Opinion
Opinion
Roads
Melburnians are friendlier than Sydneysiders – but on the road they are lunatics
Merging in Melbourne is murder: as soon as you indicate, the car beside will almost always speed up to block you.
- by Dan Kaufman
Latest
Opinion
Oil
Trump now has his very own oil empire
Having de facto control of the Western Hemisphere’s petroleum wealth is a geopolitical game changer.
- by Javier Blas
Analysis
Bushfires
Four conditions set the scene for catastrophic fire conditions. So far, there’s only two
The mercury will top 40 degrees in Sydney and Melbourne this week in the hottest weather the eastern seaboard has experienced in years.
- by Mike Foley
Opinion
US politics
Trump’s most evangelical warrior is having a come to Jesus moment
To many Americans, a former MAGA diehard who recently said she believes aliens are demons that have fallen from heaven is now seen as a voice of reason.
- by Katy Hall
Analysis
The Ashes
The fumbling, bumbling moments that sum up England’s miserable summer holiday
If a picture’s worth a ton of words, then England’s dropped catches, dopey DRS reviews and 125km/h half-trackers with the new ball said it all.
- by Dan Walsh
Editorial
Development
Populate and cherish, wonderful ideas for city’s growth
The Sydney Summit next month presents some with a unique opportunity to try ideas for the future.
- The Herald's View
Opinion
Australian economy
Why would you work hard? All some kids have to do is sit and wait
The economic and social effects of massive wealth transfers between generations are not being taken seriously.
- by Alison Pennington
The year that changed me
Protests
I wanted to hitchhike to Sydney. The pill-gobbling truckie had other ideas
The truckie’s plan in case the pills weren’t sufficient was that I had to stay awake to prod him in the ribs if he started nodding off. He wouldn’t share his amphetamines.
- by Tony Wright
Analysis
The Ashes
Ruthless Smith shuts the door on England, and retirement
Steve Smith had plenty of reasons to want to shut the door on England at the SCG. A 3-2 Ashes series result would be a travesty to rank with some of the wild claims made about this team.
- by Daniel Brettig
Opinion
The Ashes
Captains cranky: Smith and Stokes maintain rage as hosts assume control
As everyone around them flagged and failed, Steve Smith and Ben Stokes formed two poles, drawing the onfield energy towards themselves.
- by Malcolm Knox
Antisemitism is the most lethal form of prejudice
Any royal commission’s remit would have to include a focus that goes far back in history and to many countries.
Opinion
Workplace
Looking for a better work-life balance? Start wearing a tie
It can put a pep in your step around the office, and there’s nothing quite like the feeling of loosening it at the end of a long day.
- by Elias Visontay
Updated
CBD
The politicians, leaders who fronted for McGrath high tea – and the notable absentees
While the prime minister and the federal sports minister were notable absentees from day three of the Sydney Test, there were plenty of other movers and shakers basking in the sun.
- by John Buckley
Opinion
Greenland
Trump doesn’t care about alliances, and his motives on Greenland are clear
Even if the vast territory isn’t the next item on the US president’s wish list, he seems determined to take it before leaving office.
- by Marc Champion
Analysis
Investing
Investment apps are everywhere. But who really holds your money?
Millions of Australians invest in shares. But very few of them know who actually owns their investments.
- by Nina Hendy
Analysis
Venezuela crisis
Trump’s dramatic show of force is an old-school move – and a risky one
Thanks to the president, it’s now harder for the United States to argue to Russia and China that they should steer clear of their neighbours.
- by Michael Birnbaum
Analysis
Brisbane Lions
The three football options hovering over Lachie Neale as he deals with marriage breakdown
It can’t be answered now but where Lachie Neale’s football career heads in 2027 will be subject to constant discussion this year.
- by Peter Ryan
Opinion
Venezuela crisis
Trump takes out Maduro. But can the Democrats take out Trump?
After Caracas, you must believe exactly what Trump says is coming.
- by Bruce Wolpe
Editorial
Cycling
Call for e-bike green slips is worth considering
The popularity of e-bikes has prompted a push for a user-pays system to fund mounting medical and legal costs.
- The Herald's View
Analysis
Technology & democracy
Hawaiian shirts, shorts and cutting-edge weapons: A dive into the world of defence tech
Palmer Luckey, boss of defence contractor Anduril, sees a world of security problems that can be addressed, if not solved, with innovative engineering. Others have doubts.
- by Chris Zappone
Opinion
Gen Z
Groped on the dancefloor? No thanks, we’re Gen Z
Pubs and clubs are too dangerous and expensive. We have other ways of meeting up.
- by Siena Fagan
The year that changed me
Friendship
My editor rang me with urgent news. I hung up and cried in the street
This is the first piece in a summer opinion series from our writers and reporters about the year that changed them.
- by Stephen Brook
Opinion
The Ashes
Travis Head is the new Doug Walters – a folk hero the fans love
True to the great man’s spirit, the opener just got on with things as the light faded at the SCG on day two, and flipped the Test in Australia’s favour.
- by Malcolm Knox
Analysis
The Ashes
Head-scratcher: Should Australia persist with Jake Weatherald?
Travis Head rates him and the opening stands have been solid. But Jake Weatherald has left the door open for Australia’s selectors to look elsewhere.
- by Daniel Brettig
US mission in Venezuela is just an illegal oil grab
Watch out Greenland, Colombia, Panama, Canada, the world.
Opinion
Venezuela crisis
What Venezuela tells us about Australia’s security
Recent crises in Venezuela, the Middle East and the South China Sea highlight hard choices Australia must confront.
- by Jennifer Parker
Opinion
Bondi shooting
Royal commissions are often used to buy time, not create change
The hardest part of any inquiry is not uncovering the truth; it is acting on it, as experience has shown.
- by John Wallace
Opinion
Bondi shooting
By refusing a royal commission, what is the ALP covering up?
The government may be afraid of what could be revealed – especially in its own party.
- by George Brandis
Analysis
Venezuela crisis
Five scenarios for a post-Maduro Venezuela – and what they could signal to the wider region
Where do the US and Venezuela go from here? Much depends on what Washington does next and how Venezuela’s fractured polity responds.
- by Robert Muggah
Opinion
Venezuela crisis
This is a warning to all world leaders who antagonise Trump
If the US president gets away with an illegal invasion of Venezuela, why not Xi Jinping, who has a flawed but genuine historical claim to Taiwan?
- by Geoffrey Robertson
Editorial
Trump diplomacy
Trump’s attack on Venezuela is a dangerous and illegal gambit
US President Donald Trump’s attack on Venezuela contains the seeds of a wider tragedy.
- The Herald's View
Analysis
The Ashes
Bradman loved spin bowling. He would hate the pace monotony of this Ashes
Australian cricket is thumbing its nose at Sir Donald Bradman and many others who believe that cricket is about more than the seaming ball.
- by Daniel Brettig
Blaming migrants shows an unwelcome populist shift
What a depressing start to 2026 it is as Andrew Hastie starts crowdfunding to flame the fear fire against migrants
Opinion
The Ashes
Why the Sydney Test has dead rubber written all over it
By the time the caravan gets to the SCG and the competitive climax to the Ashes has passed, the air is festive: this match is cricket’s festivus for the rest of us.
- by Malcolm Knox
Analysis
The Ashes
The Ashes fifth Test day one recap: Buy the ticket, take the Harry Brook ride. Just imagine when he works out Test cricket
How long can a prodigious talent in a leadership position bat with the abandon of Harry Brook? As long as he wants when it works.
- by Dan Walsh
Opinion
Venezuela crisis
Australia should not lie in bed with a shameless dictator like Trump
The US president should be met with strength, not with “fear, fawning and appeasement”.
- by Ben Saul
Analysis
Venezuela crisis
The former bus driver who squeezed the life out of Latin America’s richest nation
Nicolás Maduro’s arrest by US special forces ends an unlikely 13-year presidency dressed up in myths and lies.
- by Simeon Tegel
Analysis
Venezuela crisis
This could be Trump’s Iraq, and Americans must ask: Is it what we voted for?
Donald Trump made it clear that oil is what his Venezuelan venture is about. But it is entirely unclear how he envisages the next few days – or few years – playing out.
- by Michael Koziol
Opinion
Energy prices
Beware energy plans chosen by your retailer: This trickery is filching hundreds of millions
Energy retailers should be compelled to act transparently and honestly in the best interests of their customers. Many don’t.
- by Ted Woodley
Analysis
United Cup
De Minaur deflated after Ruud loss, but he’s been here before
Alex de Minaur lost his first match of 2026 in front of a home crowd on Saturday night, but Australia’s No.1 must turn it around against team Czechia on Tuesday.
- by Billie Eder
Analysis
Venezuela crisis
In claiming American strength, Trump also highlights weakness
The US appears to have completed a bold act of regime change in unseating Nicolas Maduro, but what unfolds next for Venezuela and the world is not so clear-cut.
- by David Crowe
For years, the month everyone else looked forward to filled me with dread
There are ways to help make loss and grief bearable in the midst of the January break.
- by Dr Lucy Hone
Opinion
Religion
All you need to do is to look up
Creation is an act of wonder, and participating in it is not difficult.
- by Ann Rennie
Opinion
The Ashes
Beware the generation gap: Is this Australia’s last hurrah?
England’s talent is plain to see, and it has greater upside than Australia between now and 2027.
- by Greg Baum
Opinion
The Ashes
Forget the Ashes, these teams are batting for the reputation of their craft
After the two-day chaos of Melbourne, the SCG Test looms as a battle of batsmen versus bowlers rather than Australia versus England.
- by Malcolm Knox
Analysis
The Ashes
Other sports have dead rubbers. Cricket has Test matches
The Sydney Cricket Ground rarely plays host to a “live” Test. But the result of any series has always been irrelevant to attendance, while there’s plenty at stake for the players, too.
- by Geoff Lawson
Editorial
City life
There’s something fishy about this ferry wharf debacle
The venue is meant to be the Opera House for fish. Building a wharf to get tourists to visit would seem a no-brainer.
- The Herald's View