Features, explainers and long-form stories from across Australia.
There’s something oddly comforting about a character who openly admits he’d rather be left alone — and means it. Oscar the Grouch has been scowling, hoarding trash, and telling cheerful Sesame Street residents to get lost since his debut in 1969, according to Sesame Workshop (official character profile), yet he remains one of the most … Read more
A teenager from a town so small it barely registers on a map ends up acting opposite Matthew McConaughey within weeks of his first audition. That’s the story of Jacob Lofland, whose career began with a lucky newspaper ad and grew into roles in one of Hollywood’s biggest young-adult franchises. Here’s what’s known — and … Read more
There aren’t many people who go from delivering babies to delivering EU policy, but Ursula von der Leyen has done exactly that. Born in Brussels and trained as a medical doctor, she entered German politics in the early 2000s and by 2019 became the first woman to lead the European Commission. President of the European … Read more
Almost everyone has heard of a castaway stranded on a desert island, but the story that started it all—Robinson Crusoe—is older and stranger than most people realize. Published in 1719, Daniel Defoe’s novel blurred the line between fact and fiction so convincingly that many early readers mistook it for a true account, and this article … Read more
Few actors leave a mark as large — literally — as Ted Cassidy. Standing 6 feet 9 inches, his towering frame and deep, resonant voice made him unforgettable as Lurch, the butler on The Addams Family. But behind that iconic role was a man whose health condition — acromegaly — shaped both his career and … Read more
Even Bollywood’s biggest star isn’t immune to a rough day at the cricket. When Shah Rukh Khan collapsed from heatstroke after an IPL match in May 2024, it sparked concern from millions and opened a window into his lifestyle and wealth. Shah Rukh Khan: Health Update, Wealth, and Personal Life Net worth (estimated): $750 million … Read more
Anyone who watched daytime TV in the early 1990s remembers the moment a teenage boy on One Life to Live came out to his family — it was a national conversation. That actor, Ryan Phillippe, went on to become a Hollywood leading man in films like Cruel Intentions and Crash, and more recently he quietly … Read more
Few spouses of public figures stay as firmly in the background as Robert Giuffre — until a family-court battle and a restraining order thrust him into the spotlight. As the husband of Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, he’s now at the center of a custody dispute that ended with him gaining sole care of their … Read more
If you’ve been searching for details about Zak Crawley’s family, you may have run into a tangle of names and obituaries. The England opener’s career has been a ride of spectacular highs — like his 267 against Pakistan in 2020 — and frustrating lows, including a reported axe from the Test side in 2026. This … Read more
Jameela Jamil has built a career that defies easy labels — actress, activist, presenter, and a vocal advocate for body neutrality and disability awareness. But beyond the public persona, her own experiences with chronic illness, childhood bullying, and her evolving understanding of her sexuality add layers to a story that often gets reduced to headlines. … Read more