AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 15 at 0330
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.
Mideast (DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA STRIP)
The Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 73,000, despite a fragile ceasefire deal reached in October.
Confirmation came from Gaza's Health Ministry, with the total number of deaths since the beginning of the war reaching 73,001.
On Sunday, the ministry said, there were five deaths: two in the southern city of Khan Younis and one in central Gaza, in addition to two who died of earlier wounds.
More than 173,200 people have been wounded since the start of the war, which was ignited by the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
That attack killed some 1200 people and took 251 others hostage.
An Israeli strike on Saturday evening killed two Palestinians in Khan Younis.
The casualties were taken to Nasser hospital, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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.
Shark (SYDNEY)
The latest shark attack that critically injured a woman in front of shocked swimmers has reignited calls for culling as a community reels from the incident off a popular beach.
And the NSW government is not ruling out the measure.
The attack happened about 20-30 metres from shore and between the flags at Sydney's popular Coogee Beach about 11am on Saturday.
The woman, believed to be in her 30s, was airlifted to hospital after being brought from the water by an off-duty lifeguard.
It has prompted strong calls by NSW independent MP Rod Roberts to cull sharks for the sake of community safety.
Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty did not rule it out on Sunday.
"Nothing is off the table in terms of how we keep the community safe," she told reporters.
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.
NDIS (CANBERRA)
Criticism of looming changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme by states and territories is overblown, the minister who oversees the scheme says.
Carve-outs from the reforms were unlikely despite disapproval from the disability sector and state and territory disability ministers, federal Health Minister Mark Butler said on Sunday.
About 160,000 people will be removed from the NDIS and transferred to other state-run support programs as part of changes designed to cut the cost of the $56 billion scheme.
But in a submission to a Senate inquiry examining the reforms, state and territory disability ministers said jurisdictions were not prepared and many NDIS participants would fall through the cracks.
Mr Butler said the jurisdictions were exaggerating in their criticisms.
"There's a bit of posturing going on through this process," he told ABC's Insiders program on Sunday.
Ukraine (KYIV)
A Ukrainian drone attack has killed one person and injured three in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, local officials said, as part of Kyiv's campaign of strikes on military and energy targets deep inside Russia.
Drone debris sparked a fire at a sea terminal, local Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Saturday. He did not give details, but Russian news outlets reported that a Black Sea export terminal transporting terminal crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied gas in the village of Volna was damaged.
Ukraine's General Staff did not comment on the Krasnodar strike on Saturday, but said that its forces had hit an oil preparation and pumping station overnight in Russia's Volgograd region, as well as Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine's Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Iran (DUBAI/WASHINGTON)
US President Donald Trump and mediator Pakistan say an initial deal to end the war in the Middle East will be signed in hours, although Iran denies the signing will take place so soon.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides had agreed on a framework for a peace deal and that Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing on Sunday, to be followed by technical-level talks next week.
Trump also said in a social media post that the deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed on Sunday and that the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil supplies which Iran has blocked, would be immediately "open to all" after it was signed.
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei cautioned against commenting on the timing the signing.
In entertainment ...
Royals Harry (SAN ANTONIO)
Prince Harry has made a surprise appearance at the NBA Finals in San Antonio.
Harry, 41, was spotted in the crowd at game five of the finals series between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks on Saturday.
He attended the match with US Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient JP Lane and sat beside NBA Commissioner Adam Silver a few rows back from the court.
The duke was already in Texas for the Warrior Games - an event for wounded, injured or ill military personnel organised by the US Government.
Other recognisable faces at the match included Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney attended with boyfriend Scooter Braun, actor Timothee Chalamet and Ben Stiller.
Neither Meghan nor the couple's children were in attendance at the game, which ended with the New York Knicks claiming their first NBA title since 1973 on the back of a 94-90 win.
Pacino
Oscar-winner Al Pacino says it is a "profound honour" to be the recipient of the Sam Wanamaker Award, which recognises his connection to the works of William Shakespeare.
The award was established by Shakespeare's Globe in 1994 to honour the work of individuals who have increased the understanding and enjoyment of the celebrated playwright.
Pacino, 86, is known for his starring roles in films such as Scarface and the Godfather trilogy, as well as celebrated performances in many of Shakespeare's plays.
These include as Shylock in The Merchant Of Venice, Mark Antony in Julius Caesar, and the title role in Richard III.
"Throughout my life, the theatre has given me a sense of purpose and belonging, and Shakespeare has always been a guiding force in that journey," Pacino said.
In sport ...
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.
Mot F1 (LONDON)
Oscar Piastri has finished fifth at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix with Lewis Hamilton claiming an emotional first win for Ferrari to become at 41, F1's oldest winner since Australian legend Jack Brabham in 1970.
It was veteran Brit Hamilton's first victory since winning the Belgian Grand Prix in July 2024 while still with Mercedes, and it means the seven-time world champion has now boosted his record career haul to 106 GP victories.
Hamilton took his opportunity as runaway Italian title leader Kimi Antonelli - who had won five on the bounce coming into the race - suffered a late retirement due to engine failure, while George Russell, starting from pole, finished second.
Piastri's McLaren team-mate and defending F1 champion Lando Norris finished third ahead of four-time champ Max Verstappen (Red Bull).
Ends Bulletin
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