NSW

Parents and educators are debating whether it is acceptable to take children out of school for family vacations. The Washington Post weighs in on the question, noting the answers can be controversial: some argue travel offers valuable learning experiences, while teachers and schools point to disrupted lessons and lost instruction time. The debate touches on attendance policies, fines in some districts, and the rising cost of travel during school holidays.

With the NBA preseason underway, ESPN has published a team-by-team breakdown posing the biggest question facing each of the league's 30 franchises ahead of the new season. The feature covers roster decisions, rotation battles and title expectations, giving fans a snapshot of what each team must resolve before opening night.

Cricket South Africa is backing the idea of an exchangeable pitch — a removable, replaceable playing surface that could be swapped in quickly — as a way to cope with an increasingly crowded international and franchise schedule. The concept would let venues host more matches with less recovery time for the square, and is being discussed as a possible innovation for the sport's fixture congestion problem.