Yesterday
Better than the real thing? How beauty dupe culture took over
Social media and young people hungry for luxurious cosmetics have led to a boom in cheap versions of expensive products. Companies are cashing in on the trend.
- Lauren Sams
This Month
News Corp on edge as redundancies roll out after major restructure
The publishing giant’s state-based tabloid editors have been the winners in the latest internal overhaul despite their readership records.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
‘It’s my honour’: Trump joins TikTok, the app he once tried to ban
The former president made his debut on the video-sharing app in a bid to appeal to younger voters – and attracted 2 million followers.
- Stephanie Lai and Michael Sin
May
Young royals face National Service under Sunak’s election plans
There’s nothing new in royalty doing military service, as Britain’s European neighbours can attest.
- Amy Gibbons
China’s online ‘Kim Kardashian’ banned for being too ostentatious
The online disappearance last week of Wang Hongquanxing is part of the government’s latest campaign to maintain its dominance over China’s social media culture.
- Joe Leahy and Wenjie Ding
The truth behind the dead internet theory
Up to half of all internet traffic could be driven by bots, where computer programs generate posts that are liked or reposted by other programs.
- Jake Renzella and Vlada Rozova
‘Coffee badging’ workers’ last stand in war on working from home
Like “showing face” in the House of Lords, “coffee badging” refers to the practice of conspicuously clocking in before sneakily leaving shortly after.
- Lucy Burton
‘Massive’ French police force arrives in riot-hit New Caledonia
Deadly violence has raged across the French Pacific territory this week over electoral reforms pushed in Paris, forcing France to impose a state of emergency.
- Kirsty Needham and Camille Raynaud
How TikTok changed fashion
Trends in what people wear, whether hemlines, colours or the way they think about and shop for clothes, no longer begin with designers or even influencers.
- Rachel Tashjian
TikTok sues over US ban in battle for survival
The lawsuit from the social media platform and its parent company, ByteDance, claims US legislation banning the app would breach free speech rights.
- Hannah Murphy
How Kim Jong-un’s propaganda song conquered TikTok
“Friendly Father” is the first North Korean composition about the leader to go viral for its musicality.
- Harriet Barber
Billionaire Pratt leads Aussie charge at garden-themed Met Gala
A high-profile annual event, the Met Gala is a benefit for the New York museum and marks the opening of its Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibit.
- Ben Kellerman
Ad giant Dentsu’s epic losses no big deal for Japanese parent
Dentsu spends more than $1 billion every year in Australia on behalf of its clients, including Woolworths. It has lost $170 million over the past three years.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
TikTok’s new numbers make useful idiots of us all
The viral video app’s figures for contribution to the Australian economy leave competitors out of the picture.
- Updated
- Mark Di Stefano
April
ATO told scam victim he owed $46k tax refund sent to fraudster
The victim of the scam was told he had to repay the money paid out to someone who had stolen his identity online.
- Tom McIlroy
Why Apple has a $US300b ‘Made in China’ problem
Apple is gradually weaning itself off China as a longstanding and mutually-beneficial relationship between the corporate giant and the country begins to fray.
- James Titcomb
China warns Blinken over ‘negative factors’ in US ties
China’s top diplomat told his US counterpart the relationship is “facing all kinds of disruptions”, signalling Beijing’s impatience with Washington’s policies as the presidential election looms.
- Iain Marlow
Alphabet surges past $3 trillion, announces first-ever dividend
Google’s parent company rose nearly 16 per cent after first-quarter earnings beat expectations and a $US70 billion stock buyback was approved.
- Greg Bensinger and Akash Sriram
- Exclusive
- Social media
TikTok Australia makes its first stand after US ban laws pass
The US congress passed a bill on Wednesday requiring TikTok to be sold within a year or be banned in the country.
- Nick Bonyhady
- Opinion
- The AFR View
Musk sets test for social media without boundaries
The sudden row between Australia and Elon Musk is a test of sovereign writ against the biggest companies – but also where government control of media should begin and end.
- The AFR View