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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Mike Hohnen

Afternoon Update: PM says denying Gaza starvation ‘beyond comprehension’; five dead in NYC shooting; and black-market Labubus

A charity distributes meals to Palestinians facing food shortages amid ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza.
A charity distributes meals to Palestinians facing food shortages amid ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza. Photograph: APAImages/Shutterstock

Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update.

Anthony Albanese says it is “beyond comprehension” that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the country’s embassy in Canberra have claimed there is no starvation crisis in Gaza.

The prime minister referred to comments from Netanyahu as well as comments reported from a Monday briefing from the deputy Israeli ambassador, Amir Meron, that Israel believed photos of starving Palestinians were “false pictures” from a “false campaign that is being [led] by Hamas”, adding: “We don’t recognise any famine or any starvation in the Gaza strip.”

Albanese noted that while there should be a “caveat” on any health information shared by Hamas, Israel had blocked many journalists from entering Gaza to report firsthand on the conflict and the humanitarian situation on the ground. The Israeli embassy in Canberra was contacted for comment.

The Greens have called for Australia to implement additional sanctions on Israel, matching the measures applied over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Top news

In pictures

After 21 stages and 3,338km, this year’s Tour de France came to an end in Paris. Here are our favourite images from the last three weeks of blood, sweat and gears.

What they said …

***

“We’re irrelevant right now, who cares what it looks [like] right now.”

While some are waiting for Sussan Ley to come out and state her position on net zero, Matt Canavan, one of the Coalition’s loudest climate action critics, said today that there’s “no particular rush”, adding that the party has a bigger issue to face.

In numbers

Having grown up allergic to bees, Pip Harry was naturally concerned when a swarm found refuge in her home. However, after weeks living with a “constant low hum” and learning more about their behaviour and habits, Harry’s long-held fear and anxiety began to dissipate. And once the bees were gone, the house felt too quiet, she writes.

Before bed read

Labubus, the “ugly-cute” elf sold by Chinese company Pop Mart, have become a sensation. As a result, fake Labubus – also known as Lafufus – are flooding the hidden market. Authorities are aggressively cracking down on fakes – pushing production into the shadows.

Daily word game

Today’s starter word is: OOSE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.

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