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Paris 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 LIVE updates: Day 6 - Montag claims bronze in race walk; Chalmers denies rival’s snub claim; Matildas, coach part ways; Kookaburras up against NZ in hockey
Athletics, golf and hockey will be the first events on display on day six in Paris, before we return to the pool early Friday morning where more gold medals are up for grabs.
- by Billie Eder, Greg Dundas and Marnie Vinall
Not everyone finds exercise rewarding. These four tips might help
We’ve all encountered that person who comes back from the gym or a run seemingly high on life. But for some, a workout just leaves us feeling worn out.
- by Danielle Friedman
Exclusive
Healthcare
Hundreds of staff underpaid by private healthcare provider
Healthscope, one of Australia’s largest private hospital operators, is making remediation payments after estimating it underpaid staff by $21.7 million.
- by Jewel Topsfield and Henrietta Cook
Updated
Tragedy
Police investigate relationship of sailor and brothel owner found dead on yacht
Police were told the pair had planned to stay on the 47-foot yacht Taloha at Cammeray on Monday night.
- by Jessica McSweeney, Nick Newling, Riley Walter and Clare Sibthorpe
Breaking
Literature prizes
Alexis Wright makes history with Miles Franklin, Stella wins in same year
Wright’s novel Praiseworthy was hailed by judges as “an astonishing feat of storytelling”.
- by Jason Steger
‘Children shaken and traumatised’: Football West investigates off-field brawl at children’s soccer game
Football West has launched an investigation after spectators from two junior soccer clubs became embroiled in an off-field brawl that left one person injured and children “shaken” and “traumatised”.
- by Jesinta Burton
As it happened: PM urges Australians in Lebanon to leave; Rex banks on government bailout
Read the national news headlines for Thursday, August 1.
- by Josefine Ganko and Lachlan Abbott
Analysis
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
A new leader, an assassination and the nuclear option: Why world is sweating on Iran
The new Iranian president had been in power for just 10 hours when a senior Hamas leader was killed on the country’s soil. The world has held its breath for retaliation since.
- by David E. Sanger and Farnaz Fassihi
PM urges Australians to leave Lebanon due to ‘real risk of escalation’
After the deaths of senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, it’s thought conflict in the region could heighten amid retaliatory strikes.
- by Olivia Ireland and Josefine Ganko
Updated
Sharemarket
ASX closes at record high on rate cut hopes
The Australian sharemarket has risen after tech stocks drove a rally on Wall Street amid expectations that long-sought cuts to interest rates will be arriving soon.
- by Penry Buckley
Hamad crew a ‘live and active threat’ as police fear mass casualty attack
Police have opposed the release of an alleged tobacco crime syndicate lieutenant as they warn mass casualties could result from firebombing attacks.
- by Chris Vedelago
Albanese lays blame on Rex as finger pointing heats up
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the regional routes that Rex provides must continue, but its decision to move into capital city services had been misguided.
- by Amelia McGuire
The science behind why Paris’ ‘slow pool’ is affecting our swimmers
Australia are winning gold, but few world records are being set. Paris’ unusually shallow pool might be to blame.
- by Liam Mannix
Opinion
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The threat of an all-out regional inferno hangs over the Middle East
Israel’s decision to kill a top leader of Hamas on Iranian soil poured petrol onto a bonfire. The ramifications could be far-reaching and painful for us all.
- by Amin Saikal
Opinion
Workplace culture
Four simple ways to make meetings more productive – and less painful
Meetings can sap the joy from our workdays and consume precious time that could be better spend on meaningful tasks. Here’s how to fix them.
- by Shadé Zahrai
Updated
Wallabies
Koroibete back, Skelton overlooked as Wallabies name squad to meet Boks
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has revealed his squad to play the world champions next week – but there is one giant omission.
- by Iain Payten
If Olympic medals were given for apologies, these would make the podium
From drag queens recreating The Last Supper, to the IOC mixing up North and South Korea, to the Matildas coughing up goals, these are the best apologies of Paris 2024.
- by Thom Gibbs
Matildas part ways with coach Gustavsson after Olympics flop
Tony Gustavsson and Football Australia have agreed there will be no new contract after the Swede’s previous deal expired with the team’s elimination from Paris 2024.
- by Vince Rugari
Lithium crash to cost 300 jobs at miner in WA
The world’s largest lithium producer will slash production of the battery ingredient in WA, prompting the federal government to consider bringing forward planned assistance.
- by Peter Milne
Doctors asked to cut back on IV fluids amid ‘extreme’ global shortage
NSW Health has warned the state’s supply of intravenous fluids is critical as doctors say they may be forced to cancel some non-urgent surgeries.
- by Kate Aubusson and Angus Thomson
Violent storms becoming the norm in Mandurah, says SES
Severe thunderstorms across Perth and WA’s southern regions led to the SES receiving more than 45 calls for help statewide, mostly for water ingress, flooding and downed trees.
- by Claire Ottaviano
Opinion
Casinos
Reaching for the Star: Second inquiry on casino group fails to shock
Could it be that the casino regulator in NSW was a little trigger-happy when it ordered yet another inquiry into the Star’s suitability to hold a licence?
- by Elizabeth Knight
AFL star Marlion Pickett pleads not guilty to stealing more than $380,000 in Perth
The Richmond player was arrested last year in connection to a spate of commercial thefts. On Thursday, he formally denied having any involvement and will take the matter to trial.
- by Rebecca Peppiatt
The polar vortex bringing icy temperatures across southern Australia
A destabilised weather pattern has pushed the polar vortex high above Antarctica off course, pushing freezing winds into southern Australia. When will it end?
- by Bianca Hall
As it happened: Zhanle world record turns heads as Chalmers charges to silver, heartbreak for Matildas and O’Callaghan
Kyle Chalmers powered home in the 100m and Mollie O’Callaghan missed the podium on a night belonging to a young French star. The Matildas lost. Fox won gold again.
- by Billie Eder, Scott Spits, Andrew Wu and Vince Rugari
Everywhere you look in Paris, there are French police. Then you look again
The French police turning heads throughout Paris have sleek uniforms and jaunty hats but a chequered reputation.
- by Jordan Baker
Opinion
Interest rates
Donald Trump is on a collision course with an old foe
Donald Trump tried to fire Jerome Powell during his presidency before discovering he didn’t have the authority. Now the Fed chairman is set to throw a spanner in the works heading into November’s election.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Exclusive
Social media
Social media levy on the cards in escalation of news dispute
Smaller outlets like The Daily Aus and Broadsheet worry Meta will follow through on a threat, first reported in this masthead, to block all news content from Facebook and Instagram.
- by Paul Sakkal
The Olympians using TikTok to highlight the secrets of the village
Songs, pins and testing the cardboard beds: athletes are having a lot of fun behind the scenes in Paris.
- by Meg Watson
Webster in Paris
Paris 2024
Why Australian athletes should be the last to whinge about the Olympic Village
In the pursuit of making these Games as green as possible, Paris organisers have forgotten why we’re all here.
- by Andrew Webster
Opinion
Child abuse
Why hasn’t this abandoned WA ‘molestation sanctuary’ been bulldozed to the ground?
Festering in an unremarkable corner of the Great Southern historic town are rows of drab red brick buildings just waiting for someone to do the right thing and bulldoze the lot of them.
- by Gary Adshead
Once again Bell Shakespeare’s King Lear isn’t quite right
The talent is there in the company’s latest production, but here’s why it doesn’t quite work.
- by Cameron Woodhead, Andrew Fuhrmann and Jessica Nicholas
Teen charged over fatal UK dance school attack as social media fuels more riots
More than 100 people have been arrested in London after clashes near the prime minister’s residence between police and protesters apparently fired-up by false online rumours.
- by Brian Melley and Jill Lawless
Chinese swimmer won gold in world record time, then accused Chalmers of poolside snub
Chinese star Pan Zhanle obliterated the 100m freestyle world record on Wednesday night before calling out his Australian rival.
- by Tom Decent
Live
WA news live
As it happened: WA news on Thursday, August 1
Follow our live coverage here.
- by Holly Thompson
Updated
September 11 attacks
‘They’re cowards’: Main plotter in September 11 attacks agrees to plead guilty
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and two of his accomplices held at the Guantanamo prison, have agreed to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty.
Updated
World markets
$500 billion in a day: Nvidia’s Wall Street record sends founder up the rich list
Nvidia’s wild Wall Street ride this week has continued with a record day - and a windfall for Jensen Huang.
- by Subrat Patnaik
Todd Woodbridge’s son didn’t follow dad’s footsteps. He walked into a lead role instead
The tennis great’s son admits he’s the “odd one out” in a very sporty family as he prepares to take on the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen.
- by Louise Rugendyke
Before the 100m final, Mollie’s hands did not tremble. Perhaps it was a sign
Mollie O’Callaghan is a swimmer possessed by intense, nervous energy. It helped her beat Ariarne Titmus. Two days later, it was gone.
- by Emma Kemp
Analysis
Paris 2024
This was classic backs-to-the-wall Matildas – and that was the problem
An Olympic campaign sputtered to an end in Marseille as the Matildas succumbed 2-1 to the US, their forever nemesis. It was an unprepossessing way to go out.
- by Greg Baum
Donald Trump questions if Kamala Harris is black at meeting of black journalists
The former president suggested Harris “turned black” for political gain and questioned if she is a diversity hire, in a talk where he hoped to woo black voters.
- by Farrah Tomazin
Fox said seven words to herself, and smiled like an assassin. She raced like one
Jess Fox needed the run of her life to secure her second gold medal in Paris. With one stunning run under the Parisian sun, she did exactly that, and cemented herself in Australian Olympic lore.
- by Konrad Marshall
As it happened: Truth-telling set to fill Voice gap; Gladys Berejiklian loses ICAC court challenge
Keep up to day with today’s headlines with our national news live blog.
- by Josefine Ganko
Canada were busted for spying in Paris. They told FIFA it happens regularly
Canadian officials admitted in evidence to FIFA that spying on opponents was routinely done after the women’s team was caught using drones at the Paris Olympics.
- by Graham Dunbar
Hamas terror chief boasted of his freedom. Hours later, he was dead
The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh has plunged the Middle East into dangerous waters.
- by James Crisp and Akhtar Makoii
★★★½
Review
De Niro plays yet another grumpy old man – but this time it works
Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale play the parents of a nine-year-old with autism in this engaging drama.
- by Sandra Hall
★★★★
Review
Russell Crowe has never allowed vanity to dictate his career – and that’s why he’s great
In the noir thriller Sleeping Dogs, Crowe proves again what an exceptional character actor he is when he plays a retired detective with Alzheimer’s disease who is revisiting an old case.
- by Sandra Hall
What to read next: A comedian’s first novel and memoir of East Germany
Our reviewers cast their eyes over recent fiction and non-fiction.
- by Cameron Woodhead and Steven Carroll
The ‘pulsating sense of grievance’ driving Donald Trump’s supporters
J.D. Vance is uniting a powerful group of Republican supporters and some former party faithful fear what it means for the future.
- by Peter Hartcher
‘Disgraceful squabbling’: Students suffer as governments brawl over school billions
The Victorian government is bristling after Canberra tied federal funding to school reforms including mandatory phonics tests. Education advocates want an end to the stoush.
- by Noel Towell
Opinion
Political leadership
Whatever his achievements as PM, another rate rise would just about bury Albanese
Anthony Albanese has been road testing his themes for the election. So has Peter Dutton, who says that the PM is a good bloke. But of course, there’s a catch.
- by Niki Savva
★★★★★
Streaming
Binge all six seasons of this remarkable drama while you can
The Americans was a masterful production with painfully nuanced performances by Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys.
- by Craig Mathieson
Women’s boxer identifying as a man calls for transgender Olympians to be banned
As a gender debate flared in Paris, a boxer from the Philippines who fought in the women’s competition declared, “I still consider myself as a trans man because my heart says so”.
- by Michael Chammas
Second ‘upper tier’ property boom expected in Perth
This huge increase in the collective wealth of Perth property owners is laying the basis for a second locally driven property boom.
- by Sarah Brookes
‘Dramatic slowdown’: How property values changed after years of higher rates
Home buyers can’t borrow as much money, but owners are pushing ahead with plans to sell now, and new figures show the fallout.
- by Elizabeth Redman
Aussie gets the last laugh as Chinese swimmer bombs out, suddenly stops talking
China’s Qin Haiyang speaks fluent English but has avoided questions about how a performance-enhancing drug ended up in his system.
- by Tom Decent
Updated
Paris 2024
We obsessed about poo in the Seine. Once the triathlon began, that wasn’t the problem
Australian triathlete Sophie Linn thought she had been part of a bizarre video game rather than an Olympic triathlon.
- by Michael Gleeson
Updated
Crime
BBC asked to explain why it paid top news presenter $393,000 after his arrest
Huw Edwards was one of the BBC’s most prominent figures has pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children.
Opinion
Paris 2024
Why I still have faith that the Matildas can keep their Olympic dream alive
Australia is pretty quick to dump on an underperforming team, but there are two reasons why I think the Matildas can reach the knockout phase from here.
- by Elise Kellond-Knight
Our eight favourite luxury homes for sale right now
From a sparkling beachfront panorama to a palatial family home and a country estate, we’ve rounded up our pick of the bunch.
- by Kate Farrelly