What we learned: Tuesday, 13 January
With that, we will wrap the blog for the evening. We’ll be back first thing tomorrow, take care of yourselves.
Until then, these were today’s biggest news headlines:
Adelaide writers’ week 2026 will no longer go ahead as scheduled. All remaining members of the board stepped down today, with the exception of the representative from Adelaide city council, whose term expires on 2 February. Just hours after the announcement, the South Australian government appointed a new board.
It came after the festival’s director, Louise Adler, announced her resignation earlier today over the board’s decision to disinvite Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, the writer at the centre of the storm around this year’s Adelaide writers’ week.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, says a visit to Australia by the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, is an important sign of the strength of ties between the two countries in the wake of the Bondi beach shootings.
The NSW shadow attorney general, Damien Tudehope, has accused the state government of using an inquiry into banning phrases including “globalise the intifada” as a “law-making exercise” without public transparency.
Kevin Rudd will step down from his role as Australian ambassador to the US at the end of March.
The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, said the Bureau of Meteorology left residents “sitting ducks” in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji due to a lack of investment in rain gauges and called for improvements to its radar systems.
A woman who was evacuated from her home just two days ago due to the bushfires in Victoria was among the 129 climate action protesters who faced court in Newcastle earlier today for their alleged role in disrupting the country’s biggest coal port last year.
A teenager in NSW was charged after allegedly making multiple hoax reports to emergency services – a practice known as “swatting” – falsely claiming mass shootings were taking place at major retail and educational institutions in the US.
Updated
New Adelaide festival board and chair appointed
The South Australian government has announced a new board and chair to lead the Adelaide festival, just hours after the 2026 Adelaide writers’ week was cancelled and the board announced all but one member would step down.
It came after days of turmoil, after more than 180 authors and speakers dropped out in protest of the decision to disinvite the Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah.
Andrea Michaels, the South Australian minister for arts, said in a statement that the board would now be led by Judy Potter, who led the Adelaide Festival Corporation board for eight years from 2016 to 2023.
The statement said:
[Judy Potter] will be joined on the board by respected and experienced arts executive and board representative Rob Brookman AM.
Mr Brookman has led a number of Australia’s foremost arts organisations and festivals including the Adelaide Festival where he has served as Administrator, Associate Director and Executive Director, and the Adelaide Festival Centre, where he has worked as Programming Director, Producer and Artistic Director.
Respected media identity Ms Jane Doyle OAM will serve on the Board. She has a strong commitment and experience in the arts industry and is a member of the State Opera Board.
John Irving AM has also been appointed. He has a professional accounting and financial services background, commercial and legal knowledge and business experience, and has held positions on multiple government and private sector boards, including the State Theatre Company South Australia and State Opera.
Michaels said:
The Adelaide Festival is a treasured institution.
It belongs to the people of South Australia, and transcends any individual.
It is vital we safeguard the festival for the future, which is why today I have appointed a board of experienced and trusted South Australians to ensure the 2026 Adelaide Festival can proceed under new leadership.
Potter said:
I feel privileged to be invited to step back in as Chair of the Adelaide Festival Board and to use my expertise and experience to ensure the successful delivery of the 2026 Adelaide Festival.
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