Good afternoon.
Adelaide writers’ week 2026 has been cancelled after more than 180 authors and speakers dropped out in protest of the decision to disinvite Randa Abdel-Fattah. The Adelaide festival board apologised to the Palestinian Australian author for “how the decision was represented”. The entire board has resigned, with the exception of the Adelaide city council representative whose term expires in February.
Hours earlier, the writers’ week director, Louise Adler, quit the position she was appointed to in 2022, writing exclusively for Guardian Australia that the board’s decision on Abdel-Fattah was made “after pressure from pro-Israel lobbyists, bureaucrats and opportunistic politicians”.
Top news
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Josh Cavallo claims homophobia drove him out of Adelaide United
Heated Rivalry books sell out amid Australian fans’ infatuation with gay hockey TV show
In pictures
Participants carry portable shrines during a traditional new year festival in Japan in this highlight from Guardian picture editors’ daily selection of the best shots from around the world.
What they said …
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“I’ve somewhat lost that competitive edge that’s kept me driven since the start, so the time feels right to call it a day.”
Australian captain Alyssa Healy says the timing is perfect for her to retire from cricket in March, with the great wicketkeeper-batter to make her swansong in the upcoming home series against India.
Full Story
Is this the end of the Iranian regime?
Protests have rocked Iran, a brutal crackdown is under way and Donald Trump has threatened to intervene. Ellie Geranmayeh and Annie Kelly discuss why these protests are different from those that came before and what Trump’s threats to intervene could do to change the situation.
Before bed read
You could have sat through the entirety of yesterday’s Golden Globes ceremony and missed the event’s highlight – Leonardo DiCaprio. During a commercial break, DiCaprio was caught giving one of the most flamboyant demonstrations of his personality ever seen. Stuart Heritage breaks down the actor’s 30 seconds of viral fame.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: ACHE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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