Australians have died and been blinded by dodgy drinks in Indonesia. Crikey intern Jemimah Clegg investigates the mysterious beverage that is arak, why people are drinking it — and what can go wrong.

McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme entice cops and emergency services staff through the door with free or discounted fast food. Could these perks lead to corruption, and should they be banned?

‘You can buy an acre of land here for about the price of a pack of cigarettes.’ Bob Gosford, rolling onto Route 66, tunes into redneck radio and discovers soul-destroying piss and blather.

Traveller K Johnson takes a winding mountain road to the east of Piranshahr in Pakistan and attempts to cross the border into Iraq, but all does not go to plan…

Former tour guide Carla Pratt figured it took a lot to rattle her when travelling. But a simple bus trip in Albania was enough to make her question all her travel skills.

Bangla Road in Phuket is one of the world’s best-known red light districts for tourists. But life for prostitutes isn’t exactly what Liam Engel, an Australian writer, expected.

In a picture-postcard walled city, a new revolution is brewing. Quebec has been given a revival by a new matter-of-fact separatism now alive in Europe. Crikey’s man-at-large walks the cobblestones.

It’s such a cliché to say a city is “sprawling”, but sometimes, it’s the only word. And when it comes to Wuhan, China, home of 10 million people and a whole lot of smog, sprawling seems appropriate, says Alexandra Patrikios.

‘Capturing Flora: 300 years of Australian botanical art’ at Victoria’s Ballarat Gallery is a superb and enormous show, writes a spiritually nourished W H Chong.

Jimmy Wavehill is a local legend in Katherine, NT, where he has lived a long and adventurous life. Bob Gosford compiles some of his stories.

William Jackson was determined to try a bag of Taiwan’s famous stinky tofu — but it smelt like he’d just slurped down a load from a baby’s nappy.

Removalists detained … for removing possessions. Crikey intern Yolanda Redrup interviews the boss of the two workers accidentally taken for burglars in Melbourne yesterday.

Crimea is a beach holiday destination for many from the former USSR, but it’s the site of a former nuclear power plant that most captured K Johnson’s attention — and frustration.

The bridge between the city of Rezina and the city of Ribnita is eerily silent. It is no man’s land, existing between the Republic of Moldova and the breakaway republic of Transnistria, writes traveller K Johnson.

Jeff Kennett and Peter Newman think creating a rail subway in Melbourne would be visionary, but it wouldn’t address the key factors that drive public transport demand, writes Alan Davies.

Even though they drive much more than they use trains or buses, Australians want better transit more than they want better roads.

Lake Mungo and the Walls of China. An exotic, ineffable landscape of prehistory: here was Mungo Man, here was Mungo Lady. The endless plains of Mallee scrub. The glistening banks of the Darling. It called; we drove.

Paid-for junkets for travel writers are increasingly a part of the business, editors tell Larry Schlesinger. But how does it colour the reviews we read?

The Tjanpi Desert Weavers have a whimsical and very often funny approach to their art. More than a bit of that rubbed off on their northern counterparts, writes Bob Gosford.

Bouncing through the blackness on a dodgy road in the Czech Republic, fighting off fatigue and a cold, traveller K Johnson suddenly wondered: how did I get here?

A new three part documentary about Australian theatre history tells a compelling tale and leaves questions about its current state, writes James Rose.

Crikey examines how media and culture organisations fared in this year’s budget. The ABC and SBS are smiling — and the ghost of Simon Crean lives on.

Writer/director Derek Cianfrance’s follow-up to his 2010 head turner Blue Valentine has guns, shoot-outs and Ryan Gosling — but it’s also a daring and unconventional work. He spoke with film critic Luke Buckmaster.

The first fully scripted series from Sundance Channel follows a death row inmate and his family after his release from prison. It’s one of the best seldom-seen shows on TV, writes Laurence Barber.

“Dickwhipped,” grey zones and interpreting smiles. Anna Krien talked with Helen Garner about the issue of rape and consent in sport. W.H. Chong was there.

Writer/director Derek Cianfrance’s follow-up to Blue Valentine is extraordinarily bold and compelling. It’s one of the pedigree American films of 2013, writes Luke Buckmaster.

Star Trek Into Darkness is more than an elaborate dress rehearsal for director J.J. Abrams’ next movie, Star Wars: Episode VII. It is a stunningly realised blockbuster, writes Luke Buckmaster.

New TV documentary Boarding School Bomber tracks the descent of one young man into terrorism. But it’s too neat, too linear and over simplifies complex issues, writes James Rose.

Mads Mikkelsen is perfectly cast as a man unfairly accused of child abuse in writer/director Thomas Vinterberg’s cautionary tale about small town mob justice. But like the film, there is something cold and clinical about it, writes Luke Buckmaster.

Foxtel’s Prisoner pseudo-update Wentworth is fine enough, but there is potential here to be something more, writes Laurence Barber.

Marlon Wayans isn’t known for critically acclaimed work. But comedy is subjective and sometimes — as he says of the critical populace — “you guys have got a thumb up your ass.” The Scary Movie stars talk to Luke Buckmaster.

Could this be a Ryan Gosling Parallax Podcast special? Hosts Luke Buckmaster and Rich Haridy review two new Gosling movies plus Iron Man 3 and Compliance.

As The Great Gatsby’s release date quickly approaches, new revelations emerge about Baz Luhrmann’s blockbuster, writes Luke Buckmaster.

Celebrity Splash! is about as stupid as they come. What other insane hypothetical reality TV shows should we be watching? Armed with fresh and zany pitches, Laurence Barber is now awaiting calls from the networks.

The most interesting thing about Iron Man 3 isn’t the movie itself, but the return of legendary screenwriter Shane Black, writes Luke Buckmaster.

Cashed-up star Zach Braff has snubbed the Hollywood studio system and launched a remarkably successful Kickstarter initiative to finance his new film, writes Luke Buckmaster. Should we be worried?

Bethanie Blachard talks to author Chris Somerville, whose collection of short stories mix spare prose with quirky situations.

The way Netflix released House of Cards was touted as a game-changer. But it may have a detrimental effect on the quality of TV content, writes Laurence Barber.

The nerve centre of American political power is pulverised in Olympus Has Fallen. Whether it intended to or not, the movie represents a turning point for Hollywood blockbusters, writes Luke Buckmaster.

There was a time when we let an audience figure out for themselves how worthy someone was of admiration. TV shows such as The Voice prove those days are gone, writes Byron Bache.

A fresh batch of Paul Hogan related headlines remind us that while the Crocodile Dundee star might have a large knife, he has a limited capacity for good business decisions, writes Luke Buckmaster.

Tom Cruise and the director of Tron Legacy teamed up to make a US$100+ million art movie. It didn’t quite go to plan, writes Luke Buckmaster.

Australians have died and been blinded by dodgy drinks in Indonesia. Crikey intern Jemimah Clegg investigates the mysterious beverage that is arak, why people are drinking it — and what can go wrong.

McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme entice cops and emergency services staff through the door with free or discounted fast food. Could these perks lead to corruption, and should they be banned?

‘You can buy an acre of land here for about the price of a pack of cigarettes.’ Bob Gosford, rolling onto Route 66, tunes into redneck radio and discovers soul-destroying piss and blather.

Traveller K Johnson takes a winding mountain road to the east of Piranshahr in Pakistan and attempts to cross the border into Iraq, but all does not go to plan…

Former tour guide Carla Pratt figured it took a lot to rattle her when travelling. But a simple bus trip in Albania was enough to make her question all her travel skills.

Bangla Road in Phuket is one of the world’s best-known red light districts for tourists. But life for prostitutes isn’t exactly what Liam Engel, an Australian writer, expected.

In a picture-postcard walled city, a new revolution is brewing. Quebec has been given a revival by a new matter-of-fact separatism now alive in Europe. Crikey’s man-at-large walks the cobblestones.

It’s such a cliché to say a city is “sprawling”, but sometimes, it’s the only word. And when it comes to Wuhan, China, home of 10 million people and a whole lot of smog, sprawling seems appropriate, says Alexandra Patrikios.

‘Capturing Flora: 300 years of Australian botanical art’ at Victoria’s Ballarat Gallery is a superb and enormous show, writes a spiritually nourished W H Chong.

Jimmy Wavehill is a local legend in Katherine, NT, where he has lived a long and adventurous life. Bob Gosford compiles some of his stories.

William Jackson was determined to try a bag of Taiwan’s famous stinky tofu — but it smelt like he’d just slurped down a load from a baby’s nappy.

Removalists detained … for removing possessions. Crikey intern Yolanda Redrup interviews the boss of the two workers accidentally taken for burglars in Melbourne yesterday.

Crimea is a beach holiday destination for many from the former USSR, but it’s the site of a former nuclear power plant that most captured K Johnson’s attention — and frustration.

The bridge between the city of Rezina and the city of Ribnita is eerily silent. It is no man’s land, existing between the Republic of Moldova and the breakaway republic of Transnistria, writes traveller K Johnson.

Jeff Kennett and Peter Newman think creating a rail subway in Melbourne would be visionary, but it wouldn’t address the key factors that drive public transport demand, writes Alan Davies.

Even though they drive much more than they use trains or buses, Australians want better transit more than they want better roads.

Lake Mungo and the Walls of China. An exotic, ineffable landscape of prehistory: here was Mungo Man, here was Mungo Lady. The endless plains of Mallee scrub. The glistening banks of the Darling. It called; we drove.

Paid-for junkets for travel writers are increasingly a part of the business, editors tell Larry Schlesinger. But how does it colour the reviews we read?

The Tjanpi Desert Weavers have a whimsical and very often funny approach to their art. More than a bit of that rubbed off on their northern counterparts, writes Bob Gosford.

Bouncing through the blackness on a dodgy road in the Czech Republic, fighting off fatigue and a cold, traveller K Johnson suddenly wondered: how did I get here?

The story of the Broken Hill Table Tennis Club tells us something about how the social and economic fortunes of mining towns can rise and fall — with wide-ranging implications for health, writes Melissa Sweet.

Public transport fare evaders and media pirates are adept at justifying their behaviour, writes Alan Davies. But which one is more problematic for society?

As North Korea gives the impression it’s preparing for war, what’s it like on the inside? The Lowy Institute’s James Brown took a trip to find out — and discovered a curious mix of the relaxed and the retro.

David Cameron has shaken up benefits for Britain’s most needy. Is it the end of the social state as we know it, or have the Tories not gone far enough? Well, both …

As part of Crikey’s Battle Scars series into mental health in the armed force, an anonymous ex-navy officer calls for more drones to avoid soldiers being so affected by what they’ve seen.

Crikey’s Battle Scars series explores the issues of mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder amongst our young veterans. One anonymous young army wife talks of living with a veteran battling PTSD.

What are the weirdest and most macabre entries in the NT’s historic Deaths Register? Bob Gosford blows cobwebs off the book of the dead to find out.

Younger veterans battling PTSD have different issues than from the Vietnam days — new treatment programs were needed. Psychologists tell Crikey how they treat those struggling with combat stress.

The transcript and audio of academic Marcia Langton’s recent Boyer Lectures has been altered to remove her querying whether environmentalist Tim Flannery is “provocative and racist”.

As a young female navy veteran in her 30s, Hannah Parker doesn’t fit the mould of a post-traumatic stress disorder sufferer. But her story illustrates how the navy treats those who seek mental health support.

Angela Barra tells the story of her own forced adoption, and explains what it was like to be present, with her mother at her side, at the Prime Minister’s historic apology yesterday.

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs is in charge of helping veterans struggling with mental health issues. Its deputy director speaks to Crikey about what the department is doing — and its future challenges.

Soldiers are told to be tough, but mental scars go undiagnosed. A new Crikey investigation Battle Scars examines post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues in younger veterans.

Pope Francis will bring to the Papacy a rich heritage of openness, of willingness to walk alongside, of reflection and action in the world. At least that’s what one Catholic prays.

The US Tea Party isn’t that hard to understand — the libertarian streak is tiny and they’re an uneasy fit in the Republican Party. Chris Berg doesn’t seem to understand.

Plain-spoken and sometimes optimistic, Tim Flannery is trying to teach Australia about climate change — and its solutions. For all his accolades, though, some scientists don’t want him in their club, writes Crikey intern Michelle Slater.

Universities like to promote new research in the media, but don’t do nearly enough to make the research available for timely analysis, writes Alan Davies.

Does the Destroy the Joint movement actually miss the point? In a fiery blog post that had social media abuzz over the weekend, feminist provocateur Helen Razer says the small-target strategy isn’t working.

The NT government wants a mortgage-led development strategy for Aboriginal homelands. But can individualism and the free markets exist alongside Aboriginal kinship and land rights? ANU’s Jon Altman explains.

The Age’s Russell Skelton offers a bizarre and self-contradictory defence of Marcia Langton after Crikey revealed she failed to disclose links to Rio Tinto in her Boyer lecture series.