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Tuesday afternoon's news in under 5 minutes.

We’ve rounded up all the latest stories from Australia and around the world – so you don’t have to go searching.

1. Australian choreographer leading new charges against Michael Jackson for child sex abuse.

Trigger warning: This post features explicit details of child abuse that could be distressing for some readers.

Australian dance choreographer, Wade Robson, will learn in the next month whether he can pursue latent charges against Michael Jackson for child sex abuse.

Robson, who previously defended Jackson when he was on trial, has said the recent birth of his own son has made him come forward with the truth about Jackson.

Now, he is seeking compensation from Jackson’s $2 billion estate.

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Michael Jackson passed away in 2009. Image: Getty.
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Robson, 32, and fellow victim James Safechuck, 36, are pursuing damages but missed a statutory deadline that generally prevents the pursuit of claims filed more than a year after the death of the accused, Sydney Morning Herald reports.

However, there will be a trial on Tuesday to determine whether or not the pair can proceed with the case.

Safechuck claims he met Jackson as an eight-year-old, and a year later was abused by him, even being coerced into a fake wedding as Jackson’s “bride”.

Robson said he was seven-years-old when Jackson molested him.

The accusations come to light at the same time as allegations Jackson paid tens of millions of dollars in hush money to more than 20 victims.

If this post brings up any issues for you, you can contact Bravehearts (an organisation providing support to victims of child abuse) here.

2. ISIS attacks a refugee camp in Syria’s capital.

Islamic State fighters have reportedly seized control of most of a refugee camp outside of Damascus, Syria.

The Yarmouk refugee camp housed  mostly Palestinian refugees and is the site of an ongoing battle for the area.

The Syrian Army and various militias opposed to ISIS are defending the camp, but it is said that much of it has fallen to ISIS.

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Destruction in Yarmouk. Image: Getty.
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Refugees who escaped Yarmouk have told of people being captured and beheaded.

According to the BBC, this brings ISIS the closest it has come to the centre of the nation’s capital.

Related content: The situation in Syria is now the worst humanitarian crisis since WWII.

The United Nations is demanding access to the camp, where it is believe 18,000 people remain.

“There is no food, there is no water and there is very little medicine… People are holed up in their houses, there is fighting going on in the streets. There are reports of… bombardments. This has to stop and civilians must be evacuated,” a United Nations relief official told the BBC.

The fighting is ongoing.

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3. Transfield staff told they can’t use Facebook.

The company that operates Australia’s offshore detention centres has told its staff they can be fired as a result of who they befriend on Facebook or Twitter.

According to Guardian Australia, Transfield Services updated its social media policy for staff on Nauru and Manus Island to state workers cannot publicly reveal “material which may damage the business or reputation of Transfield Services, embarrass Transfield Services, or injure its relationship with the department (of immigration)”.

“Due to the nature of [offshore processing] operations, there is a heightened risk that the publication of information or comments about the operations may pose a risk to the operations, transferees and/or workers, or damage the business or reputation of Transfield Services,” the policy says.

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Manus Island detention centre. Image: Getty.
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Furthermore, the staff member could be fired if a detainee has followed them on Twitter or other social media platforms, even if the worker did not know, or the asylum seeker left the detention centre.

The policy also limits the political affiliations of staff members:

“In his/her capacity as a Transfield Services employee or contractor, a worker must not engage in any activity which may result in a conflict of interest with the conduct of the operations on behalf of the department. This includes the following types of conduct:

  • promoting, showing support for, or maintaining a membership with an incompatible organisation, and
  • showing support for the closure of offshore processing centres by engaging in activities such as public rallies or demonstrations.”

Related content: Review into Nauru confirms violence, rape, abuse and a culture of fear.

Transfield Services told Guardian Australia: “Under our political involvement and support policy and equality and diversity in the workplace policy, we respect the right of our people to engage in the political process in personal capacities, and work to prevent workplace discrimination based on personal political views.

“This personal engagement, however, cannot be perceived to represent Transfield Services’ views nor make use of company resources. There’s a clear conflict of interest when personal activities, posts on social media or associations oppose, or could be perceived to oppose, the work an individual undertakes.”

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4. Reddit CEO takes a significant step toward bridging the gender pay gap.

Reddit interim CEO, Ellen Pao, has taken a stance for women in the company by outlawing salary negotiations during hiring.

Ms Pao believes women are being penalised for not being as rigorous as men during these negotiations, and has decided to cease negotiations to combat this problem.

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Reddit interim CEO, Ellen Pao. Image: Getty.

“Men negotiate harder than women do and sometimes women get penalized when they do negotiate. So as part of our recruiting process, we don’t negotiate with candidates,” Pao said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

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“We’ve come up with an offer that we think is fair. If you want more equity, we’ll let you swap a little bit of your cash salary for equity, but we aren’t going to reward people who are better negotiators with more compensation.”

Related content: 15 things that will happen before the gender pay gap closes.

Ms Pao is leading the charge on gender inequality in the tech industry, saying we need to talk more about gender discrimination and address the “subtle” issues that plague women in the workplace.

“I think we have moved through a lot of the really blatant issues that are clear-cut and now we’re getting to harder issues. When you look at the overall experience of women in the workplace, they are not succeeding, and that seems pretty clear-cut to me. So how do we fix that problem?”

5. Asylum seeker hunger striker is accepting medical help.

An Iranian asylum seeker has accepted medical assistance, ending a 40-day hunger strike.

Saeed Hassanloo, 25, was admitted to Royal Perth Hospital and his condition is improving, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told ABC Radio National.

It is believed the hunger strike began after Mr Hassanloo learned his application for refugee status had been rejected.

Minister Dutton said the strike has not changed Mr Hassanloo’s case.

Mr Hassanloo has been in detention for four-and-a-half years.

6. Internet provider ordered to handover details of people who illegally dowloaded Dallas Buyers Club.

A Federal Court has ordered Australian internet service providers to hand over the details of thousands of account holders who allegedly illegally shared the 2013 film, Dallas Buyers Club.

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A scene from Dallas Buyers Club, starring Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto.

 

The landmark ruling requires iiNet, Dodo, Internode, Amnet Broadband, Adam Internet and Wideband Networks to hand over customer details.

It has not yet been revealed whether the ISPs would appeal the decision, which they can do within 28 days.

According to Fairfax Media, the ruling means about 4700 Australian internet account holders whose service was used to share Dallas Buyers Club on the internet from as early as May 2013 are soon likely to receive letters from the lawyers of Dallas Buyers Club LLC threatening legal action unless large sums of money are paid for breach of copyright.

The film won three Academy Awards in 2013, including Best Actor for Matthew McConaughey and Best Supporting Actor for Jared Leto.

7. Missing woman was due to get married next weekend.

The fiancee of a missing woman from the Riverina region of NSW has said her disappearance is “out of character”.

Stephanie Scott, 26, was due to marry her fiancee Aaron Woolley next weekend. The pair have been in a relationship for five years.

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Stephanie Scott. Image: NSW Police.
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Ms Scott, a teacher at Leeton High School, has been missing since Easter Sunday.

NSW Police said Ms Scott was last seen at her workplace on Myrtle Street at about 11:00am, but Mr Woolley said his friend spotted the teacher at a local supermarket later that day.

Mr Woolley said he last spoke to Ms Scott on Sunday morning, but she had not answered her phone since that afternoon.

The investigation is ongoing, and police will check phone and bank records, as well as security footage from the supermarket.

Ms Scott’s family, as well as the police, have pleaded with the public for information.

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.

What’s making news for you today?