AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 4 at 0000
Ukraine (ST PETERSBURG)
Ukrainian long-range drones struck an oil terminal in St Petersburg and set it ablaze, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says, as the Russian city hosts an annual international economic forum promoted by President Vladimir Putin.
The drones flew more than 1000km to hit the terminal, Zelenskiy said on social media on Wednesday.
Clouds of black smoke rose over the city's port after the attack.
Russian authorities said only that the Ukrainian drone strike targeted the city's infrastructure, without providing further details.
The airport of St Petersburg briefly suspended flights overnight because of the attack.
Authorities also cut off mobile internet services.
The economic forum in St Petersburg begins on Wednesday and Putin is set to speak on Friday at what the Kremlin views as a prestige event, although major Western investors and officials have stayed away since Russia invaded Ukraine more than four years ago.
Iran (CAIRO)
Gulf hostilities have flared again, with an Iranian missile attack damaging Kuwait's airport and the US military carrying out strikes near the Strait of Hormuz as diplomacy between Washington and Tehran show little progress.
The latest flare-up, which sent oil prices higher, comes with the conflict stalemated in a shaky ceasefire and the Strait of Hormuz largely closed, more than three months after initial US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Flights at Kuwait International Airport were suspended and diverted elsewhere until further notice after an Iranian drone and missile attack one of its terminals.
The attack caused injuries and severely damaged some airport facilities, state media reported.
Bahrain's army said it intercepted three missiles and several drones.
Earlier, the US Central Command said two Iranian missiles shot at Kuwait fell short or broke up in flight, while several ballistic missiles aimed at regional targets failed and three missiles heading for Bahrain were intercepted.
Legal: Toby (SYDNEY)
A man who booed during a Welcome to Country at an Anzac Day dawn service has refused to apologise while being sentenced in court.
Eli Joseph Toby pleaded guilty in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday to one count of committing a nuisance at a war memorial for booing loudly while Uncle Ray Minniecon was delivering the Welcome.
When asked by Judge Greg Grogin whether he was sorry for what he had done, Toby said he had "mixed feelings".
"I'm sorry it has caused such an uproar and I'm sorry to my family," he said.
Toby said he was expressing his belief Welcome to Country ceremonies were overdone and should not be performed at Anzac Day commemorations.
"My behaviour was not designed to be offensive to Aboriginal or Indigenous people," he said.
Legal: Waden (BRISBANE)
In a battered notebook, a former US beauty queen tried to convince herself life was worth fighting for.
"I am thankful I am alive, thankful for what I have," Priscilla Brooten wrote.
Weeks later, she disappeared into a winter's night and has never been seen again.
Prosecutors allege her former partner Mark Sheridan Waden murdered his ex-girlfriend and disposed of her body.
Waden has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Brooten on July 5, 2018, then spinning a web of wild stories about why she suddenly disappeared from the home they shared in Brisbane's north.
Her diary entry has been shown to a jury after Waden's earlier trial was aborted when a juror was caught researching the case online.
A new jury was sworn in before crown prosecutor Andrew Walklate on Wednesday delivered his opening address for the second time this week in Brisbane Supreme Court.
Lottery (SYDNEY)
Australia's largest lottery operator is building a new smartphone app because its digital operation has done a poor job of recreating the fun of playing the lottery.
The Lottery Corporation, which runs Powerball, Oz Lotto and Set for Life, plans to launch an AI-powered smartphone app built from scratch in the next 12 to 18 months.
Online lottery tickets were more convenient - and more profitable for the company - but something about the retail experience had been lost, the company's chief operating officer for digital Loren Somerville said.
"It was never just a transaction in retail," she told analysts at an investor day on Wednesday.
Buying a ticket from a local newsagent was a fun, ritualistic experience that might involve banter with the person behind the counter, while The Lott's smartphone app just meant picking numbers from a grid and paying for them, Ms Somerville said.
Gatto (MELBOURNE)
Underworld figure Mick Gatto has been arrested at his property as part of a police investigation into alleged financial crimes.
Detectives raided a Mount Martha property, about 50 kilometres southeast of Melbourne, on Wednesday morning, arresting two people in their 70s.
Media reports widely suggest Gatto and his wife are the pair arrested.
"Detectives from Taskforce Hawk executed a warrant at a Mount Martha property this morning as part of a current investigation into alleged financial offences. Further information will be released later today," a police spokesperson said.
Taskforce Hawk was established to tackle criminal behaviour in the construction sector.
US Bank (BAKERSFIELD)
A man has barricaded himself inside a bank building in the Southern California city of Bakersfield with an unknown number of people.
Officers responding to a call of a bomb threat arrived at the scene around 1pm on Tuesday at the Chase Bank building in downtown Bakersfield, and discovered a man had barricaded himself inside "with several community members," the Bakersfield Police Department said in a statement.
Some community members were able to escape.
No injuries were reported and nearby buildings were placed on lockdown, including city hall and the police headquarters.
The department's crisis negotiation team was in contact with the suspect by telephone.
Officers established a perimeter around the building and nearby businesses, authorities said.
"We are on scene at the Chase Bank Building on Chester Avenue and 17th Street for a confirmed bomb threat," the police department posted on X.
AUKUS (CANBERRA)
Australia's defence chief is defending the acquisition of second-hand submarines, despite concern taxpayer money is being spent on lesser equipment than first promised.
Chief of the Defence Force David Johnston told a senate estimates committee three used Virginia-class submarines, to be acquired through the AUKUS pact, would be "highly capable".
The $368 billion plan originally had Australia receiving three nuclear submarines from the US - two used and one new Virginia-Class vessels - before building its own in Adelaide.
"These are the best attack submarines in the world, with the first time it has ever been transferred from another nation," Admiral Johnston said.
"These are extraordinarily capable platforms that will come to us with a long life remaining in that submarine fleet, and it would be inaccurate to portray it any other way."
In finance ...
Economy (CANBERRA)
Australia's economic growth rate slowed to 0.3 per cent in the first three months of the year as the effects of interest rate rises and the Iran war started to be felt.
Growth in gross domestic product was down from the rapid 0.9 per cent growth recorded in the December quarter, Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed on Wednesday.
The result was largely in line with the consensus of forecasters.
Annual GDP growth was 2.5 per cent, below Reserve Bank's May forecast of 2.6 per cent.
"Economic growth slowed in the March quarter, with modest household and public sector expenditure as well as cyclone disruptions to mining and export activities," ABS head of national accounts Grace Kim said.
Net trade detracted 0.8 percentage points from GDP growth.
Economy OECD (CANBERRA)
A global economic body is urging the Reserve Bank not to raise interest rates again unless inflation expectations become untethered.
As the economy slows as a result of the global energy shock, the central bank may even be required to cut interest rates, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said.
In its quarterly economic outlook on Wednesday, the Paris-based organisation - led by former Australian finance minister Mathias Cormann - said Australia's economy had "considerable momentum" leading up to the Middle East conflict.
But Australia's gross domestic product growth rate would slow to 1.9 per cent in 2026 and 1.8 per cent in 2027, in year-average terms, largely as a result of the energy shock.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported GDP grew at 2.5 per cent in the 12 months to March
In entertainment ...
Farnham (MELBOURNE)
Fans of music legend John Farnham have been left frustrated as tickets to a gala tribute concert were snapped up despite the cost.
The charity event at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on September 20 sold out within hours of going on sale Tuesday, with premium tickets priced at $1650.
Fans complained online of waiting in virtual queues of more than 30,000 customers only to miss out on tickets, while others described the pricing as atrocious.
"Sorry but the prices were ridiculous, $1700 a ticket is outrageous," said one Farnham fan.
Others speculated the singer himself would not approve of the situation.
"He would not be pleased with the pricing of this concert. Only the privileged few could afford to attend... it was appalling the way the ticketing has been handled."
McCartney (LONDON)
Sir Paul McCartney has admitted banning phones at his gigs made the shows feel "really special".
The Beatles legend returned to the stage in March to play two intimate concerts at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles and decided to stop audience members filming and taking pictures on their devices.
He revealed the phone ban made a huge difference to the experience.
He told NME: "In fact, it's funny, we did some gigs recently in LA at a small club called The Fonda, and we outlawed phones because normally people are just not watching your show, they're just holding their phones up and they'll watch it when they get home.
"It was like an old gig, like how everyone used to play. It was really special."
In sport ...
Ten Open Women (PARIS)
Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska has continued her dream run at the French Open by reaching the semi-finals with a 7-6(3) 6-3 victory over Russia's Anna Kalinskaya on a windswept Court Philippe Chatrier.
The 24-year-old absorbed the power of the 22nd seed superbly on Wednesday, repeatedly forcing Kalinskaya into errors by extending rallies and making her hit one extra shot as she became only the second qualifier in the Open era to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals - and the sixth to achieve the feat at a Grand Slam.
Chwalinska will face world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka or Russia's Diana Shnaider for a place in Saturday's final.
After an early exchange of breaks, Chwalinska broke her opponent's serve again and saved two break points to move 4-1 ahead before nerves crept in, allowing Kalinskaya to force a tiebreak.
AFL Magpies (MELBOURNE)
Collingwood and Melbourne have broken with Big Freeze tradition, coming together to hear from the Daniher family ahead of Monday's massive AFL clash.
Neale Daniher's wife Jan and daughter Bec spoke to the two clubs at the MCG on Wednesday afternoon ahead of their annual King's Birthday blockbuster.
The 12th Big Freeze game takes on even greater meaning after Daniher died last week, ending his 13-year fight with motor neurone disease.
Previously, Daniher would visit the two clubs separately for a pre-game talk - even after MND had taken his voice.
His sister Nerolee was also in the room on Wednesday and Magpies defender Isaac Quaynor said it was a special occasion.
"I just want to touch on the impressive nature of Bec and Jan speaking in front of the whole group - such a powerful moment," Quaynor said.
Ends Bulletin
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