AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 11 at 0600
Ebola (LONDON)
Three laboratories in Democratic Republic of Congo have run out of supplies to test for Ebola, the World Health Organisation says as the outbreak of the dangerous Bundibugyo species of the virus continues to grow.
In the latest situation report, dated June 7 and released on Tuesday night, the agency said laboratories in Bukavu and Lwiro in South Kivu province, and Goma in North Kivu, had run out of stock.
It said that the labs were awaiting the arrival of reagents - substances required to run the tests - to resume work on backlogged samples.
The WHO did not immediately respond to requests for comment about how many samples were awaiting testing or if supplies have arrived since the data was collected.
Epstein (WASHINGTON, D. C.)
Bill Gates has told members of the US Congress that he "did not fully understand the extent" of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes when he associated with the late convicted sex offender to raise money for his philanthropic foundation.
Gates also testified that he never witnessed any criminal conduct from Epstein.
He accused Epstein of blackmailing him over his extramarital affairs.
"These affairs had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein but they were painful for my family," Gates said, according to a copy of his opening statement.
"Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities - in addition to many lies that he layered on top - to pressure me to re-engage with him."
Congress has been investigating the US Justice Department's handling of the Epstein case.
Legal: UK Stab (BELFAST)
The family of a man who lost an eye in a knife attack has appealed for calm after the incident triggered a wave of anti-immigrant violence in Belfast , with masked men burning families out of their homes and torching vehicles.
The appeal came as a Sudanese man appeared in court charged with attempted murder and as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and politicians in Northern Ireland condemned the violence by "masked thugs" that had targeted ethnic minorities.
Hundreds of protesters, many with their faces covered, had attacked police and burned vehicles in a number of locations across Northern Ireland late on Tuesday after a video of the knife attack went viral.
"We want to make it absolutely clear that overnight unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward," the family of the victim, Stephen Ogilvie, said in a statement.
Iran (WASHINGTON, D. C.)
US President Donald Trump says the United States is going to attack Iran "very hard" if no peace deal is finalised and has announced the US has been taking oil out of Iran.
"We're going to be attacking them, attacking them very hard," Trump told reporters at the White House, citing Iran's downing of an Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.
The president reiterated that Iran will be hit on Wednesday.
Trump also revealed that the United States has been taking oil out of Iran.
"I'm just announcing today for the first time, but we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil, millions of barrels every night," Trump said, adding that Iran "just figured it out".
"Millions of barrels of oil has come out, and that's why it's at $US85-90 a barrel, instead of $US250," Trump said, sharing no other details about these operations.
Daniher (MELBOURNE)
Neale Daniher's family have vowed to "play on" and continue his quest to find a cure for the "beast" he battled.
The much-loved AFL legend and motor neurone disease advocate was honoured in an emotional state funeral on Wednesday, attended by more than 5000 people, including political leaders, former and current AFL players and colleagues.
A symbol of the fight against MND, Daniher died on May 25 aged 65 after a 13-year battle with what he called The Beast.
Thousands of attendees formed guard of honour wearing their distinctive blue FightMND beanies along Daniher's Way and clapped as his hearse was driven from the grounds of the MCG for a final time.
The former Essendon player, Melbourne coach and tireless MND campaigner had been eulogised inside the hallowed grounds where he spent much of his life working and playing.
Social (MELBOURNE)
There is little sign of a dip in cyberbullying or image-based abuse in the six months since teenagers under 16 have been banned from social media.
But, even without a clear fall in reports of online harm, the early results are not necessarily discouraging, experts say, as the nation remains at the front of efforts to restrict under-16 access to social media.
The world-first ban, which stipulates users must be 16 or older to create or hold social media accounts, made international headlines in December.
Call patterns remained largely unchanged since the ban was introduced, a helplines operator said.
Non-profit yourtown operates Kids Helpline and virtual services manager Tony FitzGerald told AAP it was too early to gauge any real difference.
BudgetACT (CANBERRA)
First home buyers in the ACT will no longer have to pay stamp duty, despite the territory set to surpass $12 billion in debt.
The nation-first measure was the centrepiece of Treasurer Chris Steel's second budget, unveiled on Wednesday.
It's a major milestone in ACT Labor's 20-year journey to abolish stamp duty in its entirety, in favour of higher property rates.
"We've made some very significant decisions today to completely eliminate stamp duty for certain cohorts and for certain homes, but we will continue the work to phase out what is an inefficient and unfair tax," Mr Steel told reporters.
From July 1, exemptions will be extended to every resident entering the property market.
Currently, only homes under $1 million are exempt and purchasers must be below income eligibility thresholds.
UK Stab (BELFAST)
Masked men have burned families out of their homes in Belfast in a wave of anti-immigrant violence after a Sudanese man was charged over a knife attack.
Hundreds of protesters, many with their faces covered, attacked police and burned vehicles in a number of locations across Northern Ireland on Tuesday after a video of the knife attack, which left one person with serious neck and head wounds, went viral.
A number of homes could be seen burning in the city on Tuesday evening, with video broadcast by the BBC showing police helping a family escape from a burning house.
"There can be no excuse and no justification for these attacks tonight," Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill said in a statement.
In finance ...
US Economy (WASHINGTON, D. C.)
US consumer inflation increased at its fastest pace in three years in May, boosted by surging prices for energy products amid the Middle East conflict, and giving more ammunition for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates unchanged into 2027.
The third straight month of strong increases in the Consumer Price Index reported by the Labor Department on Wednesday underscored the mounting pressure on households, who are increasingly tapping their savings to fund spending.
Inflation eroded wages for a second consecutive month in May, which could weigh on overall economic growth.
The soaring cost of living is a political liability for US President Donald Trump and his Republican Party, seeking to retain control of Congress in the midterm elections in November.
Markets Aust (SYDNEY)
Australia's stock market has snapped a three-session losing streak, creeping higher as interest rate-sensitive stocks rally on hopes the Reserve Bank is finished hiking rates, ballasting weakness in mining stocks.
The S&P/ASX200 rose 49.1 points on Wednesday, up 0.57 per cent, to 8,653.3, as the broader All Ordinaries gained 32.2 points, or 0.36 per cent, to 8,857.
Interest rate-sensitive sectors such as consumer staples, discretionaries, real estates trusts, utilities and financials helped push the bourse higher for a second session after NAB economists tipped the Reserve Bank was done hiking interest rates.
Conversely, hotter-than-expected US economic data last week has narrowed bets the US Federal Reserve will have to raise borrowing costs, bolstering the greenback and dragging on metals prices and ASX-listed miners.
In entertainment ...
Arts Philanthropy (MELBOURNE)
Arts philanthropy is a distant dream for organisations in some of Australia's most remote communities, with generous donors far away in capital cities.
A parliamentary inquiry into arts and cultural philanthropy is trying to work out how to encourage more donations from the private sector, for groups such as the Northern Territory's peak music body, Music NT.
Current policies to encourage philanthropy favour city-based organisations and need structural reform, Music NT executive director Mark Smith told the federal inquiry.
"(Remote) organisations face thin local donor markets, higher delivery costs across vast distances, and limited access to major foundations," he said.
"We see this inquiry as a genuine opportunity to make cultural philanthropy work for the whole country."
The federal government will spend $1.1 billion on Australia's arts and cultural sector in 2026/27, according to budget figures.
Swift (LOS ANGELES)
Pop superstar Taylor Swift has made a surprise appearance in Hollywood at the premiere of animated movie Toy Story 5.
Swift sat at a piano in a full-length gown on stage at the Dolby Theatre and sang I Knew It, I Knew You, the song she wrote for the new Toy Story instalment.
The singer said she has been a longtime fan of the movie franchise.
"It means the world to me to be a small part of these films," she said on Tuesday.
Swift then introduced another unexpected guest - Randy Newman, composer of the musical scores and many of the breakout songs from the Toy Story movies.
The pair sang a duet of You've Got a Friend in Me, one of Newman's hits from the first Toy Story in 1995.
In sport ...
Ath Diamond (LONDON)
Gout Gout has discovered in chastening fashion about life at the very top of global sprinting as the teenage sensation found the going far too hot on his Diamond League debut at the famed Bislett Games meeting in Oslo.
Having looked forward to making his bow against the "big boys" on Wednesday night (Thursday morning AEST), the 18-year-old Queenslander was swept aside on a cool, windy evening in the Norwegian capital, finishing only sixth in 20.60 seconds in the 200 metres, nowhere near his world-leading best time of 19.67.
On race eve, Gout had talked of how it was Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, not Usain Bolt, who'd been his sprint idol growing up.
Well, the 23-year-old master Tebogo gave the apprentice a bit of a lesson in the lane outside Gout on Wednesday as the Botswanan champion raced to victory in 19.84sec, a superb performance on a cool evening and on what's not considered the quickest of tracks.
WCT20 Aust (LONDON)
Sophie Molineux's Australian team, without a world title to their name, look determined to put matters right at the Women's T20 World Cup, if the ruthless manner of their warm-up wins is anything to go by.
After crushing tournament hosts England on Monday, the world No.1 Aussies hammered West Indies by six wickets at the same Cardiff venue in their last prelim match on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) before launching their campaign with a huge match against South Africa this weekend.
Molineux pronounced herself happy with her team's preparations as seven of her eight bowlers helped themselves to a wicket in bowling out the Windies for 131 before the in-form Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll helped them make light work of the chase.
Ends Bulletin
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