AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 12 at 0200
UK Stab (BELFAST)
Two days of anti-immigration violence in Northern Ireland is nothing short of racist thuggery, Britain's minister for the province says, after police deployed water cannon to tackle rioters for a second night.
Hilary Benn said there was less disorder on the streets of Belfast on Wednesday night as opposed to Tuesday, when rioters targeted ethnic minorities and foreign residents by torching homes and vehicles following a knife attack for which a Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder.
But many of those who did clash with police on Wednesday were seeking to get to a hotel outside Belfast that has been targeted in the past for housing asylum seekers.
Officers used water cannon to drive rioters back and Reuters saw what appeared to be plastic bullets, or baton rounds, on the street.
Legal: Koletti (SYDNEY)
As 73-year-old Julie Brandon was walking her dog during a peaceful park stroll, she claims she was violently shoved to the grass.
Her alleged attacker, Anthony Koletti, is the husband of Melissa Caddick, a self-styled financial adviser who vanished in 2020 and is presumed dead after defrauding $23 million from family and friends.
The 44-year-old hair stylist is accused of shoulder-barging Ms Brandon from behind and failing to stop as he went on his own evening walk in July 2025.
"All of a sudden this person barged into my shoulder and then I fell over onto the ground," Ms Brandon testified during a hearing at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.
"I fell down onto my left butt cheek - I was quite shocked actually."
Unsolved (SYDNEY)
Missing evidence, hidden files and incomplete investigations are some of the challenges families of Ivan Milat's suspected victims say they have faced in their quest to find answers.
The family of Keren Rowland, who was found dead after disappearing one night in the early 1970s, haven't given up hope of uncovering the truth about what happened to her.
They believe she may have been the first victim of notorious serial killer Milat and argue if police made the connection early on he could have been stopped much earlier in his lethal campaign.
Ms Rowland's younger brother, Steve Rowland, appeared on Thursday at a NSW parliamentary inquiry into unsolved murders and missing persons between 1965 and 2010.
"We have and will continue to search for answers but we're finding it incredibly difficult to get the same support and help from the investigating authorities," he told the committee.
Ukraine (KYIV)
Ukrainian forces have struck the Russian-occupied port of Mariupol, the latest in a series of drone attacks on logistics across a critical stretch of Moscow-held southern Ukraine connecting Russia to Crimea.
The attack on the port, which Ukraine's military said plunged the site into a blackout, followed two strikes earlier this week on a bridge linking the Russian-occupied Kherson region to the Black Sea peninsula, which Moscow seized in 2014.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his country's forces struck several military and energy infrastructure sites, including a military factory that he said supplied components for Russian drones and missiles.
In a post on social media, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo long-range missiles had hit the facility in Cheboksary, located in the Chuvashiya region more than 900km from the frontline.
Skaf (MELBOURNE)
Notorious gang rapist Mohammed Skaf is back behind bars after being arrested on allegations he acted as the ringleader of a large-scale drug-supply operation.
The 42-year-old was released from prison in 2021 after serving 21 years behind bars for his role in a series of pack rapes on schoolgirls that horrified the nation.
He was arrested again by police before midnight on Wednesday at a home in Greenacre, in Sydney's southwest, after an investigation into alleged large-scale drug supply.
Police located cocaine and $25,000 in cash while searching Skaf and a park close to where he was arrested, Detective Chief Inspector Jeffrey Walsh said on Thursday.
During a search of the Greenacre home, police allegedly found a further $220,000 in cash, several mobile phones, more cocaine and a small quantity of MDMA.
Iran (WASHINGTON, D. C.)
US military's Central Command says it has completed additional strikes against multiple targets in Iran.
Central Command said in a social media post the US military launched strikes on Iran's military surveillance capabilities, communications systems and air defence sites.
"US Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy assets fired precision munitions on Iranian targets that posed a threat to US forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters," the command said.
"The strikes are in response to Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression. US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready."
In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they had launched counter-attacks on 18 US military targets at air bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, and Bahrain's interior ministry said sirens were sounded.
Police NSW (MELBOURNE)
A culture of rampant bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination has been revealed across the NSW Police force in a wide-ranging review.
Many officers were too afraid to speak up against what they were experiencing, the review of thousands of current and former staff revealed.
Every woman who spoke to the review described experiences of overt or covert sexual harassment, undermining, and belittlement at some time during their service.
The review was commissioned in 2024 by then NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb following reports of a toxic culture across the police force and led by former Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner, Kristen Hilton.
Current NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon accepted all 29 recommendations of the review.
The commissioner said he was committed to ensuring NSW Police was a safe and inclusive workforce.
Southerncross (SYDNEY)
The company that owns the Seven Network, Triple M and The West Australian is cutting hundreds of jobs amid a slump in TV advertising revenue.
Southern Cross Media Group said on Thursday it would cut 250 to 300 roles in a bid to save $145 million to $150 million.
The company, which merged with Seven West Media in January, said some of its business units had deteriorated more than anticipated in the fourth quarter, particularly its television division.
Southern Cross now expects to deliver earnings of $185 to $190 million in 2026/27, compared to its previous forecast of $200 million to $220 million.
"We must reset our cost base to meet current market conditions and capture the full benefits of scale across our trusted platforms for our audiences and advertisers, now and into the future," said Rohan Lund, Southern Cross's new chief executive and managing director.
In finance ...
BHP (SYDNEY)
Hundreds of BHP workers at Port Hedland in Western Australia have voted in favour of taking strike action, two unions say, raising the risk of disruptions to iron ore shipments from one of the world's biggest export hubs.
The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) said 100 per cent of its 100 members taking part in the vote endorsed work stoppages ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours, which could begin within days.
More than 100 members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) also voted 89 per cent in favour of taking strike action, a spokesperson said on Thursday.
The votes come after months of talks with BHP, the world's biggest listed miner, to agree on a labour agreement, with workers seeking improved pay and conditions.
Tax (CANBERRA)
Controversial tax changes for shares and businesses will prevent more money from being funnelled into existing homes, Treasurer Jim Chalmers claims.
Businesses have been relatively receptive to Labor's decision to wind back tax breaks for property investors.
But changes to the capital gains tax discount on share sales have been slammed by critics, who say it will discourage business investment and constrain productivity growth.
The treasurer has consistently defended the decision to extend the changes beyond property, arguing it would add another distortion to the market and result in capital being allocated for tax reasons rather than pure economic fundamentals.
Speaking at a summit hosted by investment bank Morgan Stanley in Sydney, Dr Chalmers revealed why the government chose not to distort the market in the other direction and give businesses a more generous tax treatment than existing homes.
In entertainment ...
Aria (SYDNEY)
Australian music greats are reflecting on their journey to the top of the charts as they take in their immortality.
Six artists - Gurrumul, Jenny Morris, Kate Ceberano, Spiderbait, The Living End, and Vika and Linda Bull - were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame on Thursday night.
ARIA, which typically inducts one artist a year, elevated six to top-tier status on Thursday night as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations.
For Melbourne rockers The Living End, the honour signalled a rare moment to stop thinking about what's next and instead take stock of what the band had achieved in its decades-long career.
"We don't spend a lot of time in the rear view mirror, but this has forced us to do it," frontman Chris Cheney told AAP.
Arts Cartier (MELBOURNE)
Worn by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Princess Margaret and the Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson, Cartier is one of the world's most luxurious brands.
An exhibition of jewellery from the French design house is the latest instalment in the National Gallery of Victoria's winter masterpieces series, opening Friday.
"This is by far the largest show we've ever done on jewellery. It is truly epic," said senior NGV curator Amanda Dunsmore.
The jewellery house was founded in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier and expanded globally under his grandsons Louis, Pierre and Jacques.
The exhibition was originally staged at London's Victoria & Albert Museum in collaboration with Cartier, but with about 400 pieces on show the Melbourne version is significantly larger.
In sport ...
AFL Bulldogs (MELBOURNE)
Inspirational Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson has produced a masterful performance to power the Crows to a 57-point thumping of the stunned Western Bulldogs.
Starting as outsiders away from home and having lost to the Dogs earlier in the season, Adelaide charged out of the blocks at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night and never looked back.
The match was over by quarter-time as Adelaide piled on 9.2 - just two points shy of their largest ever first term - to lead by 41 points.
The Bulldogs spent the rest of the margin trying to get back in the contest and briefly threatened to get close, but the Crows finished strongly to win 19.7 (121) to 9.10 (64).
Central to Adelaide's dominance was Dawson, who is still grieving the tragic death in April of his brother, Jaryd.
Com26 Swi (SYDNEY)
Despite ten years of trying, Australian swim star Kyle Chalmers is still in pursuit of the perfect race.
The Olympic gold medallist secured his spot at this year's Commonwealth Games by taking the men's 100m freestyle on Thursday night at Australia's swimming trials.
After qualifying fifth, Chalmers fended off a challenge from Finn Southam to touch in 47.59 seconds at Sydney Olympic Park.
Southam trailed by 0.3 seconds to finish runner-up, with Kai Taylor third (48.21).
The 27-year-old Chalmers had set a 100m butterfly personal best of 51.04 seconds earlier in the week, but pulled out of the final.
Inspired by 32-year-old Cameron McEvoy's newly-claimed 50m freestyle world record, Chalmers was adamant he could reach another level.
Chalmers will also compete in Saturday's 50m butterfly event.
Ends Bulletin
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