RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today
A TV host has enraged viewers — and his female co-host — for giving the worst on-air apology after shaming a Bachelorette star and calling her a “sl*t”.
GOOD morning, and welcome to our morning news coverage. We will be bringing you the best of what’s happening this morning, so you can get across the news quickly.
TODAY:
• Aussie weightlifter Francois Etoundi arrested on assault charges in Glasgow
• Fox News host sl*t-shames Bachelorette star
• Turkish Deputy PM says women shouldn’t laugh in public, internet reacts
• Athletics Australia coach Eric Hollingsworth coaching athletes despite suspension
• Australian athlete reportedly charged with assault at Commonwealth Games
• At least 17 people killed in Israeli strike on packed Gaza market as Israel
• Chinese shopping mall‘s unconventional campaign to inspire shoppers to spend
10:00am
That’s it for our live #RUSHHOUR news blog. You can get across the stories you need to know today below or go to news.com.au for the latest headlines.
9:55am
Controlled backburning in North Brisbane has caused an uncomfortable smoke haze for residents in the city this morning...
Can't see the city for the smoke. Well, almost #brisbane @7NewsBrisbane pic.twitter.com/F90lFna5qq
— Michael Coombes (@MichaelCoombes) July 30, 20149:45am
It’s deadly, it’s on the loose, and Australian health authorities are concerned the frightening disease ebola could be headed our way.
Customs and border security around the nation have been placed on red alert following the rapid spread of ebola, a highly infectious disease that has killed almost 700 people across several west African countries, writes The Daily Telegraph's Andrew Carswell.
The federal government’s chief health experts met with border protection agencies on Tuesday to formulate a plan to ramp up the monitoring of incoming passengers at airports, as the world’s leading health authorities expressed concern that the disease could leapfrog out of Africa for the first time.
9:25am
OK, hear me out, people.
The thought of 60 New Zealand retirement residents performing remake of Pharell William’s Happy might seem cliche; been there, done that and all.
But just wait... and watch. Not bad for a bunch of old birds and blokes, eh?
Moves like Jagger https://t.co/VkAvXg500B
— Matt Young (@MattYoung) July 30, 20149:10am
Orlando Bloom punches on with Justin Bieber. Seriously.
And it’s all because of Miranda Kerr.
What’s next? A Packer punch-up? Oh, wait...
9:00am
#BREAKING: Tony Abbott announces the official memorial for #MH17 victims will be held in Melbourne on August 7. http://t.co/amDtvz0EaE
— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) July 30, 20148:50am
The Australian athlete who was arrested and charged with assault at the Commonwealth Games village is believed to be weightlifting bronze-medallist Francois Etoundi, writes News Corp’s Todd Balym in Glasgow.
In a major blow to an Australian Commonwealth Games team already reeling from a crisis within their athletic ranks, News Corp Australia has been informed Etoundi is the Australian athlete who was arrested at the athletes’ village at 6am on Wednesday morning.
8:40am
Talk about bad sportsmanship.
Australian runner Jeffrey Riseley almost missed the 800m final after being shoved out of the way by Canadian Brandon McBride during his semi this morning. And when we say shove, we mean SHOVE.
The shoulder bump sent the Aussie stumbling wide on the track, and he fell behind his rivals, eventually finishing in fifth, writes news.com.au’s Sam Clench.
“It’s a little bit my own fault, but still shouldn’t have to put up with that s**t,” Riseley told Network Ten after the race.
But then came the good news.
Big News! On reviewing the footage of his 800m heat, the Referee has determined that @jeff_riseley should run in the final!
— Athletics Australia (@AthsAust) July 30, 20148:00am
Well, you don’t hear this every day on TV.
Fox News’ Bob Becker has found himself in the hot seat after calling Bachelorette Andi Dorman a “sl*t” for having sex with runner-up Nick Viall before choosing dream boat Josh Murray for the win.
But even better is his off-the-cuff apology, which is just as insulting as the sl-t shaming.
During the live broadcast, The Five co-host Andrea Tantaros expressed outrage at Becker, making for some awkwardly addictive viewing.
“Are you kidding me right now? Excuse me Bob, you probably sleep with a different woman every night,” she fired back.
“But I’m not on some ‘Bachelorette’ or ‘The Bachelor,’ retorted Beckell.
“Those in glass boudoirs, Beckel, those in glass boudoirs.”
Touche.
By the end of the show, Beckell gave this begrudging apology:
“I want to apologise for a word I used in that ‘Bachelorette’ segment, that woman who slept with two guys,’ he said.
“Well, maybe it was more than two, I don’t know.”
7:45am
Australian police have been denied access to the MH17 crash site for a fourth day in a row.
From News Corp’s Paul Toohey in Donetsk:
Australian police in eastern Ukraine remain unwilling to risk the lives of their officers and investigators in trying to access the MH17 crash site amid fears mystery combatants are now joining the battle, and a Ukraine official warning the rebels have laid mines near the crash site.
Claims by the Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko that separatist fighters have set landmines around the MH17 crash site are a serious setback for the Australian and Dutch humanitarian mission.
“They have brought a large number of heavy artillery there and mined approaches to this area,” said Colonel Lysenko from the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
“This makes impossible the work of international experts trying to start work to establish the reasons behind the Boeing 777 crash.”
7:15am
Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Aric put his foot in it on Monday when, in a speech to mark the end of Ramadan, he shamed women for laughing in public.
Yes, according to this guy, women should not be able to laugh in public.
“Women should be moral as well, they should know what is decent and what is not decent”, he said.
“She should not laugh loudly in front of all the world and should preserve her decency at all times.”
So, naturally, the women of Turkey took matters into their hands, spawning a social media smile-off.
Want to get involved? Use the hashtag #kahkaha — which translates to ‘laughter’ in Turkish.
Mr Bulic is a member and co-founder of Turkey’s Islamic Justice and Development party.
sayenizde önüne "diren" koymadığımız kelime kalmayacak. yeter be! #direnkahkaha #direnkadin #direnakılsağlığı pic.twitter.com/fNXFpH1NWT
— deladra (@deladra) July 30, 2014#direnkahkaha :DdDdDdfDdDdDdDdd pic.twitter.com/OSp7hOHlYq
— Berfin yuriç (@Yuricberfin) July 29, 2014There is nothing more joyful than to see the laughter of happy people in public so continue ladies! #direnkahkaha pic.twitter.com/1yQx7ygji3
— Laura Hoare (@LauraHoare_x) July 30, 2014#direnkahkaha araba da surerız, kızkıza da gezeriz, kahkaha da atarız. pic.twitter.com/svMpwjZKM9
— benbuoyunubozarım. (@lgncanycl) July 29, 2014OK, I’m not a woman but I like to think I’m doing my bit.
This is for you, women of Turkey! #kahkaha pic.twitter.com/SeMExH5J5w
— Matt Young (@MattYoung) July 30, 20146:35am
Athletics Australia head coach Eric Hollingsworth has been photographed coaching athletes despite being suspended over his public spat with Olympic champ Sally Pearson.
Athletics Australia acted quickly to dismiss the team boss after he released a statement criticising Pearson on the eve of her 100m hurdles title defence, writes Scott Gullan in Glasgow.
Read Athletics Australia's statement with regards to Eric Hollingsworth's recent comments on @sallyp100h : http://t.co/CW1oKkeNjF
— Athletics Australia (@AthsAust) July 30, 2014Hollingsworth acted without the consent of his federation and for them the timing and context of the statement was sufficient reason to sack him.
Athletics Australia was so furious, it was reported there were plans to lock Hollingsworth out of its Melbourne headquarters upon his return to Australia.
Hollingsworth out of contract at end of Comm Games, must have known he was on the way out. Clearly not interested in getting another job!
— Nathan Templeton (@nathantemp7) July 30, 20146:20am
Australian officials are yet to confirm reports that an Australian athlete has been charged with assault after an incident in the Commonwealth Games athletes’ village in Glasgow, writes News Corp’s Patrick Horan.
Police Scotland said officers were called to the site about 6am on Wednesday (local time).
“Around 6am on Wednesday police received a report of a disturbance. A 30-year-old man is currently detained,” it said in a statement.
He is expected to appear in court on Thursday (local time).
Australian officials are meeting with chef de mission Steve Moneghetti over the matter and said they would provide information when available.
There is conflicting reports about whether an athlete or a team official was involved.
The swimming team finished competition last night prior to leaving this morning.
The village has its own pub, post office, beauty salon, mini-hospital and shops on the 35-hectare site.
6:15am
At least 17 people have been killed in an Israeli strike on a packed Gaza market in a deadly raid that came as Israel was observing a four-hour humanitarian lull, reports AFP.
Thick black smoke billowed over the site in the war-torn Shejaiya neighbourhood as at least five ambulances raced to the scene where bodies lay strewn on the ground, an AFP correspondent said.
Remarkable @AFP photo: not snow but #IDF evacuation notices warning residents in #Gaza to leave their homes. pic.twitter.com/IDbNBlZV1C
— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) July 30, 2014At least 17 people were killed and 200 wounded, medics said, on a day that saw at least 108 people killed and the death toll from 23 days of unrelenting Israeli attacks soar to 1359.
It was supposed to have been a rare pause for Gaza’s battered population of 1.8 million to go out in safety to stock up on goods, and for medics to evacuate the dead and wounded.
Instead, there was further bloody mayhem with more than 30 people killed across Gaza in the first three hours of the lull alone.
6:00am
A shopping mall in China has made headlines for its unconventional marketing campaign to inspire shoppers to spend.
Workers at the mall in Taiyan, in China’s north Shanxi Province, donned Communist uniforms to re-enact WWII executions of Japanese soldiers to — wait for it — PROMOTE SALES.
According to shanghaiist.com, the mall’s manager thought sales would skyrocket after the “anti-Japanese invasion promotional campaign”, inspired by the 77th anniversary of the Japanese invasion of China during the Sino-Japanese War in 1947. The war ran from 1931 when the Japanese invaded, until Japan’s defeat in 1945.
Wild scenes after Dreamworld assault
A frightening alleged attack has unfolded at the entrance of one of the country’s busiest theme parks following a traffic accident.
Boy fighting for life after alleged hit and run
A young boy, who has autism and is non-verbal, has been critically injured after being struck by a car in a “horrific accident” in NSW.
Wealthy homeowners erupt over container
Furious residents in an exclusive Sydney street have lashed out after their water views were blocked by a shipping container - but not everyone is on their side.