AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 3 at 0430
Economy (CANBERRA)
Contentious tax changes that have dented housing market activity could slow Australia's economy and deter the Reserve Bank from hiking interest rates again.
Fresh data is likely to show gross domestic product was still growing at a fairly rapid clip at the start of the year, but a slowdown is on the way.
Wednesday's national accounts release is likely to be the last time annual growth has a two in front of it for some time, which could convince the central bank to hold off on more rate rises.
Economists at National Australia Bank expect the Australian Bureau of Statistics to show the economy grew by 0.3 in the March quarter, which would put the annual growth rate at 2.4 per cent.
Solomons Aust (CANBERRA)
A treaty between Australia and the Solomon Islands is on the cards as the Pacific nation's new prime minister prepares for talks with Anthony Albanese.
Matthew Wale is in Canberra for his first overseas trip since he was elected by his country's parliament in May.
Mr Wale has long been an advocate for diplomatically tying his country to Australia, but it's the Pacific nation's relationship with China that has drawn attention.
The Solomon Islands and China signed a security pact in 2022, which partially eclipsed the bilateral security arrangement Australia has had with its Pacific neighbour since 2017.
Mr Wale has been critical of the Solomons' relationship with China, using the 2024 elections to accuse his political opponents of "sleazing up" to Beijing.
Iran (DUBAI)
Iran is reviewing a proposed agreement with the United States to halt the war between the two countries, Iran's Mehr news reports, after US President Donald Trump said talks to reach a deal were continuing.
More than three months after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran, the conflict has hardened into a stalemate while largely indirect talks to negotiate an interim deal have proved inconclusive, leaving the Strait of Hormuz largely shut.
Iran had not yet responded to a proposed final text of the temporary deal, and was taking a "stern" approach given what it sees as a history of US non-compliance and longstanding mistrust, Mehr cited a source as saying.
Trump said on Monday that negotiations with Iran were continuing and there would be a deal to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in the next week.
Ebola (NAIROBI)
Two people have died in central Kenya during a protest against a planned US Ebola quarantine facility, a protest organiser and security source say, as President William Ruto rebuffs criticism it will endanger Kenyans.
Protest organiser Patrick Wahome said both had died of gunshot wounds after police opened fire on hundreds of demonstrators on Monday in the town of Nanyuki, where the air force base intended to accommodate the facility is located.
The security source did not specify how the two died.
Police spokesman Michael Muchiri said he was not aware of the deaths.
The plan to set up a 50-bed unit to house Americans who have been exposed to the virus in Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda has angered many Kenyans who accuse the US of offloading the public health risk of caring for patients.
Police NSW (SYDNEY)
A scandal-plagued police force is being urged to bolster transparency after accusations of a culture of gratuitous violence and cover-ups.
Advocates and experts, including University of Newcastle criminologist Justin Ellis, are calling for change after graphic videos of officers beating people under arrest were broadcast by ABC's Four Corners.
"Culture sets the tone within policing organisations for how the law is enforced and how police officer misconduct is addressed," said Dr Ellis, who was appointed to a community consultative committee as part of a NSW Police response to the state's inquiry into LGBTQI hate crimes.
"So a greater emphasis on transparency is a key way to improve culture."
The mandatory use of body-worn cameras, more detailed reporting on the outcomes of complaints against police and data on the settlement of civil court proceedings against officers would all improve transparency, he said.
Legal: Mother (SYDNEY)
A mother accused of killing her two children left a note asking for forgiveness, a court has been told.
The mother was charged with the children's murder after they were found dead in the family home in NSW years ago.
The trio cannot be identified for legal reasons.
The mother appeared in NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday for a hearing over whether she should be found not criminally responsible for the deaths due to mental impairment.
The course of action was endorsed by both the woman's lawyer and the prosecutor, but Justice Richard Cavanagh questioned the strength of the evidence about her mental health impairment.
The mother's internet search history, a suicide note and seemingly contradictory psychological reports cast doubt on the extent of her impairment, he said.
Wages (CANBERRA)
Workers on the minimum wage will receive more than $1000 a week for the first time, but businesses and economists warn the pay bump could fuel inflation and more rate rises.
Industrial umpire the Fair Work Commission handed a 4.75 per cent pay boost to almost three million Australian workers on industry awards as part of its annual wage review on Tuesday.
But 100,000 minimum wage earners will receive an even larger six per cent pay rise to $26.44 per hour.
The decision comes with ongoing uncertainty around the Middle East conflict and how long it could keep upwards pressure on inflation.
Headline inflation was 4.2 per cent in the year to April, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, but the Reserve Bank has forecast inflation to rise to 4.8 per cent by the end of June.
AUKUS (CANBERRA)
A Labor MP has broken ranks to call for a rethink of the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal as a former party minister launches a "people's inquiry" into the agreement.
After asking whether Labor's original commitment to the deal still stood during a private caucus meeting in Canberra on Tuesday, Labor backbencher Ed Husic went public with his reservations about the military pact after it was announced Australia would only get second-hand submarines from the US.
"You do wonder whether or not we will get the deal, even the reconfigured one that we have got," Mr Husic told reporters at Parliament House.
Originally, Australia was set to get a mix of new and used Virginia-Class vessels before eventually building its own in Adelaide, but now the defence force will only get used submarines.
In finance ...
Scam (SYDNEY)
Australians love to gamble, but if you're going to try your luck, please don't get lured in by illegal online gambling sites.
That's the message from one of Australia's biggest telecommunications companies, which is ramping up its fight against "scambling".
Scambling, or scam gambling, is one of the fast-growing threats faced by people going online, where they already lose about $2.2 billion a year to hundreds, if not thousands, of different financial swindles.
These gambling games, which mirror casinos, poker machines and even scratchies, have been illegal in Australia since 2021, but that hasn't stopped scammers reaching their targets.
Telstra has blocked close to 1,800 high-risk gambling-themed domains since the start of 2026, stopping more than two million attempted visits by people lured in by promises of big wins or prizes.
Legal: Rex (SYDNEY)
The corporate watchdog's case against regional airline Rex and its former directors over an optimistic and ultimately incorrect profit forecast has major evidence gaps, a court has heard.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has alleged four former Rex directors misled the market in statements claiming the board was confident of a strong financial result, months before handing down a $31.7 million operating loss.
In delivering his closing argument for two of the directors on Tuesday, barrister David Thomas SC argued the commission's case leaned heavily on evidence against the company rather than the board itself.
"I'm drawing attention to a notable and unexplained gap between the course of expert evidence against the company and the complete absence of it against my clients," he told the NSW Supreme Court.
In entertainment ...
Royals Honours (WINDSOR)
Actor Sir Idris Elba and ice skating champions Dame Jayne Torvill and Sir Christopher Dean were among those to receive honours from King Charles III at Windsor Castle.
Some 68 people, including comedians Dame Meera Syal and Paul Elliott, one half of the double act Chuckle Brothers, were honoured by the King.
Luther star Sir Idris was awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours for services to young people.
In 2022, the 53-year-old founded the Elba Hope Foundation, which supports community empowerment, education, youth advocacy and sustainable development.
Sir Idris used a grant from the Prince's Trust - now the King's Trust - to attend the National Youth Music Theatre aged 18.
It was announced last year that the actor will team up with the King to create a documentary marking 50 years since Charles founded the charity, due to air on Netflix this autumn.
Kilmer (LONDON)
Val Kilmer has been branded "the worst human being I've ever known" by director Adam Marcus.
Marcus worked with the late actor - who died in April, 2025 at the age of 65 - on 2008 action thriller Conspiracy in which the actor played an Iraq war veteran who attempts to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of a friend.
However, the writer/director has now insisted working with the Top Gun star was not a pleasant experience.
In a post on Threads, which has since been deleted, Marcus wrote: "#MicroIntellectMonday to that time when I directed that guy. The guy who played Iceman and Doc Holiday (sic). You know the one.
"Here's me and the Putz working it out on the set of Conspiracy."
In sport ...
CRI AUST (LAHORE)
Pakistan has won the toss and elected to field first against Australia in the second one-day international in Lahore.
The home side leads the three-match series 1-0 after winning the opening game by five wickets at Rawalpindi, where left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas took 5-32 on his ODI debut.
Pakistan was unchanged, which meant spinners were expected to dominate at Gaddafi Stadium, which also hosts the third game on Thursday.
Depleted Australia went with three specialist spinners including Adam Zampa, who has recovered from the neck spasms which forced him to miss the first ODI.
Zampa replaced fast bowler Billy Stanlake.
Line-ups:
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Ghazi Ghori, Salman Ali Agha, Abdul Samad, Shadab Khan, Arafat Minhas, Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.
Super Reds (BRISBANE)
Fraser McReight has spent all week thinking about how to win the battle of the "dark arts" as the Reds captain prepares to join one of Queensland rugby's most exclusive clubs.
Saturday's Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final in Hamilton against the Chiefs will be the No.7's 100th for the Reds.
Only two other flankers - former Wallabies captain David Wilson and tough-as-nails Test toiler David Croft - have achieved the feat for the Reds.
The milestone game shapes as one of the most defining for McReight, still just 27, and his men as they aim to end a run of four-straight quarter-final exits before coach Les Kiss departs for the Wallabies top job.
"Just to get one game, seven or eight years ago, was special ... and what better week to have it than a quarter-final," McReight said.
Ends Bulletin
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