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The federal government has released the business case for a bullet train between Sydney and Newcastle, promising funding in hopes of getting the $60bn project ‘shovel ready’ within two years. Commuters would be able to travel between the cities in a single hour, cutting the journey by more than half. But we have been here before, with Anthony Albanese joining a long line of prime ministers who have announced grand plans for the train line before putting them back on the shelf. Senior reporter Tory Shepherd speaks to Reged Ahmad about the many broken promises in the long journey to high-speed rail and asks: could we really get it this time?

Punch, a baby monkey in a Japanese zoo, has gone viral after bonding with a plush orangutan. That toy, from Ikea’s Djungelskog range, is now in high demand around the world – including in the Guardian Australia newsroom. Education reporter Caitlin Cassidy waits in line to buy a toy and see what the all hype is about

Tony Barry and Barrie Cassidy examine the divisive political debate over the future of the 34 Australian women and children languishing in a Syrian detention camp. They also discuss why capital gains tax is becoming a real pressure point for Labor, Anthony Albanese’s careful words for One Nation voters and why there’s a proliferation of polls

As British MPs vote to release the documents relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as trade envoy, Helen Pidd speaks to Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, about the former prince’s antics in the role and whether this scandal will be the monarchy’s last

This week, journalist William Christou made the long journey to al-Roj camp in north-eastern Syria where 2,000 families are detained – including 23 children and 11 women from Australia with links to IS. These Australian citizens attempted to leave the camp last week with the hopes of making it to their homeland, but were forced to turn back. They are now at the centre of a political storm. In this exclusive, you will hear from the Australian children stuck in Syria. Christou speaks to Nour Haydar about how he met the children, the conditions they live in and why they want to come home