This Month
Harrods is still haunted by crimes of former owner Al Fayed
The famous retailer has set aside millions to compensate victims of the serial sexual abuser, but many believe the public statements of contrition are just window dressing.
Can Crispin Odey convince a judge he’s a victim of regulatory crusade?
The gambit by the disgraced financier to rebuild his reputation will provide a crucial test of the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s powers.
Punching, slamming, screaming: Chef’s past abuse haunts top-rated Noma
Founder René Redzepi has been accused by dozens of former employees of a range of violent punishments, for which he’s never been held to account.
January
Melania doco is even more banal and boring than feared
Melania’s reflections are as vapid as those you find on posters of mountain vistas, a fact only highlighted in this scandalously expensive “documentary”.
December 2025
Actress, activist and far-right provocateur Brigitte Bardot dies
The French film star and animal rights campaigner, who has died aged 91, had become known for expressing controversial views in recent years.
Four hours (and 18 drinks) in the lion’s den with Michael Lee
The Federal Court judge who sits on all the big cases said he would “eschew the somewhat prim abstemiousness” of other lunch guests. He was true to his word.
November 2025
Helen Garner: ‘Trigger warnings make me want to die of boredom’
The author on the censoriousness of modern publishing, the brilliance of Gisèle Pelicot and her new book on the trial of mushroom murderer Erin Patterson.
October 2025
What a surreal comedy festival foretells about Saudi Arabia’s future
What does stand-up comedy look like in a theocracy? Will enough crude jokes really usher in Western liberal democracy to the Middle East nation?
Chalmers rejects US call; New credit ‘cockroaches’; Markets’ biggest risk
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
September 2025
‘Stunt’ casting of Craig McLachlan over before it began
The former Neighbours star was acquitted of sexual assault charges in 2020, but his withdrawal from a stage show suggests his cancellation will endure.
August 2025
Linda Reynolds wins defamation case against ex-staffer Brittany Higgins
The former minister, who has been awarded more than $300,000 in damages, remortgaged her home to pursue the action in the WA Supreme Court.
July 2025
Monica Lewinsky might be the most influential feminist in 30 years
It’s a very different world from the one that first heard of Lewinsky in the 1990s. She wants to make it more different still.
June 2025
Sexual predator or #MeToo ‘poster boy’? Weinstein retrial nears end
The majority-female jury is expected to start deliberations at some point on Wednesday, inheriting a case that was seen as a watershed five years ago.
May 2025
The sordid fall of ‘sacred monster’ Gerard Depardieu
The man who seduced France with his debauchery was once untouchable. But Gerard Depardieu’s sexual assault conviction will test the limits of his charms.
March 2025
The sobering new state of feminism
Support for female equality is going backwards among young men. Among the under-30s, a striking 57 per cent of males think the movement has gone too far.
BHP set a gender target. The (male) backlash took 3 years
The miner has more than tripled its female workforce over a nine-year campaign for balance. It overcame a huge shortage of women and an “alpha dog culture”.
February 2025
Where woke went wrong
If progressive social movements are to rise again after the Trump-led backlash, they need to overcome not just their opponents but also their own limitations.
October 2024
How ‘sinister’ Fayed lied his way into the heart of British society
The businessman’s already controversial reputation has been forever sullied by the shocking claims of sexual abuse.
September 2024
DEI is no longer just about ethics, it’s about profits, academics say
Australian business schools are providing an increasing amount of diversity components to reflect a growing corporate demand.
July 2024
The #MeToo lawyer accused of being a tyrant
Roberta Kaplan’s poor treatment of colleagues, including micromanagement, insults and personal attacks, triggered her expulsion from the firm she founded.
