Featured
You don’t see ghosts, but what the ghost sees, in this thriller
Ever-inventive director Steven Soderbergh has turned the horror genre on its head in his new movie, ‘Presence’.
- Manohla Dargis
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The hourglass figure reigns supreme in Paris
An idealised version of the female form is back, accentuated by the extravagant use of corsets and crinolines at the couture collections and beyond.
- Jessica Beresford
The secret history of the Arctic and Antarctica
When polar regions melt, the vaults are thrown open – “ancient water, carbon, and microbial life return to the surface to shape and change the world.”
- Kathleen Jamie
LVMH Watches seizes the limelight with a swath of refined releases
The luxury conglomerate may have called off Watch Week, but the show went on with notable new pieces from its energised stable of brands.
- Luke Benedictus
Lunch with the AFR
What happened when I stalked the Australian Privacy Commissioner
Carly Kind has a tellingly thin social media presence, yet she disagrees with the policy of the Albanese government – her employer – to ban kids from the platforms.
- Amelia McGuire
Meet the McKinsey analyst turned teal powerbroker
Allegra Spender, who could hold the balance of power after the next federal election, grew up in privilege but prides herself on being able to talk to anyone.
- Tom McIlroy
How this new boss went from zero to hero with a global blockbuster
From being told to wear a skirt in a neutral colour at an earlier job, Katherine McMahon is now running the show at the National Museum of Australia.
- Julie Hare
This Month
- Sponsored
- Range Rover
When nature and design converge
It’s not just our iconic buildings that take their cues from nature.
Sponsored
by Range Rover
Why the Melbourne Art Fair is the place for start-up collectors
All you need is an open mind, says the chairman of the foundation that operates the event, which shirt-fronted a hotel group and a carmaker for this year’s edition.
- Stephen Todd
- Driving With Tony Davis
- Motoring
Can this EV newcomer tempt premium buyers to make the switch?
Chinese brand launches all-wheel drive with fresh styling and some Tesla-inspired tech.
- Tony Davis
- Analysis
- Grammys
Taylor Swift wasn’t robbed – Beyonce’s album is a masterpiece
Beyoncé was the big and genuinely historic winner of the night, with the super diva finally scooping the big one.
- Neil McCormick
The health benefits of a five-minute evening walk
From reducing the risk of bowel cancer to lowering your chances of diabetes, a short stroll late in the day can have positive health impacts.
- Emily Craig
Why this exec willingly wakes up at 4am for a three-hour round trip
Golf has taught Terry Tsai, of electric bike and scooter rental company Lime, to be an early riser.
- Life & Leisure
A guide to hurkle-durkling, Scotland’s proud tradition of lazing in bed
If you love to lounge about and catch up on rest on holiday, this morning habit is for you.
- Andrea Sachs
Wuthering Heights gets a folk-protest remix in new musical
The rebellious British director Emma Rice has made a version of Emily Bronte’s gothic classic that leans into its darkness and sense of injustice.
- Michael Bailey
- Opinion
- Performing arts
Troubles at Opera Australia a symptom of a bigger cultural malaise
Getting the books of legacy arts institutions back in the black requires reining in bureaucracy, improving arts education and rejecting ideological distractions.
- Alexander Voltz
January
Do you know this week’s news? Answer these 10 questions
Have you been paying attention this week? Test your knowledge across politics, business and world news.
- Daniel Arbon
Marianne Faithfull, pop star and Jagger muse, dies
The fresh-faced, feather-voiced 1960s pop star went from girlfriend of Mick Jagger to a homeless heroin addict, only to re-emerge as an acclaimed cabaret singer.
- Harrison Smith
Eight shows you must see in February
From Billie Eilish to a big surprise out of Arthur Boyd’s Bundanon, here are the artistic events with which to round out your summer.
- Michael Bailey
What does ‘cute winter boots’ mean on TikTok?
Since the Trump inauguration, conversation about “cute winter boots” has been trending on TikTok. What are they really talking about?
- Rachael Bolton
It may feel like the end of the world, but that’s nothing new
With so much pessimism around, we can take some comfort from a new book that notes apocalyptic visions are as old as civilisation and have never come true.
- Ben Yagoda
Who really took the Vietnam War’s most iconic photo?
Photographs don’t come much more influential than ‘Napalm Girl’, the 1972 image that supposedly hastened the end of the Vietnam War. But now its provenance has been sensationally disputed.
- Jada Yuan
Snag the greatest tote out there or swan dive into cocktail napkins
Imagine our delight when we finally found the perfect leather work bag that doesn’t cost the earth. If money’s no object, we have great picks for you too.
- Eugenie Kelly
This executive has overcome obstacles to stay in the game
Not even spinal surgeries and knee injuries can keep Erica McLernon, the executive director of PayPal Giving Fund Australia, off the hockey pitch.
- Life & Leisure
Three ways to win with Qantas’ frequent flyer overhaul
The key takeaway from the loyalty program revamp is that flights will cost more. But we have found three ways frequent flyers can win from the overhaul.
- Anna McCooe
How Spotify’s playlists changed the culture of listening
Streambait? Spotify-core? The Swedish streaming giant has birthed genres that a new book argues has taken the edge off modern music.
- The Economist