US launches fresh strikes on Iran; Closing the Gap progress stalls as justice targets worsen; Alex de Minaur to face Cruz Hewitt in all-Australian Washington clash.
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TRANSCRIPT
- US launches fresh strikes on Iran following Iranian attack on a base in Jordan
- Closing the Gap progress stalls as justice targets worsen
- Alex de Minaur to face Cruz Hewitt in an all-Australian Washington clash
United States Central Command says it has launched new strikes in Iran, in response to what it describes as attempted Iranian attack on US forces in the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump earlier vowed to strike Iran with force, after Iran fired missiles at a US military base in Jordan.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard says Wednesday's surprise attack on Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base – a key US military hub for the region – was in response to recent US strikes.
Speaking from the Oval Office, the US President says there is still a chance to reach a negotiated settlement with Iran, but for now, his attention is on ensuring Iran's strikes don't go unpunished.
"We’re going to be hitting them very hard, because it's our turn to hit them. They know it's coming. They're asking us not to do it, but, you know, they tried shooting it last night. So we had five rockets going 8,500 miles an hour. And all five rockets were knocked down to the ground, but they, nevertheless, took a shot. So it's our turn."
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The Productivity Commission’s annual review of the government's Closing the Gap agreement has once again found that progress is stalled.
Just one of 19 targets has been met ahead of the 2031 deadline, while four key areas are getting worse.
The biggest failure towards Closing the Gap remains justice.
The rate of First Nations Prisoners increased to more than 2,500 per 100,000 adults in 2025, with Victoria the only state with improving rates.
First Nations youth were also over-represented in detention.
There were 25.7 children between 10 and 17 per 10,000 detained on the average day between 2024 and 2025.
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Federal Labor MP Luke Gosling has been arrested by Northern Territory Police over allegations he assaulted NT Administrator, David Connolly, who performs a similar role to a state governor.
It's alleged the incident occurred at a public event on Saturday 18 July 2026 in Darwin, with police saying an investigation began last week, and Mr Gosling remains in custody.
The member for Solomon has released a short statement saying he is cooperating fully with police inquiries.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister issued a statement, too, saying "There is a legal process underway. It would be inappropriate to comment further."
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The eSafety Commission is suing communications app, Telegram, for alleged failures to remove extremist and terrorism-related content from its platform.
The eSafety Commission claims Telegram did not remove the content from public view, even after users reported the issue.
The case also refers to alleged failure to remove accounts, channels and groups connected to the extremist content.
Commissioner Julie Inman Grant describes the content as "horrific", saying it has been used to spread propaganda and for radicalisation.
"We allege that this content remained publicly on the service, long after Telegram had been put on notice by user reports. Some material had been highly visible on the service for three months when users made the reports. And we allege that the content in question is class 1 content or has been, or is likely to be classified as RC or refused classification."
Telegram has not responded to these allegations.
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The Australian Communications and Media Authority is suing Optus over the extensive failure of its triple zero call service last September.
The regulator will allege in the Federal Court that Optus Mobile breached two separate legal obligations on more than 1,000 occasions.
Over more than 12 hours, hundreds of callers were unable to reach emergency lines, with multiple deaths linked to the outage.
Australia's second-largest telecommunications company could face fines of up to $250,000 per contravention.
In a statement, Optus declined to comment on the proceedings as the matter is before court, but the company said it is investing to improve the resilience of its network.
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A South Australian police officer has been hospitalised with serious neck injuries after she was allegedly stabbed while responding to reports of an armed man in Adelaide's north.
Police say officers were called to Elizabeth East, where a 27-year-old man allegedly attacked the officer before he was shot in the leg by other police.
He remains in hospital under police guard and is expected to face serious charges.
Superintendent Trent Cox has praised the officers involved.
"They responded to what was clearly an evolving and very rapidly dangerous situation. ... I wish to acknowledge the courage and the professionalism."
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And now to sport, and tennis,
Two Australians are set for a show-down in the second round of the Washington Open.
Alex de Minaur has beaten Stefanos Tsitsipas in a scrappy three-setter, finishing 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
De Minaur is defending his title in the American capital and will play fellow Aussie, Cruz Hewitt.
Cruz Hewitt, the son of former world champion Lleyton Hewitt, won his ATP main-draw debut and says he is thrilled at the prospect of playing De Minaur, whom he described as a mentor and like a brother to him.
