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Wednesday afternoon's news in under 5 minutes.

A real estate advertisement for luxury apartments has used the absence of Aboriginal people as a ‘selling point’. (Note: This is a stock image.)

1. Real estate ad boasts “the aboriginals have already moved out”.

A real estate advertisement for luxury apartments has used the absence of Aboriginal people as a ‘selling point’.

Iconic suburb Redfern, in the city’s inner East, has long been the indigenous heart of Sydney’s inner city. But the ad — first published online four years ago — included the words “the Aboriginals have already moved out” in its advertising copy.

It’s a move that has outraged Aboriginal leaders, The Australian reports.

“Dei Cota has good rental return and convenient location. The Aboriginals have already moved out, now Redfern is the last virgin suburb close to city, it will have great potential for the capital growth in the near future,” the online advertisement, by Great Fortune Investments — one of several firms marketing at private company Dei Cota, read.

 

A screenshot from the Great Fortune Investments website, where the offensive advertisement was visible until yesterday.

Deicorp owner Fouad Deiri told The Australian that Great Fortune Investments had not “correctly” worded the advertisement.

“They were trying to make comment about the relocation of The Block and it hadn’t been worded correctly,” he said. “The Chinese have a funny way of expressing themselves where they use their words where they are not trying to be offensive, but they do offend people.”

The company removed the offending reference yesterday from its website. (As they damn well should).

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2.  Bail revoked for Bega Cheese ex-boss who sexually abused children.

By JAMELLE WELLS

Maurice Van Ryn, the former Bega Cheese boss who sexually abused six children, has had his bail revoked.

In November, Van Ryn was granted bail by a Bega local court magistrate after pleading guilty to multiple sex offences involving children as young as eight at Tathra on the NSW far South Coast.

After allegations he molested a child while he was on bail, the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions called for the 59 year old to be taken back into custody.

A District Court judge in Sydney revoked Van Ryn’s bail until his sentencing in February.

In November, Van Ryn pleaded guilty to 12 child sex offences dating back to 2006 and involving six boys aged eight to 16.

He faces a maximum 25-year sentence.

A version of this post originally appeared on ABC News and has been republished here with permission.

3. Young students explore computer science.

Computer Science Education Week that runs until December 14.

By ABC NEWS

Students around Australia this week are exploring the computer science that drives the apps, games and websites on their devices.

They are taking part in the Hour of Code – a worldwide event involving millions of students in more than 180 countries – in what organisers say is “the largest learning event in history”.

Participants are spending at least one hour working with computer codes, experimenting with computer science or exploring the different ways computer technology impacts their lives.

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It is part of Computer Science Education Week that runs until December 14.

A version of this post appeared on ABC News and has been republished here with permission.

4. Head of ashram apologises to child abuse victims.

By ANTONETTE COLLINS

The chief executive of a yoga ashram on the New South Wales Central Coast has apologised for mistakes made in dealing with child abuse victims, including some whose Facebook posts about the abuse were deleted.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse is investigating the handling of abuse complaints made against a former spiritual leader at the Satyananda Yoga Ashram dating back to the 1970s and ’80s.

Ashram chief executive Sarah Tetlow said the organisation made errors earlier this year, when it first gave an apology to victims on Facebook but then removed some posts and sent cease and desist letters to the posts’ authors.

“Definitely the way the organisation has responded has not been helpful to the victims,” Ms Tetlow told the Sydney hearing.

“We did what we did and some things didn’t work out and we accept that.”

A version of this post originally appeared on ABC News and has been republished here with permission.

 Catch up on the rest of today’s headlines in this 90-second news update from the ABC:


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