Matildas enjoy rest day in Brisbane before turning sights on Nigeria clash
Kieran Pender
The Australian women’s national team, the Matildas, are enjoying a day off in Brisbane today having returned to their base camp from Sydney on Friday.
The Australians beat Ireland in their opening match of the Women’s World Cup on Thursday, but have been rocked by an injury to star striker Sam Kerr.
It’s not all bad news, though: yesterday their group B opponents Nigeria and Canada played out a nil-all draw, which bolstered the Matildas’ prospects of progressing to the round of 16.
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The team returns to training tomorrow ahead of their next match, against Nigeria on Thursday in Brisbane.
The River City is hosting plenty of World Cup action in the weeks ahead, beginning with England’s clash with Haiti this evening.
Key events
Police in NSW are expected to address the media in the next few minutes in relation to the Sydney Harbour search for the tech entrepreneur Andrew Findlay.
We’ll bring you more as we get it.
‘Focussed on their children’: tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes and wife to separate
A quick return to the story earlier today of reports that the software billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes was to separate from his wife, Annie.
A source close to the family has told Guardian Australia’s Peter Hannam:
They’re both focussed on their children as their number one priority right now. They ask that their privacy is respected.
Sydney Harbour search for entrepreneur continues after death of art dealer
Police have been joined by marine and air rescue crews in a search of Sydney Harbour for the tech entrepreneur Andrew Findlay.
Findlay was on the same boat as art dealer Tim Klingender, whose body was pulled from the water off Watson’s Bay among floating debris on Thursday.
AAP reports that marine units resumed search efforts on Saturday morning from South Head to Cape Solander near Botany Bay – an area spanning more than 20km.
Klingender, 59, was a prominent Indigenous art dealer and his death has shaken the arts world.
The Sydney gallerist Michael Reid said:
The death of Tim Klingender was an unimaginable and devastating loss to his family and indeed the Australian art-world.
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter, NSW Surf Lifesaving and Marine Rescue NSW all joined the search for Findlay on Saturday.
The Marine Rescue Insp John Murray said units resumed the search at 7.30am in light winds and benign swell allowing for good visibility.
Marine rescue vessels are working their way west towards the Harbour Bridge, after an offshore parallel line searching from South Head to Coogee and patrolling shoreline in the harbour. Murray said:
Both vessels are expected to conduct another offshore patrol at the request of the marine area command later this afternoon.
‘The best show I have ever seen’: fans remember Tony Bennett in Australia
Fans of the late Tony Bennett have been sharing their memories of seeing the singer perform during his handful of visits to Australia.
According to the Australian Concert Tour Database, Bennett only made four visits to Australia to perform across his stellar career – with a first visit coming in 1970.
Comedian and satirist Mark Humphries remembers seeing Bennett at the Sydney Opera House in 2012 and a moment when the singer turned off his microphone to fill the room with his voice.
Saw Tony Bennett perform at the Sydney Opera House several years ago. Highlight of the night was when he asked for his microphone to be turned off and he filled the concert hall with his natural voice as he sang “Fly Me To The Moon”. This was that moment.https://t.co/ltrmAZmxfL
— Mark Humphries (@markhumphries) July 21, 2023
I was fortunate enough to work at the Sydney Opera House as an usher, and saw Tony Bennett and K D Lang in concert. I think that was the best show I have ever seen. Rest in Peace Tony. 🥀
— Aussie Shazza (@shazzadut) July 21, 2023
Here’s our obituary of the great singer.
Matildas enjoy rest day in Brisbane before turning sights on Nigeria clash
Kieran Pender
The Australian women’s national team, the Matildas, are enjoying a day off in Brisbane today having returned to their base camp from Sydney on Friday.
The Australians beat Ireland in their opening match of the Women’s World Cup on Thursday, but have been rocked by an injury to star striker Sam Kerr.
It’s not all bad news, though: yesterday their group B opponents Nigeria and Canada played out a nil-all draw, which bolstered the Matildas’ prospects of progressing to the round of 16.
The team returns to training tomorrow ahead of their next match, against Nigeria on Thursday in Brisbane.
The River City is hosting plenty of World Cup action in the weeks ahead, beginning with England’s clash with Haiti this evening.
USS Canberra commissioned at Garden Island in Sydney
The first US warship to be commissioned in a foreign port has been ushered into service in Sydney with US and Australian navy chiefs and dignitaries on hand for the ceremony at Garden Island, AAP reports.
The USS Canberra, a littoral combat ship with a crew of 50, had its colours hoisted to the mast on Saturday as its company of service men and women cheered the addition to the fleet.
Highly agile and capable of speeds of up to 40 knots, the combat vessel is only the second in the US navy to be named after a non-American city.
The only other time a US ship has held a foreign city’s name was its predecessor, the USS Canberra heavy cruiser, launched in 1943 during Franklin D Roosevelt’s wartime presidency.
The USS Canberra’s Commander William Ashley thanked the builders who he said had given the navy a “great ship”.
She handles like a dream and meets every mission she was intended for.
Ashley said the naming of the USS Canberra further strengthened the bonds between Australia and the US as he also praised his crew.
The crew that you just saw bring this ship to life is one of the best I’ve ever served with during my 30 years in the navy. They look out for each other, they love this ship and they pour their blood, and sometimes tears, into her.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, said as part of the ongoing connection between the two countries’ navies, an Australian officer would forever be part of the USS Canberra’s crew.
Its link with Australia would also be marked by a star-spangled Kangaroo fixed to its side.
The family of a woman who fled Iran after facing the death penalty for escaping an arranged marriage has been granted the chance to stay with her in Australia.
Virtual girlfriends could ingrain beliefs underpinning gender-based violence
My colleague Josh Taylor has written this frankly terrifying piece on the use of AI-driven virtual girlfriend apps.
The story includes this warning from Tara Hunter at Full Stop Australia – a group supporting people affected by relationship and family violence.
Creating a perfect partner that you control and meets your every need is really frightening.
Given what we know already that the drivers of gender-based violence are those ingrained cultural beliefs that men can control women, that is really problematic.
‘Don’t modify it’ – fire authority warning over e-scooters after blaze
A ground-floor fire that trapped three people on their balconies has been traced to a high-performance e-scooter, sparking a warning from fire authorities.
AAP reports the warning from Fire and Rescue NSW Supt Adam Dewberry, who says the agency has seen several fires caused by attempts to modify e-scooters and e-bikes to make them go faster and run longer.
A large blaze gutted a unit in Sydney’s west on Friday trapping three residents on higher levels, forcing a ladder rescue.
Dewberry said battery fires can lead to thermal runaway. He said the public should only buy products with lithium batteries from reputable manufacturers and use them as intended. He said:
Don’t modify it. We are seeing some people who’ve bought a product, they want it to go a bit faster and longer and changing the battery with something that is not compatible.
We are seeing a number of fires caused by this. Take it into the shop, get it serviced or upgraded. It could save your life.
It’s day two of Byron Bay’s famous three-day Splendour in the Grass music festival.
Here’s our picture gallery from a sun-soaked day one, where American artist Lizzo headlined.
