Good afternoon.
Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has condemned the actions of a far-right Israeli minister who posted a video of himself abusing bound activists captured while trying to sail an aid flotilla to Gaza.
Wong joined international condemnation of the footage, which shows Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, waving an Israeli flag and mocking and taunting the detainees, including shouting “the people of Israel live” in the face of one bound man.
Among the flotilla detainees were 11 Australian activists who were taken into custody by Israeli forces off the coast of Cyprus earlier this week, but it is not known if they were present in Ben-Gvir’s video.
In a statement, Wong said “the images we have seen are shocking and unacceptable”.
“We condemn the actions of Israeli minister Ben-Gvir – who Australia has sanctioned – and the degrading actions of Israeli authorities towards those detained,” Wong said on Thursday morning.
“I have asked Australia’s ambassador to Israel to make representations to Israel, reiterating our call for the release of the detained Australians and for Israel to ensure no ill treatment of any detainees and to act in line with international obligations.”
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In pictures
Authorities in Texas had to remove a Tesla Cybertruck from a lake after the driver intentionally drove into it in an attempt to try the vehicle’s “wade mode”.
The vehicle became disabled and took on water, prompting the driver and passengers to abandon it before calling for help.
The driver was arrested on charges of operating a vehicle in a closed section of a park or lake, as well as several water safety equipment violations.
“We want to remind drivers that although a vehicle may be physically capable of entering shallow freshwater areas, doing so can create legal and safety concerns under Texas law,” local police said.
What they said …
***
“They’re not gangsters, they are not people causing trouble, they are just normal people who want a good life” – New Zealander Betty Wihongi, whose daughter Everlee has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Everlee Wihongi, 37, who moved to the US when she was six and holds a green card, was detained in Los Angeles on 10 April, after a family trip to New Zealand.
After an agonising seven-hour wait at the airport, Wihongi called her family saying there had been an issue with a historical conviction and she was being sent to an ICE processing facility in Adelanto, California.
Wihongi had a conviction for possession of marijuana dating back more than a decade and she had travelled in and out of the country several times without issue.
Podcast
Are Xi and Putin still ‘best friends’? – The Latest
Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin to Beijing with pomp and pageantry, just days after hosting Donald Trump.
But as Russia’s war in Ukraine makes Moscow increasingly dependent on China, and western leaders thaw relations with Beijing, Lucy Hough and the Guardian’s deputy head of international news, Devika Bhat, ask what the power imbalance means for Xi and Putin’s relationship.
Before bed read
In 2010 Colin Chee picked up the keys to his tiny off-the-plan apartment in Melbourne’s city centre.
With no design experience and a limited budget, his quest to find inspiration eventually led to the birth of Never Too Small, a YouTube channel showcasing clever designs for small spaces from around the world. Launched in 2017, it now has more than 3 million subscribers.
A housing crisis and a surge in apartment building means more Australians are searching for ways to make the most of small-scale abodes.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: UGH. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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