Afternoon Update: arrests made in Sydney counter-terror raids; inflation rate slows; and a cask wine taste test

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Counter-terrorism raids have been carried out by police in Sydney in relation to the alleged stabbing attack by a 16-year-old boy at the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd church last week.

Seven young people were arrested in the raids on Wednesday, while five other people are assisting police with their inquiries.

The New South Wales police deputy commissioner, David Hudson, said more than 400 members of the joint counter-terrorism team and the NSW crime commission were part of the operation that began about 11.15am.

Top news

• Inflation rate slows to 3.6% | Australia’s inflation rate slowed less than expected in the March quarter as rents and education costs increased, dimming hopes the cost-of-living crunch was easing and lessening chances of a 2024 interest rate cut.

• Bail decision review after Forbes woman’s alleged murder | The NSW government has ordered a review of the decisions a court made to bail a man who is facing charges of raping and stalking Molly Ticehurst, and who has subsequently been charged with her murder.

• Bishop says stabbing video should not be removed from X, court hears | The bishop who was allegedly stabbed in his Sydney church has written an affidavit for Elon Musk’s X arguing that the video of the incident should not be censored as the Australian online safety regulator has ordered, the federal court has heard.

• Spears taken by Captain Cook returned to traditional owners | Four spears stolen from Kamay, now known as Botany Bay in Sydney, by Captain James Cook and his crew have been returned to their traditional owners after more than 250 years. Forty spears were recorded as being taken by the British in 1770, at the time of first contact between the local Gweagal people and the crew of the Endeavour.

• US Senate passes bill banning TikTok if it is not sold | The Senate voted Tuesday to pass a bill that will either ban TikTok or force a sale of the short-form video app, giving its China-based parent company ByteDance up to one year to divest its crown jewel before facing deletion from US app stores.

• Russian minister accused of taking large bribe | A Russian deputy defence minister has been detained on suspicion of bribe-taking, the country’s top law enforcement agency has said, a rare move amid the offensive in Ukraine. The investigative committee reported Timur Ivanov’s detention on Tuesday without offering any details of the accusations against him, saying only that he is suspected of taking an especially large bribe – a criminal offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

• Scientists learn what giant prehistoric shark looked like | Fossil experts say they have gained unprecedented insights into a type of enormous prehistoric shark, after finding complete skeletons of the creatures. The specimens, discovered in small quarries in north-eastern Mexico within the last decade, belong to Ptychodus – a creature that roamed the seas about 100m years ago.

• Caitlin Clark set to ink record $28m Nike deal | The most prolific scorer in NCAA Division I history and the No 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft will continue her association with Nike by signing a $28m contract that spans eight years and includes a signature shoe. The Wall Street Journal and the Athletic reported the pending deal, citing unnamed people familiar with the negotiations between the sportswear giant and Clark’s agents.

• Louvre to host yoga classes during Paris Olympics | The world’s biggest museum will offer visitors the chance to take part in dance, yoga and work-out sessions with instructors and coaches while gazing upon its world-renowned paintings and sculptures. The announcement was one of several on Tuesday aimed at whipping up Olympic enthusiasm ahead of the Games.

In pictures

Athens swallowed up by orange haze from Sahara dust storm

Clouds of dust blown in from the Sahara covered Athens and other Greek cities on Tuesday, one of the worst such episodes to hit the country since 2018, officials said.

A yellow-orange haze smothered several regions after days of strong winds from the south, limiting visibility and prompting warnings from the authorities of breathing risks.

What they said …

***

“I feel like they are a really nice animal, I like them because of their noise.” – Cooper Wallace, a nine-year-old gull enthusiast.

It’s not too often we hear praise for the seagull, but despite admitting they “can be a bit scary”, Wallace has channelled his inner gull to take out the coveted European gull screeching championship in Belgium.

Road fatalities across the country jumped by 8.2% year-on-year to the end of March, according to the Australian Automobile Association’s report into the national road safety strategy.

NSW had the biggest rise in road deaths, with a 33% increase to 364 fatalities. Victoria had a 13% rise to 291 deaths, while deaths in the Northern Territory surged 21% to 45.

Before bed read

Australian cask wine taste test: ‘I could pour this here at the bar – no problem at all’

Sommelier Samantha Payne swills her way through nine glasses of red “chateau cardboard”, uncovering aromas of the “Gold Coast in the 80s” and overcooked rhubarb.

Daily word game

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

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