AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 7 at 0630
Iran (TEHRAN)
Lebanese army commander General Rudolf Haykal has left on a visit to Pakistan, Lebanon's army says, amid Pakistani efforts to mediate an end to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran that has also spilled into Lebanon.
The army said the visit was at the invitation of Haykal's Pakistani counterpart but did not immediately provide further details on its purpose or duration.
The surprise visit is notable given the insistence by the United States - and by Lebanese leaders including the president - that ceasefire talks for Lebanon remain separate from US-Iran negotiations mediated by Pakistan.
It comes as Iran's government again warned neighbouring countries against making their territory available for potential US military operations against it.
"The countries in the region should observe the principle of good neighbourliness and not use their territory for aggressive actions against Iran," the Iranian foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Mideast (HEBRON)
A seven-month-old Palestinian has been laid to rest in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a day after he was shot dead and his parents were injured by the Israeli military near Hebron, according to family members who witnessed the shooting and the Palestinian health ministry.
Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, wrapped in a white shroud and a Palestinian flag, was buried in Hebron after funeral prayers were held at a nearby mosque.
The infant was killed on Friday while travelling with his family by car near the city of Hebron.
"What happened to us is not a matter of an apology. What happened is not that shots were fired by mistake and led to this tragedy," the child's father, Fahd, said on Saturday.
Ukraine (ST PETERSBURG)
Residents of St Petersburg have been told not to leave their homes after a "large-scale" Ukrainian drone attack targeted the city.
The attack on Saturday underscored Kyiv's growing ability to hit deep inside Russia and coming a day after the Russian president refused an offer to meet his Ukrainian counterpart.
St Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov advised the residents not to go outside and warned of possible disruptions to mobile internet service, while regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said 141 drones were shot down over the surrounding Leningrad region.
Russia's defence ministry said its air defences shot down 376 Ukrainian drones.
"Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1000km to the St Petersburg region - to the enemy navy's arsenals and a base in Kronstadt," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote of the attack on X.
Mideast (EAST JERUSALEM)
Israeli troops have killed a seven-month-old Palestinian baby boy after firing at his parents' vehicle in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.
Sam Fahd Abu Haikal was killed on Friday evening, and his parents were wounded while driving in the Tel Rumeida area south of Hebron City, according to the ministry.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said the infant was critically wounded after being struck in the jaw by the same bullet that injured his mother.
He later died of his injuries.
His father, Fahd Abdul Aziz Abu Haikal, a lecturer at Bethlehem University, was shot in the hand.
They were travelling from Bethlehem to visit family in Hebron when soldiers opened fire, the agency reported.
Shark (PERTH)
A man has died after being attacked by a shark while spearfishing with his family.
The 35-year-old was bitten by a suspected 4.5-metre shark at about 11.20am on Saturday off Michaelmas Island near Albany in Western Australia's south west.
"He was conveyed back to shore by boat where he was met by paramedics,'' WA Police said in a statement.
"Sadly, he was unable to be revived."
The death comes after father of two, Steven "Mattas" Mattaboni, was killed while diving at Horseshoe Reef off Rottnest Island near Perth in May.
The 38-year-old was pulled from the water after being bitten and was rushed by boat to a jetty at Geordie Bay on the north side of the island.
Paramedics were unable to revive him.
NZ Aust (CANBERRA)
Australia's diplomatic relationship with New Zealand is "in the best shape it has ever been" as the leaders of both nations meet to discuss trade, defence and foreign affairs.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon held the annual leaders' meeting in Noosa, Queensland, on Saturday.
Mr Luxon arrived in Australia on Friday for a two-day visit.
He told reporters the relationship between the two nations was "in the best shape it's ever been".
"At its core this is a relationship that is deeply integrated, it is highly practical and pragmatic," Mr Luxon said on Saturday.
"It's focused on delivering outcomes for both of our countries, and the priority for both of us is to continue to build on that strength, focusing on positioning Australia and New Zealand to make the most of the opportunities ... in spite of the volatility and the uncertainty."
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.
Armenia Vote (YEREVAN)
Armenian authorities have arrested six candidates for a Russia-friendly opposition party, a day before they were due to stand in general elections, state media reports say without giving any reason for the detentions.
The report said they were from the Strong Armenia party, led by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who is under house arrest on charges of calling for the overthrow of the government - accusations he rejects as politically motivated.
Armenia's relationship with traditional patron Russia has emerged as a central electoral issue.
Russia has slapped restrictions on Armenian exports in recent weeks in response to the country's warming relationship with European countries.
About 2.4 million Armenians will be eligible to cast their ballots in Sunday's election, which is also seen as a test of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's efforts to forge peace with longtime foe Azerbaijan.
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.
Duffy (LONDON)
Welsh singer Duffy has announced she will perform new songs at her first live concert in the United Kingdom in more than 15 years.
It comes weeks after it was announced she will feature in a new Disney+ documentary, narrating her rise to fame and subsequent kidnapping and sexual assault.
In an Instagram story on Friday, Duffy, 41, whose real name is Aimee Anne Duffy, said: "I'm doing a secret intimate gig in London on the 5th July, next month, and I would love nothing more than for some of you to attend.
"Please visit the link below and leave your details if you want to come.
"It's only small capacity so we can only select a few, but really looking forward to it, I will sing some new songs."
In sport ...
Mot F1 (LONDON)
Flying teenager Kimi Antonelli has taken pole position at Monaco with a last-gasp "magic lap" but Oscar Piastri is resigned to being a bit player in F1's most garlanded race after McLaren struggled in their 1000th F1 grand priox .
The 19-year-old Mercedes ace Antonelli took pole by just 0.043sec on Saturday, powering around the famed street circuit to edge out two all-time greats, Max Verstappen (1min 12.094sec) in his Red Bull, and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton (1:12.279).
Antonelli saved his inspired best for last to ensure Mercedes have taken pole for every grand prix this season, and the young championship leader couldn't stop beaming.
"It was one of those laps that we call a magic lap. I was able to put it all together," he smiled, having put on a particularly notable display considering teammate and title rival George Russell could only finish sixth.
Ten Open Women (PARIS)
Maja Chwalinska could not apply the fairytale ending to her French Open Cinderella story as Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva claimed her first grand slam title.
The 19-year-old's 6-3 6-2 victory on Saturday makes her the youngest women's champion in Paris since Monica Seles back in 1992 and the first Russian to win a major singles trophy since the invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
While the political landscape will make this a difficult triumph to cheer for many, there is no doubt Andreeva, who lives and trains in France, is a phenomenal talent and a worthy slam champion.
When a final winner landed in the corner, Andreeva, who is also the first Russian female grand slam singles champion since Maria Sharapova in Paris in 2014, dropped to her knees in celebration.
Ends Bulletin
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