January 13, 2026 – Australia Headlines

Story gist: Iran’s government claimed the situation amid protests is under total control. Iran’s Foreign Minister stated protests became bloody to provide an excuse for intervention by Donald Trump.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like Al Jazeera amplify Iran’s FM narrative blaming external forces and Trump for escalating protests into violence. Center outlets like The Economist emphasize the regime’s brutal crackdown and concealment efforts. Right-leaning coverage is absent, omitting perspectives critical of the Iranian government or supportive of intervention.

Story gist: Police seized 19 vehicles at Summernats after dangerous driving incidents.

Bias summary: Left-leaning ABC emphasizes police seizures and dangerous driving, focusing on enforcement. Center Street Machine highlights ‘Top 60 elite’ cars, omitting seizures entirely. Right-leaning News.com.au stresses event continuation despite heatwave, downplaying police action and incidents. No left outlet omits enforcement; center lacks negativity; right avoids disruption emphasis.

Story gist: Jacinda Ardern joined authors boycotting Adelaide Writers’ Week in Australia. The festival removed academic Randa Abdel-Fattah from its program citing cultural sensitivity concerns after a Bondi attack.

Bias summary: Left-leaning Guardian frames festival as dumping prominent academic Randa Abdel-Fattah over ‘cultural sensitivity’ post-Bondi attack, emphasizing potential censorship. Right-leaning Australian highlights Morry Schwartz accusing director Louise Adler of wounding the event amid boycotts. Center-leaning AFR omits focused coverage, bundling in live news on unrelated gun law debates, leaving neutral perspective absent.

Story gist: A woman was found dead at a home in Logan, south of Brisbane, Queensland. A man was arrested in New South Wales in connection with the death.

Bias summary: Left-leaning Brisbane Times emphasizes the victim as a ‘carer,’ potentially evoking sympathy, and highlights the arrest location in NSW. Center Queensland Police News uses neutral ‘Sudden Death’ phrasing focused on Buccan location with minimal details. Right-leaning News.com.au stresses the victim as a ‘missing woman’ and prioritizes the arrest, omitting professional details.

Story gist: A man appeared in court in New South Wales charged over alleged offensive conduct involving a duct-taped vest near Bondi Beach.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like The Age frame the story neutrally as a charge for ‘alleged offensive conduct,’ emphasizing legal proceedings. Center coverage from NSW Police offers factual updates without added tone. Right-leaning outlets provide no coverage, omitting the incident entirely, possibly viewing it as minor or misaligned with priorities like public safety threats.