Opinion | Comment & Analysis

OpinionColumn 8Failing to curry favour with the demographicIt went straight to the Spamalot folder.

OpinionCulture holidaysI moved to Berlin. Turns out Germany is not all it’s cracked up to beThere’s the world-class nightclubs, the beer gardens, and the huge expanse of forests. What’s not to love about the world’s hippest city? Quite a bit, it turns out.

LettersSubtle joys of Indigenous cultures are lost on HansonBy erroneously labelling Aboriginal Australians as “primitive”, the One Nation leader exposes her own ignorance.

AnalysisOperation Rosny‘No one can make me shut up!’: Fugitive Jean Nassif melts down at ICACThe volatile, angry Sydney developer displayed more cracks than a basement slab in one of his dodgy apartment towers when put under pressure.

EditorialOperation RosnyNassif tells ICAC it can’t handle the truthThe fugitive developer who fled Australia owing millions says he is a man of honour.

OpinionSydney SweeneyThere’s a seriously bad industry behind Sweeney’s seriously bad adThe Hollywood star’s risque new ad for an online sports prediction platform is just the latest bit of controversy for an industry on the rise.

AnalysisAI‘I am the Hoax Buster’: Trump takes on America with seven-post rant promoting AI, data centresThe US president has previously tried to sniff the breeze on what mainstream Americans think. In doubling down on claims of a “SICK conspiracy” against AI and data centres, he is doing the opposite.

AnalysisAFL 2026The Carlton cull: Behind the Blues’ dramatic list movesCarlton will not offer Adam Saad a contract for 2027, which brings their total player cull to 11. To put that list surgery in perspective, West Coast have made just four changes to their senior list thus far, while Essendon have made five.

AnalysisPolitical leadershipRegrets, Hanson’s got a few, but she’s also chalking up winsPauline Hanson’s political brand has been that of an outsider who never apologises. But you can’t do that if you want to be prime minister, as her almost apologies on Tuesday showed.

OpinionAsk an expertNo matter how much we make, it never feels enough. What can we do?The financial relief you’re looking for comes from having investments that can grow and make money for you.

OpinionProperty marketOur property obsession is about to face its toughest test yetAustralians have spent a generation treating property as the closest thing to a guaranteed wealth machine.

OpinionInterest ratesTrump set to explode if his man does his jobKevin Warsh was handpicked by Donald Trump to lead the Fed, but the pair have been on a collision course. Their relationship faces its first true test this week.

OpinionSocial mediaPosing as a 17-year-old girl online, I expected body image content. I got gender divisionInstead of feeding me disordered eating content, the algorithm once more showed me how it fuelled divisions between men and women.

OpinionFormula 1Formula 1 unveiled a new track on Sunday. The race was even worse than fearedThe Spanish Grand Prix put fans and drivers to sleep, with F1’s newest track having the same overtaking difficulties as Monaco, without the million-dollar views.

AnalysisNRL 2026The NRL is bending the rules to anoint Peter V’landys. Strap yourselves inThe bull-at-a-gate administrator’s expected switch from running racing to rugby league shapes as an epochal moment for both sports.

AnalysisOperation RosnyBarbs and bluster from the Beirut bedroom of ‘The Fugitive’ Jean NassifWithin minutes of “swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”, Nassif was making wild accusations before the ICAC. And there is more to come on Tuesday.

OpinionEUEuro-vision: Could Australia join the European Union? One key minister is open to itThe EU has reportedly responded positively to the prospect of Canada becoming its first “associate” member. Australia might be next.

Government grants‘Crime only happens in Labor seats’: Coalition claims Labor rorting crime grantsAs Anthony Albanese distanced himself on Monday from a golf course that received a $6 million grant, the opposition has unearthed details of the safety program.

OpinionColumn 8No taffy for AlboDo your homework, boyo!

OpinionNRL 2026Cleary sin bin highlights flawed rule that needs to be changed immediatelyFew would argue that kickers shouldn’t be protected, but things have gone way too far.

OpinionPolitical leadershipHanson’s migration plan is sloppy, but Albanese has missed the momentInstead of convincing voters his policy was working in the interests of Australians, the PM has been left making tedious appeals to the diversity-as-strength mantra.

AnalysisOperation RosnySweat, swears and smears: Deconstructing Jean Nassif’s explosive ICAC appearanceEven for the high theatrical standards of the ICAC, the long-awaited appearance of the fugitive Sydney developer was next-level stuff.

LettersPM may have lost popularity, but the alternatives are far worseVoters should remember the old expression “be careful what you wish for”.

AnalysisBody imageSydney Sweeney’s naked bet is cheap provocationSweeney has made clear she finds the public commentary on her body degrading. So why does she insist on playing into hyper-sexualised stereotypes?

EditorialAndrew HastieHanson calling Hastie a traitor may have created her great nemesisAttacking the former soldier may prove the one Nation leader’s biggest gaffe.

OpinionLife in the ’burbsIt’s known as ‘the swamp’, but my suburb is more than just frogs and waterfowlThe creek that splits my suburb is home for red-bellied black snakes that sunbathe on paths and tracks. Watch your feet.

Middle East at warWhy the US-Iran peace deal falling apart wasn’t all Trump’s faultThe US president has so far failed to find a way to get Iran to agree to a permanent agreement, and a fringe group inside the Iranian regime may be the reason for that.

OpinionAIWill AI kill us all? I doubt it, but let’s reduce the risk ... nowIt’s no longer safe or responsible for frontier AI companies to be allowed to mark their own homework.

OpinionAIThese three kings of AI have a plan. It could blow everything upA trio of AI rivals are on the same page about the risks to humanity posed by the technology, but their plan could have catastrophic effects for all of us.

OpinionAustralian rugbyReality check in the mail for Wallabies with scary Springboks up nextAfter dispatching the All Blacks 3-1 in a brutal Test series, South Africa are the world’s best side, with daylight second. And they’re heading our way.

AnalysisAUKUSKey Trump adviser confident Australia would join US ‘in a good fight’Previously unreported comments shed light on why the Trump administration supports the AUKUS treaty.

OpinionCBDFormer Tennis Australia boss departs with bumper pay packetIf a fresh tax return is any indicator, former Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley left the organisation as one of the best-paid executives in the country.

OpinionPolitical leadershipIs Hastie a hero for tackling Hanson? It’s complicatedThe Liberal frontbencher says he used to be “respectful of Pauline … And then she came for me”. He saw her nastiness clearly only once he was on the receiving end.

EditorialPolitical leadershipTrust in Albanese evaporates with broken promisesVoters no longer have faith in Labor’s ability to handle the economy, and more mistrust the prime minister.

OpinionAIThe economic puzzle behind AI giants’ doomsday warningsWarnings about the artificial intelligence race are becoming ever more apocalyptic, but the AI companies can’t be counted on to slow down by themselves.

AnalysisPolitical leadershipMore than half of voters don’t trust Albanese. Can he ever win them over?Anthony Albanese spent three decades building up political capital, and then spent most of it in a single day in May.

AnalysisNRL 2026Forget the Cleary chaos. These Panthers moments tell the true tale of another epicWhen you know you’re really, well and truly alive – and trying to stay that way in a game of rugby league – that’s what Penrith still do better than anyone else.

OpinionColumn 8How to endure your syntax terrorDeep learning and deeper trouble.

AnalysisNRL 2026Roosters go down but Nawaqanitawase magic breathes life into their seasonMark Nawaqanitawase’s intercept try gave the Roosters belief they could cause a boilover and beat the minor premiers in their own backyard.

LettersHastie the answer for struggling Coalition but not just yetI’m no supporter of Andrew Hastie, but his standing up to Gina Rinehart and her sidekick Pauline Hanson is a big tick in his favour.

OpinionTrump's AmericaTrump opened the door to ugliness. Now a generation of mini-Trumps is risingSince the US president’s re-election, no-one appears to know any more what the basic standards of character are for an elected representative.

OpinionRussia-Ukraine warPutin will not win: My encounter with Europe’s new-found optimismDespite Trump’s America retreating from its role as protector of the free world, a weekend conference in Kyiv showcased Europe’s solidarity and rising confidence in the face of the Russian leader’s aggression.

OpinionReligion‘No name is beautiful enough for my child’Parents think deeply before naming a child, especially if they are Muslims.

OpinionAndrew HastieIt’s the vibe: Why Hanson’s candidate with a drug-taking past will winIn Australia, as in Germany and elsewhere, “populist” parties are gaining strength. The main parties might prefer that term to “working class” appeal, which One Nation candidate Warren Pickering certainly has.

OpinionNRL 2026Tigers to curb Marshall’s powers as they search for coaching directorThe Tigers have realised the club legend needs help in his role after another tumultuous season.

OpinionSuperannuationPeople take the money and run: The pitfalls of early super accessIt quickly becomes apparent there are many ways in which this idea is, to put it bluntly, terrible.

EditorialSydney councilsNSW local government councillors cannot afford to quit their day jobsThe pay is bad and the work has become harder, yet many of our fellow citizens put their hand up to serve their communities.

OpinionThe Fitz FilesAre we in for another GFC? Will interest rates soar? Is Hanson crazy? I asked this economistANZ chief economist Richard Yetsenga is no alarmist, but he does sound one big alarm for the global economy.

OpinionHip pocketRaiding super is a sugar hit: Here are five sweeter ways of getting $44 a week extraOne Nation’s plan to allow people to dip into their super might sound delicious, but we all know the dangers of tooth decay.

OpinionAsk an expertI’m in a tricky spot. I have money in the US that I need to transfer hereThis is a really difficult situation. Australian financial planners aren’t allowed to give advice on US schemes.