Israeli troops have been accused of the “field execution” of a Palestinian man delivering food aid into Gaza, according to eyewitnesses and the local truckers association. The driver, working with World Central Kitchen, was killed by an Israeli soldier, prompting the association to threaten suspending operations in protest. The incident comes as the US-Iran ceasefire continued to unravel, with the US launching a second round of renewed airstrikes against Iran, killing at least 14 people. Tehran responded by hitting Gulf countries in the most intense exchange of fire since a shaky ceasefire was extended last month. Israel has threatened to rejoin the war.
Telstra Glitch and Fastest Spider
In Australia, a software glitch caused the Telstra network to think it was back in November 2006, triggering an outage and a disastrous 48 hours for the company. Technology reporter Josh Taylor explained the glitch, while economist John Quiggin argued the outage results from prioritising competition without benefits. Meanwhile, analysis of over 250 spider species by scientists in the UK and Germany concluded that the giant Australian brown huntsman spider is the world’s fastest.
Other Australian News
The New South Wales government has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees unsuccessfully defending constitutional challenges against protest laws. A former chief economist at mining company BHP called for stronger climate policy to incentivise tough decarbonisation decisions. Neil, the one-tonne southern elephant seal whose beachside antics attracted millions of social media views, has returned to sea.
World News
Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, known for her husky voice and 80s hits like Total Eclipse of the Heart, has died at age 75. Progressives who backed Graham Platner’s bid for a US Senate seat in Maine are deciding where to transfer support after his withdrawal following a sexual assault allegation. An LGBTQ+ cruise ship blocked from Turkish waters was also refused entry into Egypt. The UK is sweltering through its third heatwave of the year.
World Cup Update
France are playing Morocco in the World Cup quarter-final. Jarell Quansah has been banned for two matches after a red card in England’s last-16 victory over Mexico. England’s quarter-final against Norway evokes memories of a famous commentator rant invoking Churchill, Nelson, and Lady Diana. The US has expressed interest in hosting the 2029 Club World Cup.
In-Depth: Modi Event in Melbourne
A crowd of 25,000 Indian Australians gathered at Marvel Stadium for the “Melbourne Meets Modi” event, where Anthony Albanese shared the stage. Inside, Modi hailed the diaspora’s contribution to Indian-Australian relations; outside, protests highlighted human rights abuses, as reported by Adeshola Ore.
Not the News
Luke Buckmaster picks eight must-sees at the Melbourne International Film Festival, including a drama starring Channing Tatum, an Australian dramedy with Hugo Weaving, and a film from a chook’s eye-view.
Sport
In tennis, Karolína Muchová edged Coco Gauff in a deciding-set tie-break to reach her first Wimbledon final against Linda Nosková. In rugby union, the Wallabies face France in Brisbane needing cool heads to stop heroic defeats. In cycling, Tadej Pogačar took stage six and the overall lead in the Tour de France after powering up the Col du Tourmalet.
