Freedom Ship: The Mile-Long Floating City That May Never Sail

 

The Freedom Ship is one of the most ambitious maritime concepts ever proposed: a mile-long, 25-story floating city designed to travel continuously around the world. It was promoted not as a cruise ship, but as a permanent ocean-based community where people could live, work, study, shop, receive medical care, and visit new countries without ever moving house.

Can the FBI, ASIO or CIA hack your cellphone or smart TV?

Yes, but the honest answer is not the movie version.

The FBI is a US domestic law-enforcement and intelligence agency. It can surveil U.S. citizens and residents, but generally under criminal law, counterintelligence law, court orders, warrants, subpoenas, national-security authorities, or internal guidelines. The CIA, by contrast, is legally restricted from domestic spying. Executive Order 12333 says intelligence procedures must not authorise “the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to engage in electronic surveillance within the United States” except for limited purposes such as training, testing or counter-surveillance.

Who is ex-CIA John Kiriakou and why is he suddenly an internet sensation?

John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer turned whistleblower, author and media commentator. He served at the CIA from 1990 to 2004, including in counterterrorism roles, and became publicly known in 2007 after confirming that the CIA had used waterboarding during post-9/11 interrogations. He was later prosecuted for disclosing classified information, including the identity of a CIA officer, and was sentenced to 30 months in prison in 2013. He was released in 2015.

When Trump Becomes Rump: The $640 Watch Blunder That Stopped Time

 

In a twist so perfectly absurd it could have been scripted by late-night television, a Rhode Island Trump supporter reportedly splashed out US$640 on a limited-edition Trump-branded watch for his wife — only to discover the most important letter had gone AWOL.

Macca’s stages global menu “heist” for Australian diners

McDonald’s Australia is raiding its own international menus, bringing cult favourites from Japan, Canada, the UK and the US to local restaurants for a limited time.

McDonald’s Australia is giving local diners a taste of the world without the airport queues, jet lag or awkward currency conversion.

The last stand of Captain Thunderbolt

The morning of 25 May 1870 broke cold and grey over the New England tablelands of New South Wales. Frederick Ward, the man the colonies knew as Captain Thunderbolt, had seen too many such dawns to fear them. For nearly seven years, he had outrun every trooper sent after him, slipping through the ranges like smoke, robbing coaches and stations with a courtesy that made him almost a folk legend. Almost.

Dior opens concept store in Tokyo’s Daikanyama district

Luxury fashion house Dior has unveiled a new concept store in the upscale Tokyo neighbourhood of Daikanyama, blending retail with architecture, art and landscape design.

The boutique is distinguished by a golden façade inspired by bamboo, a motif drawn from traditional Japanese aesthetics. Illuminated at night, the structure creates a striking street presence while referencing natural forms associated with resilience and craftsmanship.

Inside, the space extends beyond a conventional retail environment. A Japanese garden has been incorporated into the design, offering a calm, contemplative setting that contrasts with the surrounding urban streetscape. The layout encourages visitors to move through the store at a slower pace, engaging with both the fashion collections and the curated environment.

The store also features a selection of artworks by Japanese and international artists, reinforcing Dior’s ongoing focus on cultural collaboration and cross-disciplinary design. These elements position the boutique as both a commercial and experiential space.

The opening reflects a broader trend among luxury brands to create immersive retail concepts that integrate local culture and design influences, particularly in key markets such as Japan.

Daikanyama, known for its boutique retail and design-led spaces, has increasingly attracted global fashion houses seeking to establish a more nuanced presence in Tokyo’s competitive luxury sector.