Independent Australian news and analysis across politics, business, technology, world affairs and culture
Technology, digital policy, AI and innovation coverage.
Few X Factor winners have taken as sharp a turn as Reece Mastin. The 2011 champion, who topped the ARIA chart with his debut single Good Night, now spends 2025 playing intimate acoustic shows across Australia and calling his new sound a “powerful leap into a new music”. Whether you remember him as a teen … Read more
Walking into a furniture showroom in Ireland, the one thing that catches most people out is bed sizing. What looks like a double in one shop might not match the mattress you already own. This guide lays out the exact dimensions, frame options, and where to buy double beds in Ireland, so you can shop … Read more
Few actors have seen their career skyrocket quite like Rudy Pankow after playing JJ Maybank in Netflix’s Outer Banks. This fact-grounded look separates confirmed developments from rumors about his health, politics, and career. Full name: Rudy Pankow · Born: August 12, 1997, Ketchikan, Alaska · Known for: JJ Maybank in Netflix’s Outer Banks (2020–2024) · … Read more
If you’ve caught a Saturday Night Live sketch lately and wondered who the sharp, scene-stealing comedian is—that’s Bowen Yang, the show’s first East Asian cast member in its then‑44‑year history. From his start as a writer to landing major film roles, his path from chemistry student to pop‑culture fixture is anything but ordinary. Born: November … Read more
There’s always been a certain mystery around Lana Del Rey — the smoky voice, the vintage Americana, the carefully cultivated persona. But behind the stage name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, a New York-born singer-songwriter whose early life included a stay at boarding school at 14 to address alcohol use. Birth name: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant · … Read more
There’s something about Matt Preston that makes you look twice. The cravat, the bold suits, the calm authority in the MasterChef kitchen — over a decade on television, he became one of Australia’s most recognisable food critics. But what happened after he left the show, and what’s the story behind the scarf? Here’s what the … Read more
Most actors who study astrophysics at Harvard don’t end up in horror-comedy franchises — but Chase Sui Wonders made that pivot look natural. Born on May 21, 1996, in Detroit, Michigan, the Harvard-educated actress first turned heads with her role in HBO Max’s Generation before becoming tabloid fodder for her relationship with comedian Pete Davidson. … Read more
When a swim turns from joy to tragedy in a matter of seconds, the shock ripples far beyond the shoreline. Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor who grew up on television screens as Theodore Huxtable, died on July 20, 2025, after drowning in a rip current off the coast of Costa Rica while swimming with his 8-year-old … Read more
Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has spent decades in the public eye, but January 2025 brought an ordeal that few could have predicted. Stabbed at his own home in Mumbai, he became the subject of a police investigation that deepened the mystery around his private life. This article sorts through the confirmed facts, the open … Read more
Fitting out a home bar should be enjoyable, not a geometry problem, but whether you’re after bar stools with backs for Sunday roasts or swivel options for a tight kitchen island, the choice comes down to height, comfort, and where you shop. Compare the best options across Irish retailers — IKEA, JYSK, Homestore and More … Read more