Good afternoon. Queensland police are back in the spotlight following disturbing footage showing an officer repeatedly punching a driver in the head.
The Queensland police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, defended the officer’s actions as a “very effective use of force”.
News has also emerged that the US navy detected the Titanic sub’s implosion soon after it went missing, suggesting they suspected the crew had been lost before a frantic search and rescue effort was launched.
Top news
Titan sub implosion detected | The US Navy said it passed the information on to the US Coast Guard, while the film director James Cameron claims his sources in the deep-sea exploration industry also detected the implosion. “We got confirmation within an hour that there had been a loud bang at the same time that the sub comms were lost. A loud bang on the hydrophone. Loss of transponder. Loss of comms. I knew what happened. The sub imploded,” Cameron said.
Russian diplomat squats in Canberra | Anthony Albanese has described a Russian diplomat squatting to prevent his government’s eviction from its planned Canberra embassy site as “some bloke standing on a blade of grass” who poses no threat to Australia’s national security. Labor last week rushed through new laws designed to terminate Russia’s lease on the site of its proposed embassy, which the Russian government has vowed to challenge in the high court.
Man sentenced for killing partner as she tried to end relationship | Paul McDonough will spend 11 years and six months in prison for the death of 28-year-old Bekkie-Rae Curren-Trinca. Neighbours saw McDonough chase Curren-Trinca down the road and throw her back in the house, where he assaulted her throughout one night in late November 2019, culminating in her death. Her life support was turned off on 4 December 2019. McDonough pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Another man sentenced for DV | In a separate horrific domestic violence case, a Brazilian federal court has sentenced engineer Mário Marcelo Santoro to 27 years in prison, after he confessed to the 2018 murder of former girlfriend Cecília Haddad in Australia. In April 2018, the body of Haddad, then 38, was found in the Lane Cove River in Sydney, a few miles from her apartment. By then, Santoro had already left the country and flown back to Brazil.
Victoria public transport fare hike | The Victorian Greens and Liberals have lashed out at the Andrews Labor government for suddenly hiking fares amid the cost-of-living crisis. From 1 July, a single public transport fare will rise from $4.60 to $5 while a daily fare will go from $9.20 to $10, representing an 8.7% increase – above the current inflation rate of 7%.
South Australia rejects rent freeze | The Labor premier, Peter Malinauskas, has backed his federal colleagues in rejecting the Greens push for a rent freeze – despite a majority of Australians supporting the idea. “We don’t support a cap on the size of rent increases because we’re desperately concerned about the signal that would send investors,” he said.
Jacinda Ardern book | The former New Zealand prime minister says the focus of the book she is writing will be more on leadership than politics. “Like the idea you can be your own kind of leader and still make a difference. And so that’s what I’m planning to do.”
China heatwave | Beijing logged its hottest June day since records began as swathes of northern China sweltered in 40C heat. The capital upgraded its warning for hot weather to “red” – the highest in a colour-coded alert system.
In video
Warning: graphic footage.
Bystanders captured video of a Queensland police officer repeatedly punching a driver inside a vehicle after a crash in Brisbane.
What they said …
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“There’s a potential tragedy unfolding with a submarine that is getting minute-to-minute coverage, all around the world … But the fact that’s gotten so much more attention than 700 people who sank is – that’s an untenable situation.” – Barack Obama
The former US president was referring to the migrant boat that sank off the Greek coast last week. Read the Guardian’s take on this.
In numbers
Diabetes will pose “a serious challenge to healthcare systems worldwide”, researchers say, blaming the increase on rapidly rising obesity levels and widening health inequalities.
Before bed read
What to do if your sexual needs are not being met in your otherwise loving relationship? Do you try to have your cake and eat it too?
“I have an anonymous online profile on a kink dating site,” one reader wrote in. “I started talking with someone who shared my interests. We met, and the sexual encounter was satisfying to a level I have never experienced before. We have continued to meet on a weekly basis for six months. Neither party knows about the other.
“Should I leave my partner because of the gap between our sexual tastes? Should I give up my kink desires for what is otherwise a relationship I would have no reason to leave?”
Read advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith’s response.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: GING. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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