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The Culture: Why everyone is addicted to Wordle

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Culture is back for 2022! And to start things off, we’re putting the magnifying glass over a game that has taken the internet by storm.With no p...

What to expect this election year

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This year Australians will head to the polls and cast their judgement on the performance of the federal government.The Coalition has been in power for...

The week the world saw Australia's cruelty

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic arrived in Australia earlier this month, he intended to defend his title at the Australian Open.Ins...

Four men and a beach umbrella

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fifty years ago today a group of four Aboriginal men planted a beach umbrella on the lawns out the front of Parliament House, as part of a protest ove...

The cost of Australia’s shadow lockdown

24 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Right now most of Australia is living without restrictions, lockdowns or border closures.But with tens of thousands of people, including essential wor...

Our hot Omicron summer

23 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After nearly two years of lockdowns and border closures there was hope that this summer things might be different in Australia. But then, Omicron hit....

The Weekend Read highlights: Bri Lee on consent and sex education

21 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author and activist Bri Lee regularly runs workshops on consent and sex in schools.She writes about those workshops in the context of a growing nation...

The Weekend Read highlights: Sarah Krasnostein on the most hated man

14 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Sarah Krasnostein, the best-selling author of ‘The Trauma Cleaner’, reads her essay from The Monthly. It’s called ‘The most hated man’...

The Culture: The best TV shows of 2021

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s another special bonus summer episode of The Culture! On this episode of The Culture, author and The Saturday Paper’s TV critic Sarah Krasnost...

The Weekend Read highlights: Scott Ludlam on Julian Assange

07 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Scott Ludlam, ICAN ambassador and former Australian Greens Senator, reads his cover essay from the latest issue of The Monthly.It’s called ‘...

The Culture: The best films of 2021

03 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this special bonus summer episode of The Culture, we’re talking the best of films in 2021. It was a great year for movies, and there’s plenty o...

The Culture: Paul Kelly on the enduring popularity of ‘How to Make Gravy’

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Twenty five years ago Paul Kelly, one of Australia’s greatest songwriters, released ‘How To Make Gravy’, a song that has since become a staple a...

The Sound of 2021

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Capitol riots, the Delta strain, sexual assault allegations rocking Parliament, the war in Gaza, the Olympics, COP26 and humanity’s last chance, the...

Australia detained him, but these Australians are trying to set him free

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For more than ten years hundreds of people seeking asylum in Australia have been detained on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and Nauru.The Australian...

Scott Morrison vs. the Liberal Party

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Gladys Berejiklian spectacularly resigned as Premier of NSW, most people expected that would be the end of her political career.But then she was ...

The scientist who saved your life

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Covid-19 pandemic has been one of the most disruptive and devastating events in recent history.But it also led to a series of incredible scientifi...

How the fossil fuel industry is gaslighting Australia

12 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia has largely fallen behind the rest of the world when it comes to action on climate change. Even our closest allies regularly criticise our g...

The Weekend Read: Mark McKenna on ‘The Stunted Country’

11 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Mark McKenna, professor of history at the University of Sydney, will be reading his piece from the latest edition of The Monthly.It's called 'T...

The Culture - ‘The French Dispatch’ and the whimsical world of Wes Anderson

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Wes Anderson is back with this 10th feature film, ‘The French Dispatch’, his take on a fictional magazine reporting from France to an American aud...

Scott Morrison prepares for the fight of his life

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As 2021 comes to an end, most of us are winding down. But in Canberra, the contest is just beginning. With an election on the horizon, both the Prime...

The mystery of the vanishing Christmas beetles

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Every year, in the lead up to Christmas, thousands and thousands of native flying insects, known as Christmas beetles, would emerge from the soil and ...

The toxic culture in Parliament House

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A new report released by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner has revealed a toxic workplace culture in Parliament House, with nearly half of the women...

The independent insurgency threatening the Liberals

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Traditionally the Liberal Party’s biggest threat at federal elections is the Labor Party. But this time they’re facing an insurgency in their hear...

A spy scandal and a secret trial

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For the past three years one of the most secretive court cases in Australia has been taking place in Canberra.The former attorney-general for the ACT,...

The Culture: How Virgil Abloh transformed fashion, music and art

04 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week the art world lost an icon and a visionary. The fashion designer, Virgil Abloh, passed away at the age of 41, two years after being diagnose...

Parliament ends in disunity and disarray

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, two of the nation's most high profile politicians have announced that they will be quitting politics.The departure of the Health Minister G...

The proposed law that could legalise discrimination

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the lead up to the last federal election Scott Morrison promised he would introduce new laws to protect religious freedoms. Now the federal govern...

Are rich countries to blame for Omicron?

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For months scientists have been warning us that if global vaccination rates didn’t lift - new, potentially more dangerous strains of Covid-19 could ...

The takeover of a green energy company by an oil giant

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Powershop was one of Australia’s fastest growing energy companies. It’s investment in renewables and political advocacy for climate change action ...

The disappearance of a Chinese tennis star

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this month, Peng Shuai, one of China’s most successful tennis stars posted a statement on social media, detailing allegations of sexual hara...

The Culture: Could this season of ‘The Bachelorette’ change reality TV for the better?

27 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most interesting seasons of ‘The Bachelorette’ has just wrapped up. After a sustained drop in ratings, the show’s producers announced...

How Pauline Hanson fractured the Coalition

26 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the parliamentary year enters its final fortnight, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is facing a political crisis.The Coalition government has fracture...

Inside Australia’s most dangerous hotel

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As Australia wraps up its hotel quarantine program, one group of people will remain confined in hotel rooms indefinitely: people seeking asylum.For th...

The historic reforms to sexual consent laws

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Tuesday, the NSW Parliament passed historic reforms to sexual consent laws.During the parliamentary debate one MP thanked survivor and campaigner S...

The towns the pandemic just hit

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Northern Territory managed to only record a handful of cases and avoided any deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic, but now the NT is on the brink o...

Is there still hope for the planet after COP26?

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The COP26 climate summit in Glasgow was seen as the world’s ‘last best chance’ to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and avoid catastrophic cli...

The Culture: How Taylor Swift won by taking control of the narrative

20 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last week Taylor Swift re-released one of her most critically acclaimed albums, Red. The re-recording is the result of a complicated financial and leg...

The Liberal MP abandoning Scott Morrison

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The federal Coalition government holds office by the barest of margins - just one seat. That means at the next election, due in the first half of nex...

Death threats and nooses: How a pandemic bill sparked far-right protests

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Everyday for the past week hundreds of protesters have camped outside the Victorian Parliament, protesting a new bill that would extend the state’s ...

Scott Morrison’s secret climate weapon

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The federal government has finally released the modelling underpinning its plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050.According to the Prime Minister, t...

The politicians suing voters

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia has become well known as the defamation capital of the world, with many high profile figures regularly, and successfully, suing media outlet...

Who is Scott Morrison, really?

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the next federal election approaches, the question of whether the Prime Minister Scott Morrison can pull off another ‘miracle’ win looms large....

The Culture: Courtney Barnett on life, love, and The Sopranos

13 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Grammy-nominated musician Courtney Barnett is one the most successful Australian artists performing right now. She’s just released her much-anticipa...

COP26: Have we missed our moment?

12 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After two weeks, COP26, the international climate summit in Glasgow is wrapping up. The summit has been called the world’s best last chance. So has ...

The fight for a minimum wage in 2021

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a landmark decision, the Fair Work Commission has ruled that every farm worker in Australia must be guaranteed the minimum wage.The decision comes ...

Inside Australia’s postal service crisis

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past few months, Australians ordering goods online have been waiting longer than ever for their packages to arrive. In Victoria, parcels sen...

How Crown Casino became too big to fail

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this year, a blistering Royal Commission report found that Crown Casino in Melbourne had links to organised crime, enabled money laundering an...

Joe Biden’s honeymoon is over

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Just one year on from winning the US election, President Joe Biden is in the middle of a political crisis. Divisions within his own party have left B...

The Weekend Read: Richard Denniss on the worst policy failure in Australian history

06 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Richard Denniss, chief economist at The Australia Institute, will be reading his cover story from the latest edition of The Monthly.It's called...

The Culture: The best movies of the summer

06 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lockdown is over and cinemas are back! Luckily, Australia’s reopening happens to coincide with a bunch of exciting new releases coming out between n...

The Prime Minister, the President and the leaked texts

05 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has just returned from two international summits, but Australia’s diplomatic standing is worse than ever.His handling ...

Nobel prize winner Peter Doherty on the end of the pandemic

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With international travel resuming and our biggest states re-opening, life in Australia is finally returning to normal. So, is this really the beginn...

How the government silences charities

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In Australia the not-for-profit sector employs over a million people, and it’s growing.Much of this growth is driven by charities accepting governme...

The Gladys Berejiklian phone taps

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last week former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian fronted the Independent Commission Against Corruption and was asked candid questions about the nature ...

The Culture: What the Dave Chappelle controversy tells us about the point of comedy

30 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dave Chappelle is one of the most successful comedians in the world, and his latest Netflix special, ‘The Closer’, reportedly made him $20 million...

A climate change election?

29 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After spending weeks locked in secret negotiations with the Nationals on climate policy, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is finally heading to the UN su...

How Australia could wreck the Glasgow climate summit

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Right now world leaders are gearing up for COP26: a major international climate summit starting in just a few days.The summit has been billed as human...

The High Court judgement that could change the internet

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A landmark judgement by the High Court of Australia has reignited debate over whether or not our legal system is fit for purpose in the age of social ...

A war over Taiwan

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In recent weeks the world’s two superpowers, China and the United States, have been steadily building up their military presence in the Taiwan Strai...

The billionaire and the conspiracy theorist

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

At the last federal election, mining billionaire Clive Palmer spent more than $80 million trying to influence the makeup of Australia’s parliament.N...

The Weekend Read: Helen Garner’s lockdown diaries, 2021

23 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Helen Garner, one of Australia’s most acclaimed authors, will be reading her piece from the latest issue of The Monthly. It features entries...

The Culture: Why Real Housewives is reality TV’s most interesting phenomenon

23 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When the Real Housewives first aired 16 years ago it was written off as “trashy”. Feminist icon Gloria Steinem even called it "a minstrel show for...

Barnaby Joyce is holding Australia hostage

22 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has finally confirmed that he will be attending the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow in November.Morrison is...

The corruption inquiry exposing Labor's culture

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past week, Victoria’s anti-corruption commission has heard damning evidence about the political culture at the heart of the state’s Labor...

The new Cold War over the origins of Covid-19

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From the moment the pandemic began, uncovering the origins of Covid-19 has been a fraught pursuit.Many different theories - some more viable than othe...

Closing the vaccination gap

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As vaccination rates across Australia continue to surge, the country is preparing for life after lockdown.But focusing on the headline, national vacci...

A temporary stay in a ‘land of fairytales’

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Afghanistan fell back under Taliban control earlier this year, the Australian government announced it would evacuate more than 4000 people. Most...

The Culture: ‘Succession’ is back and it’s better than ever

15 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After a two year break HBO’s ‘Succession’ is finally back for season three. The first two seasons of ‘Succession’ were critically acclaimed,...

From a lump of coal to net-zero: Morrison’s climate makeover

15 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Four years ago Prime Minister Scott Morrison wielded a lump of coal in the Australian Parliament, demonstrating his commitment to fossil fuels.Now he’...

‘I just want to look at you’: The sisters reunited after lockdown

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, after more than 100 days in lockdown, NSW residents were officially allowed back into restaurants, bars, shops and gyms. But for many, the...

The management consultants that ate Canberra

13 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Since coming to power the federal Coalition has chipped away at the public service, increasingly outsourcing key functions of government to private co...

Why Scott Morrison is scared of an anti-corruption commission

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The resignation of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, following the announcement of an investigation by the state’s ICAC, has renewed calls for a feder...

‘I'll be on the frontline and I might die’

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Since the beginning of the pandemic, healthcare workers have faced wave after wave of outbreaks, working around the clock in tough conditions.Eighteen...

The Culture: It’s Lil Nas X’s world, we’re just living in it

09 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Can you believe it’s been almost three years since Lil Nas X dropped ‘Old Town Road’?With that one track, produced for less than $100, the rappe...

The real 'Succession': Who will replace Rupert Murdoch?

08 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This year Rupert Murdoch turned 90, and that milestone has focused discussion on who will take over the world’s largest media empire.Now, Murdoch’...

Inside the Coalition’s climate war

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Prime Minister Scott Morrison has so far refused growing international pressure to commit to net zero emissions by 2050.Now he’s facing a concer...

Everything you need to know about NSW's new Premier

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Tuesday, Dominic Perrottet won the support of his Liberal Party colleagues to become the party’s leader, and the 46th Premier of NSW. He’s tak...

The people most at risk when lockdown ends

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s two largest states are getting ready to end their long lockdowns and reopen when 80 percent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated. ...

Why Gladys Berejiklian resigned

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Friday, after serving for a decade on the front line of New South Wales politics, nearly half of that as Premier, Gladys Berejiklian suddenly resig...

The Weekend Read: Hugh White on the folly of the War on Terror

02 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Hugh White, emeritus professor of strategic studies at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, reads his cove...

The Culture: Making a movie about the Port Arthur massacre

02 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When NITRAM, a newly released film about the perpetrator of the Port Arthur massacre, was announced there was swift backlash from politicians and film...

How Scott Morrison turned Australia into a climate pariah

01 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Prime Minister Scott Morrison has returned from his trip to Washington, and is spending the next couple of weeks in quarantine at The Lodge in Can...

The battle inside the Catholic Church

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Catholic Church has historically been one of the most powerful institutions in Australia, influencing both sides of politics.But now the Church is...

Australia’s next top Covid model

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The country's two largest states, NSW and Victoria, now have clear roadmaps out of the pandemic and towards a future where we live with COVID-19.Those...

Inside the Covid-19 outbreak in our prisons

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout the pandemic health experts and human rights advocates have been warning about the risk of a Covid-19 outbreak in the prison system. Now it...

Who polices the police?

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In October last year Simon Rice found himself in an unusual situation. As a law professor at the University of Sydney, he’d gone to observe a rally...

The Culture: ‘Alone’ is the real life Hunger Games we can’t stop watching

26 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered how long you would last if you were dropped into the wilderness with just a hunting knife, a shovel, and a sleeping bag? A day?...

Everybody Knows, episode five: What will it take?

25 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the final episode of Everybody Knows, Ruby Jones unpacks what she’s learnt about the rise and fall of MeToo in Australia, and why holding perpetr...

Morrison's French kiss off

24 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Scott Morrison has hailed Australia’s military alliance and new submarine deal with the United Kingdom and United States as a landmark achievement.B...

Can Australia actually reach its vaccination goal?

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia is now steadily marching towards the magic number of 80 percent of the population aged 16 and above being fully vaccinated: the number that ...

Why Labor is sending Keneally to Cabramatta

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past few weeks an internal brawl over who will represent the Labor party in the western Sydney seat of Fowler at the next federal election ha...

Everything wrong with Australia's nuclear submarine deal

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia has entered into a new trilateral military alliance with the United Kingdom and the United States, called AUKUS.The partnership was sealed w...

The healing power of MDMA

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A major new study has found that the therapeutic use of the illicit drug MDMA, more commonly known as ecstasy, could cure people suffering from Post T...

The Culture: Why do millennials love Sally Rooney?

19 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sally Rooney’s third novel, ‘Beautiful World, Where Are You’, was one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year. Now that it’s out, i...

Everybody Knows, episode four: The complaints

18 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In episode four of Everybody Knows Ruby Jones speaks to three women who have worked at Sony Music Australia, who all have something in common: they al...

Does anyone trust Scott Morrison?

17 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After a slow and delayed start, vaccination rates across Australia are finally gaining momentum, with NSW and Victoria hitting 80 percent and 70 perce...

What happens after we're vaccinated?

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From this week residents in NSW, who have been locked down for nearly three months, will finally be able to leave their homes.But the new freedoms are...

What have we learned from the War on Terror?

15 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The anniversary of 9/11 this week, along with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, has seen politicians, military leaders and the public re...

How bad is Australia's mental health crisis?

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

State and federal governments have promised billions in new spending to fix Australia’s mental health crisis, a crisis exacerbated by the pandemic.B...

How to cure homesickness

13 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic has kept many people separated from their homes and their loved ones for over 18 months. Lockdowns and border closures have led to a spe...