TRANSCRIPT
- Grief and anger as 100 people killed in an Israeli attack on a Gaza school
- A delegation of Pacific Island leaders to visit New Caledonia for a fact-finding mission
- Australian Jess Hull makes history with her silver medal win in the 1500-metres at the Paris Games.
The Gaza Civil Emergency Service says around 100 people are dead after an Israeli airstrike hit a Gaza City school compound housing displaced Palestinian families.
The IDF confirmed it hit the compound, saying its air force "precisely struck Hamas terrorists operating within a Hamas command and control centre embedded" in the building.
It is at least the fifth attack on a school in Gaza by the Israeli military since last Sunday.
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought shelter in Gaza's schools, most of which have been closed since the war began 10 months ago.
Witness Abu Anas says the attack came without warning.
"(Israel) as usual didn’t give a warning. It strikes regardless of whether there are children, women, young people, or old people. They are peaceful people in the mosque, one of Allah’s houses. There were people praying. There were people washing, and there were people upstairs sleeping including children, women and old people. The missile befell on them without warning. The first missile, and the second (hit them). We recovered them as body parts."
**
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown will lead a high-level Pacific Islands Forum mission to New Caledonia in the next fortnight [[before August 26]].
The French Pacific territory was the scene of violent riots in May that were triggered by controversial electoral reforms that has now been put on hold [[suspended]].
Approved by French President Emmanuel Macron, the mission will include Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele.
Speaking on Radio New Zealand, the French ambassador to the Pacific Véronique Roger-Lacan says there is agreement the mission should take place before the next Pacific Island Leaders Meeting in Tonga on August 26.
"So I gave a letter to Secretary General, Baron Waqa and Prime Minister Brown the chair in office, and it's a letter that I signed that President Macron wants me to sign on his behalf, mentioning that it's a good idea. It's important that everyone can assess the situation together with us, and that our dialogue registration is very important."
**
Police in Victoria say they are expecting another "catastrophic" year on the state's roads, amid a spike in deaths of pedestrians and motorcyclists.
The death toll of motorcyclists has nearly doubled from last year, jumping to 42 to date in 2024, while 29 pedestrians have lost their lives so far this year, an increase from 22 by this time in 2023.
The state's overall road toll has reached 173 in August, the same total as by this time in 2023.
Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir says the spike can't continue and that the increase in motorcyclist deaths is a "really horrifying jump in trauma".
He also says the trend of "poor behaviour on the roads" is not going away and is an issue not limited to Victoria but seen in other states across Australia.
**
Jessica Hull has made history on the track, becoming the first Australian woman to win an Olympic 1500-metre medal.
The 27-year-old surged from third place in the final 100 metres to take silver, behind Kenya's Faith Kipyegon at the Paris Games.
Hull crossed the finish line in three minutes 52.56 seconds - her second-fastest time ever.
Meanwhile, the Stingers, will return to Australia with a silver medal.
Unbeaten throughout the tournament, the team fell short in the women's water polo final, losing 11-9 to a formidable Spanish team.
Despite five goals from top scorer Alice Williams, they couldn't secure the gold, extending their 24-year wait for a title since their victory in Sydney 2000.
Spain, inspired by Bea Ortiz and Maica Garcia Godoy, claimed the gold, improving on their silver from the Tokyo Games.
**
A lawyer for Algerian boxer Imane Khelif says the athlete has filed a legal complaint in France for online harassment.
In a statement, lawyer Nabil Boudi said the case on aggravated online harassment is "a fight for justice, dignity and honour" - and aims to "determine who was behind this misogynist, racist and sexist campaign".
Khelif won a gold medal [[Friday night local time]] in the women's 66kg final against China's Yang Liu in a unanimous points decision.
But the win has been overshadowed by allegations over her gender, fuelled by social media with critics citing a 2023 decision by a now-discredited boxing regulator to bar her from a women’s tournament.
Khelif is Algeria's first Olympic gold medallist in women’s boxing - and their first boxer overall to win gold since 1996.
Speaking at a post-match press conference, she says it is frustrating that she has to continue to defend herself against those she called "enemies of success".
"As for whether I qualify or not, whether I am a woman or not, I have made many statements in the media,” Khelif said after her victory. “I am fully qualified to take part in this competition. I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I lived a woman, I competed as a woman, there’s no doubt about that. [The detractors] are enemies of success, that is what I call them. And that also gives my success a special taste because of these attacks."
