AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 15 at 1000
Social UK (LONDON)
Britain is expected to set out restrictions on social media for children under 16 which could include banning popular platforms and features that are deemed too addictive for the wellbeing of young people online.
Britain has increasingly toughened its approach to tech companies in recent years, urging or forcing them to impose age verification, adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones.
But with a growing awareness of the mental health risks posed by children spending too much time online, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has decided to go further after speaking to parents and considering evidence from Australia, which brought in a ban for under 16s last year.
Starmer, who is likely to face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks, said people rightly expected action.
Federal (CANBERRA)
Liberals concede their party has broken faith with voters as a new poll shows more Australians would prefer Pauline Hanson as prime minister than any other political leader.
The One Nation leader has now overtaken Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister while the coalition's primary vote has plunged to a record low, according to a Resolve poll published in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age.
Thirty-three per cent of voters said they wanted Senator Hanson to lead the country, compared to 29 per cent for Mr Albanese and 22 per cent undecided.
Just 16 per cent preferred Opposition Leader Angus Taylor for prime minister.
Liberal frontbencher Aaron Violi said voters were unhappy with the coalition after two breakups and a leadership change, but insisted there was plenty of time to reverse its political fortunes.
Ebola (KINSHASA)
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has increased to 782, with 181 deaths, the health ministry in the central African nation says.
However, the number of cases in Congo is believed to be higher because the outbreak was confirmed on May 15, weeks after it is suspected to have begun, and the contact tracing coverage rate is at 56 per cent, a sharp decrease from last week.
The latest Ebola outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment, unlike the "Zaire virus", which was responsible for most of Congo's past 16 outbreaks of the disease.
Fifty-six people have recovered, and the current fatality rate of the outbreak is 23 per cent, the health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
Ukraine (WASHINGTON, D. C.)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy each spoke by phone with Donald Trump, as he marked his 80th birthday and the war in Ukraine remained a flashpoint ahead of this week's G7 summit.
Putin's call with Trump lasted just under an hour, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who briefed reporters afterwards.
Zelenskiy's adviser Dmytro Lytvyn earlier told journalists that the conversation lasted around 30 minutes.
On Ukraine, Ushakov said Trump emphasised the need to end hostilities and stated his readiness to influence European allies and Kyiv toward that goal, including at the upcoming G7 summit.
Trump also said that recent strikes on civilian targets in Russia complicate a settlement — though the White House has not confirmed that, nor commented on the call — and said that ending the war quickly could open the door to "a truly new quality of US-Russian relations," Ushakov quoted him as saying.
Shark (CANBERRA)
Experts warn there is little evidence shark culls keep ocean-goers safer following the latest shocking encounter at a busy city beach.
A coastal community have been left shaken after a woman, understood to be in her 30s, was critically injured by a shark at Sydney's popular Coogee Beach on Saturday.
A great white shark, which is a protected species, is thought to have been responsible.
It follows a cluster of attacks nationwide, including several bull shark bites in Sydney Harbour.
The latest incident has reignited calls for culls to protect swimmers, which NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty has not expressly ruled out.
Adelaide University program director of environmental science Brianna Le Brusque said harmful encounters with the predators were tragic and cull discussions an understandable response.
Economy (CANBERRA)
A majority of economists are tipping interest rates to remain on hold as the Reserve Bank begins deliberations.
The bank's board will begin two days of talks on Monday to determine whether the official cash rate will remain steady at 4.35 per cent.
Reserve Bank governor Michelle Bullock will announce the board's decision on Tuesday afternoon.
Despite persistent economic pressures from the Middle East conflict and inflation levels above the bank's preferred target range, a hold is considered likely.
A Reuters survey of 45 economists found 42 expected the bank would leave rates unchanged.
If the predictions hold, it will be the first time in 2026 the bank's board has not raised interest rates, following three consecutive increases in the first half of the year.
Tax (CANBERRA)
Changes to the capital gains tax will lower productivity and make Australia less competitive, business groups argue, as the contentious budget measures go under the microscope.
A Senate inquiry into the tax changes will hold its first day of hearings on Monday.
Under the changes, the 50 per cent discount for capital gains tax will be replaced with a rate tied to inflation and a 30 per cent minimum, while negative gearing will be limited to new houses only from July 2027.
In a joint statement issued ahead of the inquiry, business groups warned the changes were being rushed through and would discourage investment.
The statement from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, AI Group, the Business Council of Australia and the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia said the changes must be rejected.
Iran (JERUSALEM)
US President Donald Trump has urged no further attacks by anyone after Israel's military said it launched strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut, potentially complicating efforts to finalise a deal to end the US-Iran war.
Smoke rose over the Lebanese capital, and the Civil Defence said it retrieved three bodies and six wounded people from the rubble.
Iran threatened a military response.
Trump reacted on social media: "We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region".
"Let's not blow it!" he said.
The deal in its current form is a deep disappointment to Israel's government, which has been sidelined in negotiations led by Pakistan and others.
The last time Israel struck the Beirut suburbs a week ago, it set off the most serious escalation of fighting between Iran and Israel since the tenuous ceasefire took hold on April 7.
In finance ...
G7 (GENEVA)
Up to 50,000 demonstrators are expected to march through the Swiss border city of Geneva to protest against capitalism, exploitation and a range of other issues ahead of the G7 summit in the French town of Évian.
The protest on Sunday is being organised by a No G7 coalition of several dozen groups.
The demonstration is taking place in Geneva because France declined to issue permits for any protests near the G7 summit venue, the Geneva city government said, criticising the decision.
Geneva lies around 50km southwest of Évian.
Geneva airport will also serve as the arrival point for the leaders attending the summit and their delegations on Monday, as it is the nearest airport to the venue.
Geneva's city centre has been in a state of emergency for days: Hundreds of luxury shops and banks, as well as hotels and supermarkets, have boarded up their facades and shop windows with plywood panels out of fear of unrest.
Economy Preview (CANBERRA)
Mortgage holders could get a brief reprieve from further interest rate hikes, but economic uncertainty in the Middle East will still loom for the Reserve Bank.
Economists are tipping the central bank to keep the official cash rate on hold at 4.35 per cent when it meets on Tuesday.
Should the predictions hold, it would be the first time the Reserve Bank has kept rates steady since the start of 2026.
Despite inflation levels remaining above the Reserve Bank's target band of two to three per cent, economists expect it will consider the impact of consecutive hikes.
Westpac economists Luci Ellis and Neha Sharma said the mixed data on inflation and the labour market supported the case for a pause.
In entertainment ...
Brazil Helicopter (RIO DE JANEIRO)
US singer and comedian Oliver Tree is believed to be among six people who died when two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro, crashing in the city's western zone.
Rio de Janeiro's Military Fire Department said that one of the helicopters crashed on Sunday into the parking lot of a car dealership, where several electric vehicles were parked, igniting a fire that was extinguished.
Officials said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the collision.
Police said 32-year-old Tree was on the list of passengers handed to aviation authorities but the bodies had yet to be formally identified.
Recognisable by his signature bowl cut, Tree was known for his songs Life Goes On and When I'm Down.
He released his fourth studio album, Love You Madly, Hate You Badly in April.
MND (SYDNEY)
Stephanie de Sousa still remembers the ordinary moments most vividly.
Fish and chips at the pub on Friday night, laughter over crashing the wheelchair, evenings watching MasterChef, Survivor and The Crown.
They were all times spent with her sister, as motor neurone disease slowly stripped away her independence.
Therese died in 2022 after living with the terminal neurodegenerative condition, leaving de Sousa, the former MasterChef contestant-turned-cookbook author and social media sensation, with memories that have settled into "the good times".
"I honestly only really remember the good times now," de Sousa told AAP.
"I have blocked the awful parts out of my mind."
But those awful parts defined the reality of MND: progressive loss of movement, intense care needs and the gradual erosion of independence that affects not only patients but entire families.
In sport ...
WC26 aust (VANCOUVER)
Take a bow, Tony Popovic.
The Socceroos boss is the toast of Australian coaching after turning in a selection and tactical masterclass to deliver a 2-0 upset win over Turkey.
Popovic dropped skipper Maty Ryan for young goalkeeper Patrick Beach and midfielder Jackson Irvine for Paul Okon-Engstler, while backing dynamo Nestory Irankunda from the outset.
"They were maybe shocks for a lot of people, but not shocks within our playing group or staff," Popovic said.
"Because we're all working together every day, and we can see the quality of these young boys. We've got Mo Toure, Nestory, Junior Okon, Patrick Beach, and many more.
"It's a team selected to perform well. You never know the result, of course - we're at a World Cup.
Ten Aust (LONDON)
Alex de Minaur's bid for a confidence-boosting title grab ahead of his looming Wimbledon campaign ended in heartbreak after slumping to Kamil Majchrzak in the final of the ATP's Dutch grass-court event in s-Hertogenbosch.
The Australian No.1 had opted to use the tournament in s-Hertogenbosch to rebuild his shattered confidence after his French Open setback when bowing to out Jakub Mensik in the third round last month.
But despite staging a gritty fightback to draw level with Majchrzak in the climax to the Rosmalen Championships on Sunday, De Minaur eventually lost out in a final-set tie-break to succumb 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5).
The 27-year-old had looked in great shape this week when returning to his favoured grass surface after the clay of Paris, culminating in a resounding straight-sets victory over another previous winner in Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in Saturday's semi-finals.
Ends Bulletin
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