Modern Olympians might not compete naked or offer blood tributes to the gods. But there are a number of rituals you'll see at this year's Games that carry ancient religious roots.

A war historian accompanies a group on a pilgrimage to the Indonesian island of Ambon, where hundreds of Australian soldiers died in World War ll.

Barry McCluskey was the first known Australian nurse to contract HIV, but he never let his illness define him.

NASA's new telescope will revolutionise the search for non-Earth-based life. But if we do find evidence of a life form beyond our solar system, what do we do next?

Between a new stage play and book — Zinnie Harris's Macbeth (An Undoing) and Val McDermid’s Queen Macbeth — Lady M has finally gotten out that damned spot.

Democracy advocate and media mogul Jimmy Lai is on trial in Hong Kong, accused of endangering China's National security. The 76-year-old founder of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, faces life imprisonment if found guilty.

Four former conspiracy theorists held beliefs that governed almost every aspect of their lives. Then, for each of them, a powerful trigger made them change their minds. Their stories offer insight into life inside the rabbit hole — and hope for escaping it.

Korean-born, American author R.O. Kwon is not afraid of taboo topics. Her new novel Exhibit is about two women who run deep with desire and find in each other a way to get what they want.

Firsthand accounts of slavery in the US are extremely rare. But this American academic made a remarkable discovery in an online Australian database.

Is there a link between good design and democracy? Sophia Psarra has studied the way architecture subtly influences power structures in parliaments around the world.

Hamza Elbaf has been shut off from the outside world for the past five years. The Australian citizen doesn't even know who the prime minister is. He's one of thousands of suspected ISIS fighters being held in Syrian prisons.

Indigenous-owned and operated businesses in Australia's economy have grown substantially, contributing over $16 billion to the economy and over $4.2 billion in wages.