Opinion
Opinion
Work/life balance
Why it’s time we stopped obsessing over ‘work-life balance’
It’s a message that can be difficult to deliver to a society that’s been fed hustle culture and girlbossing, but it’s a truth we all need to hear.
- by Tim Duggan
Latest
Analysis
US Votes 2024
Biden gives the speech he never wanted to, and did it with passion and grace
Four days after withdrawing from the 2024 US presidential election, Joe Biden says the time is right to “pass the torch to a new generation”.
- by Farrah Tomazin
Opinion
World markets
$1.1 trillion wipeout: Wall Street just got hit with a reality check
Wall Street has been riding an AI wave, but it just recorded its worst day since 2022 after investors were spooked by results from two of the biggest companies in the world.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Opinion
AFL 2024
Why the AFL should stop Harry McKay from playing this Friday night
The fact that the Blues forward has been cleared to play this week, despite such visible signs of a head injury, underscores a shocking inconsistency in the AFL’s concussion guidelines.
- by Kane Cornes
Opinion
Foreign relations
Trump v Rudd: who’d win, the master of the barb or the prince of persuasion?
Kevin Rudd may have called him “nuts”, but a re-elected Donald Trump would learn the former PM is a crafty diplomat, not easily intimidated.
- by David Livingstone
Opinion
Paris 2024
Marky Mark is the weapon Australia’s sevens team needs in Paris
A league-bound Wallaby and a French legend loom as major threats in the men’s rugby sevens tournament.
- by Michael Hooper
Opinion
Paris 2024
Why Paris will shake off les Olympiques bleus
When it comes to pre-Olympics grumbling, Parisians are gold medallists, but wait until the Games themselves start on one of the world’s great sporting stages.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Opinion
NRL 2024
The Origin decider was out of this world. But how much more can these players give?
I’ve taken time to watch the game three replay. It was one of the toughest and most brutal games I’ve ever seen.
- by Andrew Johns
Opinion
US Votes 2024
A Trump victory would leave Australia handcuffed to the whims of a narcissist
America is not well, and it will take a long time before it gets better, if it ever does. If this is not the time to take a hard look at how we approach and deal with the US, when will that time come?
- by Shaun Carney
Opinion
Sunday Life
Men are not from Mars. They are from another galaxy entirely
Am I generalising? Yes. Do I care? No.
- by Kathy Lette
LETTERS
Letters
Time for Dutton to produce the nuclear evidence
Age readers seek answers from Peter Dutton on his nuclear proposals.
Opinion
Friendship
The first time I saw crying that frightened me, it came from my father
I have been practising being better in the company of others crying. It’s a human act that scares us, but I’m learning to embrace its power.
- by Jacinta Parsons
Opinion
US Votes 2024
Trump trades: Markets are betting against Europe, oil and humanity
How would one have “priced” global markets in 1912 or 1937, when the writing already was on the wall, but nothing was predetermined, and one could still hope? Worth pondering.
- by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Analysis
FIFA
Money and power: Why Europe’s top leagues have declared war on FIFA
The game’s governing body is the subject of legal action by players and leagues who say the international calendar is at breaking point. Here’s what you need to know.
- by Vince Rugari
Opinion
Aviation
How Flight Centre’s news on falling airfares became Qantas’ problem
As international airfares continue falling from the highs reached after COVID-19, aviation profits should settle to more normal sustainable levels.
- by Elizabeth Knight
Opinion
Australian economy
You want cheap stuff? You’ll need to accept more pain like the CrowdStrike crash
The blue screen of death was just the latest in a string of crises that have afflicted the global economy. Brace yourself for more.
- by Shane Wright
Analysis
AFL 2024
The run home: Where the contenders stand in the race for the AFL top eight
While the Swans appear to have top spot locked up, the race for the top eight is well and truly on as we head into the home stretch of the AFL season. Where will your team finish?
- by Jon Pierik
Opinion
Sharemarket
Betting on autonomy: Investors are waiting for Tesla’s future to arrive
The electric carmaker’s latest earnings have again missed expectations. It’s time for Elon Musk to keep his promise to turn the company into more than what it is today.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Opinion
Holidays
The main problem with tourist trails? The tourists
Here’s how to get off the road most travelled.
- by Richard Glover
Analysis
Retirement living
Retiree, beware: New residential village model charges more the longer you live
One retirement village company has come up with a solution for residents who stay longer than the average nine years: just keep charging them.
- by Rachel Lane
Analysis
Debit cards
Westpac offers debit cards to eight-year-olds in youth banking push
Children as young as eight are being offered a physical debt card in an effort by Westpac to improve their financial literacy.
- by John Collett
Opinion
Ask an expert
Can you withdraw a loved one’s super after death to save on tax?
It’s important to clarify strategies to save on superannuation “death tax”, as there are certain methods that will not work after death.
- by Noel Whittaker
Opinion
Cost of living
Cost-of-living crisis? Why only some of us are feeling the pinch
A fascinating study into how our standards of living have changed since before COVID helps to explain why some Australians are feeling no pain.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Side hustle
The financial steps that can make or break your new business
Starting a new side hustle is a serious undertaking. Here are four mistakes I see people make all the time.
- by Paridhi Jain
Opinion
Estate planning
Death and taxes are inevitable. Here’s how retirees can minimise the latter
If couples and families don’t put proper preparations in place, serious financial problems can emerge when a loved one dies.
- by Noel Whittaker
Opinion
Building Bad
Can’t get a tradie? The CFMEU’s stranglehold on major projects is choking all of us
Victoria’s major road and rail projects mean we are building fewer houses, at greater expense. The construction union’s grip is affecting costs, efficiency, quality and the availability of skilled labour.
- by Harley Dale
Analysis
Financial planning
Consumers locked out of financial advice as fees keep rising
The incoming changes to legislation are not enough on their own to get costs down, advisers have warned.
- by John Collett
Letters
Letters
A middle ground is emerging between Kamala Harris and J.D. Vance
Readers react to the continuing rise of Kamala Harris, and efforts to eliminate gas hot water systems.
Opinion
Childcare
I’m a grandmother, not a child carer. I did the job the first time around
I long ago made it very clear to my adult children that while being a grandmother is something I might enjoy, I would not be participating in exhausting hours of tending to toddlers.
- by Avril Moore
Opinion
Building Bad
It’s time to straighten up our building sites with a strong regulator
Stronger fines, wider powers and a bipartisan mandate could produce a construction industry regulator with transformative possibilities.
- by The Age's View
Opinion
CFMEU
How the government’s CFMEU response plays into the Coalition’s hands
The government’s light-touch response to the allegations swirling around the CFMEU risks emboldening Labor’s critics.
- by Elizabeth Knight
Opinion
Workplace
I’m a cafe worker. There’s one question customers ask that shows a lack of respect
Most people have little idea of the stigma directed at hospitality workers. There is an assumption that wait staff above a certain age lack the skills or gumption to “get a proper job”.
- by Liam Heitmann-Ryce-LeMercier
Analysis
Shares
Eight stocks that analysts have tipped for a turnaround
BHP and Lendlease are among analysts’ tips of good-quality Australian-listed companies whose share prices could do better.
- by John Collett
Opinion
Inside China
Xi just doubled down on his big China bet
China’s struggling economy was the driving force behind an unexpected cut in interest rates, but Xi Jinping is doubling down on his long-term dream.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Opinion
NRL 2024
Why a 20-team NRL competition solves rugby league’s biggest problems
PNG and the Perth Bears are a lock – but the identity of the third new franchise is anyone’s guess.
- by Andrew Webster
Opinion
Network outage
The cinema was ‘cash-free’ but the eftpos machines were down. Was I in a movie?
The CrowdStrike outage reminded me and the rest of the developed world of how reliant we are on a few big companies to keep the show on the road.
- by Millie Muroi
Letters
Letters
I can hear the sighs of relief after Joe Biden’s call. Hope has returned
Readers react to Joe Biden’s sudden decision to withdraw from the US presidential race, and the prospects of Kamala Harris against Donald Trump.
Opinion
Life in the ’burbs
A monstrosity looms over my suburb. Yet, it’s hard to beat as the place to live
In some suburbs, you’d find irritated locals fighting tooth and nail to have this monstrosity removed. In my suburb, many fought to have it heritage listed.
- by Lawrie Bradly
Opinion
US Votes 2024
Biden’s exit changes the game. But here’s why Trump’s still on track to win
Kamala Harris is no less unpopular than Joe Biden. On some measures, she’s even less likely to win against Donald Trump.
- by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
Inflation
Could a Harris economy prove more progressive than ‘Bidenomics’?
As US Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to potentially replace President Joe Biden atop the Democratic ticket, she now faces the challenge of articulating her own vision for steering the US economy.
- by Alan Rappeport
Opinion
US election
Suddenly, Trump, not Biden, is the buffoonish old guy in the race
The Republicans’ entire campaign has been focused on Joe Biden in general and his age in particular. Now we have a real battle on our hands.
- by Bill Wyman
Opinion
Cyber protection
Massive outage shows the vulnerability of the global tech ecosystem
The CrowdStrike episode is chilling because it highlights how a single, flawed update from a trusted source can cause large parts of the global system to fail.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Analysis
NRL 2024
Cleary’s clutch miracle shouldn’t have happened. But he’s just that good
After a 10-week injury lay-off, Nathan Cleary and his Panthers teammates needed just three simple plays to set up the NRL’s best match-winner for the most unlikely play.
- by Dan Walsh and Billie Eder
Opinion
US Votes 2024
Biden couldn’t withstand the friendly fire. But will his self-sacrifice save the Democrats?
Historians will regard Biden as among the more consequential US presidents. If the Democrats win in November, he’ll occupy an even more exalted perch.
- by Nick Bryant
Analysis
AFL 2024
Why the Pies can’t get de going and a Hawks wizard finds his magic touch: Key takeouts from round 19
Without his superpowers, Jordan De Goey is struggling, and so are the Magpies. But for Nick Watson and the Hawks the opposite is true. Meanwhile, a key Crow’s talent has been unlocked and the Cats have lost their edge at home.
- by Andrew Stafford
Analysis
Protests
Police kill more than 100 students in protests over job handouts
The protests erupted out of Bangladeshi students’ anger at a quota system for government jobs that benefited certain groups.
- by Anupreeta Das
Opinion
Construction
Construction industry a honeypot that capital and labour fight over
Don’t fall for the “rogue union” bogeyman theory. There’s much more going on than there seems.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Trade unions
Building union officials are the toughest people I know, but unity is a two-way street
It is regretful that the ACTU has had to take steps to suspend the CFMEU, but it had no choice if it wanted to protect the interests of working people.
- by Bill Kelty
Opinion
US Votes 2024
For heaven’s sake, Joe, let it go
It makes me sad that Biden doesn’t see what’s inescapable: If he doesn’t walk away gracefully right now, he will probably ruin his legacy.
- by Maureen Dowd
Opinion
Network outage
How close are we to chaos? Just one blue screen of death
Crippling tech meltdowns like CrowdStrike are getting more common and more severe. Will you be ready for the next one? Are you keeping spare cash?
- by David Swan