A daily news show from the publisher of The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. Hear from the country’s best reporters, covering the news as it affects Australia. This is news with narrative, every weekday.
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'I have eyes, but I don't see': The community groups helping refugees settle
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At Sydney Airport on a muggy night in November 2022, a group of volunteers from Sydney’s northern beaches crowd inside arrivals waiting to greet a family they had never met. Known as the ‘Manlygees’, they’re there to welcome a Kurdish family originally from Syria who had spent the past decade in a refugee camp in Iraq. They’re part of an ambitious …
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The end of ‘Twiggy’ Forrest's hydrogen dream
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It wasn’t so long ago that renewables pundits glowingly described hydrogen as the “Swiss Army knife” of renewable technologies, able to be turned to almost any purpose. But more recently, the gas has become an expensive and painful point of political debate, with many experts tempering their praise. Now, one of hydrogen’s biggest backers, mining ma…
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Inside Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking trial
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When Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to twenty years jail for sex trafficking crimes, journalist and writer Lucia Osborne-Crowley was there in the courtroom. She watched on as Ghislaine Maxwell – a British socialite, and close associate of Jeffrey Epstein – waited to hear her fate. And she listened as her victims testified to the harm inflicted by …
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These PwC executives still haven't been held accountable
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It was one of the biggest corporate scandals the country has ever seen when it was revealed that PwC had used confidential government information to enrich itself and its corporate clients. Since then there have been two parliamentary inquiries, an AFP investigation, nine investigations by the tax practitioners board, one internal review and an inv…
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Zoe Daniel on what it costs to win an election
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The historic teal wave at the last election delivered the two major parties their worst electoral results ever. So, perhaps it’s no surprise that the government looks set to introduce new laws that could make it harder for newcomers to compete. The minister responsible says he wants to address the “growing threat of big money in politics.” The rule…
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Read This: How Geraldine Brooks Became a Novelist
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In this episode of our sister podcast, host Michael Williams speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks. She shares her life sentence and reflects on how her upbringing provided the essential building blocks for a career as a writer.By Schwartz Media
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'I sued the government over climate – but I'm not done'
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Climate activist Katta O’Donnell sued the Australian government for failing to disclose how much climate change would impact the value of government bonds. It was a world-first case, she was a law student at the time and she won. But the experience left her feeling more disillusioned than ever and determined to find another way to make change. Toda…
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Why Labor supports private school tax breaks
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Recently, Mike Seccombe has been looking into the divide between Australia’s richest and poorest schools – to find out why this gap keeps widening. And what he found was a broken system. Rich parents are able to get huge tax breaks by donating to opulent building projects at their kids’ private schools. It’s a practice that goes way back – and many…
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The executive, the mine and the corruption referral
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On a remote island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, there are two towns. One is home to a thriving economy. It has a golf course, cinema and tennis courts. It’s the richest postcode in the Northern Territory. Most of the people who live there are white. The other is home to the Anindilyakwa people - the Traditional Owners. The locals live just a few hun…
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Why Biden pulled out: 'Money is the mother's milk of politics'
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With just over a hundred days to go until the US election, Joe Biden has announced he’s dropping out of the presidential race. In a letter posted to X, he said “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term”. His decision comes…
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News stories about violence against women have been coming hard and fast these past few weeks. These stories of the women — and sometimes children — killed, usually by a man they knew and often in a terribly violent way, are hard to read. Yet years of education campaigns and talk of respect for women seem to have made no difference, and every few d…
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Read This: David Marr vs Australia’s Old Lie
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For many Australians, facing the reality of this country is a task that has proved enduringly difficult, both at a public and a political level. For investigative journalist David Marr, finding the right way to tell the stories that allow us to see the truth of our history is a personal quest and one that has led to his latest book. In this episode…
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This week, allegations of corruption, criminal infiltration, standover tactics and other nefarious activities within the ranks of the CFMEU have been all over the media. The reports have shocked, but not surprised, many in the community. Stories of underworld figures trading their leather for high viz, motorcycle helmets for hardhats – all in order…
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In the Pitjantjatjara communities of Anangu Country on the edge of the Nullarbor Plain, cancer rates are higher than elsewhere in Australia. This is the legacy of nuclear testing by the British government, which staged seven atomic explosions between 1956 and 1963, contaminating the land. Thanks to nuclear engineer and whistleblower Alan Parkinson,…
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The surge in financial abuse against women
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Shenane Hogg spent nine months in a coma after suffering abuse at the hands of her partner. During her recovery, she discovered her abuser had amassed $56,000 of debt in her name. Shenane’s story is just one of many that was heard at a parliamentary inquiry into how the financial system can be used to abuse women. The inquiry has heard chilling evi…
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Assassinations, insurrections and massacres: an American story
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The attempted assassination of former US president Donald Trump shocked America. Prominent public figures from all sides of the political spectrum have spoken out and condemned the use of violence, with President Joe Biden saying “it’s not who we are as a nation”. But is that true? And does this response downplay just how pervasive political violen…
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In Queensland, one issue is already dominating the upcoming state election: youth crime. So when the Liberal National Party launched their campaign, Peter Dutton was the perfect man to help sell their pitch. The federal opposition leader and former Queensland cop has been stressing his closeness to his home state. Already Peter Dutton has promised …
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Read This: Leigh Sales Is a Professional Stickybeak
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Long before she was hosting 7:30 on the ABC, Leigh Sales dreamed of becoming a novelist. In this episode of our sister podcast, Read This, she joins Michael to discuss her secret desire to write fiction, the art of crafting a good story, and how being a journalist allowed her to become a professional stickybeak.…
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Artist and refugee Mostafa Azimitabar on painting from a hostile country
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When Mostafa Azimitabar was imprisoned on Manus Island, he was overcome with a desire to paint. With no art supplies, he used a toothbrush – a technique he continues with to this day. Mostafa survived the brutality of Australia’s asylum seeker detention system for more than eight years. Freed in 2021, he now lives in Sydney. His art has been shortl…
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Will the threat of jail time help fix Aged Care?
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In 2018, then prime minister Scott Morrison announced a royal commission into aged care, shedding light on the astonishing prevalence of abuse in residential facilities. It’s been three years since its final report was handed down and advocates say very little has improved. The commission highlighted just how difficult accountability and justice ca…
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The China think tank attacked by Wolverines
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There's a shadow world beneath Canberra, fed by the defence, foreign affairs and security communities, and it is hugely influential in how the government responds to our biggest geopolitical challenges. Margaret Simons has spent decades keeping a close eye on this world. Recently, the story of one think tank, China Matters, caught her attention. Th…
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Inside Nine's journalism cuts: 'Quite a few people suspected retribution'
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If you pick up a copy of The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald, you’ll see the tagline ‘Independent. Always.’ under the masthead. Now, as journalists at those papers reel from an announcement that Nine Entertainment is slashing 200 jobs across the company, some are wondering if they’re being targeted for the papers’ recent coverage of Nine’s trouble…
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Project 2025: The Trump presidency wish list
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Donald Trump’s lead in the polls for the 2024 presidential race has widened following a fumbling debate performance from Joe Biden, and concerns about the President’s age. With the increasing likelihood of a second Trump presidency, attention is now turning to his potential governing agenda. The blueprint, called Project 2025, is more than 900 page…
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Read This: The Three Words That Made George Saunders a Writer
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George Saunders is one of literary fiction's most acclaimed living writers. Along with his many collections of short stories, he also published the Booker Prize-winning novel Lincoln in the Bardo. To celebrate Read This' first birthday, we're bringing you Michael Williams' interview with George Saunders. They talk about his life and career and the …
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The internet sleuths fighting fake research
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Smut Clyde spends several hours every day, scouring online science journals for suspicious-looking research. He’s part of a growing team of online ‘science sleuths’, combating the rising number of fake research papers being published. These papers are typically generated, with the help of AI, by ‘paper mills’: a cottage industry relying on overwork…
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The power and legacy of 'militant' union boss John Setka
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When people think of the CFMEU, Australia’s powerful and fearsome construction union, they picture its top dog, John Setka. But as he prepares to step down from the union’s Victorian branch, Setka’s legacy is overshadowed by his brutality. Many current and former colleagues think his leadership was poisonous to the union, and that he may have even …
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The son of Hong Kong's jailed media tycoon
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Sebastien Lai woke up one morning in 2020 to find dozens of missed phone calls – his father, the Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, had just been arrested. Sebastien is in Australia now, trying to convince our political leaders to advocate for his dad’s release from a Hong Kong prison. Today on the show, Sebastien Lai tells the story of how his fath…
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The Albanese government's $1 billion computer
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In high-security labs, from Silicon Valley to mainland China, researchers are racing to be the first to achieve what has been dubbed ‘Q-day’. On that day, all encryption and security could be laid bare – the deepest plans of militaries around the world, our medical records and private encrypted conversations could all be exposed. The internet could…
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Rishi Sunak's Australian communications 'magician'
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By the end of this week, the United Kingdom will almost certainly have a new prime minister and closure on 14 years of Tory leadership. One man in particular is working very hard to prevent that, and it’s not the current Tory leader. Since it kicked off with a bizarre, rain-soaked announcement, Rishi Sunak’s election campaign has been marked by ine…
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Why would a university have a deal with Lockheed Martin?
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Over the past few months, there’s been a lot of focus on universities’ relationships with weapons manufacturers. Students set up encampments and occupied buildings, arguing that their unis are complicit in the assault on Gaza and demanding more transparency from their universities’ administrators. But, as writer and contributor to The Saturday Pape…
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Julian Assange is home: Gabriel Shipton on how his brother was freed
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Julian Assange has finally landed in Australia, a free man. Today, his brother Gabriel Shipton on how the deal to release the long-incarcerated WikiLeaks founder came together. National correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe explains what comes next. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Julian Assange’s brother…
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The woman who spoke out against Google on AI
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Meredith Whittaker turned her back on Google after raising concerns about the mass surveillance fueling AI, but she didn’t leave tech entirely. The former AI whistleblower is now the President of Signal, a messaging app that keeps conversations encrypted – used by journalists, whistleblowers, drug dealers, militants and others who want to keep comm…
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Morrison and Rudd: The unlikely duo could be Australia's Trump whisperers
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Back in 2016, when Donald Trump was elected President, the Australian government was caught off guard. The then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull called golfing legend Greg Norman just to get Trump’s phone number. This time around, the government is taking the prospect of a second Trump presidency seriously and has begun making preparations for it. T…
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The spy base we’re not supposed to know about is getting bigger
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Once upon a time, Australians were told Pine Gap was a space base. Then we were told it was a weather station. But now, of course, we know the installation deep in the Northern Territory outback is a US spy base. Which isn’t to say it’s any less secretive – we still don’t know a huge amount about what goes on there. We do know it’s likely America’s…
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The Weekend Read: Anna Stewart on being a captain of one of the biggest games of the year
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For 31 years, there has been a rivalry – drawing on a divide so inherent and base – that it pits mate against mate. We’re not talking about State of Origin, we’re talking about the Reclink Community Cup. The football contest began in Melbourne, but is now held in cities across the country – with the Rockdogs, a team of not-so-athletic musicians, ta…
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Will Australia get behind Dutton's nuclear campaign?
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Nuclear power has been politically toxic in this country for decades. It’s been 55 years since a leader went to a federal election promising to build reactors and won. But Peter Dutton is hoping to do just that. And as unlikely as it sounds, he’s convincing people. A little over ten years ago, 62 per cent of Australians opposed nuclear power. Today…
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Peter Greste on the latest blow against whistleblowers
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There’s been another strike against whistleblowing. Richard Boyle was a tax office employee when he raised concerns internally about a scheme to garnish overdue taxes directly from people’s bank accounts. When that didn’t work, he told journalists. A court in Adelaide yesterday upheld a ruling that he’s not a whistleblower – which means he now has …
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Making childcare universal: Will it be an election secret weapon?
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There’s no nice way to put it: Australian childcare is broken, and not just for those with children. It’s prohibitively expensive, getting the days you’re after is like winning the lottery and if you do get some government subsidy, you have the pleasure of hours on the phone to Centrelink. We’re at a critical point though. The government has promis…
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Peter Costello's decade at Nine: Is this the end of his public life?
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Peter Costello’s legacy was set. He was the longest serving treasurer in Australian history and under the then prime minister John Howard, he transformed our economy into what it is today. That was until he appeared to push a journalist asking pesky questions at Canberra Airport earlier this month and all of it was caught on camera. Three days late…
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How Home Affairs became a scandal factory
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Barely a week goes by when the Department of Home Affairs isn’t under the blowtorch of media or political scrutiny. In one way, the level of scrutiny is to be expected. When a department is so huge it takes in security, intelligence, immigration and policing functions, with some 14,000 staff under the one secretary – it’s inevitable. The question i…
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Two years ago, on the day after the Labor government was sworn into office, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen called a press conference. In those very first remarks, the new minister said the climate wars were over. Some scoffed at the time. There were still plenty of political fights to be had over how Australia would reach net ze…
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Is Joe Biden’s ceasefire plan already failing? (Update)
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The US has a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, and this one seems to be gathering momentum. It’s not much different to the previous plans, except that it’s backed by the UN Security Council. The council’s resolution says Israel has accepted the deal, and Hamas has welcomed its adoption, but it hasn’t been signed. So, why not? What’s preventing an a…
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Disgraced consultancy given deal to run government ‘ethics' training
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If you were a public service chief picking a firm to run ethics training, would one of the big four consulting firms be your first pick? They have faced intense scrutiny both in the media and in a recent senate inquiry, which will today release its report with recommendations to keep the private consultancy sector in check. Today, special correspon…
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Xi Jinping’s right-hand man is coming to Australia
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Australia is about to receive a visit from the most senior Chinese leader we've had on our shores in almost a decade. But this visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang comes at an interesting time for China. President Xi Jingping is contending with economic stumbles and looming sanctions, making his vision for the future more precarious than ever. So what…
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Zero accountability: Rick Morton on the NACC dropping robodebt
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When the robodebt royal commission’s final report landed, it was scathing. It condemned the entire scheme, the individuals who rolled it out and the government culture that enabled it. The commissioner went to significant lengths to refer six people to the then very fresh National Anti-Corruption Commission. But last week, the NACC decided to drop …
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The Weekend Read: Atticus Bastow on the mysteries of the universe at the bottom of an abandoned mine shaft
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Over 90 years ago, a Swiss astrophysicist theorised there was an unseen, unobservable force that sits behind the universe we know. He called it ‘dark matter’, and today we’re not much closer to understanding it than he was. But that could be about to change, as a group of Australian researchers are part of our most promising effort yet to uncover t…
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How the new vape ban is splitting the Coalition
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There’s an issue exposing fault lines within our political parties and pitting their traditional supporters against each other, fracturing the electorate. That issue is the new ban on vapes, which is set to pass parliament at the end of the month. The Albanese government’s proposed ban is putting pressure on the Coalition, which has already been lo…
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Why the toxic culture at Parliament still isn’t fixed
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There’s been a slow but steady reckoning on sexual harassment and discrimination in workplaces across Australia. That reckoning should have already come to the most high-profile workplace in the country – Parliament House. But several years on from the Jenkins report, has the culture really changed? Today, chief political correspondent The Saturday…
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Rick Morton on Bill Shorten’s NDIS overhaul
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There are two things to know about the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The first is that it makes an immense difference to many lives across Australia. The second is that it’s wildly expensive and is projected to cost even more in the future. So, how to reconcile those two realities? It’s what the government is trying to solve with a new piec…
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Why are French troops cracking down on riots in the Pacific?
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Many Australians have an idea of New Caledonia. It’s just two hours away by plane and is sold to travellers with images of luxurious hotel complexes and pristine beaches. But riots in the capital, a state of emergency and the intervention of the French military have been reminders that the future of New Caledonia is a fraught political question sit…
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