Cash

Why the end of cash could be catastrophic for your kids

With more and more services going cashless, teaching our children good money habits is getting harder.

  • by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Paul Keating, who turned 80 in January, “was boldly ambitious for Australia and the country is vastly better for it”.

In power, Keating was a gift. Now, at 80, he’s a tragedy

Paul Keating’s incredible economic chutzpah supercharged Australia’s prosperity. But he has become an apologist for China, and that may poison his legacy.

  • by Peter Hartcher
Some vapers seem to suffer under the delusion they look cool. In fact, they look like tools.

Dear fellow 20-somethings, you do not look cool vaping, you look like a tool

Hipster cafe inhalers and beer garden puffers: don’t pretend to yourself you’re doing something sophisticated. You’re dining out on toxic lolly mist.

  • by Roby D’Ottavi
Illustration by Simon Letch

Why America’s historic weakness strengthens Trump

Even Abraham Lincoln had authoritarian tendencies. So we should not be surprised that so many Americans are drawn to Donald Trump’s autocratic flourishes.

  • by Nick Bryant
The orange era.
Letters
Letters

Taylor Swift and Donald Trump’s gift for giving fans what they need

Readers react to Waleed Aly’s commentary that fans attending Taylor Swift and Donald Trump’s live events have something in common - “love even intoxication” for their idols.

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Letch Knox
Opinion
Wallabies

Fast Eddie and ScoMo take responsibility but it’s not their fault

Throughout the new documentary following the Wallabies’ calamitous 2023 Eddie Jones says “I take responsibility” for a disaster before taking actions that show he really believes the opposite.

  • by Malcolm Knox
The West is tightening its grip on Russia’s economy.

Vladimir Putin has Russia headed for economic ruin. The West can’t lose its nerve now

Russia’s defence spending has tripled since the invasion of Ukraine, approaching 8 per cent of national output – roughly what it was under the Soviet Union.

  • by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Waratahs skipper Jake Gordon and Reds captain Tate McDermott.

And then there were four? Welcome to a Super Rugby season like no other

With the Crusaders losing talent, and in all likelihood a swansong campaign for the Rebels looming, at least one Australian side might just see a premiership window opening.

  • by Paul Cully
Nathan Cleary poses with the NRL premiership trophy after Penrith’s third straight grand final win.
Analysis
NRL 2024

Recency bias and a lopsided competition: Breaking down the NRL’s top 50

Playing positions, the form of your team and indeed who that team is all weighed heavily when Nine and Herald experts sat down to map out their list of the game’s best.

  • by Roy Masters
Kim Kardashian has a priority list for her next partner.

The romantic-requirements list is a Kardashian trend I can get behind

It sounds lame, but before my first marriage I gave little thought to what it was about my groom that made him worth nailing down.

  • by Kate Halfpenny
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky visits troops in the frontline Zaporizhzhia region.

Two years on, Ukraine’s moral courage shames fickle West

As Russia elevates its war effort to an industrial scale of horror, the US, Europe and Australia have been slow to respond. They could learn a thing or two about will from Ukrainians.

  • by Mick Ryan
“We’re as optimistic about bitcoin as we’ve ever been”: Cathie Wood of ARK Investment.

Cathie may have lost $22 billion. But she’s still interesting

A star money manager sometimes need to be more lucky than skilled. They also need to be good storytellers.

  • by Shuli Ren
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 20: Prince William, The Prince of Wales, listens as he visits the British Red Cross at British Red Cross HQ on February 20, 2024 in London, England. The Prince of Wales undertakes engagements which recognise the human suffering caused by the ongoing at British Red Cross HQ on February 20, 2024 in London, England. The Prince of Wales undertakes engagements which recognise the human suffering caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East and the subsequent conflict in Gaza, as well as the rise of antisemitism around the world. The Red Cross are providing humanitarian aid in the region via the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, including Magen David Adom in Israel and the Palestine Red Crescent Society. (Photo by Kin Cheung - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

‘Serious lapse of judgment’: William’s Gaza intervention raises eyebrows

Members of the British royal family are expected to keep well out of politics, so why did Prince William enter the fray with a controversial statement on the war in Gaza?

  • by Rob Harris
NRL Top 50 index image
Analysis
NRL 2024

Best of the best: Who is the No.1 player in the NRL?

Expert judges from the Herald and Nine have combined to produce the definitive list of the top 50 players in the NRL. Today, we count down the top 10 and crown our champion.

Nathan Cleary after winning his second Clive Churchill Medal.
Opinion
NRL 2024

Did NRL rule tweaks help Nathan Cleary put on grand final masterclass?

The six-again rule has changed rugby league for the better, but great players would have been great in any era.

  • by Andrew Webster
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Highly regarded on and off the field, Angus Brayshaw had an outstanding career.
Analysis
AFL 2024

Angus Brayshaw was a heart-and-soul player. His retirement should be a wake-up call

Angus Brayshaw did not want to retire, but he will not regret it. Hopefully, his difficult decision will be a catalyst to improve player safety in football at all levels.

  • by Peter Ryan
If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that the RBA put too much weight on getting unemployment down and took its eye off the inflation ball.
Opinion
Tax reform

How top earners kid themselves (and us) they’re overtaxed

Don’t let the rich guys’ talk of high taxes fool you into believing Australia is a high-tax country.

  • by Ross Gittins
Having someone to share your frustration, astonishment and dissatisfaction with is a reliable way of coping with the people and systems that vex you.

I don’t like my new job, but I can’t resign. What should I do?

Never underestimate the importance of having someone you can vent about your workplace to.

  • by Jonathan Rivett
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan..

Budget is Allan’s chance to carve a vision for the state

Less than six months into her premiership, there is already a growing view within the caucus that it’s time for Allan to refresh the government’s priorities.

  • by Annika Smethurst