Independent Australian news and analysis across politics, business, technology, world affairs and culture
Alex Chen Every so often, a performer comes along who makes you wonder if you’re watching someone’s career peak before they’ve even turned 25 — Roxanne Perez (real name Carla Gonzalez) has that kind of presence. This fact-packed look covers her numbers, titles, and rapid-fire timeline from the Texas independent scene to the main-roster conversation. “She is … Read more
There are few figures in hip-hop who built their legacy on mystery quite like MF DOOM, the masked supervillain whose intricate wordplay and beats earned him a devoted cult following. When news of his death finally broke on New Year’s Eve 2020 — two months after he had actually passed — it sent shockwaves through … Read more
Larsa Pippen has been defined by her relationships—but her own financial independence and reality TV career tell a different story. This guide sorts through the verified record, from her early years and family background to her divorce settlement, her reported relationship with Marcus Jordan, and where she stands today. Who is Larsa Pippen? Reality TV … Read more
Few guitarists have shaped heavy metal the way Kirk Hammett has, from co‑founding Exodus to becoming Metallica’s lead guitarist at 20 – his riffs have soundtracked decades of headbanging. But behind the wah pedal lies a story of personal tragedy, addiction, and recovery that’s just as compelling as the music. Net worth: $200 million (estimated) … Read more
Few NRL careers unfold quite like Trent Merrin’s: a Grand Final winner with St George Illawarra, a New South Wales and Australia representative, then a quiet retirement that was supposed to be the end of the story. But two years later, headlines shifted from try-scoring to a $140,000 cryptocurrency theft charge that landed him in … Read more
For 16 seasons, Josh Papalii has been the engine room of the Canberra Raiders. The hulking prop, who debuted as a teenager in 2011, will retire at the end of the 2026 NRL season after building a legacy that includes 342 club appearances and Queensland State of Origin honours. Full name: Joshua Papali’i · Date … Read more
Few pop-culture stories age as conversationally as Scott Pilgrim — you probably met it as Michael Cera awkwardly fighting his girlfriend’s exes in 2010, or as a comic that played like a video game on paper, and the franchise doubled itself in 2023 with a Netflix anime that rewrites the whole premise. This explainer sorts … Read more
Ask most Bollywood fans to name the star who can land a backflip and still come across as the most disciplined person in the room, and Tiger Shroff is the answer. Born Jai Hemant Shroff on March 2, 1990, in Mumbai, he has spent a decade turning martial-arts rigor into movie stardom while keeping his … Read more
Ask a search bar about Mandy Moore and you’ll get two different people, a pile of health questions, and a surprising amount of Taylor Swift. This guide sorts the singer and actress from the noise, using sourced dates to answer what people actually ask: her health, her children, her marriages, and where her career stands … Read more
Every Avenged Sevenfold fan can tell you exactly where they were on December 28, 2009, because that’s the day Reuters (global news agency) reported that James Owen Sullivan — better known as The Rev, the band’s drummer and co-songwriter — had died at his home in Huntington Beach, California, at 28. This is the story … Read more