An independent panel who advised Creative Australia on the selection of Khaled Sabsabi for the 61st Venice Biennale say they are “deeply concerned” by the abrupt decision to rescind his appointment. The artist Lindy Lee quit the board after what she called a “fraught and heartbreaking” meeting to make the decision.
Creative Australia has announced it will commission an “immediate independent external” review into the “artistic selection process”. A petition with almost 3,000 signatories has called for the reinstatement of the Lebanese-Australian artist and his artistic partner, the curator Michael Dagostino.
Top news
New Zealand’s ‘Everyone must go!’ tourism campaign ridiculed as emigration hits record high
Macarthur FC captain Valere Germain quits A-League over ‘poor refereeing standards’
Cook Islands PM defends signing of wide-ranging deal with China
Starmer ready to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine if peace deal reached
Trump cuts reach FDA workers focused on food safety and medical devices
In pictures
From the red carpet, to the after-party, catch all the highlights from 2025’s Bafta ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank, where the big winners included Adrien Brody for The Brutalist and Mikey Madison for Anora.
What they said …
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“Mr President, we want to introduce you to the toughest game on earth, rugby league.”
NRL supremo Peter V’landys used an appearance on Fox News to invite Donald Trump to the season-opener in Las Vegas. V’landys revealed his plans to pursue Trump in an interview with Channel Seven two weeks ago, when he labelled him “a walking billboard”.
In numbers
A 12-year-old boy was bitten on the back by a tagged dingo at Kingfisher Bay on Sunday. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service is investigating the incident.
Before bed read
In this candid extract from her new memoir, actor Tuppence Middleton describes her lifelong struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder – and asks for those with the condition to be treated with more sympathy.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: SANT. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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