AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 6 at 1130
Iran (BEIRUT)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has accused Iran of using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in its negotiations with the US in some of his toughest criticism of Tehran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah as it wages war with Israel.
In a CNN interview, Aoun said "the people of Lebanon are paying the price ... for the sake" of Iran's interests, and were "fed up" with war between Israel and Hezbollah - comments reflecting deep divisions along Lebanon's confessional and political fault lines.
"They are using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in their negotiation with the United States," Aoun said of Iran, according to excerpts of the interview published on the CNN website on Friday.
"It's unacceptable."
Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah, founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982, ignited the latest hostilities more than three months ago when it opened fire in solidarity with Tehran as Iran came under US-Israeli attack.
Ebola (NAIROBI)
The Democratic Republic of Congo says 71 new Ebola cases have been confirmed in a 24-hour period and warns of rapid community transmission of the deadly disease.
The new data, included in a daily situation report published by the health ministry, bring the total number of confirmed cases to 452 since the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola was announced on May 15.
There have been 82 confirmed deaths.
The cases remain heavily concentrated in Ituri province in northeast DR Congo, a remote part of the country with poor health infrastructure and widespread insecurity due to fighting by armed groups.
The daily total of 71 new cases - 65 in Ituri province and six in North Kivu province - is one of the biggest during the outbreak, the 17th in DR Congo's history.
Ukraine (ST PETERSBURG)
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he currently sees no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelenskiy after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they hold face-to-face talks to agree an end to the war.
The Kremlin chief said Zelenskiy's letter was rude in parts and did not come across as a sincere offer to hold talks.
"This letter contains some rather rude remarks. Was it a way to create the conditions for a face-to-face meeting or a way not to set up a face-to-face meeting? I think it was the second," Putin said.
Asked on stage at Russia's annual economic forum whether he would meet the Ukrainian leader, Putin said: "I don't see any point for now."
In a meeting with international media a day earlier, Putin stuck to his hardline stance on the war and said his troops were advancing on the battlefield every day.
NZ Aust (CANBERRA)
New Zealand is making a pitch for its infrastructure businesses to win lucrative contracts before the Brisbane Olympics, as Prime Minister Christopher Luxon prepares to sit down with Anthony Albanese.
Mr Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart will hold the annual leaders' meeting in Noosa, Queensland, on Saturday.
Mr Luxon arrived in Australia on Friday for a two-day visit.
The prime minister and his wife Jodie Haydon hosted a reception for Mr Luxon and Amanda Luxon on Friday evening, with business leaders from the two nations in attendance.
Mr Luxon earlier met with members of Brisbane's 2032 Olympic Committee where he spruiked his nation's businesses for massive construction projects.
He said his government would make the most of the event to promote New Zealand as a tourist destination, with the eyes of the world on the region.
Iran (DUBAI)
Iran has reaffirmed support for its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and demanded Israel withdraw from southern Lebanon, underscoring complications facing an interim deal to end the broader conflict between the US and Iran.
Iran has made a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah a condition for any peace deal with Washington to resolve the regional war, now in its fourth month, and restart shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest round of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel erupted at the start of March, two days after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran.
Hezbollah said its actions were in support of Tehran.
"This war will end only when it ends in Lebanon as well," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Lebanese TV station Al Mayadeen late on Thursday.
Legal: Ahmad (MELBOURNE)
The uncle of an accused Islamic State bride has told a magistrate he hates the "evil" terrorist group as he supported his niece's bid for bail.
Abraham Abbas gave evidence in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday as Zeinab Ahmad's bail application went into a second day.
Ahmad, 31, is accused of using a teenage girl as a slave while living in Syria with her family in 2017.
It's alleged she moved to the country with her husband Dawod in January 2015 and he became a member of IS before he was killed in a drone strike in May 2016.
Ahmad and her mother Kawsar, 52, were among a group of alleged "ISIS brides" and their children who returned to Australia in May.
Tax (CANBERRA)
Controversial tax reforms in the federal budget will help protect Australia's democracy and social cohesion as more voters look for solutions from populist parties, the prime minister says.
When asked why he was not up front about changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax before the last election, Anthony Albanese told an economic summit the federal government was forced to act in the May budget.
"If people think the economy isn't working for them and they're working their guts out and they're not getting an opportunity, I'll tell you what, they will turn to more simplistic, grievance-based politics," he told the Australia's Economic Outlook summit, hosted by News Corp, on Friday.
"That is the context in which my government is saying, 'no, we're going to deliver real change for the better'."
Hollingworth (MELBOURNE)
The family of a former governor-general who resigned over his handling of child sexual abuse in the Anglican church has reflected on the shadow cast over his final years.
Peter Hollingworth served as the Archbishop of Brisbane for more than a decade before being appointed governor-general in 2001.
He died after a fall on May 19, aged 91, and was farewelled at a requiem eucharist at Christ Church, in Melbourne's South Yarra, on Friday.
Friends, former colleagues and family paid tribute to Dr Hollingworth's years of service as a cleric and social welfare advocate and organiser.
The funeral was attended by Governor-General Sam Mostyn, Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner and former prime minister John Howard.
Delivering a eulogy on behalf of the family, Deborah Hollingworth reflected on the "long shadow" overhanging her father's final years.
In finance ...
US Economy (WASHINGTON, D. C.)
The US economy has posted a third straight month of strong job gains in May, confirming the labour market was gaining traction after stumbling last year and giving the Federal Reserve more room to keep interest rates unchanged amid rising inflation due to the war in the Middle East.
The closely watched employment report from the US Labor Department on Friday painted an upbeat picture of the jobs market.
The economy added 93,000 more jobs in March and April than previously estimated and the unemployment rate held at 4.3 per cent for a third consecutive month.
While financial markets boosted the chances of an interest rate hike in December, economists said the bar remains high for monetary policy tightening.
Economists say fiscal stimulus, in the form of tax and import tariff refunds, has cushioned the effect of the US-backed war with Iran, which has stoked inflation through a surge in oil prices.
Markets Aust (SYDNEY)
Australia's share market has ended the session and the week lower as softening commodity prices and stalled Persian Gulf peace talks dent investor sentiment.
The S&P/ASX200 fell 61 points on Friday, down 0.7 per cent, to 8,625.1, as the broader All Ordinaries also lost 61 points, or 0.68 per cent, to 8,855.9.
The top-200 has lost 1.2 per cent since Monday after easing iron ore and copper prices dragged on the mining sector later in the week and banks continued to struggle with a cautious housing sector outlook.
The Australian dollar is buying 71.20 US cents, down from 71.35 US cents on Thursday at 5pm, the Aussie under pressure from softening risk sentiment and commodity prices.
In entertainment ...
Arts Cinema (MELBOURNE)
When festivals and distributors overlooked his first feature film, James Robert Woods decided to get it into cinemas himself.
The Birthday Trip stars Luke Jacobz, Nicola Frew and Rosehaven's David Quirk, and follows a bunch of inner-city millennials to a luxury farmstay for a birthday celebration that goes horribly wrong.
After writing, directing, filming and co-producing the project via his production company, Badlands, Woods found he couldn't stir any interest from major festival organisers or the usual indie distributors.
But with small screenings at the Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival in the Queensland town of Winton and Sydney's Inner West Film Fest, he felt confident the feature would speak to cinemagoers.
Woods is convinced it's the right moment to poke fun at upwardly mobile millennials and says audiences so far have enjoyed laughing at themselves.
France Otis (PARIS)
Former US supermodel Carre Otis has filed a complaint at a Paris court alleging she was raped and trafficked by Gerald Marie, the former European head of Elite Model agency, in a move her lawyer says is meant to encourage other potential victims to come forward.
Marie has denied the allegations and cannot be prosecuted over Otis' case because of France's statute of limitations.
But the complaint could allow other women, whether their cases are time-barred or not, to join the proceedings, Otis' lawyer Mathias Darmon said in a statement to the Associated Press.
The complaint, seen by AP, alleges rape of a minor and human trafficking.
Sent to Paris in 1986 by Elite Model agency, Otis, who was then 17, was housed in Marie's apartment, "mistakenly believing that he wanted to support her modelling career," according to the complaint.
In sport ...
WC26 Aust (OAKLAND)
In and out of San Diego inside 36 hours.
That's the plan the Socceroos hope can prove the perfect blueprint for their World Cup hit-and-run clash with the United States.
Australia travel on Friday to face Switzerland at noon on Saturday (5am Sunday AEST) at Snapdragon Stadium, then depart at night after the game to return to their Bay Area base.
The Socceroos' final friendly before the World Cup will also prove a dress rehearsal for Australia's second group match against the co-hosts on June 19 (June 20 AEST), with a similar midday kick-off and quick exit afterwards.
"That's what we're trying to do," coach Tony Popovic told AAP.
"The 12 o'clock kick-off is a unique time - unique for food and unique for travel and playing.
AFL Hawks (MELBOURNE)
Tim English and Marcus Bontempelli produced inspirational displays as the Western Bulldogs came from behind to pinch a six-point win over Hawthorn in another heart-stopper.
The Bulldogs overturned a 29-point deficit when adding eight goals to one after halftime in their 12.5 (77) to 9.17 (71) victory at the MCG on Friday night.
It was the Dogs' fourth win by a single-figure margin in their past five games, and sixth this season.
The result lifted the Bulldogs (8-5) into fifth spot, just two points behind the third-placed Hawks (8-4-1).
Bontempelli (23 disposals, two goals) starred alongside fellow midfielders Ryley Sanders (23 touches) and Ed Richards (28), while English was influential in the ruck.
Jordan Croft kicked three crucial goals and unheralded defender Michael Sellwood, who was tormented by Nick Watson (11 touches, three goals) in the first half, fought back to blunt his opponent after the main break.
Ends Bulletin
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