Life Among Jakarta's Garbage Mountains
Karmidi, who started working at Bantar Gebang—Jakarta's largest landfill—when he was just 10, says, "We can work when we please, the trash does not stop." Every day, about 8,000 tons of rubbish arrive from Jakarta to the site, where huge rolling peaks of rubbish stretch across more than 100 hectares. The people who rely on the site earn about 100,000 to 200,000 rupiah (AU$8-16) a day, facing an uncertain future as Indonesia's government grapples with managing swelling waste levels. The site is well over capacity, and the government wants to gradually close it from next year, raising questions over where the rubbish will go and what will happen to those who depend on it.
Why the Odyssey Is Everywhere
Christopher Nolan's take on the Greek epic The Odyssey is set to break box office records this month. Charlotte Higgins examines what resonates so strongly with us now. Written more than 2,600 years ago, the poem provokes questions about fate, leadership, and revenge. Sian Cain reveals how fans are embarking on epic journeys to see the film as Nolan intended. An archaeologist is also following Homer's route on a bicycle.
How the Daily Mail's Fearsome Former Editor Still Shapes the British Press
Paul Dacre, long-serving former editor of the Daily Mail, featured prominently after Prince Harry lost his high court case against the newspaper's publishers. Andy Beckett chronicles Dacre's career and influence. A former Mail columnist says, "He was terrifying. He wouldn't always shout. Sometimes, his voice would get very low. He would say, 'You've missed a story.'" Across the press, including at non-rightwing titles, it was assumed that anyone who had spent significant time at the Mail had acquired unique skills and mentality.
What a Three-Day Mushroom Tour of the Tarkine Can Tell Us
A three-day fungi workshop in the Tarkine features toxicologists, botanists, and ecologists united by wonder. The Tarkine has sheltered astonishing creatures for 65 million years, including freshwater crayfish almost a metre in length and rumours of thylacines in the dense Gondwanan rainforest.
Sam Neill's Last Interview
After actor Sam Neill died aged 78, an outpouring of grief followed. In his last interview, he answered readers' questions, including about Helena Bonham Carter: "She's very happy to be a cow. She's had 16 calves now." His legacy as a "true gentleman" is remembered through tributes and an obituary.
