Why are Australians reading less than other countries — and should we be concerned?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that Australia will determine its own defence spending needs following a request from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth for an increase to 3.5% of GDP. Currently, Australia's defence spending stands at 2.0%, projected to rise to 2.3% by 2033/34, with the US urging allies in the Indo-Pacific to share the burden of deterrence amid perceived threats, particularly from China. Albanese emphasized the government's focus on defining necessary capabilities for national...

Harvey Weinstein has opted not to testify in his New York retrial for sex crimes, leading to closing arguments scheduled for Tuesday. Charged with raping Jessica Mann and forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley and Kaja Sokola, Weinstein has denied the allegations, maintaining that any encounters were consensual. His decision not to testify comes after previous convictions in New York and California, and while his lawyer noted that Weinstein considered the impact of his testimony...

A tribunal in Bangladesh has initiated proceedings against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, accepting charges of crimes against humanity linked to a mass uprising that resulted in hundreds of student deaths. Investigators have been directed to produce Hasina, who has been in exile in India, along with former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, who is missing, and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, who has been arrested. The tribunal alleges that Hasina orchestrated actions leading...

A man was arrested in Boulder, Colorado, after a "targeted" act of terror that injured multiple people, with victims suffering a range of injuries. The incident, described by the FBI director as a terror attack, occurred during a walk commemorating Israeli hostages in Gaza, although Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn stated it was too early to determine the motive. This attack comes amid rising tensions in the U.S. related to the Israel-Gaza conflict, reflecting increased...

Australia's Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri secured a crucial victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, extending his lead over teammate Lando Norris to 10 points after a recent close competition. Piastri, who led from pole position and achieved his fifth win in nine races, praised his team's performance and expressed satisfaction with the race execution. While Norris acknowledged Piastri's strong performance, Piastri remained cautious about predicting their dominance on future tracks, noting variations in...

Treatment Breakthrough for Breast CancerTreating advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer patients with AstraZeneca's experimental pill camizestrant upon early signs of resistance significantly reduces the risk of disease progression or death by 56%. Presented at the ASCO meeting, this approach utilizes blood tests to detect early drug resistance, allowing timely treatment adjustments before tumor growth is visible. Researchers found that patients receiving camizestrant had a progression-free survival of 16 months compared to 9.2 months for...