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Opinion

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Bella Westaway
Opinion
University

I made mistakes at university, just not enough of them

The mistakes you make during uni will shape your life, in big and small ways. So don’t overthink it – just enjoy the ride.

  • by Bella Westaway

Latest

The NDIS program is one of the fastest growing areas of government spending.

Albanese’s big funding problem has been diagnosed but not yet cured

The government says it will deliver $74 billion in savings from NDIS spending across a decade. But it’s not yet apparent how this will be done.

  • by Chris Richardson
Gina Rinehart, chairman of Hancock Prospecting.

In the rare earths Game of Thrones, Gina Rinehart grabs the crown

The federal government declared “the road to net zero runs through Australia’s resources sector”, and Rinehart will be hoping for a decent spoonful from the profit pot at the end of that road.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Chinese President Xi Jinping looks through documents during the opening session of the National People’s Congress.

China’s Xi Jinping might have to revise his five-year plan

China’s latest economic data highlights a glut of excess capacity and a flood of cheap exports, which is generating a growing backlash from a number of its trading partners.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Wall Street is at record levels but threats are emerging.

Debt-saturated markets may soon face a ‘Minsky’ moment

Sell in May and go away, says the old stock market adage. Maybe that should be brought forward a week or two this time around.

  • by Jeremy Warner
Grammar pedants have been swift to judge Swift’s new album title, but pop often plays loose with punctuation.
Opinion
WordPlay

Taylor Swift’s poetic licence: why all the fuss around her new album title?

Grammar pedants have been swift to judge, but pop often plays loose with punctuation.

  • by David Astle
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Once you get to the point where your mortgage isn’t weighing you down, you can explore other investment options.

Should we use savings to pay down mortgage or invest in shares?

Once you get to the point where your mortgage isn’t weighing you down, you can explore other investment options.

  • by Noel Whittaker
ETFs with exposure to crypto and to listed companies exposed to the crypto sector were the best performing Australian listed ETFs in the 12 months to March 31, 2024.
Analysis
ETFs

Eager investors push Australian ETF market to near $200 billion

The Australian-listed ETF market has almost doubled in value during the past three years, partially due to a strong showing from bitcoin-linked funds.

  • by John Collett
Chasing the allure of FIRE (financial independence, retire early) could leave you worse off in the long run.

Want to retire early? Consider these things first

Chasing the allure of FIRE – financial independence, retire early – could leave you worse off in the long run.

  • by Paridhi Jain
Lisa Wilkinson, Spotlight producer Mark Llewellyn and the damning text.
Analysis
Defamation

Lehrmann’s lies and Lisa’s angry text flag possible new skirmishes

A message Lisa Wilkinson sent to a rival TV program suggesting Bruce Lehrmann had breached legal confidentiality rules has been confirmed by Justice Michael Lee.

  • by Kate McClymont and Angus Thompson
Opinion
Wellbeing

The chart that shows how happy you are, just as long as you’re old enough

The good news: Australia is one of the world’s happiest nations. The bad news: our happiness peaked years ago and young people are the gloomiest.

  • by Matt Wade
Bruce Lehrmann.
Opinion
Defamation

What the Lehrmann case means for the future of defamation law in Australia

There is little doubt that lawyers do well in defamation cases. But you rarely find a plaintiff who, at the end of the trial, believes they made the right move in suing.

  • by Peter Bartlett
Photos of the installation of Gold Gilded mask from the coffin of Amenempe  as part of the  Rameses exhibition at The Australian Museum. Pictured is  Australian Museum Director and CEO Kim McKay
Opinion
Innovation

Our museum is thriving because we do things differently

Museums are trusted messengers, so we need to be less hubristic about gateways to knowledge.

  • by Kim McKay
The freshly painted sign conceals a tribute to Israeli hostages erected in the heart of Melbourne’s Jewish community.

Australia must not lose the war within over religion, ideology and politics

While there is a huge difference between spilling blood and paint, recent episodes reflect a radical intolerance for different political, ideological and religious views.

  • by Chip Le Grand
Andrew Tate publishes a graphic edited version of the Wakeley attack, as well as a related rant on “male rage” against atheists and zionists.
Analysis
Social media

Church stabbing, Bondi Junction highlight X’s failure to moderate

The misinformation and persistence of graphic videos can cause real harm to a huge audience.

  • by Tim Biggs
Dating apps are a way to get from introduction to face-to-face connection.
Opinion
Dating

The secret to success on dating apps is economical

There are many factors to finding the perfect match online, but a win is always found with the right numbers.

  • by Siena Fagan
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Senator Nick McKim and Brad Banducci in full flight.

Belting Brad: Senate turns supermarket CEO flogging into Olympic sport

The sparring between Greens senator Nick McKim and Woolies boss Brad Banducci deteriorated into an unedifying headbutting contest.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Albanese

A stabbing, a riot, a nation divided: Albanese’s toughest test

Albanese did all the right things. He said all the right things. Yet the events of Monday night exploded regardless.

  • by David Crowe
Advice on aged care financial decisions would be more reliable if the licensing net was expanded.
Analysis
Aged care

Unlicensed aged care advice could hinder your later retirement years

Families need advice they can trust on the often complicated fee structures of aged care homes.

  • by John Collett
Australia is about to join the protectionist wave sweeping through major economies with its Future Made in Australia scheme.
Opinion
Trade

‘New Competition’? It’s protectionism with an industry policy veneer

Australia is about to join the protectionist wave sweeping through major economies with its “Future Made in Australia” scheme. History suggests we shouldn’t.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Bruce Lehrmann departs court on Monday after Justice Michael Lee found he raped Brittany Higgins.
Analysis
Defamation

The omnishambles that Bruce Lehrmann unleashed on himself

Bruce Lehrmann has gone from cause celebre to disgrace. Along the way he has managed to damage and hurt many lives and reputations.

  • by Harriet Alexander

Iran has given Israel licence to ‘go nuts’. But there are reasons to resist

Israel faces a dilemma of historic proportions as it decides how to respond to Iran’s weekend attack.

  • by Peter Hartcher
Lisa Wilkinson and Bruce Lehrmann on Monday; Brittany Higgins back in December last year.
Analysis
Defamation

Forensic gaze of Justice Lee left no one unscathed in Lehrmann defamation case

Bruce Lehrmann, Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson were all criticised in a defamation judgment that will be required reading for years to come.

  • by Deborah Snow
A journalist, a future teacher and a future doctor.
Opinion
University

Unpaid internships are one thing, but paying to work? That’s absurd

The most recent school term has been educational for me and exhausting for my flatmate … and not because we have kids.

  • by Millie Muroi
Transitioning to retirement is naturally easier if money isn’t a concern.

A comfortable retirement? Not on these numbers

As a recent retiree, I finally have more free time on my hands. I confess, I use a chunk of that free time wondering how long I can afford to enjoy all that free time.

  • by Paul McShane
Brittany Higgins was found by Justice Lee to have been raped by Bruce Lehrmann.
Analysis
Defamation

Lehrmann judgment will bring some comfort to sexual assault victims everywhere

The judgment by Justice Michael Lee in finding Bruce Lehrmann was a rapist is a masterpiece of common sense and cut-through.

  • by Jacqueline Maley
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Adam Bell SC, chair of the NSW inquiry into The Star.
Opinion
Casinos

Star wars: The dirty fight between the casino and its regulator

It is very difficult to imagine how the current board of Star will be able to mend its relationship with the regulator and navigate the path to restore its licence.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
The strength of the US dollar is causing problems across the globe.
Opinion
Currencies

Why the US dollar is setting off alarm bells around the world

Suddenly, tension and uncertainty have gripped financial markets, making them highly volatile.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Coined by British linguist Geoff Pullum, eggcorns owe their name to the childish distortion of “acorns”.
Opinion
WordPlay

In praise of the eggcorn, the English language’s most logical mistake

Suffering from rumourism? You’ll need a courtesan shot for that.

  • by David Astle
Harley Reid celebrates a goal in West Coast’s win over Richmond.
Analysis
AFL 2024

Intense demands on Dees, Pies; here comes Harley: Key takeouts from round five

You may have heard of No.1 draft pick Harley Reid. On Sunday, he showed he’s both a monster and a surgeon on the field. Plus, the Lion who had a breakout game against Melbourne and the fixture demands on Collingwood and Melbourne.

  • by Andrew Stafford
Latrell Mitchell watches on as part of a bulging Rabbitohs casualty ward.
Analysis
NRL 2024

The good, the bad and the unknown: Where to now for Rabbitohs?

South Sydney showed enough fight in defeat against Cronulla to buy coach Jason Demetriou some time, but their problems haven’t gone away.

  • by Dan Walsh
Supermarkets are often the first target of public ire about prices, but their margins are modest compared to some of their suppliers.

Coping with higher prices on smaller portions and chicken nuggets

The past few years have been tough financially for many of us, and it’s potentially changing our eating habits.

  • by Rachel Clun
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell during the loss to Gold Coast.
Opinion
AFL 2024

Four Points: Reality bites as Hawks sink to 54-year low; Bevo’s Bulldogs out of tune

The Hawks haven’t started a season this badly since 1970, and if they lose to the Kangaroos this week, the heat will turn right up, while at the Bulldogs, Luke Beveridge is experimenting with new material, but diehard fans are not convinced.

  • by Peter Ryan
Bruce Lehrmann outside the Federal Court in Sydney in December last year.
Analysis
Defamation

‘Books will be written’: Judgment day in Lehrmann defamation case

Justice Michael Lee will deliver his decision on Monday in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.

  • by Michaela Whitbourn
If you’re a man under 50, it’s time to spend hundreds of dollars on gear and get running.
Opinion
Running

Want to take up running? You might be having an identity crisis

As much as we pretend it’s purely for health and wellbeing purposes, running in the modern age has become a performance in and of itself.

  • by Brandon Jack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Iran has failed to land a punch. What happens next is in Netanyahu’s hands

If full-scale war eventuates, it would have deep consequences well beyond the Middle East, rippling all the way to the Indo-Pacific.

  • by Peter Hartcher
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Darby Lancaster runs clear to score for the Rebels.
Tight Five
Super Rugby

New Zealand no longer the lions’ den as Australian stocks rise

The ‘Lions phenomenon’ may be helping Australia’s Super Rugby contingent with the Rebels uncovering a new rising star.

  • by Paul Cully
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden.

Why Iran’s latest attack should give Australia pause for thought on AUKUS

Australia is in the thick of the United States’ global alignment, and as a key ally, we will rise or fall by its tide.

  • by David Livingstone
Halley McGookin, in a still from her March TikTok video after she had been punched in the head.
Analysis
Violence

Why are men randomly punching women in New York?

When Lisa Pires saw women saying they were randomly punched in New York in the lead-up to her holiday there, it sounded too absurd to be true. Then it happened to her.

  • by Ginia Bellafante
You can now short Donald Trump, but should you?

You can now short Donald Trump, but should you?

Short-selling meme stocks can be a “yuuuge” mistake.

  • by William Bennett
The Church of Nativity in Bethlehem.
Opinion
Religion

A friendship that lights the way

How a journey to the Holy Lands had a ripple effect.

  • by John Dupuche
Josh Schuster is looking for a new club.
Analysis
NRL 2024

Struggling Schuster vows to fight back after Manly blow

With his career in limbo, troubled star Josh Schuster has broken his silence after being told by the Sea Eagles he can speak to rival clubs.

  • by Danny Weidler
Richmond vice captain Liam Baker is hot property.
Analysis
AFL 2024

The bidding war for Richmond’s fabulous Baker boy

With shallow talent spread across 18 clubs and the Tassie Devils about to eviscerate the drafts, Richmond’s Liam Baker has picked a good time to be up for grabs.

  • by Jake Niall
The Coalition is again spruiking their plan to let young people use super to buy housing. Let me list the (many) reasons this is a terrible idea.

Why the Coalition’s super-for-housing plan is a terrible idea

The Coalition is again spruiking its plan to let young people use super to buy housing. Let me list the (many) reasons this is a terrible idea.

  • by Victoria Devine
Being a landlord can be a headache, but choosing where to invest your proceeds can also be challenging.

I don’t want to be a landlord, so what do I do with my property proceeds?

Being a landlord can be a headache, but choosing where to invest the proceeds of your house sale can also be challenging.

  • by Paul Benson
Kirsha Kaechele (left) and supporters arrive  at court for the anti-discrimination case launched by Jason Lau.

MONA shows why lost boys find #MeToo anti-men

The case was a literal example of what some men’s rights activists say is the new discrimination against men that post #MeToo feminism has enabled.

  • by Jacqueline Maley
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Roxanne Tickle says Giggle for Girls illegally discriminated on the grounds of gender identity after her access to the app was revoked.
Opinion
Gender

Can trans women and biological women share an identity? This case may provide an answer

Identity is fundamental to what it is to be human. The Tickle v Giggle case is exploring whether a trans woman can occupy the same space as someone born female.

  • by Parnell Palme McGuinness

‘It stuns even me’: Could this visionary cure blindness?

The work of Gerard Sutton and his team may do for blindness what cochlear implants did for deafness.

  • by Peter FitzSimons
Real Money cats pets costs vets vet generic
Opinion
Hip pocket

Pets are pricey, let’s not pussyfoot around

Cats, dogs and other furry friends give endless love, but they don’t come cheap. Commit with care.

  • by Dominic Powell
g
Opinion
AFL 2024

A crying shame: Lion should cop a week for stupidity

The Brisbane Lions have a chance to lead by example in stamping out personal sledging. We’re waiting ...

  • by Greg Baum