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A critical incident investigation is underway after the shooting of a man by police in the southwestern Sydney suburb of Glen Alpine.
The 21-year-old man is now in hospital in a serious condition.
The investigation will be reviewed by the Professional Standards Command and oversighted by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.
New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Stacey Maloney says the man was shot during a confrontation with officers who had been called to investigate reports of an armed male allegedly making threats.
"Police discharged a police firearm and shot the male. They then provided medical assistance... Ultimately the police were quite brave in confronting this individual."
Seven oil tankers have reportedly been damaged in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, in what could be the largest number of vessels hit in a single day in the waterway since the Iran war started on 28 February.
The report has come from Iran's state television, which has said the seven tankers caught fire after being targeted in attacks or through striking naval mines in the Strait.
Shipping data and analysis company Lloyd's List Intelligence says tanker operators willing to risk the voyage have been transporting oil from Gulf producers through the strait at night, using a US-military-protected lane near Oman's coast with their location systems and mobile phones switched off.
The oil is then transferred to other tankers waiting in the Gulf of Oman for shipment to customers in Asia.
The French government says it will ban what it calls illegitimate protests in the coming days, amid ongoing unrest and reports of riots and looting.
French President Emmanuel Macron says demonstrations organised by groups such as trade unions will be allowed to go ahead, but could be diverted along alternative routes to protect businesses.
Meanwhile a third consecutive night of local curfews has so far passed without major incidents in areas affected by violence, offering the government some respite ahead of the weekend.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called the escalating nature of the protests unacceptable - but says the people's concerns must also be listened to.
"Those responsible for criminal activities must be held accountable. At the same time, we cannot let intolerable violence obscure the legitimate and very real grievances of the many peaceful protesters. We must connect the dots and better understand how deeply linked those very real and peaceful expressed grievances are to the wider turmoil in our world."
The International Criminal Court and its officials have won the European Union's top human rights honour, the Sakharov Prize.
The award comes just days after US President Donald Trump announced sweeping new sanctions on the ICC as part of its administration's campaign to dismantle the tribunal over investigations into the United States and its allies, including Israel.
The annual EU award is named after Soviet dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov, and was created in 1988 to honour individuals or groups who defend human rights and basic freedoms.
The ICC opened in 2002 as a court of last resort to prosecute senior leaders it deems responsible for crimes that, according to its founding treaty, "deeply shock the conscience of humanity".
Australia's Sex Discrimination Commissioner says women across the country are strongly feeling the emotional impacts of the attack on MP Helen Haines.
Dr Haines remains in a critical but stable condition after losing both her legs in the attack.
Some women have told SBS it's been traumatising and difficult to comprehend.
Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Anna Cody, has told it's understandable if the incident is making women feel vulnerable.
"It hits internally really strongly because we see ourselves in Helen Haines, and we see our vulnerability and that sense of , 'It could be us ' in so many ways. And we know that women experience high levels of violence, and there has been an escalation in the online and in real life, that sort of expression of hatred towards women."
The Western Australian premier has condemned threats against politicians as unacceptable, after the charging of a man for allegedly making threats at a WA electorate office.
The charge follows a man allegedly making a disturbance at the office of state MP Hannah Beazley in the suburb of Victoria Park on Wednesday afternoon.
The man has been charged with being armed in a way that may cause fear, making a threat to unlawfully do an act, and possessing cannabis.
Premier Roger Cook says there's no place for such behaviour in Australian society.
"Obviously, we're all very shocked by the attacks by an individual on Hannah Beazley's electorate office. Everyone deserves to feel safe at work, at home, and in their communities, and it's not okay for people to take out their aggressions, their disagreements on staff in a, in a politician's office."
To sport, Australian women's cricket stalwart Megan Schutt has been banned for two matches for a breach of the sport's drug code.
Cricket Australia says the breach related to a single incident involving prescription medication which occurred while out of competition, and was not for performance enhancing purposes.
But it says Schutt failed to adhere to requirements under Sports Science and Sports Medicine guidelines with regard to prescription medication.
The 33-year-old strike bowler - who is among the top-10 all-time wicket-takers in women's cricket - has already served the first match of her suspension on Thursday night when Australia met New Zealand in a T20 fixture in Sydney.
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