Independent Australian news and analysis across politics, business, technology, world affairs and culture
Features, explainers and long-form stories from across Australia.
At 91, Shirley MacLaine still commands a presence few in Hollywood can match — born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1934, she has spent seven decades on screen and in the public eye, winning an Academy Award and forging a famously independent path. This article traces her remarkable life — from the man she called the … Read more
There’s something about Mackenzie Davis that makes you pay attention — a quiet intensity that turns any scene she’s in into the one you remember. From her early days on the AMC drama Halt and Catch Fire to the time-loop masterpiece of Black Mirror: San Junipero, Davis has built a career on choosing roles that … Read more
Patricia Arquette has been part of our cultural landscape for over three decades, but it took a slow-burn indie film shot over 12 years to finally earn her the Oscar she deserved. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2015 for Boyhood. Born: April 8, 1968 (age 56) · Occupation: Actress · … Read more
Few video game characters carry the weight of expectation quite like Solid Snake. Born from a secret cloning project, his journey from Metal Gear (1987) to Metal Gear Solid 4 raises uncomfortable questions about destiny, morality, and heroism. Full Name: David · Alias: Solid Snake / Old Snake · First Appearance: Metal Gear (1987) · … Read more
If you grew up exploring Jamaa as a colorful wolf or panda, you might have wondered recently: is Animal Jam still around? The answer is yes, but now it has a new name and sibling versions—this guide clarifies the confusion. Registered Accounts: over 300 million (as of 2022) · Launch Year: 2010 · Developer: WildWorks … Read more
A single letter, written to a boyfriend and later quoted in court filings, has become a central piece of evidence in a case that has drawn national attention. Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident, is charged with aggravated murder for the fatal shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in September 2025. This article compiles the … Read more
When Lidia Thorpe walked out of the Australian Greens in February 2023, she didn’t just leave a party—she stepped into a new political identity as an independent senator championing the Blak Sovereign Movement. A Gunnai, Gunditjmara, and Djab Wurring woman, she has spent years fighting for Indigenous land rights, climate action, and constitutional recognition on … Read more
Few things draw as much curiosity as the life of a superstar’s child—especially when that child is already making headlines of his own. Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., the eldest son of the football icon, is just 15 but has already been called up to Portugal’s U16 squad, sparking both excitement and a flurry of unverified claims … Read more
There aren’t many ancient stories that still shape how we talk about success and failure today, but the tale of Achilles is one — his name gives us both a metaphor for vulnerability and the name for the strongest tendon in the human body. This article traces that journey from Greek myth to modern idiom, … Read more
There’s something magnetic about actors who disappear into their roles so completely that you forget you’re watching the same person. Vincent D’Onofrio has built a four-decade career on exactly that kind of transformation — from the haunted Private Pyle in Full Metal Jacket to the calculating Wilson Fisk in Marvel’s Daredevil. Born: June 30, 1959 … Read more