4 h. ago Tennis civil war erupts with details of initial peace deal revealed for first time

PTPA had launched lawsuit against four grand slamsDjokovic says he still has issue with PTPA leadershipThe civil war engulfing tennis has been laid bare on the opening day of this year’s first grand slam event, with details of Tennis Australia’s peace deal with the Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) published for the first time.The PTPA launched an anti-trust lawsuit against the four grand slams, the ATP Tour, WTA Tour, and the International Tennis Federation last year, accusing them of collaborating to reduce prize money, impose a restrictive ranking system and repress player promotional opportunities, but Tennis Australia was dropped from the claim last month after reaching a settlement agreement with the players’ union. Continue reading...

Economics

6 h. ago South Australian premier urged Adelaide Writers’ Week board to drop Palestinian writer, letter reveals

Malinauskas urged the festival board to drop Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah, warning of public backlash

Politics

58 h. ago Call this social cohesion? The war of words that laid waste to the 2026 Adelaide writers’ festival

How a boardroom flare-up sparked an international boycott – and a looming defamation battleIt began as a quiet programming dispute in the genteel city of churches.But by Wednesday morning, a frantic, six-day war of words had culminated in the end of the 2026 Adelaide writers’ week and total institutional collapse. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Adelaide Writers Week canceled as 180 speakers withdraw after the exclusion of a Palestinian writer

Organizers of Australia’s largest free literary festival have canceled the weeklong event after most writers withdrew over the removal of an Australian Palestinian writer

Politics

5 d. ago Major Australian arts festival cancelled after mass boycott over Palestinian author’s removal

More than 180 invited participants pulled out of Adelaide Writers’ Week, including former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern

Culture

5 d. ago Adelaide writers’ week 2026 cancelled as board apologises to Randa Abdel

Almost all remaining festival board members have resigned following backlash to decision to disinvite the Palestinian Australian authorFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAdelaide writers’ week 2026 has been cancelled after more than 180 authors and speakers dropped out in protest of the decision to disinvite the Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah.In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the Adelaide festival board announced the event, which was scheduled to begin at the end of February, would no longer go ahead. The statement also said the remaining members of the board would resign – with the exception of the Adelaide city council representative whose term expires in February. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago If we silence voices we don’t agree with, we’re doing the work of extremists for them | Peter Greste

I do not need to share Randa Abdel-Fattah’s views to believe that removing her is wrong. This is why I’ve withdrawn from Adelaide writers’ weekIf there has been a bright red thread running through my career, it’s the importance of freedom of speech. It underpinned my life as a journalist and correspondent, became central to the campaign to get me out of prison in Egypt and, perhaps paradoxically, it is why I have reluctantly withdrawn from this year’s Adelaide writers’ week.On Thursday the Adelaide festival board announced it had removed the writer and academic Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from the program, not because of anything she was proposing to say at the festival but because of things she said previously, reassessed in the aftermath of the Bondi attack.Peter Greste is a professor of journalism at Macquarie University and the executive director for the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Adelaide festival did not dump Jewish columnist from 2024 program despite request from Randa Abdel

Palestinian academic rejects accusations of hypocrisy, saying board resisted attempts to remove Thomas Friedman, while cancelling her invitation this yearFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Adelaide festival board did not dump a Jewish columnist from its 2024 lineup at Adelaide writers’ week, despite being lobbied by a group of 10 academics – including Randa Abdel-Fattah – to do so.On Saturday South Australia’s premier, Peter Malinauskas, claimed that the board had dumped the New York Times pro-Israel columnist Thomas Friedman in 2024, and reiterated his support for the festival board’s decision on Thursday to remove Abdel-Fattah, a Palestinian Australian academic, from this year’s program. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Dozens of writers boycott Adelaide festival after it dumps pro

Miles Franklin winner Michelle de Kretser among more than 24 people who have pulled out of annual writers’ festival to protest Abdel-Fattah’s axingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDozens of authors, journalists, media personalities and a sponsor are boycotting the Adelaide festival after it dumped Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah from its annual writers’ week lineup, citing concerns over “cultural sensitivity” in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.More speakers were expected to withdraw from the festival, with speculation that other high-profile figures were coordinating their exit announcements. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Almost 50 writers boycott Adelaide festival after it dumps pro

Helen Garner and Miles Franklin winner Michelle de Kretser among 45 people who have pulled out of annual writers’ festival to protest Abdel-Fattah’s axingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Adelaide festival has pulled down part of its website as dozens of speakers said they were boycotting writers’ week, after Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah was dumped from the lineup with the board citing “cultural sensitivity” concerns in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.The page promoting the schedule of authors, journalists, academics and commentators was “unpublished” on Friday following widespread condemnation of the board’s decision to remove Abdel-Fattah. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Household burning of plastic waste in developing world is hidden health threat, study shows

The practice is ‘much more widespread’ than previously realised, researchers say, with serious environmental impactThe household burning of plastic for heating and cooking is widespread in developing countries, suggests a global study that raises concerns about its health and environmental impacts.The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, surveyed more than 1,000 respondents across 26 countries. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Albanese announces royal commission after Bondi attack as he defends not calling inquiry earlier

Prime minister confirms commission on antisemitism and social cohesion after initially resisting demands for a broad national inquiryFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe prime minister has confirmed his government will call a federal royal commission after the Bondi terror attack, with Anthony Albanese backflipping on an earlier stance against a wide-ranging commonwealth inquiry.Albanese announced on Thursday the federal royal commission will examine four key areas, including the prevalence of antisemitism, how law enforcement will respond to antisemitism, the circumstances surrounding the alleged Bondi attack and strengthening social cohesion. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago PM announces federal royal commission into antisemitism in wake of Bondi beach attack

Anthony Albanese backflips after initially resisting demands for a broad national inquiry The prime minister has confirmed his government will call a federal royal commission into the alleged Bondi terror attack, with Anthony Albanese backflipping on an earlier stance against a wide-ranging Commonwealth inquiry.Albanese announced on Thursday the federal commission will examine four key areas, including the prevalence of antisemitism, how law enforcement will respond to antisemitism, the circumstances surrounding the alleged Bondi attack and strengthening social cohesion. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Australia cancels visa of UK man arrested for displaying prohibited Nazi symbols on social media

The National Security Investigations teams were set up in September to target those causing high levels of harm to Australia's social cohesion - and one UK citizen has fallen foul

Events