AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 20 at 0530
NDIS (CANBERRA)
Disability advocates are calling on the Albanese government to pause its plan to rush through an overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme after a major report into the changes was again delayed.
A parliamentary inquiry was due to hand down its report on June 16, before its deadline was moved forward by three days.
The report isn't expected to be published until June 23.
Labor is trying to land a deal with the Greens, which would extend the inquiry into the proposed reform in exchange for the minor party's support for the government's tax changes announced in the federal budget.
Under changes to the $56 billion NDIS, the government would kick 160,000 people off the scheme to rein in spending.
Ebola (BUNIA)
At least 30 people have died since the start of May in one camp for displaced civilians in northeastern Congo, a death rate that camp officials said was unprecedented, and, because of the symptoms, could indicate Ebola is spreading fast there.
It was not possible to confirm the causes of death because patients or their relatives in Kigonze camp in Bunia - the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo - had until Thursday refused testing the living or dead, a camp spokesperson and aid organisation Caritas said.
However, all had symptoms including headaches, fever and vomiting, which are associated with Ebola, a camp spokesperson, a bereaved father, three aid sources and a civil society leader told Reuters.
"People didn't just die like this before," camp spokesperson Desire Grodya Bapi told Reuters.
Trump Meloni (ROME)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused her one-time close ally Donald Trump of fabricating a story about her, after the US President told an Italian TV channel that she had "begged" him to take a photo with her at a G7 summit.
Meloni said she was "astonished" by his comments, which were "completely made up".
She also chided him for acting with far greater deference to the enemies of the West than he does towards old, established allies.
Underscoring how much Trump's comments have angered Meloni's government, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced he was cancelling a planned visit to the US next week.
The latest exchange marks a sharp deterioration in ties, coming just days after signs emerged at the G7 summit that the two right-wing leaders had steadied a previously strained relationship following tensions this year over the war on Iran.
Iran (WASHINGTON/DUBAI/ZURICH)
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon, a US official said, after an escalation in fighting there jeopardised the chances of an interim agreement on ending the war in Iran turning into a lasting Middle East peace deal.
US-Iran talks in Switzerland planned for Friday were cancelled as fighting flared in Lebanon, creating new uncertainty about the timing of negotiations vital to ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping.
The senior US official said shortly before 4pm Lebanon time that a ceasefire would come into effect then.
"We understand that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire," the official said on background, saying that negotiators for the US and Qataris worked out the agreement with help from Iran.
Teachers Vic (MELBOURNE)
More strike disruptions loom for students after public school educators rejected a government's wage and conditions offer that would have made them some of the best paid in Australia.
The Victorian Education Union's more than 60,000 public school teachers, principals and support staff have voted down a state government offer on pay and conditions, with 57.7 per cent of voting members rejecting the offer.
The Labor government in May put forward a revised pay offer of between 28 to 32 per cent over four years following the state's first teachers' strike in more than a decade.
While the minimum 28 per cent pay bump was a "good offer", union branch president Justin Mullaly said members were also under immediate and critical pressure around workload.
Flu (SYDNEY)
A single suspected case of bird flu has triggered fears a deadly strain that has killed millions of animals worldwide has reached the Australian mainland.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins confirmed a single migratory wild bird had been detected with a suspected case of the disease in Western Australia.
But it was too early to confirm it was the concerning H5N1 strain that has killed millions of birds around the world, the minister said, with results from further testing expected on Saturday.
Mainland Australia is the only continent yet to detect the killer strain.
"There is no evidence of any mass mortality at this time, nor is there any evidence of infection in poultry," Ms Collins said.
"If it is confirmed to be the H5 bird flu, this will be sobering, but not unexpected, given the spread globally."
NDIS (CANBERRA)
A major report into an overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme has been delayed for a second time, with furious negotiations to pass the changes through federal parliament.
The government is seeking a deal with the Greens which would extend an inquiry into the controversial changes in exchange for the minor party's support for an unrelated overhaul of negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount.
Labor hopes to slash the $56 billion cost of the NDIS by moving hundreds of thousands of participants onto other state-run disability supports that are yet to be developed.
A snap parliamentary inquiry into the proposal was scheduled to hand down its report on Tuesday, but had delayed its deadline until Friday.
Two sources close to the committee have told AAP the report will not be published until Tuesday.
Surveillance (PERTH)
For the first time in Australia, police will roll out real-time facial recognition cameras in public areas to scan crowds for suspects and criminals.
The technology, which uses artificial intelligence to cross-reference faces with a database, will be deployed in Western Australia from Monday.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the cameras will enable police to better protect the public by catching criminals more quickly.
"It is another tool to help police find the right people, at the right time, for the right reasons," he said on Friday.
The cameras will be mounted on or positioned in the vicinity of a marked police vehicle in designated public spaces.
It's hoped it will help identify reportable offenders, people with outstanding warrants, and suspects in serious offences.
In finance ...
KPMG (SYDNEY)
The ex-head of a top-tier consultancy has defended his record, saying he's no "bad apple" despite damaging allegations of an audit leak and whistleblower claims of a toxic culture at the firm.
Andrew Yates fell on his sword on May 29 when a federal joint parliamentary committee raised allegations against KPMG, which holds more than half a billion dollars of government contracts.
"I don't see myself as a bad apple," he told the committee sitting in Canberra on Friday.
"I see someone who took accountability for things that went wrong and nor do I see the firm to be full of bad apples.
"We're a large, complex organisation and we're fallible."
KPMG is feeling the heat over the alleged misuse of confidential board papers and the treatment of a staff member who raised concerns.
Markets Aust (SYDNEY)
Australia's share market is set to finish the week with little gains as a mining stock rout drags on.
The S&P/ASX200 fell 89.4 points by midday on Friday, down one per cent, to 8,821.7, as the broader All Ordinaries slipped 88.3 points, or 0.97 per cent, to 9,038.5.
The top-200 is up 0.14 per cent since Monday, after a US-Iran peace deal-fuelled rally buckled in the second half of the week.
BHP led the basic materials sector lower, falling 3.7 per cent after the mining giant flagged a $US2 billion ($A2.9 billion) cost blowout relating to its Canadian Jansen potash project.
"BHP continues to invest in its long-term growth strategy," the miner's Americas chief executive-elect Brandon Craig said.
"Jansen is an important pillar of BHP's strategy and will deliver exposure to a future facing commodity with strong demand fundamentals and portfolio diversification benefits."
In entertainment ...
Baldwin (LONDON)
Alec Baldwin would rather face "bears and wolves" trying to eat him than put his children to bed.
The 68-year-old star - who has Ireland, 30, with ex-wife Kim Basinger and Carmen, 12, Rafael, 10, Leonardo, nine, Romeo, eight, Eduardo, five, Maria Lucia, also five, and three-year-old Ilaria with spouse Hilaria - admitted the evening routine in his household can be very hectic while being grilled by one of his kids.
Speaking to daughter Carmen for Extra, he laughed when she asked him which was the most difficult out of "navigating Hollywood or getting seven kids to go to bed".
"I'd rather be on a frozen mountain in Alaska filming an adventure movie where bears and wolves and condors are trying to eat me then put kids to bed," said the actor.
CharliXCX (LONDON)
Charli XCX stays away from social media because it's "better for my brain".
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the 33-year-old singer said she has made the decision to steer clear of sites such as Instagram and Facebook for the sake of her mental health.
"I have actually been a lot more offline. I don't really look as much any more. It's just better for my brain," she said.
"I know people probably won't believe me because I am inherently, at least in the past, a very online artist.
"But I recently have been really struggling with my mental health to the point where, if I'm being real, I'm in the worst place mentally that I've been in my life."
In sport ...
WC26 Aust (SEATTLE)
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic has dropped goalscorers Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe to the bench for Australia's blockbuster clash with the United States.
Veteran Mathew Leckie, playing for the first time at his fourth World Cup, and Nishan Velupillay are the two inclusions in attack for the game that could determine who finishes top of group D.
Irankunda, who was electric in the 2-0 win over Turkey, including scoring a brilliant opener, and Metcalfe, who delivered a wonderful second-half goal, loom as impact substitutes.
Popovic has stuck with impressive young goalkeeper Patrick Beach and the same defence and midfield that bested Turkey, with Harry Souttar captain again.
US star Christian Pulisic was unable to prove his fitness after a left calf injury and was left out of Mauricio Pochettino's squad altogether.
Gol Open (LONDON)
Former champion Wyndham Clark has seen his four-shot overnight lead halved as the first round of the US Open concluded early on Friday morning at Shinnecock Hills.
Clark, the 2024 victor and one of four previous winners occupying the top four places heading into round two, parred his remaining two holes after returning at 6.35am local time to sign for a six-under-par 64.
Dustin Johnson, a winner at an equally-tough course in Oakmont in 2016, rolled back the years to post a 66 after he birdied two of his final three holes to move into second place.
The 41-year-old American, who plays on the LIV Golf circuit, has missed six cuts in his last 11 majors with a best finish of joint-23rd but was one of Thursday's late starters to benefit from the absence of forecasted high winds to leave the course at the most vulnerable it will be all week.
Ends Bulletin
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