TRANSCRIPT
- The United Nations condemns Iran's crackdown on protesters
- Australia's most prominent neo-Nazi group to disband in response to proposed hate speech laws
- Cruz Hewitt suffers a straight-sets exit from Australian Open qualifying
The United Nations says it is appalled by reports of a rising death toll in Iran.
The UN estimates the number of Iranian protesters killed by security forces are in the hundreds, but Reuters newsagency reports an unnamed Iranian official has indicated it's much higher, at about 2,000.
United States President Donald Trump is urging Iranians to keep protesting and says help is on the way, without giving details.
Meanwhile, UN rights office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence has read out a statement from the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, condemning the violence.
"We are horrified by the mounting violence directed by security forces at protesters across Iran. The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop. The labelling of protesters as 'terrorists' to justify violence against them is unacceptable."
---
Members of the Iranian diaspora in Australia have expressed concern for their loved ones, after more than two weeks of protests in Iran.
Some, including Mohsen Haghshenas, have been unable to contact their families due to an internet blackout imposed by the Iranian government for the past five days.
Mr Haghshenas sought refuge in Australia in 2023, after being jailed for his own protest activity in Tehran.
He has told SBS Persian he's proud of protesters in Iran for demonstrating, but terrified for his two daughters in Iran who he hasn't been able to reach.
"On the one hand, a feeling of fear, worry, anxiety, and nightmares, and on the other hand, a sense of freedom and pride in my compatriots, in my country."
---
Australia's most prominent neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Network, has announced it will be disbanding in response to proposed hate speech legislation.
The group has announced the closure of the network in a statement posted to Telegram.
The group says it will close down by January 18th, a move that would also mean the end of so called "co-projects" such as White Australia, the European Australian Movement and the White Australia Party.
The legislation to be debated in parliament next week would give the federal government powers to proscribe hate groups that currently fall below terrorist listing thresholds.
Organisers, supporters and recruiters of listed groups would face 15 years in prison under the proposed laws.
---
Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah has rejected an apology from the board of the Adelaide Writers' Festival, after it removed her from the event.
The festival has been cancelled after almost 200 speakers and its director withdrew over the removal of Ms Abdel-Fattah from the lineup.
The board initially claimed it would not be "culturally sensitive" for her to appear at the festival so soon after the Bondi terror attack, and later issued an apology, saying the decision was made "out of respect for a community experiencing the pain from a devastating event," but acknowledged it had instead created division.
In a statement, Ms Abdel-Fattah says the apology is disingenuous and adds insult to injury, as it did not address the decision itself, only how it was communicated.
Dr Abdel-Fattah has previously faced criticism from some Jewish organisations over comments about Israel and Zionism, including an alleged post saying Zionists had "no claim or right to cultural safety".
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas says he supported the decision of the board, adding there is a responsibility to advocate against what he called hateful rhetoric.
"If a far right Zionist walked into a Sydney mosque and murdered 15 people, can you imagine that as premier of this state, I would actively support a far right Zionist going to writer's week and speaking hateful rhetoric towards Islamic people? Of course I wouldn't, but the reverse has happened in this instance, and I'm not going to support that either."
---
To sport and in tennis, the son of Australian tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt, Cruz Hewitt, has been beaten in straight sets to exit Australian Open qualifying for a second consecutive year.
The 17-year-old was competing after receiving a wildcard entry into qualifying.
However, despite some gutsy moments against 21-year-old American Michael Zheng, Hewitt was outmuscled and outclassed 6-3 6-3.
The majority of local hopefuls have advanced to the second round, including Storm Hunter, James McCabe and Jason Kubler.
