Afternoon Update: IDF strikes humanitarian zone; psychologists question social media ban; and Oasis urged to refund fans
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At least 40 Palestinians have been killed and a further 60 were injured during Israeli airstrikes on a tent encampment designated as a humanitarian zone in Khan Younis, Gaza emergency services said.
Residents and medics said the tent encampment in the al-Mawasi area was struck by at least four missiles. The camp is crowded with displaced Palestinians who have fled from elsewhere in the enclave.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it “struck significant Hamas terrorists who were operating within a command and control centre embedded inside the humanitarian area in Khan Younis”. Hamas denied its fighters were present at the scene of the strike.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Australian government confirmed it was coordinating with the UK and other allies to “pressure” Israel to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and to stop the erosion of longstanding norms protecting aid workers.
Top news
PM plans social media ban | Anthony Albanese will introduce legislation into parliament by the end of 2024 to block children from social media – but psychologists are not so sure it can work.
Two children found dead in Blue Mountains home | NSW police were called to a home in Faulconbridge where the bodies of two boys, aged nine and 11, were discovered inside the home by a family member. A 42-year-old woman was taken to Westmead hospital under police guard.
NSW nurses and midwives strike | Nurses and midwives have walked off the job across NSW for 12 hours after demands for a 15% pay rise this year were rebuffed. The strike has prompted warnings to keep ambulances and emergency departments clear of minor cases.
Almost 200 people killed last year defending the environment | An environmental defender was killed every other day in 2023, according to a new report by the NGO Global Witness, with more than a third of killings taking place in Colombia.
Fukushima nuclear plant debris removal begins | The difficult operation to remove radioactive debris has begun, after technical issues suspended an earlier attempt. About 880 tons of extremely hazardous material remain 13 years after a tsunami caused by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake.
Covid lockdowns prematurely aged girls’ brains | MRI scans found evidence of premature brain ageing in both boys and girls, but girls’ brains appeared on average 4.2 years older than expected after lockdowns, compared with 1.4 years older for boys.
James Earl Jones dies aged 93 | The actor whose beautifully sonorous tones gave voice to Star Wars’ principal villain, Darth Vader, and Mufasa in the 1994 Disney animated feature The Lion King, has died aged 93 at his home in Dutchess County, New York.
Oasis and Ticketmaster urged to refund fans | A consumer group said “dynamic pricing” caused tickets to inflate from a face value of less than £150 to more than £350, with many would-be buyers having to make a split-second decision before running out of time to buy tickets.
Beyoncé snubbed at Country Music Awards | The nominees and winners are voted on each year by the 7,300 individuals – but Bey’s country album, Cowboy Carter, failed to land a single nomination.
In video
World Downhill Skateboarding Championship: crashes and champions
Three days of high-speed racing concluded with Australian Harry Clarke claiming the win and bragging rights in the open standup category and the Canadian Kolby Parks taking the podium and the world championship title in the street luge category.
What they said …
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“Law and order posturing about punishment, power and control has never worked before and it won’t work now.” – Karly Warner, the chair of NATSILS.
The peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services pushed back against plans by multiple state and territory governments to walk back Closing the Gap commitments, warning such policies will result in a “child jail crisis”.
In numbers
The federal government has published the draft of its National Suicide Prevention Strategy. It says addressing the social factors contributing to suicide – such as loneliness, childhood abuse and financial stress – is critical to prevention.
In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978. In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, Mental Health America is available on 800-273-8255
Before bed read
Australia could be a smart nation that values education – instead it is riding the latest wave of dumb luck
The big universities have accused Labor of knee-capping the tertiary education sector. They have a point, writers Peter Lewis.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: BORA. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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