News

Nauru rapes: ‘There is a war on women’

“Justice is thwarted by frightened reticence and a compromised police force. To this day, no convictions have been recorded for assaults on refugees. ”

Martin McKenzie-Murray One woman lies catatonic in hospital after being raped and beaten. Another was raped and immolated. This is the world awaiting refugees released from detention on Nauru.

News

News

Judging Dyson Heydon

Richard Ackland

With his credibility as trade union royal commissioner in question, Dyson Heydon’s past rulings speak volumes about the man he is.

News

The pointlessness of no return for foreign fighters

Lauren Williams Western governments are refusing to assist the return of disillusioned foreign fighters who escape Daesh in Syria, despite their potential role against future recruitment.

News

Canning heat for Abbott in byelection

Sophie Morris For Tony Abbott, the outcome of next month’s byelection in WA is likely to decide if he sinks or swims as prime minister.

News

Abbott’s smoke and mirrors before Paris climate summit

“‘The Tele report was a concoction,’ Bernie Fraser says partway through a 10-minute deconstruction of it. ‘Bullshit is too kind a description, really.’”

Mike Seccombe

Tony Abbott’s emissions reduction pledge ahead of the UN climate summit in Paris smacks of statistical sophistry and deceptive deadlines.

World

Thai bomb possibly aimed at military PM

Hamish McDonald Abe king-hit; Rajapaksa’s decline; Loving Yew

Opinion

Opinion

Margaret Simons
Coming, ready or not

“This week I went searching for speeches by Australian politicians that take account of the pace of change, and talk about preparing for it. They were few and far between.”

Opinion

Paul Bongiorno
Tony Abbott’s game of fallow the leader

“Abbott’s position is so parlous every challenge his government faces is an acid test. Few doubt the September 19 appointment with Canning’s 110,000 voters will be a moment of truth.”

Diary

Gadfly
Wry freedom

Richard Ackland Diarist-at-large Richard Ackland flys about the nation.

Letters, Cartoon & Editorial

Cartoon

Read

Editorial
Close Nauru

Letters

Focus on health of asylum seekers

Doctors Owler and Isaacs are to be congratulated on their strong opposition to the Border Force Act’s provisions threatening medical personnel speaking out about the care of asylum …

Who’s Alan Jones?

Chris Masters discusses how politicians behave in interviews with Sydney radio presenter Alan Jones (“Jonestown’s mass succour”, August 15-21).

Can I say to Masters and our politicians …

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Food

Read

Food

Wonton noodle soup

Andrew McConnell From a Hong Kong hole in the wall to high art.

Books

Andrew Fowler
The War on Journalism

William Finnegan
Barbarian Days

Andrew Michael Hurley
The Loney

Life

Fashion

Karla Špetić’s gowns n’ roses

Alyx Gorman From her signature red rose print to being seen on Beyoncé, Karla Špetić has caught the eye without seeking the limelight.

Science

The fruitless search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Alex Lewis Russian billionaire Yuri Milner’s new program to search for alien life excites many, but has the universe been quiet for a reason?

Basketball

Hello, Delly! Matthew Dellavedova, 24, basketballer

Richard Cooke The 2015 NBA Champion on the physicality of the Australian game.

The Quiz

1. In what Olympic sport to competitors twizzle?
2. The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is the subtitle of which Broadway musical?
3. Which country is home to the world's only alpine parrot?
4. Which royal is fifth in line to the British throne?
5. Route 66 begins and ends in which United States cities?
6. What is the Greek name of the Roman goddess Juno?
7. In kilometres (rounded), what is the metric equivalent of 10 miles?
8. What is the name of the upcoming James Bond film, due for release in November? (Bonus points for naming what it stands for.)
9. Which musician was a member of Led Zeppelin and later recorded an album with bluegrass star Alison Krauss?
10. Which Victorian Liberal backbencher this month replaced Bronwyn Bishop in the speaker's chair?

Click through for answers.

Quotes

POLITICS

“We can turn this ship around.”

Josh FrydenbergThe assistant treasurer maintains Tony Abbott will lead the Coalition to the next election, turning around his lumbering incompetent ship as if it were full of nothing but innocent refugees.

SPORT

“Paul said it was the board’s opinion that the football club would never be truly free of the ASADA issue while I was the coach and he was the chairman.”

James HirdThe former Essendon coach explains why Paul Little is still the club’s chairman and he is no longer its coach.

LAW

“Section 487 of the EPBC Act provides a red carpet for radical activists, who have a political but not a legal interest in a development, to use aggressive litigation tactics to disrupt and sabotage important projects.”

George BrandisThe attorney-general announces new restrictions on appeals against mining approvals. There are few activists more “radical” than the National Farmers’ Federation, adversely affected by the change.

COURTS

“Ms Jackson used the money in the NHDA account for a range of purposes, including part of a divorce settlement, holiday expenditure, retail purchases and cash withdrawals.”

Richard TraceyThe federal court judge orders Kathy Jackson to pay $1.4 million in damages to the union she defrauded. If it’s not money for sex at the HSU, it’s money for separation.

VACCINES

“These Leunig works may be framed as cartoons but they are not funny.”

Kerryn PhelpsThe former head of the Australian Medical Association hits on the problem with Michael Leunig, be it a whimsical duck or this week’s attempt to depict vaccination as a “Fascist epiphany”.

MEDIA

“If somebody is gutless and in breach of the rules, one really wonders why a journalist even bothers to repeat comments from such an individual.”

Eric AbetzThe Tasmania senator expresses his concern at news journalists reporting news. For “gutless and in breach of the rules”, see also “bigoted and out of touch”.