A teenage boy left with life-threatening injuries after an altercation at a Brisbane high school; a high-ranking member of crime syndicate arrested over Melbourne arson attacks; and in football, Argentina and England to face off in the World Cup semi-final.
Listen to Australian and world news and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT
- A teenage boy left with life-threatening injuries after an altercation at a Brisbane high school
- A high-ranking member of crime syndicate arrested over Melbourne arson attacks
- Argentina and England to face off in the World Cup semi-final
A teenage boy is fighting for his life after being stabbed at a high school in Queensland.
The 17-year-old sustained life threatening injuries in an altercation at the Islamic College of Brisbane this afternoon.
Queensland Police say a 16 year old is assisting police with their inquiries.
It is the second stabbing at a Queensland school in as many days, with the first involving a 15 year old boy who was injured at a Cairns high school in the state's far north on Monday.
.
Police in Victoria say they've arrested a high-ranking member of an organised crime syndicate who they allege is behind a spate of violent crimes at Melbourne hospitality venues.
Armed Crime Squad Detectives allege a 20-year-old Essendon man ordered others to commit crimes including home invasions, fire-bombings and kidnappings over a period of several months.
Investigators believe the man was directed by other members of an organised crime syndicate led by alleged tobacco kingpin Kaz Hamad before his arrest in Iraq.
Detective Inspector Graham Banks says the arrest is the most consequential in a lengthy police operation.
"There's a number of persons offshore of which he's one, who are very closely intertwined with Kaz hamad when he was at freedom. the power shift since Hamad's arrest has been that several people have been doing certain activities. This particular has been directing, we believe, a significant proportion of harm. He's a person we would have hoped to have had in our custody several years ago, and we have now been able to do that."
.
A wildlife refuge in Queensland is awaiting test results for a sick bird discovered on the Sunshine Coast.
The northern giant petrel was found on a nearby beach, sparking fears the deadly H5 strain of bird flu may have spread further.
If tests come back positive, it would be Queensland's first bird flu case, and the fourth Australian state affected.
Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue has already employed a builder to expand its quarantine facility area in anticipation of more sick birds arriving.
.
The federal government says it will consider extending the fuel excise if the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate.
The cut on fuel excise on petrol and diesel until August 2 - at a reduced rate of 16 cents per dollar.
US President Donald Trump has said the US plans to charge a 20 per cent toll on oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a new blockade on the critical waterway, after days of the US and Iran exchanging strikes.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia does not want to see further escalation, while Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain says the government is closely monitoring the impact of tensions on oil prices.
"We wanna see a lasting peace deal struck because ultimately at the end of the day, it is local families, local businesses and industry that are paying the price for any delay in shipping. We will continue to work broadly with partners to call for that de-escalation. But I think the Treasurer has already made clear that we would reassess this situation in the coming weeks to see what was happening, and make a decision as we get closer to the end of July."
.
New national data shows cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are improving.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report has used new methods to build the most comprehensive picture yet of cancer outcomes for First Nations people, finding that both diagnosis and death rates falling.
Significant disparities however still remain, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people still twice as likely to be diagnosed with cancers that have low survival rates, including lung and liver cancer.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death, accounting for more than a quarter of all First Nations cancer deaths.
.
And in football, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni says there is nothing more than football at stake when his team faces England in the World Cup semi-final on Thursda.
From England's win at the 1966 World Cup to the shadow of the 1982 Falklands War, meetings between the two countries have often felt larger than football, including Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal in 1986 and fierce duels in 1998 and 2002.
This match will be the first time Lionel Messi has faced England - and the 39-year-old will be looking to extend his record as the all-time top goalscorer in the history of the FIFA World Cup.
Argentina fan Alejandro Malia says he is expecting a challenging contest.
"It's a complicated game. Although (Lionel) Scaloni said in the press conference that it didn't have any further connotation, we all know it does. But he wanted to play down the heat of the game. We know it's going to be difficult, very difficult. England is performing very well. A complicated game is waiting for us, not difficult to win but definitely complicated."
And you can watch the game on Thursday at 4am Australian Eastern Standard Time live on SBS and SBS On Demand. There is also extended World Cup coverage with our podcast, the 90-plus.
