United States Senator Mark Kelly has sued the Department of Defense and its secretary, Pete Hegseth, over allegations they trampled his rights to free speech by embarking on a campaign of “punitive retribution”. The complaint was filed on Monday in the US district court in Washington, DC. It also names the Department of the Navy and its secretary, John Phelan, as defendants. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend...

Director of Adelaide Writers’ Week steps down amid wave of speaker withdrawals and board resignations. The director of a top writers’ festival in Australia has stepped down amid controversy over the cancellation of a scheduled appearance by a prominent Australian Palestinian activist and author. Louise Adler, the director of Adelaide Writers’ Week, said in an op-ed published on Tuesday that Randa Abdel-Fattah had been disinvited by the festival’s board despite her...

The United States has accused Russia of a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” of its nearly four-year war in Ukraine, at a time when US President Donald Trump is trying to advance negotiations towards peace. The US issued its latest warning on Monday, during an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “Russia’s action risks expanding and intensifying the war,”...