| | | 12/04/2024 OJ Simpson dies, locked up children miss schooling, Dutton’s office bill for Rinehart party trip |
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| | | Good morning. The Queensland government is in the firing line, accused of failing to provide adequate schooling to children who are locked up. Children held in the “youth hub” of the Caboolture police watch house are receiving about 44 minutes of schooling on average each weekday. Lessons at that level have been dismissed as “meaningless” by child advocates. Meanwhile, we can reveal that while Peter Dutton travelled at his own expense to the lavish birthday party of Australia’s richest woman, Gina Rinehart, in Perth, his office billed taxpayers thousands of dollars for two staff to travel with him. And OJ Simpson, the ex-NFL star who was found not guilty of murder in 1995 after a celebrity court trial that gripped the world, has died of cancer aged 76. |
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| Full Story | | Labor’s changing rhetoric on Palestine The foreign minister, Penny Wong, spoke this week about finding a pathway to peace in the Middle East – calling for a two-state solution and the recognition of Palestine as a state. In response, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, accused Wong of alienating Australia’s international allies. Gabrielle Jackson speaks with Lenore Taylor and Mike Ticher about the response to Wong’s calls to recognise Palestinian statehood. | |
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| In-depth | | Thirty years ago, a humble silver bus was transformed into a cinematic icon when the low-budget Australian film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert became a heartwarming, Oscar-winning smash hit. But for years, no one knew where the bus used in Stephan Elliott’s film went after it had seemingly vanished without trace. The story of where she ended up, and how she was found, is worthy of a film in itself. |
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| Not the news | | Bri Lee’s debut novel, The Work, is torn between two books: one is a half hearted skewering of money and power, the other a modern romance. Split between New York and Sydney, the novel uses the lenses of gender inequity, power and class to scrutinise the cultural sector’s gatekeepers and profiteers. Ultimately though, says Jack Callil, this satirical – and horny – art world romp tries to tick too many boxes. |
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| What’s happening today | New South Wales | A hearing is scheduled in Sydney in the class action against the federal government over AstraZeneca vaccinations. | Western Australia | A hearing is scheduled in the legal dispute between Yindjibarndi people and the mining company Fortescue Metals. | New South Wales | The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, is due to give the keynote address at the 2024 Infrastructure Conference. |
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| Brain teaser | And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. | |
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| | | Lenore Taylor | | Editor, Guardian Australia |
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