Operation Satanique: How France’s Rainbow Warrior Attack Blew Up in Its Face

France sent elite secret agents halfway around the world to silence a protest ship. Instead, they killed a photographer, exposed their own spies and handed Greenpeace its greatest publicity victory.

It was intended to be a discreet act of sabotage. Instead, the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior became one of the most spectacular intelligence own goals of the Cold War.

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.

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.

New hope in search for missing Belgian tourist Celine Cremer

Belgian tourist Celine Cremer, aged 31, has been missing in the rugged Tasmanian wilderness since mid-June 2023. Cremer, who had been travelling and working in Tasmania earlier that year, was last seen on 17 June 2023 around the small town of Waratah in north-west Tasmania. She intended to continue her travels by ferry to Victoria but never boarded the vessel, prompting concern from her family when she failed to make contact. 

Mass Suicide at Jonestown: Drink the Kool-Aid

With followers of charismatic leaders falling under the spell of their charm still a thing in this supposedly modern era, the events at Jonestown should send a salient message. Was it mass suicide or murder? It was certainly the origin of the phrase "drink the Kool-Aid".

Eric Bana astonishes as Mark 'Chopper' Reid

Eric Bana's performance as Mark "Chopper" Read in the 2000 Australian crime drama film "Chopper" received widespread critical acclaim. Here are some highlights.

Richard Roxburgh triumphs as Detective Roger Rogerson in Blue Murder

Richard Roxburgh's performance as Roger Rogerson in the TV series "Blue Murder" and "Blue Murder: Killer Cop" received positive reviews from critics. Here's what we know: