Featured
Crazy rich Asian hotels open in London – think £25,000 a night
You can even live permanently at the newly minted Peninsula or the lavish Raffles. But can they compete with city icons like The Ritz or The Dorchester?
- Hans van Leeuwen
- Opinion
Why the all-electric Fiat 500e will win your heart but not your mind
It feels nippy, looks cute and is gorgeously styled, with a touch of Fellini about it. But all this charm doesn’t come cheap.
- Tony Davis
A 55cm X-Wing model from the original ‘Star Wars’ sells for $5m
The model, discovered in a cardboard box owned by a Hollywood visual effects artist, headlined at a sale of movie props that brought $21 million.
- Michael Levenson
A ‘Columbus letter’, the world’s first news release, sells for $6m
The 1493 pamphlet announcing Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the New World has a long history of being forged and stolen.
- Julia Jacobs
Why women should never get married – ever
A new book by Australian feminist Clementine Ford aims to stop females entering into an institution that does them harm.
- Theo Chapman
Lunch with the AFR
Thwarting China is not in our interests says former intelligence chief
Eminent strategist Peter Varghese is concerned that policy substance has gone missing in action.
- James Curran
How sharemarket bets took this NBA champion from basketball to bitcoin
Sports champion and Young Rich Lister Matthew Dellavedova is investing his wealth in tech start-ups and crypto as he worries about central banks printing money.
- Tom Richardson
Fastest-selling debut novelist in Australia gets Netflix series
Journalist turned bestselling author Trent Dalton says he owes a huge debt to his hometown of Brisbane for turning his and his family’s life around.
- Updated
- Mark Ludlow
Yesterday
Inside an expedition to locate the Beagle’s lost anchors
A remote river in the Northern Territory is being persuaded to reveal its secrets. Yet like any wild thing, it does not wish to be known.
- Paul Toohey
‘Dumb Money’ is a miraculous one-off fairy tale
Australian director Craig Gillespie weaves a human-interest story out of a tangle of encounters that usually take place at one remove.
- John McDonald
A pair of statement heels landed this uni dropout on the Young Rich List
Argylica Conditsis’ business started when she couldn’t find bedazzled shoes. This year, she and brother William debut on the list of Australia’s most wealthy under 40.
- Eugenie Kelly
‘The fewer people who know what you’re doing, the better’
Joe McGrath spent 150 days on the road this year touring with the $600k Melbourne Cup. The key, he says, is knowing when to keep a low profile and when to wax lyrical.
- Gus McCubbing
The hottest invitation at the Cup – especially if you’re a foodie
The premier party zone at Flemington Racecourse is shaping up to be more Melbourne than ever – with a pop-up of Curtis Stone’s LA restaurant thrown in for good measure.
- Necia Wilden
Trinny Woodall plans her weekly wardrobe every Sunday
The founder and CEO of Trinny London is an early bird and master packer who has her make-up routine down to three minutes.
- Lauren Sams
This Month
How the golf quarter-zip became the 2023 Wall Street uniform
Like the polo shirt before it, the style is yet another putting-green-to-conference-room crossover hit. Even New York financiers are getting in on the action.
- Ashley Fetters Maloy
This CEO loves soft sand running at an iconic beach
Entrepreneur and investor Gavin Basserabie gets up early three times a week to keep fit and revel in the beauty of Bondi.
- Life & Leisure
Is this the toughest job in the Victoria Racing Club?
Forget the horses. Punters need track manager Liam O’Keeffe to deliver for them, too. And while he does his best, some things are simply beyond his control.
- Hannah Tattersall
- Opinion
- Motoring
Why this rare Ferrari is considered a true work of art
It could fetch $100 million or more at auction in New York next month. And no, we’re not talking car auctions here.
- Tony Davis
Sarah Brightman’s first musical in 30 years an Opera Australia coup
Phantom of the Opera legend stars in world premiere of a new production of Sunset Boulevard, highlighting OA season that leans heavily into female and local talent.
- Michael Bailey
These sound therapists made a stress-relieving orchestra
Review: Perth’s En Coda Symphony Orchestra used droning instruments, and strings tuned below concert pitch, for a ‘therapeutic’ listening experience in Sydney on Sunday night.
- Michael Bailey
This jewellery may be fake, but it’s precious beyond compare
Tucked between a Starbucks and a Hard Rock Cafe, an extraordinary treasure trove is about to go on display in a Paris mansion never before opened to the public.
- Robert Bevan
Here’s what it’s like to run in the annual New York City Marathon
On November 5, some 50,000 runners from around the globe will once again pound the streets of the Big Apple – those who manage to secure an entry, that is.
- Fiona Harper
The extraordinary life of photographer Lee Miller in 100 pictures
When things were going well, the model and muse turned wartime and fashion photographer was wonderful company, says her son. She could be monstrous too.
- Tony Davis
Think 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
‘Sublime conditions’: how La Nina paid off for a top Aussie wine label
Two decades after embarking on a passion project atop a foggy hill, Brian Croser is pouring pinot noir and chardonnay that show the benefits of cooler vintages.
- Max Allen
- Opinion
- Motoring
The new $80,000 Mazda CX-60 bucks the EV trend
It has the convenience of a petrol engine or a battery, depending on your needs, but most drivers now prefer a fully electric vehicle.
- Tony Davis
Why fancy cheese is good for you
Don’t believe the anti-dairy dogma – properly made and aged cheese is not only delicious, it could help you to live a longer and healthier life.
- Necia Wilden
This simple exercise burns 800 calories – and slashes your heart attack risk
A new study of more than 450,000 UK adults has found that simply climbing the stairs can burn calories and body fat, slashing the risk of a heart attack.
- Jessica Salter