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  • arts and culture

    Gladiator II: Are you not entertained?

    • Eddie Hampson
    • 20 November 2024

    Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II promises grandeur but stumbles on the path to recapturing the original’s magic. Paul Mescal dazzles, Denzel Washington commands, and sharks make their sword-and-sandals debut. But spectacle overshadows story, leaving a sequel that’s more baffling than breathtaking. Are we entertained? Sort of.

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  • international

    Is America ready for a tycoon President again?

    • David James
    • 18 November 2024

    Donald Trump's first term, marred by impeachments, bureaucratic resistance and a pandemic, offered few answers as to how a businessperson might navigate the complexities of Washington. Now, as he returns to office, Trump’s business instincts — and their implications for governance — are once again under scrutiny.

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  • religion

    Why don't we hear about violence against Christians?

    • Michael McVeigh
    • 18 November 2024

    Religious persecution often fades from public view unless it fits a political agenda. Yet Christians worldwide continue to face existential threats, from systemic repression in China to deadly violence in Nigeria. It’s worth reflecting on the cost of indifference and what it means to advocate for justice beyond our culture wars.

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  • arts and culture

    At the heart of the deal

    • Ken Haley
    • 15 November 2024

    Anyone possessed of the facts can write history. Few can express so well as Bob Woodward the heartbeat of his times and the heartbreak that history frequently brings in its wake. In War, Woodward dives into the three major geopolitical conflicts of our time.

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  • arts and culture

    Theory and Practice: In conversation with Michelle de Kretser

    • Michael McGirr
    • 15 November 2024

    Michelle de Krester's new book Theory and Practice is a creative combination of fiction and essay, and concerns the moment in which the encounter with literature, a connection with another human imagination, is replaced by something called 'Theory'. 

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  • arts and culture

    Disclaimer in a streamer world

    • Peter Craven
    • 15 November 2024

    Starring Cate Blanchett at the height of her powers, Disclaimer, the new streamer by Alfonso Cuarón, has already been dubbed the finest thing ever made for the new television, with the director claiming not to have made a serial, but a continuous film. 

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  • Larrikins and lampoons have the last laugh

    • Ron Cerabona
    • 14 November 2024

    For decades, Australian political satire has taken aim at the powerful with wit and irreverence, forging a distinct comedic tradition that holds up a mirror to society, revealing truths in the face of national absurdities. Now after 25 years, the iconic Wharf Revue takes its final bow, closing a celebrated chapter in the story of Australian satire. 

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  • The Booker Prize and why it matters

    • Gillian Bouras
    • 12 November 2024

    As the Booker Prize winner is announced, the perennial questions resurface: What does winning truly mean for writers — and for readers? As public values shift, literary prizes ignite fierce debate about artistic merit, cultural relevance, and the commercial impact of awards. Can a prize still shape the future of fiction?

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  • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead worried

    • Warwick McFadyen
    • 31 October 2024

    Guildenstern and Rosencrantz find themselves deep in conversation on a sunny November afternoon, questioning the troubling climate of modern power. Can reason stand in a world so ready to yield?

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  • With stars in their eyes, the Dems lost sight of America

    • Warwick McFadyen
    • 11 November 2024

    After a stunning defeat, Kamala Harris urged Americans not to despair even though as Trump returns to the White House, the Democrats face a harsh reckoning. Beyond the star-studded stages and celebrity endorsements, the real work lies in understanding the voters they overlooked and finding a way back to them. 

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  • How the Democrats relived Clinton's nightmare

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 11 November 2024

    As election night unfolded, pundits and pollsters braced for a nail-biter. But within hours, the predicted deadlock vanished, with Trump surging past Harris in key battlegrounds, defying expectations. The Democrats’ reliance on identity politics and celebrity endorsements missed the mark with Middle America, leaving them to confront the hard lessons of a stunning defeat.

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  • Anxious and depressed about the state of the world? Good for you

    • Mark Beeson
    • 04 November 2024

    The Doomsday Clock remains at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it’s ever been to calamity. In addition to the atomic scientists’ original concern about nuclear war, now climate change and the possible dangers of AI are parts of a potentially combustible mix. In short, there is much to fret about for anyone paying attention. 

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  • Reshaping Remembrance

    • Stephen Alomes
    • 11 November 2024

    On Remembrance Day, we’re called to confront war’s real toll — not just on soldiers but on civilians, families, and especially children. From WWII’s devastated cities to today’s ravaged Gaza, can we reframe our commemorations to reflect the universal, harrowing cost of war beyond national myths?

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  • Long-term detention, curfews and ankle bracelets for asylum seekers under the rule of law

    • Frank Brennan
    • 08 November 2024

    Last week, Australia’s High Court blocked government restrictions on non-citizens with criminal records. As Parliament scrambles to impose new restrictions, Chief Justice Stephen Gageler’s court remains steadfast against policies deemed discriminatory and excessively punitive.

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  • What does a Trump victory mean for Australia?

    • James Massola
    • 07 November 2024

    The analysis of how Trump achieved a famous victory will continue for years to come. The more germane questions now are what does this result mean for Australia’s economic, defence, trade and foreign policy, and what lessons (if any) are there for Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton?

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  • The quiet revolution in women's roles in the Church

    • Joanna Thyer
    • 07 November 2024

    At the World Synod in Rome, four women joined to advocate for ordaining women as deacons. Though the topic remains off the table officially, the message highlights the Church’s internal conflict between traditional values and growing calls for inclusion and change.

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  • Progress on a hope and a prayer

    • John Warhurst
    • 07 November 2024

      The Catholic Church recently displayed two strikingly different faces. In Rome, the Synod on Synodality wrapped up with a facade of unity. But back in Melbourne, a Catholic University’s graduation became a battleground over church doctrine and free speech, exposing deep, unresolved fractures within the church.

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  • Our man in Rome

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 14 October 2024

    The recent appointment of Mikola Bychok as Cardinal caught many Australians off guard. Few are familiar with the Ukrainian Catholic Bishop from Melbourne, and his elevation challenges conventional notions of national identity, prompting reflection on who we consider 'one of us' and highlighting the Ukrainian community in Australia.

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