Independent Australian news and analysis across politics, business, technology, world affairs and culture
Some quiz-show brains try to stare down the Chaser across the podium. Mara Lejins simply smiles — and that is exactly when contestants should worry. The Australian barrister joined The Chase Australia’s panel as “The Smiling Assassin” in 2022, bringing a prosecutor’s instinct to the clue wall. This profile traces how that path, from prosecution … Read more
Few royal profiles age as quickly as Princess Eugenie’s, because every few years she adds a plot twist — a wedding, a baby, a name nobody predicted. Born on 23 March 1990, she underwent scoliosis surgery at 12 and married Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle in 2018; she and Jack are now raising three children. … Read more
Every generation of Australian basketball fans has its own Andrew Gaze memory: the deep three-pointers, the Melbourne Tigers singlet, the flag he carried at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. He finished with 18,908 points in the NBL — the most in league history, according to NBL.com.au’s official career dossier — yet the question most people still … Read more
Try to pin down Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar record and the conversation keeps going in circles. His films get nominated, his crafts get celebrated, and his actors get noticed — yet the director himself still does not have a competitive Oscar on his shelf. Born: 17 September 1962, Sydney (Wikipedia’s biography) · Feature films directed: 8 … Read more
Every spring, a narrow line of headlamps crawls toward the highest point on Earth, following a route first climbed in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. The dream is familiar; the price tag is not. Height: 8,848.86 m (29,031.7 ft) · First ascent: May 29, 1953 · Recorded deaths: 300+ · Last year without … Read more
Few comedians can make audiences disagree before a punchline lands, but Dave Chappelle has spent decades doing it. He left a reported $50 million deal behind at the height of Chappelle’s Show, rebuilt his career in stand-up, then became the center of a streaming-age argument over “The Closer.” This article separates the verified biography from … Read more
Comfortable men’s walking shoes in Australia come down to fit, not flash. Podiatrists keep pointing to the same checklist: a firm heel counter, a low wide heel, a deep toe box, and a sole that doesn’t slip. Most common brand: Nike · Number of top 5 results: 5 · Primary shoe category: Casual sneakers Podiatrist-recommended … Read more
Ask a group of Australian women which “smear test” they should book and many will still call it a Pap test, even though the screening path changed years ago. Under the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, which runs the National Cervical Screening Program, anyone with a cervix aged 25 to 74 is … Read more
Whitney Houston’s death turned Bobby Brown from a pop star into a permanent tabloid footnote — but the footnote hides a more complicated record, including his 2012 denial that he introduced her to drugs and his later claim she died of a broken heart. The record is less dramatic — and more specific — than … Read more
Laura Byrne turned a reality-TV win into a durable media career, but the path from The Bachelor Australia winner to podcaster, radio host and business owner required more than a fleeting moment of fame. Her own Wikipedia biography captures the key markers, from her 2019 podcast launch with Brittany Hockley to her relationship with Matty … Read more