Welcome to the Afternoon Update. A well-known organised crime figure – known as the “angel of death” – was gunned down in an “execution-style murder” in Sydney overnight in what police believe is the first organised crime-related murder in the city in six months.
Tarek Ayoub, 29, who police said was connected to several organised crime networks, was gunned down outside an apartment building on Harold Street in Parramatta in a “hail of bullets” about 3.30am on Monday.
“He was known colloquially as the angel of death,” Det Supt Danny Doherty told reporters.
“He lived by the sword. Died by the sword. There’s no surprise to the police that he was murdered in the way he has been murdered.”
Top news
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra boss steps down | The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) managing director, Sophie Galaise, has left the organisation, and the musician and former arts minister Peter Garrett has been appointed to lead an external review. It comes after the MSO cancelled the performance of an acclaimed pianist who dedicated a piece to slain journalists in Gaza.
Media watchdog warning over gambling ads | Channel 10 is on notice after breaching the gambling advertising ban during live sport, subjecting viewers to 17 different wagering commercials during a Socceroos friendly and an A-League women’s match.
Charlise Mutten’s killer sentenced | The man who fatally shot schoolgirl Charlise Mutten and dumped her body in a barrel in Sydney’s Blue Mountains has been sentenced to life in prison for the “shockingly callous crime”.
Gerard Rennick’s new party plans | Rennick, a Queensland senator, is planning to register a new political party – the People First party – after quitting the Liberal National party.
Backlash over census decision | An LGBTQ+ lobby group says the prime minister should not march in Mardi Gras after the Albanese government quietly dumped a proposal to include a question about sexuality and gender diversity in the upcoming census.
European Commission to miss gender target | The first female president of the EU executive, Ursula von der Leyen, is set to miss her target of a gender-balanced top team at the European Commission, after EU governments snubbed her request to propose male and female candidates.
Venezuelan president intent on third term | Nearly a month after the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, detained more than 1,600 people during a roundup of perceived opponents, many expect him to ride out the threats to his 11-year rule.
An Oasis reunion? | It is the musical reconciliation that many fans believed would never happen, but the word on the street is that an Oasis tour is definitely, maybe on the cards for 2025.
What they said …
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“That’s why we’re lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 10, so that young people can be held accountable and that appropriate consequences for their age are delivered, such as boot camps.”
In a press conference after the Country Liberal party’s resounding win in the Northern Territory election, Lia Finocchiaro, the incoming chief minister, confirmed the party’s plan to reduce the criminal age of responsibility in the territory from 12 to 10.
Finocchiaro, who will also hold the police portfolio in the territory, later said : “Our whole of government response to addressing law and order is something that must be started immediately.”
In numbers
On 22 August, some first class fares on flights between Australia and the US were listed online at less than $5,000 return, about $15,000 cheaper than usual.
About 300 customers made bookings during the eight hours the mistakenly reduced flights were on offer.
In a statement, a Qantas spokesperson said this was “a case where the fare was actually too good to be true”, citing a coding error.
“As a gesture of good will, we’re rebooking customers in business class at no additional cost,” the spokesperson said. “Customers also have the option of a full refund.”
Before bed read
From the sandy beaches of Thitu Island, blue waters stretch for as far as the eye can see. It feels like a tranquil paradise: there’s no noisy road traffic, air pollution or crowds. But Thitu is not a luxury retreat, it’s a tiny island in the remote Spratly chain and one of the world’s most fiercely contested maritime sites.
Thitu has been occupied by the Philippines since 1974 and is home to 387 civilians. However, China also claims the island and much of the surrounding South China Sea.
Rebecca Ratcliffe writes about how Thitu and its people are on the frontline of an intensifying struggle against their superpower neighbour.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: SEP. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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