Your afternoon Briefing: Tony Abbott vows to fight for Warringah

Good afternoon, readers. Tony Abbott vows to take the fight to Zali Steggall and Geoffrey Rush speaks outside court after defamation ruling.

Good afternoon, readers. Tony Abbott vows to take the fight to ‘internationally-backed’ Zali Steggall and Geoffrey Rush speaks outside court after a judge found he was defamed.

27/03/2019. Liberal Member for Warringah,Tony Abbott on Manly Beach. Jane Dempster/The Australian.

‘Underdog’ Abbott says he’s up for the fight

Former prime minister Tony Abbott says he has no plans to retire any time soon, vowing to “give his best shot” for Warringah.

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Geoffrey Rush and Eryn-Jean Norvill outside court today. Picture:

‘There are no winners in this’

Geoffrey Rush says “there are no winners in this case”, after Justice Michael Wigney found the 67-year-old Oscar-winning actor had been defamed.

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Wallabies player Israel Folau reacts following the First Test between the Australia Wallabies and the England Roses at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Saturday, June 11, 2016. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Sponsor reacts to Folau’s ‘Hell’ tirade

The Wallabies’ major sponsor, Qantas, has condemned Israel Folau’s latest social media comments. But as Wally Mason writes: “Calls to sack the rugby ace, or pressure sponsors, suggests a lack of confidence in our values.” Meanwhile, Paralympian Kurt Fearnley has called out Anthony Mundine’s controversial anti-vaccination comments.

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04/06/2018: (L-R) Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and Alison Webster CEO of Qantas International at the IATA annual general meeting in Sydney on Monday. Hollie Adams/The Australian

Qantas exec to take off

The head of Qantas International Alison Webster will leave the airline in less than a fortnight, reducing the number of women in executive leadership roles. Chief executive Alan Joyce says the airline is still gaining “positive momentum”.

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Police move in on animal rights protesters who had blocked the intersections of Flinders and Swanston Street, in Melbourne, Monday, April 8, 2019. Animal rights protesters are slowly being arrested and dragged into police vans after blocking a major Melbourne CBD intersection. (AAP Image/Ellen Smith) NO ARCHIVING

Whine with your tofu burger?

Vegans believe it’s their right to block traffic and use thuggery to impose their miserable views, writes The Mocker.