From ScoMo and Xi to Goop and #MeToo: Australia Looks Back at 2018

0
203


The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau chief. Sign up to get it by email.

______

Another year on its way out the door, and what a year it’s been.

Australia lost a prime minister. The United States gained a congressional check on President Trump’s power and China found itself with a leader for life in Xi Jinping.

Power shifted elsewhere too. The world’s technology dynamos, especially Facebook and Tesla, battled stiff headwinds and criticism as they continued to reshape how we all interact, for good or ill, while abusive men continued to fall like dominoes in year two of the #MeToo movement.

Here at The New York Times, we tried to keep you up to date and add our particular perspective — global, nuanced, fair — at least as often as we could.

So to finish off 2018, we’ve pulled together some of our most popular articles and themes for Australian readers, with some additional links from Crikey, the (very) independent Australian news source we’ve partnered with in our Morning Briefing, Australia Edition.

If you’ve enjoyed free access to those Crikey articles via the briefing, Crikey has a special offer for you: you can save $40 and get an additional two months for free when you take out an annual membership and use the promocode NYTXCRIKEY.

You’re also welcome, of course, to purchase a New York Times subscription for yourself or that special someone you’ll be arguing with over the holidays.

Here’s how to make sure you’re prepared: Our Big Stories of 2018, from Australia and the great beyond.

______

Australia got a new prime minister this year. Again. We looked for answers in Canberra with Scott Morrison, and even in his church, while Crikey had a lot to say about Malcolm Turnbull.

The Comedy-Destroying, Soul-Affirming Art of Hannah Gadsby The Year of Hannah Gadsby seems set to roll right into 2019, with whispers of her even hosting the Oscars. Read how the creator of tragicomedy “Nanette” is navigating her phenomenal ascent.

Australians Can’t Get Enough of the Barefoot Investor It’s a cult, people joke, with its members identifiable by their orange bank cards and babble about “mojo accounts” (I should know, I’m one of them.) This profile on Scott Pape reveals just how a financial advisor managed to become an adored national celebrity.

Crikey: I Spent a Week Living by Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life “By Tuesday I wanted to die.” (A preview of how Helen Razer’s week went writing this article.)

______

The 10 Best Books of 2018 Lounge chair? Cold drink at the ready? Time to start working your way through this list (Tommy Orange’s “There, There” is a perfect place to start).

How to Be Better at Parties A challenge for 2019 – don’t get out your phone when the small talk peters out. Here’s how to navigate the holiday fun with minimal anxiety!

Melissa Clark’s Summery Peach & Raspberry Pie Summer is great, but wouldn’t it be better baked in a buttery, golden crust?The 65 Best Songs of 2018 Don’t @ us. (Warning: this may end friendships.)

In Suburban South Australia, Real-Deal Mexican Hides in Plain Sight One of our favourite of Besha Rodell’s restaurant reviews of the year (and yours too!). Packed with surprise, delight and tacos “Mexican” or “Aussie-style.”



Source : Nytimes