Afternoon Update: Israeli troops enter Lebanon; Qatar Airways eyes 25% Virgin stake; and a ‘horrible’ Picasso discovery
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The Israeli military confirmed it has begun “limited, localised and targeted” ground operations inside Lebanon’s borders against Hezbollah as it continued to pound Beirut and launch strikes on Yemen and Syria.
Lebanese media reported one strike targeted a building in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp near the southern city of Sidon, causing multiple casualties. Israeli media have since reported Mounir Maqdah, reportedly a commander in the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and the purported target of the strike, was injured in the attack.
There have so far been no reports of direct clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants. Lebanon’s army has moved troops away from its southern border, according to reports.
Lebanon’s health ministry said on Sunday more than 1,000 Lebanese have been killed and 6,000 wounded in the past two weeks, including 95 in the past 24 hours. They did not say how many injured were civilians. One million people – a fifth of the population – have fled their homes.
Top news
Qatar Airways plan to buy 25% stake in Virgin Australia | The proposed sale will allow Virgin to start offering long-haul flights for the first time since 2020 and compete more vigorously in the lucrative domestic market. It also bolsters the airline’s loyalty program against Qantas’s rival points offering.
Dutton accused of throwing ‘kerosene’ on public debate | The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, has accused Peter Dutton of seeking to “raise the temperature” of public debate over conflict in the Middle East, after some protesters were seen holding the Hezbollah flag.
Man sentenced after stealing donations for alleged murder victim family | Lachlan Morganti, 26, was sentenced to 400 hours of community service after he gambled more than $64,000 from a fundraiser he organised for the family of 23-year-old Hannah McGuire, whose body was found in a burnt-out car.
Truck plummets 60 metres from bridge in UK | Fire crews used rescue equipment to lower themselves to the driver, who is thought to have avoided serious injuries. Cheshire fire and rescue service used water to cool the truck and stopped a leak of about 1,000 litres of fuel.
Rudy Giuliani’s daughter backs Kamala Harris | Caroline Rose Giuliani has lamented how her father, once the former president’s personal attorney and trusted adviser, got caught up in the “destructive trail” and chaos of the Trump administration and its aftermath.
California universities ban ‘legacy’ admissions | California became the fifth state in the US to ban universities from admitting students based on their family connections and the second state, after Maryland, to extend the ban to private, non-profit universities including Stanford and University of Southern California.
Painting found in cellar is original Picasso | A painting that was found by a junk dealer while he was clearing out the cellar of a home in Italy, and was regularly decried by his wife as “horrible”, is an original portrait by Pablo Picasso. The dealer’s son made the link after studying an encyclopedia of art history. The evidence will now be presented to the Picasso Foundation.
‘Perpetual’ cruise begins after four months marooned in Belfast | The inaugural voyage will last 1,301 days, visiting all seven continents and stopping at 425 ports. The unexpected delay hardly made waves for ticket holders, with one saying “most of us don’t really care”, and passengers were just excited to get going.
Green Day banned by Las Vegas radio stations | Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong called Vegas “the worst shithole in America”, prompting Nevada rock station KOMP 92.3 and X 107.5 to remove the band’s catalogue from their playlists.
In pictures
See the greenhouse gas impact of Labor’s decision to expand three NSW coalmines
The expansion of three Australian coalmines, approved by the Labor government last week, could generate more than 1.3bn tonnes of damaging greenhouse gas over the next 24 years – more than three times Australia’s entire annual emissions.
What they said …
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“The hillsides are disappearing”
The Argentianian town of Hilario Ascasubi has been overrun with parrots, driven from their natural environment due to deforestation. As a result, there is now 10 parrots for each of the town’s 5,000 human inhabitants. Biologist Daiana Lera said the bird’s natural environment must be restored, but until then, “we have to think of strategies that allow us to live together in the most harmonious way possible”.
In numbers
Despite being the No 1 show on Sydney airwaves, the vulgar on-air stylings of Kyle and Jackie O have failed to connect with Melbourne listeners. The pair’s market share in Melbourne fell to 5.2% from 6.1%. According to new data, the top radio station in Melbourne is Nine’s 3AW, with a 14.9% share.
Before bed read
Amid Australia’s chaotic climate politics, the rooftop solar boom is an unlikely triumph
It’s difficult to overstate how rapidly Australians have embraced solar power; there is now more rooftop solar than coal-fired power. The key question is what policymakers can learn from its success, writes Adam Morton.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: RUN. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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