Hearsay & 20 Questions

We can’t just look at two animals and say, ‘Oh, those are super cute, they’ll make cute babies.’

Kat Castle, from Save the Bilby Fund, on the breeding program that has brought the marsupial back from the brink of extinction. With a goal of breeding 10,000 bilbies by 2030, they use a stud book and microchipping to ensure the population maintains strong genetics.

ABC I AU

“Dear Colin, sadly the specimen is not a potato and is in fact the tuber of a type of gourd. For this reason, we do unfortunately have to disqualify the application.” The Guinness World Records in an email to New Zealand couple Colin and Donna Craig-Brown, mashing their dreams of holding the record for discovering the world’s largest potato, at 7.8kg, which the couple affectionately named Dug. It’s just no gourd.

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD I AU

“The billionaires are pushing the millionaires out of Byron.” Áine Tyrrell, a Byron Bay local who lives out of a bus as the NSW town’s real estate prices skyrocket out of reach: the average house price in Byron is north of $3 million; the average rent for a house is about $950 per week.

“The TV industry and the movie industry are hurting us in some ways because they often show pictures of robots that are weaponised, and then people think that’s how all robots are.” Captain Michael Leo, from the New York Fire Department, reassures the public that their new robot dogs are being rolled out to save lives – not take over the city.

THE NEW YORK TIMES I US

“You’ve got to understand that we come from a completely different generation – a different century. In our childhood, we grew up with phones plugged into the wall. We grew up before personal computers. We have a different perspective.” Placebo frontman Brian Molko on his reluctance to spruik the 90s alt-rock band’s comeback album on TikTok, preferring a “less is more approach”.

“The Territory is the safest place in the world, except the moon.” The Northern Territory’s Chief Health Officer Dr Hugh Heggie on plans to extend its public health emergency for an additional 90 days – and some 1.25 light seconds.

NT NEWS I AU

“You can’t beat a game at the ’G, to me it feels like freedom.” Die-hard Western Bulldogs supporter Valerie Kacarik on the joys of being back at the MCG for a game of footy for the first time since COVID. She goes leaps and bounds.

ABC I AU

“We believe that a city has the right to frame such a tax, and then even a big company has to accept that. I can’t believe why an international company can’t switch to reusables if every small business can do that.” Boris Palmer, the mayor of Tübingen, on the German town’s new tax of 50 cents on any disposable packaging, and 20 cents on disposable cutlery, a move that hasn’t gone down well with McDonald’s – which is suing the city.

BBC I UK

“It kept coming in crazier, in all directions. That’s when we really started getting comments.” Katelyn Samples, mother of toddler Lochlan, who is among just 100 people on the planet to be diagnosed with “uncombable hair syndrome”, which has no long-term health concerns. He’s since experienced a brush with fame, gaining almost 50,000 Instagram followers.

BUSINESS INSIDER I IN

“Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Americans want more sunshine and less depression.” Republican Senator Rick Scott on a bipartisan bill dubbed the Sunshine

EAR2GROUND

Protection Act, Teacher: “What does the word synonym mean? which would make daylight savings permanent across the US next year. Student: “I know THE GUARDIAN I UK

what that is – it’s

what you put on “Johnson pancakes!” mentioned that he Overheard by Sam at her had particularly primary school in Lara, Vic. enjoyed the cheese and the unusual dark biscuits. Paul said, ‘No, the dark biscuits were for the corgis!’ At that point – to Alan Johnson’s eternal amusement – it dawned on him that he had been munching away on dog snacks.” Former UK MP Alan Johnson inadvertently snacked on dog biscuits reserved for the Queen’s beloved corgis following a lunch at Windsor Castle, according to new book by Robert Hardman Queen of Our Times.

THE AGE I AU

“Mario Puzo wrote some beautiful novels, but he wrote The Godfather to make money. Mario loved his family and he wanted to take care of them, so he wrote a book he thought would be a bestseller, but it was a bit of a potboiler.” Francis Ford Coppola on why he wasn’t initially keen to direct The Godfather, based on Puzo’s 1969 novel – but they musta made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

VARIETY I US

“I understand it’s very hard...to find alternative information, but you need to try to look for it.” The sign held up by Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova who interrupted a live TV news program to protest against the war in Ukraine.

BBC I UK

“The war may be far away but it can still affect what is on our plates.” Food activist Dicky Sender on the shortage of the popular Indomie instant noodles in Indonesian shops as the Ukraine conflict raises fear of global wheat shortages.

AL JAZEERA I QA

by Rachael Wallace

01 Rue Cambon in Paris is associated with which famous French fashion house? 02 Which English queen tried to end the English Reformation and restore

Catholicism to England? 03 Which US state is the only one to feature the flag of a foreign nation on it? Bonus point to name the foreign flag. 04 Who had a number-one hit in

Australia last year with the song

‘Bad Habits’? 05 Bến Thành Market is the largest market in which Asian city? 06 What relation was Napoleon III to

Napoleon I? 07 Who became the first player to reach 50 career goals in the AFLW this year? 08 What was the profession of the fictional character Sweeney Todd? 09 Which Australian currency ceased to be issued in May 1984? 10 Which bird only feeds with its head upside-down? 11 How many players are there in a netball team? 12 Which New Zealand city is furthest south: a) Wellington, b) Dunedin, c) Invercargill or d) Queenstown? 13 At what temperature are Celsius and

Fahrenheit equal? 14 What game did architect Alfred

Mosher Butts of Poughkeepsie,

New York, invent during the Great

Depression? 15 True or false? Coca-Cola was originally green. 16 An ear of corn typically has how many rows of kernels? 17 Apparently Harry Styles has four of them, and Mark Wahlberg has three.

What are “they”? 18 In what year was the inaugural Day of Mourning held in Australia? 19 What vegetable is the principal ingredient in the Dutch food erwtensoep? 20 Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas are the hosts of which popular TV show?