menu_open Columnists

The Sydney Morning Herald

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

In triumph, Netanyahu sets out the terms for peace – at the point of a spear

There was so much attention on Donald Trump that it was easy to overlook the steel in the message from Benjamin Netanyahu.

latest 6

The Sydney Morning Herald

David Crowe

Having declared mission complete, the risk now is that Trump taps out

The US president deserves much credit for striking a ceasefire deal. But in his exaggeration of what has been achieved, some fear he will lose...

latest 5

The Sydney Morning Herald

Michael Koziol

In the rare earth dispute between US and China, Australia may be the winner

In the rare earth dispute between US and China, Australia may be the winner

“I never thought it would come to this,” Donald Trump wrote on the weekend, Australian time. China last week announced strict, new controls on its...

latest 9

The Sydney Morning Herald

Peter Hartcher

For Shore, a woman’s safety matters less than her male killer’s reputation

For Shore, a woman’s safety matters less than her male killer’s reputation

Shore’s Latin motto, Vitai lampada tradunt – “they hand on the torch of life” – speaks to the passing of knowledge, values and integrity to...

latest 7

The Sydney Morning Herald

Clare Walker

The Greens’ tin ear risks making their voice even smaller

The Greens’ tin ear risks making their voice even smaller

Many are hoping and willing the hostages’ deal to be the beginning of some sort of mutually acceptable outcome for the Middle East, but the NSW...

latest 8

The Sydney Morning Herald

The Herald&x27S View

Putin is losing the war, so prepare for escalation

Putin is losing the war, so prepare for escalation

Vladimir Putin has his back against the wall. He is losing the economic war faster than he is gaining any military advantage in Ukraine. Russia’s...

latest 8

The Sydney Morning Herald

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

As tensions rise, is the TACO trade still alive?

As tensions rise, is the TACO trade still alive?

Why did China escalate trade hostilities with the US so abruptly last week? China’s announcement of tighter global export controls on rare earths...

yesterday 20

The Sydney Morning Herald

Stephen Bartholomeusz

‘What have I done?’ Australia were facing a record run chase. This is why the pressure was on their opponents anyway

‘What have I done?’ Australia were facing a record run chase. This is why the pressure was on their opponents anyway

During Australian cricket’s imperial phase from about 1999 to 2007, the teams of Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting often found themselves in trouble,...

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Daniel Brettig

Trump may be winning on the world stage, but success at home is elusive

Trump may be winning on the world stage, but success at home is elusive

When Donald Trump was first elected president, foreign policy seemed like the zone of greatest danger, the place where a political novice promising...

yesterday 9

The Sydney Morning Herald

Ross Douthat

Diane Keaton and me: Director Gillian Armstrong’s tribute to a unique artist

Diane Keaton and me: Director Gillian Armstrong’s tribute to a unique artist

I flicked on the telly on Sunday morning to check the weather and there was Diane as Annie Hall. Oh no! It only meant one thing. I was stabbed by...

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Gillian Armstrong

Matos makeover to rebuild ANZ from scratch

Matos makeover to rebuild ANZ from scratch

Nuno Matos, the foreign banker brought in to run ANZ Bank, has a big plan and no shortage of confidence to execute it. He’s seemingly ready to do...

yesterday 9

The Sydney Morning Herald

Elizabeth Knight

Just a ‘tweak’? Chalmers tries to disguise super plan’s embarrassing turn with top spin

Just a ‘tweak’? Chalmers tries to disguise super plan’s embarrassing turn with top spin

Treasurer Jim Chalmers calls a complete overhaul of his planned changes to superannuation tax concessions a “tweak”. Even Shane Warne would have...

yesterday 3

The Sydney Morning Herald

Shane Wright

The timing of Chalmers’ humiliating super backdown is cynical for two reasons

The timing of Chalmers’ humiliating super backdown is cynical for two reasons

Jim Chalmers has been forced into a humiliating backdown as he announced sweeping changes to the government’s proposed superannuation reforms....

yesterday 5

The Sydney Morning Herald

James Massola

The Hawks need Merrett, now. They must make Essendon an offer they can’t refuse

The Hawks need Merrett, now. They must make Essendon an offer they can’t refuse

It is go time for Hawthorn. The Hawks have won at least one final in consecutive years and led Geelong by 21 points before losing the clubs’...

yesterday 2

The Sydney Morning Herald

Marc Mcgowan

This is a terrible result for Sussan Ley, but not a surprising one

This is a terrible result for Sussan Ley, but not a surprising one

It’s been the silver lining in the dismal polling the Coalition has copped in the past five months: voters still seemed to like Opposition Leader...

yesterday 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

James Massola

Trump is not worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize – not now, not ever

Trump is not worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize – not now, not ever

It was never going to be President Donald Trump’s year to win the Nobel Peace Prize. It never should be. Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela won the...

yesterday 7

The Sydney Morning Herald

Bruce Wolpe

Circular Quay revamp on the backburner again

Circular Quay revamp on the backburner again

A decade ago, then premier Mike Baird promised to sell $200 million worth of government-owned hotel and office buildings on Sydney Harbour to fund...

yesterday 8

The Sydney Morning Herald

The Herald&x27S View

Pat Cummins’ Ashes availability is uncertain. The battle to be next in line has started

Pat Cummins’ Ashes availability is uncertain. The battle to be next in line has started

Pat Cummins’ back injury has thrown open the prospect of Australia turning to either a new or inexperienced fast bowler this summer. Josh...

yesterday 8

The Sydney Morning Herald

Tom Decent

Football has changed. Will Ange Postecoglou adapt before it’s too late?

Football has changed. Will Ange Postecoglou adapt before it’s too late?

Jose Mourinho didn’t name any names when he went on an off-season rant about how modern-day managers hide behind poor results by talking about...

previous day 2

The Sydney Morning Herald

Vince Rugari

The forgotten hypocrisy over Whitlam’s dismissal: He tried to oust Libs the same way

The forgotten hypocrisy over Whitlam’s dismissal: He tried to oust Libs the same way

Fifty years ago today, Australians witnessed the opening of the final chapter of our greatest political drama – the demise of the Whitlam...

previous day 3

The Sydney Morning Herald

George Brandis

The problem this Gaza ceasefire is yet to solve

The problem this Gaza ceasefire is yet to solve

The ceasefire in Gaza was less than a day old when Israeli soldiers shot dead a young Palestinian man near the West Bank city of Jenin. The Israel...

previous day 4

The Sydney Morning Herald

David Crowe

Qantas hackers or honest callers, you’re all phishy to me

Qantas hackers or honest callers, you’re all phishy to me

I was once a happy-go-lucky consumer who enjoyed ambling through shops and online indulging in some unauthorised purchases, aka those that weren’t...

previous day 2

The Sydney Morning Herald

Jo Pybus

The ‘vibes’ are extremely off with Silicon Valley’s latest brain fart

The ‘vibes’ are extremely off with Silicon Valley’s latest brain fart

When artificial intelligence first arrived on the scene, people generally fell into one of two camps. There were those who believed (and still...

previous day 2

The Sydney Morning Herald

David Swan

How pulling the wrong rein has cost Australia’s best jockey $150,000 in three weeks

How pulling the wrong rein has cost Australia’s best jockey $150,000 in three weeks

Australia’s best jockey James McDonald must be growing tired of being plonked on the wrong Chris Waller horse in a run of group 1 outs that have...

previous day 9

The Sydney Morning Herald

Danny Russell

The world looks to Trump for peace, we get volatility and the master of grift

The world looks to Trump for peace, we get volatility and the master of grift

On Friday night, the Norwegian Nobel Committee chose to honour Maria Corina Machado, the opposition leader in Venezuela, for “her struggle to...

previous day 20

The Sydney Morning Herald

Cory Alpert

Gas could be a bridge to nowhere on the energy road map

Gas could be a bridge to nowhere on the energy road map

The conventional wisdom says liquefied natural gas is the future of energy — bridging the gap between the world abandoning fossil fuels and...

previous day 5

The Sydney Morning Herald

Javier Blas

If we could know a moment was going to be a ‘last’, what would we do differently?

If we could know a moment was going to be a ‘last’, what would we do differently?

We celebrate the firsts. We document them, share and record them. We archive them on Instagram grids and in baby books. We toast them with...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Jamila Rizvi

Training three times a week and $1400 to play: parents are kicking the fun out of kids’ sport

Training three times a week and $1400 to play: parents are kicking the fun out of kids’ sport

It started with a ping. An email notification from my daughter’s soccer club. Training will increase to three nights a week, starting with...

previous day 2

The Sydney Morning Herald

Kellie Floyd

Tony Abbott on Turnbull, Keating, Costello, Morrison and the misogyny speech

Tony Abbott on Turnbull, Keating, Costello, Morrison and the misogyny speech

Former prime minister Tony Abbott, my erstwhile rugby coach, releases a book on Monday, Australia: A history – How an ancient land became a great...

previous day 2

The Sydney Morning Herald

Peter Fitzsimons

Taylor Swift and the Liberal Party suffer from the same problem

Taylor Swift and the Liberal Party suffer from the same problem

There seems to be a moment in the career of every pop star when she has become so famous that it’s hard not to write songs about being famous....

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Jacqueline Maley

About to get your inheritance? Don’t start spending just yet

About to get your inheritance? Don’t start spending just yet

Real Money, a free weekly newsletter giving expert tips on how to save, invest and make the most of your money, is sent every Sunday. You’re...

previous day 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Dominic Powell

Reece Walsh was phenomenal, but this was the greatest performance of 2025

Reece Walsh was phenomenal, but this was the greatest performance of 2025

It has been a very long NRL season full of highs and lows, scandals and stars. Here are my awards for 2025. Reece Walsh owned the game of the year,...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Danny Weidler

Can journalists refer to Donald Trump as a ‘fascist’? Well, it depends

Can journalists refer to Donald Trump as a ‘fascist’? Well, it depends

Bari Weiss knows the price of courage, as well as its value. In 2020 it cost her a job she loved, as opinion writer and editor at The New York...

previous day 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Parnell Palme Mcguinness

We started an SMSF, but almost lost everything. How can we recover?

We started an SMSF, but almost lost everything. How can we recover?

Eleven years ago, we got convinced to set up a self managed super fund and buy a property off the plan. We paid $600,000 for the apartment and sold...

previous day 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Paul Benson

Everything in its own sweet time

Everything in its own sweet time

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” This quote, Ecclesiastes 3:11, got me thinking about God’s time, Kairos, as compared to human time,...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Ann Rennie

England’s key fast bowlers are fragile. This is how Australia win the Ashes

England’s key fast bowlers are fragile. This is how Australia win the Ashes

As Ashes summers go, the 2025-26 edition is promising as much speculation and opining as any since perhaps Mike Gatting’s 1986-87 “can’t bat, can’t...

saturday 3

The Sydney Morning Herald

Geoff Lawson

Dirt-rich nation: Australia’s big test to plug in to the future

Dirt-rich nation: Australia’s big test to plug in to the future

Confirmation that the Albanese government is positioning Australia as a global go-to for critical minerals highlights two areas of tension. The...

saturday 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Brooke Boney

Hastie’s got the right stuff but one obsession may fast-track or derail his ambitions

Hastie’s got the right stuff but one obsession may fast-track or derail his ambitions

“The train coming down the tracks isn’t the one that you expected. It’s not the one advertised on the board,” says actor Benedict Cumberbatch...

saturday 3

The Sydney Morning Herald

Peter Hartcher

Five lessons everyone should learn before they retire

Five lessons everyone should learn before they retire

If you’ve ever gone looking for retirement advice, you’ll know how repetitive the messages can be. Most so-called experts say the same things....

saturday 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Bec Wilson

How to easily cut the cost of any insurance premium

How to easily cut the cost of any insurance premium

Mention insurance to any Aussie and you will see pain flicker across their face – premiums are now hurting budgets badly thanks to a collision of...

saturday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Nicole Pedersen-Mckinnon

Boozy brunch and taking the piss: Is American English finally giving in?

Boozy brunch and taking the piss: Is American English finally giving in?

If I had a boozy brunch every time you despaired about the American impact on English, I’d need a new liver. Get-go for outset. My bad for sorry....

saturday 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

David Astle

Pash is perfect: Why the word for kissing needs a dictionary recall

Pash is perfect: Why the word for kissing needs a dictionary recall

Does anyone have a pash any more? I realise people kiss, but what do they call it? “Snog”, I’ve always thought, was disgusting, “smooch” is...

saturday 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Richard Glover

The final 90 seconds of the NRL grand final was sporting theatre at its finest

The final 90 seconds of the NRL grand final was sporting theatre at its finest

The most staggering thing about “rugba league” in the modern age is its capacity to generate tension, and often high drama, in the final throes of...

saturday 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Peter Fitzsimons

A fan sent me a mysterious bottle of oil. Will I look like Brad Pitt by Cup Day?

A fan sent me a mysterious bottle of oil. Will I look like Brad Pitt by Cup Day?

“As a token of my esteem for your frankness and writing skills, I’ve enclosed a sample of my wonder oil...” That is simultaneously one of the most...

saturday 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Anson Cameron

Why Geelong’s offer to snatch Charlie Curnow is not as good as it looks

Why Geelong’s offer to snatch Charlie Curnow is not as good as it looks

A good trade, like justice, not only needs to be good, it needs to be seen to be good. Finding a deal to please the list manager is one thing –...

10.10.2025 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Michael Gleeson

I’ve found the perfect spot for Albo and Jodie’s getaway

I’ve found the perfect spot for Albo and Jodie’s getaway

For a prime minister with a large majority, nothing spells hubris better than a poorly chosen holiday destination. Anthony Albanese and his fiancee...

10.10.2025 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Malcolm Knox

Souths crashed after Maguire took them to the title. Will history repeat in Brisbane?

Souths crashed after Maguire took them to the title. Will history repeat in Brisbane?

Two months before Michael Maguire guided South Sydney to a drought-breaking premiership in 2014, Wayne Bennett labelled the Rabbitohs predictable....

10.10.2025 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Adrian Proszenko

Mum and I spent a night in hospital: Here’s what has to change

Mum and I spent a night in hospital: Here’s what has to change

“It has to be hospital, I’m afraid” are never the words you want to hear, particularly when you are caring for an elderly relative. One in five...

10.10.2025 5

The Sydney Morning Herald

Sarah Macdonald

Is six weeks too soon to fall in love after a breakup? Nicole has nailed the optics of divorce

Is six weeks too soon to fall in love after a breakup? Nicole has nailed the optics of divorce

Stepping out publicly for the first time since news broke she’s divorcing Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman wore Chanel, Pharaoh-adjacent eyeshadow, a...

10.10.2025 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Kate Halfpenny

Trump’s 20-point plan to end Gaza war and how it might unravel

Trump’s 20-point plan to end Gaza war and how it might unravel

London: Hamas and Israel have agreed to the first phase of Donald Trump’s solution to the Gaza war. The deal represents a breakthrough on the path...

10.10.2025 2

The Sydney Morning Herald

Jotam Confino