Tory Shepherd

South Australian anti-abortion activist posts image of aborted foetus she claims was taken at Townsville hospital Joanna Howe claims a ‘whistleblower’ sent her the image, which was taken inside the hospital’s room for grieving parents

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One Nation says it will ‘contest every seat’ in South Australia – but will voters tick the box when it matters? March state election will test the growing vote for Pauline Hanson’s party, with newest recruit Cory Bernardi among the former Liberals in play

"She's going to get lynched." At a press conference with Pauline Hanson and Cory Bernardi in Adelaide, it was all flag waving ... until someone dared to ask Pauline a tough question ...
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Civilised but casual, often hilarious, Adelaide writers’ week is everything a festival should be – except this year | Tory Shepherd Australia’s longest-running literary festival has been reduced to a cratering hole in 2026. Here’s hoping it turns a page next year

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Australia news live: Adelaide writers’ week cancelled as festival board apologises to Randa Abdel-Fattah Follow updates live

It started to seem inevitable, but I'm still devastated. Writer's Week and Womad are the highlights of my year, every year

I cannot be party to silencing writers, which is why I am resigning as director of Adelaide Writers’ Week | Louise Adler Cancelling the Australian Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah weakens freedom of speech and is the harbinger of a less free nation

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Global group accused of attacking gay rights backs South Australian woman over school presentation Global arm of Alliance Defending Freedom, which advances ‘a Christian view’ of sexuality, supports proposed legal action over classroom material

A powerful global organisation accused of peddling anti-gay hate has thrown its support behind a South Australian woman who says her daughter was exposed to inappropriate sexual content at school.

Similar logos, different views: Australia’s peak health body for men distances itself from conservative group’s International Men’s Day campaign Australian Men’s Health Forum says it is not affiliated with Dads4Kids group espousing anti-feminist, anti-LGBTQI+ views * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A group that espouses anti-feminist and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments is running an International Men’s Day (IMD) campaign that is similar to a government-funded campaign aimed at “supporting men and boys”. The Australian Men’s Health Forum (AMHF) is the government-funded peak body for men’s mental and physical health and has coordinated IMD, an annual event on 19 November, since 2017. This year’s theme is “supporting men and boys”. Continue reading...

Similar logos, different views: Australia’s peak health body for men distances itself from conservative group’s International Men’s Day campaign

SA attorney general refers anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe’s fundraiser ‘game’ for investigation MLCs label bingo card-style game, where supporters were encouraged to ‘buy’ words and phrases linked to contentious abortion bill, a ‘grift’ that trivialised debate

Bingo card-style game, where supporters encouraged to ‘buy’ words and phrases linked to contentious abortion bill, condemned by crossbench MLCs as a ‘grift’ that trivialised debate

Australia news live: Liberal senator says nation ‘can’t afford’ net zero target as party gathers to debate policy; banks tip $43bn into fossil fuels Follow live

Blyth, after months of hearing evidence about SA’s devastating algal bloom, says re net zero “I don’t think that we can be stewards of the environment if we can’t afford it.”

Australian Christian Lobby says any new laws protecting people from cults could be ‘very dangerous’ Lobby groups tell Victorian inquiry legitimate churches could be caught up in any proposed crackdown on coercive practices

ACL says laws targeting “coercive behaviour in faith-based institutions” would be “very dangerous”

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At anti-immigration marches, Peter Drew spreads his renowned ‘Aussie’ posters – and waits The Adelaide artist, who has faced vitriol for his work exploring national identity, covers city walls with his striking designs (and pranks) before protests

“Good boy”

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Barnaby Joyce announcement to quit Nationals heightens speculation about One Nation move MP tells supporters he won’t run for his seat of New England and is ‘free to now consider all options’

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Line chart showing votes per round for birds in the top ten of each round. The Tawny frogmouth has led in every round, and dramatically increased its lead in round 3

The Tawny frogmouth has emerged as an early favourite as we enter day four of the bird of the year contest!

As of the close of voting last night, the muppet-like frogmouth had increased its lead over Baudin's black cockatoo, surging ahead by 1,372 votes

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VIP appearances, books and beer: what Valerie the dachshund is up to after her Kangaroo Island adventure ‘Australia’s bravest sausage dog’, who was lost in the wild for more than 500 days, now has an ambassadorial role, merchandise and an Australian Story episode * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast World-famous dachshund Valerie, who was lost in the wild for more than 500 days, now has merchandise, an ambassadorial role, a public relations representative and a spot on Australian Story. In November 2023 Valerie’s owners, Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock, were visiting Kangaroo Island in South Australia with Valerie in tow. But she escaped from her pen and bolted. Continue reading...

VIP appearances, books and beer: what Valerie the dachshund is up to after her Kangaroo Island adventure

Melbourne’s men-only Savage Club ends trial of allowing women entry to dine two days a week Members were told on Tuesday the mixed dining trial was over three months earlier than planned The men-only Melbourne Savage Club has pulled the pin on allowing women to lunch there two days a week – but has left its exclusive doors open to potential future female participation. Under the “Female Dining Initiative”, the private club trialled mixed dining on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. “Lady guests” were allowed to have a pre-lunch tipple in the Social Room and lunch in the Dining Room. Continue reading...

Melbourne’s men-only Savage Club ends trial of allowing women entry to dine two days a week

“In the rush to canonize Kirk and revise his history, honest accountings of his life have not only become rare – they have also become dangerous.”https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/14/charlie-kirk-killing?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Rare fish spotted in the wild

John Howard talking about people going overboard 🙄

Adelaide today

Breaking: PM Albanese says ASIO has evidence the Iranian government "directed at least two" anti-Semitic attacks in Australia

Government expelling Iranian ambassador - and will list IRGC as a terror organisation

It’s not quite the secondhand filing cabinet cabinet docs but …

😂 it’s been a while! Feels like being back on twitter

A personal platypus: the strange tale of Winston Churchill’s ‘magnificently idiotic’ wartime request The wartime British PM was due to receive a monotreme named after him, which mysteriously died en route from Australia. But before Winston, there was Splash

“Weirdly compelling” monotreme tale

Camp Mystic Cabins Stood in an ‘Extremely Hazardous’ Floodway An analysis of flood maps shows that several buildings, including those where children were sleeping, were in known hazard zones. A $5 million expansion in 2019 did nothing to alleviate the problem.

But six years ago, when Camp Mystic pursued a $5 million construction project to overhaul and expand its private, for-profit Christian camp, no effort was made to relocate the most at-risk cabins away from the river

He said ‘On your right’ as he jogged past – and for once, I didn’t flinch. But our safety shouldn’t feel exceptional | Tory Shepherd Most of the time, men just don’t seem to think about whether or not they’re scaring a woman on her own in the dark

On joggers and jump scares in the dark

Should Australia worry about RFK Jr’s shock flu vaccine move? A US panel’s decision not to recommend the preservative thiomersal won’t affect vaccine availability in Australia, say experts. But it will stoke dangerous anti-vax sentiment

Should Australia worry about RFK Jr’s shock flu vaccine move? Garry Grohmann, former TGA, and I have made some comments on this today for @australia.theguardian.com @toryshepherd.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Flying shoes, a viral BLM speech and that leather jacket: Q+A’s most memorable moments The ABC’s storied panel show is ending after 18 years – but its polarising topics and infamous arguments will live on in Australia’s collective memory

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In my university days a goon was an entirely different thing: Instagram account dedicated to masturbation suspended after allegedly infringing University of Melbourne’s trademark