The Iran-Israel war is a test for 'peacemaker' Trump

Israel and Iran continue to exchange missile fire in the Middle East’s latest battleground - and the world awaits a decision from Donald Trump. The US president has long sworn off getting involved in wars like these, indeed, he’s touted himself as the peacemaker.  But now he faces a critical deci…

Why men around the world idolise Joe Rogan

'Train by day, podcast by night' is the catchphrase of the ‘Joe Rogan Experience’ podcast which has 50 million-odd downloads a month worldwide with a huge male listenership including in Australia. The American host's message,while compelling, can be rambling, unpolished, and often delve into consp…

‘Unhinged’: Pietro Barbagallo and the hospitality industry's ugly side

Some of Victoria’s top restaurants and most celebrated chefs have come under fire recently, as allegations about bullying and harassment mount from former employees. Similar such allegations have seen heads roll at hospitality giants like Swillhouse in Sydney.  And now, allegations about a popular…

Hope to heartbreak: The Monash IVF embryo errors

When news broke, 11 days ago, that one of Australia’s oldest and largest fertility services implanted the wrong embryo in a woman in Melbourne, it, naturally, made headlines around the country. But for those of us following the story, that was just the beginning. Because this mistake occurred only…

Inside Politics: How Albanese could use his huge majority to introduce major reform

This week the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gave a big speech at the National Press Club in Canberra, and used it to dangle the prospect of economic reform.During its first term, the Albanese government was criticised for not being bold enough in its agenda. So is the PM signalling he will use hi…

Is Trump inciting a civil war?

It’s hard to keep up with what’s happening in Los Angeles. And why. On Saturday, federal agents were jumping out of an unmarked van near a Home Depot parking lot and began grabbing people. Then we heard that Donald Trump had called in the National Guard. And then the Marines. And then, yesterday …

The Big Short author Michael Lewis all but predicted DOGE. Here’s what he thinks happens next with Trump and the USA

New York Times bestselling Author Michael Lewis is, as one interviewer recently put it, “a kind of guru of our age”. This is because, in books like Moneyball, The Big Short and Going Infinite, not to mention his own podcast, he has chronicled some of the big social and economic seachanges of our ti…

Scott Morrison recognised in King's Birthday Honours list

Australia has marked the King’s Birthday long weekend and with it comes honours for 830 people. But there’s one that stands out: former prime minister Scott Morrison’s appointment as a companion of the order of Australia has proved divisive. So why did Morrison get the honour? Does he deserve it?…

Why the humpback whale is an Australian success story

Male humpback whales sing to each other, and when they do - over the course of a season - a favourite “hit song” emerges. Each whale passes it along, until all the humpback males in the Southern Ocean sing it.  But humpback whales aren’t just amazing creatures, capable of tenderness, and rivalries…

Inside Politics: Why Dorinda Cox's Greens defection was personal for the PM

The dramatic shakeout from the general election continued this week, this time from the left wing of Australian politics, with WA Greens senator Dorinda Cox defecting to Labor.  It was a coup for a triumphant Prime Minister.  But will the PM live to regret his new recruit? What does Senator Cox’s d…