More testimony from Jewish students and academics at Royal Commission into antisemitism and social cohesion; further charges over the murder of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian; and in Tennis, Alex de Minaur reaches a career-high ranking of world No.5.
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TRANSCRIPT
- More testimony from Jewish students and academics at Royal Commission into antisemitism and social cohesion
- Further charges over the murder of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian...
- Alex de Minaur reaches a career-high ranking of world No.5
The royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion has continued to hear testimony from Jewish university students and academics.
This week, the commission is examining responses by universities to combat antisemitism on-campus, particularly following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 - and Israel's subsequent war in Gaza.
University of Melbourne professor Steven Prawer says he had concerns about his safety, with the increase in pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
He recalled an incident when he found between 15 and 20 people - with their faces covered - in his office.
"And this was only one year after the atrocities in Israel, so I was very perturbed. I had no idea at this stage, if it was a protest, if it was a terrorist attack."
On Monday, the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Hugh de Kretser, told the royal commission there had been a large increase in racist incidents following October 2023, affecting Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian, Muslim, and Middle Eastern staff and students.
He says the majority of those who complained to universities were disappointed with the outcome of the process.
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Australian drivers could take a financial hit if the United States president goes ahead with plans to charge a toll for oil tankers travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.
The government is calling for de-escalation and a lasting peace deal in the Middle East after Donald Trump announced plans to reinstate the US blockade on Iranian ships and ports in the strait.
In peacetime, the strait was the shipping channel for about one-fifth of the world's oil, but the waterway has been subject to on-again, off-again closures during the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The US has launched a new wave of missile attacks on Iran, which also has tried to impose its own tolls on vessels travelling through the strait.
Mr Trump saying the channel is still open to non-Iranian ships.
"And we're controlling the Straits, we're putting the blockade back, and it's a blockade not for anybody but Iran. In other words, anybody doing business with Iran can't go through. Everyone else will be able to go through, so it's very strong blockade. The blockade was probably more effective even than hitting them, but I think the combination is the thing that really does it."
Iran's top joint military command says the United States has no role in determining the future of Hormuz and would not be allowed to intervene in the strait.
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A further four men have been charged over the alleged mistaken identity kidnapping and murder of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian.
The latest charges include a 32-year-old man, alleged to have coordinated the plot, who was initially arrested in February on unrelated charges.
It takes the total number of people charged so far over the incident to 11.
Police say it was a botched extortion attempt.
Over the course of the investigation, detectives uncovered evidence that the man allegedly coordinated and participated in the kidnapping and murder of Mr Baghsarian, formally arresting him on July 8.
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Actors, directors and musicians have taken to social media to mourn the death of actor Sam Neill at the age of 78.
In a statement, director Steven Spielberg paid tribute to Neill, saying he "adored making all the Jurassic movies with him."
Actor Richard Grant described Neill as a "Gentleman in the truest sense" on Instagram, while singer Kylie Minogue commented "Vale Sam" underneath the family’s post.
Neill, whose career included more than 50 movies said an interview in 2024 that he was grateful for the life he had led.
"There's nothing I like better than getting on a plane and going somewhere I haven't been before and working with a new cast and having another adventure. And, it's a very privileged life I've had, I have to say. And that's down to acting. It wasn't something that I expected. I never expected to have a career as an actor at all. I come from a very tiny little place in New Zealand. There were about six professional actors in the whole country when I started out."
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In Tennis, Alex de Minaur has achieved a career-high ranking of world no. 5.
He is the first Australian to be ranked inside the top five of the men's rankings since Lleyton Hewitt in 2009 - and seventh Australian man to be in the top 5.
The 27-year-old won 11 of his first 13 matches this year, and claimed his 12th ATP singles title in Rotterdam in February, taking him from world No.8 to No.6.
Despite his defeat to Flavio Cobolli at Wimbledon, de Minaur has reached the semifinals on each surface for the first time in four years.
