In these times, Australia should become a beacon for secularism around the world. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.

5 Nov: The nation’s top audit institution has turned down a request to investigate the use of public funds allocated towards the Exclusive Brethren’s OneSchool Global schools. In a letter to Senator David Shoebridge, and published on its website, the Australian National Audit Office said it would not include an audit of OneSchool Global schools as part of its 2024-25 work program. Read the full article

4 Nov: Two Qantas A380s at Sydney Airport about 3.30pm on Sunday. Both heading for London. One was the regular Qantas QF1 service. But the other? That turned out to be a second Qantas A380 chartered by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. Qantas does regular business with the Brethren, a costly undertaking given the airline has to take a massive A380 out of service. Read the full article

4 Nov: Catholics must regain their confidence in the Church’s social and political doctrine if they are to be a voice of moderation in a polarising world, the CEO of Catholic Schools NSW, Dallas McInerney, said this week .“The Australian Church needs to regain more of the confidence it once had,” Mr McInerney said. Read the full article

4 Nov: Human rights activists have called on authorities in Iran to release a woman who was detained after removing her clothes at a university, in what they said was a protest against the compulsory hijab laws. A video surfaced on social media showing the woman in her underwear sitting on some steps and then walking calmly at the Islamic Azad University in Tehran. Read the full article

3 Nov: Prince William feels "embarrassed by certain aspects" of the Church of England, according to a royal insider. While some speculated that William’s religious views might have shifted following Kate Middleton’s health scare, sources close to him insist there is "no change of course" in his beliefs. Read the full article

Opinion / Analysis

Gary Bakker: An article appeared in my local newspaper in Tasmania recently on the issue of smacking children. I’m sure you’ve seen similar ones every now and then. It included a smattering of comments and observations describing how people have different views about what laws or attitudes we should have about smacking children. But it was without a coherent thread of argument, and therefore failed to provide any real progress on the issue. Read the full article

Thomas Lalevée: Liberalism is at a turning point. The rise of the far right in Western democracies has challenged liberal values and institutions and, as the UK riots in August exemplified, fuelled violent extremism on the streets. Critics from the left, meanwhile, have become increasingly vocal about the inability of liberal states like Australia and the United States to address the pressing issues facing humanity today… Read the full article

Nancy Baxter and Anne Kavanagh: A key figure in Donald Trump’s election campaign and a likely figure in his incoming administration is Robert F. Kennedy Jr, or RFK Jr for short. After abandoning his own tilt at president, the prominent anti-vaxxer endorsed and campaigned for Trump, helping propel him to victory. He has been promised a “big role” in guiding health policy, and Trump has said he would enable Kennedy to “go wild” on health, food and medicines. Read the full article

Wesley Morgan and Ben Newell: If you care about saving Earth from catastrophe, you might be feeling a little down about the re-election of Donald Trump as United States president. Undeniably, his return to the White House is a real setback for climate action. Trump is a climate change denier who has promised to increase fossil fuel production and withdraw the US from the Paris climate deal, among other worrying pledges. Read the full article

A bill attempting to tackle misinformation online has stirred widespread controversy, with critics from across the political spectrum claiming it will infringe on freedom of speech. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has said the bill — which passed the House of Representatives on Thursday — is necessary for keeping Australians safe. The bill will not cover misinformation if it's used for parody or satire or within news, academic, artistic, scientific or religious content. Read the full article

David Coleman MP: The right to hold — and communicate — religious beliefs is one of the most fundamental in any democracy. Spirituality is the domain of the individual, not the state. We need government for many things. Determining whether our religious beliefs are “reasonable” is not one of them. The Albanese Government’s Misinformation Bill represents a clear and present danger to the open communication of religious beliefs in Australia. Read the full article

France is dealing with the fallout of a shocking trial over the beheading of school teacher Samuel Paty in 2020. The killer, an 18-year-old of Chechen origin, was shot dead by police minutes after the attack. But now, eight people are on trial over their alleged roles in the lead up to Paty's murder. Listen to the episode