Remote indigenous communities in the Top End are often seen as hopeless and dysfunctional places where any sense of community has been destroyed by violence and substance abuse.

The greatest English playwright is still one of the most mysterious people. He may or may not have been a closet Catholic, and the relationship of the actor's life to his writing is not reconcilable, according to historian William Rubinstein.

Encounter visits Central Australia where many Indigenous communities have been affected by recent events including the Northern Territory intervention. Local Churches have stayed with the communities and found ways to engage with Aboriginal culture and its stories. Bill Bunbury reports from Alice Springs and surrounding country.

Champion weight-lifter and Olympic hopeful, Deborah Lovely, has always trained hard but her life also includes prayer and a commitment to Christian values. Also playing for God are Cronulla Sharks rugby league player, David Simmons, and former player and now Sharks chaplain, Paul Stevens.

Featured on The Spirit of Things on June 1st and 3rd, the Bahai Gardens in Haifa, Israel has just been named a World Heritage Site by by UNESCO.
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Compass enters the schools debate with a 3 part series on education in Australia
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