Your noon Briefing

Welcome to your noon roundup of what’s making news and how the day is playing out so far.

Hello readers. Here is your noon digest of what’s making news today plus a long read for lunchtime.

09/04/1997 WIRE: Professor Emile-Etienne Beaulieu holding RU486 abortion pills 11 Jan 1995.

Abortion standoff

A regional public hospital in Queensland sent 23 women to Sydney for surgical abortions last year after staff doctors refused to perform the procedure. The standoff at Cairns Hospital has helped swamp already limited private abortion services statewide, increasing the numbers sent south for terminations that cannot be performed in Queensland. This involves hundreds of women, case workers say. The crisis in Queensland mirrors a collapse of private abortion services in Tasmania that has forced many women to travel to the mainland.

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#BREAKING: Emergency crews are responding to reports of a train derailment at Richmond in Sydney's north west. The train has hit a buffer at the end of the line.

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) January 21, 2018

Train derails

A train has collided with a barricade at Richmond Station in Sydney’s north-west this morning, with multiple people being treated for injuries at the scene. Emergency services were called just before 10am after reports that a train did not use its brakes and impacted a buffer at the end of the tracks at Richmond. Police, ambulance vehicles and two ambulance helicopters were sent to the scene to assist several people who had been injured upon impact. They are still on scene assessing the damage. Fire and Rescue NSW is reporting that 3 people have been trapped.

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Best bet

With just 12 players remaining in the men’s singles draw, Swiss maestro Roger Federer remains the favourite to win the Australian Open. Federer, who today takes on Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics for a spot in the quarter-finals, is a $2.63 outright favourite to win the tournament with online bookmaker Sportsbet. Top seed Rafael Nadal is the $3.50 second favourite ahead of Novak Djokovic ($6), Grigor Dimitrov ($8), Marin Čilić ($21) and Dominic Thiem ($26). Keep up with all the latest developments from the Australian Open in our live blog.

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FAIRFAX's Antony Catalano back in court on more drink driving charges. has been ID'd by reporter.Picture: Paul Loughnan

Catalano quits

Fairfax Media has announced the surprise resignation of Antony Catalano as chief executive of real estate business Domain Holdings, just two months after it listed on the ASX. In a statement to the stock market, Fairfax said the board had accepted the resignation of Mr Catalano, who took the helm in November 2013, and said he was leaving for family reasons.

A domestic and international search for a new CEO is commencing, Fairfax said.

“As it stands I have been away from home for the bulk of each week and it’s not fair on the family.”

Antony Catalano

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Illustration: Johannes Leak

Goody goody yum yum

Stephen Brook returns with Media Diary, and could not give two hoots when Triple J broadcasts its Hottest 100. However, he writes, we do feel very strongly about Australia Day remaining on January 26. It has been a very long time since Diary listened to the Triple J countdown.

“Do you think if I lobby Justin Milne, the ABC chair might put The Goodies and Doctor Who back on before the 7pm news?”

Stephen Brook

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Illustration: Eric Lobbecke

Abbott on Australia Day

“All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?” asks the John Cleese character in the classic film Life of Brian. It’s worth asking the same question of the British settlement of Australia at the same time as we acknowledge the dispossession of the original inhabitants, suggests Tony Abbott in a guest opinion piece: “There are other days for black armbands”.

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TWAM-20180120 Embargo for TWAM 20 JAN 2018NO REUSE WITHOUT PERMISSIONMIRANDA TAPSELLPHOTOGRAPHER: CAMERON GRAYSONSTYLING: ELLA MURPHY HAIR & MAKEUP: BLANKA DUDAS FEE APPLIES

The long read: Little big dreamer

From Kakadu to Cannes, she shot to fame in The Sapphires and lit a rocket at the Logies. There’s no stopping Miranda Tapsell, writes Megan Lehmann.

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Comment of the day

“We are very slowly extricating ourselves from paying subsidised intermittent wind energy. Now we are being softened up to subsidise electric cars that don’t yet exist to make them affordable ... Let the market decide!”

Jason S, in response to “Electric car plans spark showdown”.