AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 9 at 0400
Ukraine (BERZGALE)
A French military Rafale fighter jet has shot down a drone that entered NATO member Latvia's airspace from Russia, the latest in a series of such security incidents along Europe's eastern border regions.
The Latvian army, without saying who launched the drone, said it entered from Russia "as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare".
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, in a post on X, hailed "swift decision-making and professional action" over the incident.
A French army spokesperson confirmed French warplanes had shot down an unidentified drone and a NATO official said: "It shows once again NATO's determination and ability to deter and defend."
The final decision to shoot down the drone was taken by NATO command, Latvian defence minister Raivis Melnis told reporters.
Iran (DUBAI/JERUSALEM)
Iran and Israel say they have halted attacks on each other following an appeal from US President Donald Trump that they immediately "stop shooting".
The wave of attacks over the past 24 hours marked the most direct confrontation between Iran and Israel since an April ceasefire, threatening to wreck US efforts to reach an agreement with Iran to end their more than three-month war.
Oil prices pared gains when Iran's military said its first wave of strikes on Israel was over.
The US dollar retreated from its highest level in nearly two months.
A source briefed on the matter told Reuters that Israel had also decided to halt its attacks on Iran.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that the final objective in the peace negotiations between Iran and the US is "just about to be achieved," asking all sides in the conflict to exercise restraint.
Legal: Waden (BRISBANE)
A man accused of murdering his American girlfriend gave different reasons for why she stopped going to gym classes, claiming she fled creditors or immigration enforcement, a jury has heard.
Mark Sheridan Waden, 50, allegedly killed Priscilla Brooten and buried her body in a trench before dumping it at a Brisbane rubbish tip almost a year later.
Ms Brooten, a 46-year-old US citizen who was staying in Australia without a valid visa, vanished from the home she shared with Waden in Brisbane's northern suburbs in July 2018.
A Brisbane Supreme Court jury heard testimony from several of Ms Brooten's friends on Monday during the second week of Waden's murder trial.
Laetitia Penfold said she met the American for yoga and Zumba classes three or four times a week up until June or July 2018.
Dalamangas (SYDNEY)
Police are working with their Greek counterparts following reports one of Australia's most wanted men has been arrested after three decades on the run.
James Dalamangas was taken into custody on Sunday in the Peloponnesian town of Aigio, according to local media reports.
The 55-year-old had been living under a pseudonym in Greece since a warrant was issued for his arrest over the death of father-of-two George Giannopolous, who was fatally stabbed on Anzac Day in 1999 after intervening in a fight at a suburban Sydney night club.
NSW Police have said they are "encouraged" by the reports and are working with Hellenic police.
The underworld figure has evaded Australian authorities for decades.
Police had tried to extradite him in 2003 and attempts to prosecute him by their Greek counterparts were suspended in 2007.
Tonys (NEW YORK)
John Lithgow has won best leading actor in a play at the Tony Awards for Giant, which depicts a crisis in the life of author Roald Dahl as he faces fallout from remarks deemed anti-Semitic and must weigh apologising against risking his reputation.
It was the 80-year-old Lithgow's third Tony, having won his first 53 years ago for his Broadway debut in The Changing Room.
"At every point we had to figure out, 'Why is this man doing this?'" he told reporters.
"Anti-Semitism, cruelty of all kinds ... these are things that we're dealing with these days up front and personal ... that's what makes Giant so important and such a success."
Rose Byrne is also hoping to pick up her first Tony for her starring role in a Broadway revival of a century-old Noel Coward play.
Tonys (NEW YORK CITY)
Rose Byrne has walked the red carpet at Radio City Music Hall, hoping to pick up a Tony Award for her starring role in a Broadway revival of a century-old Noel Coward play.
The Australian is nominated for best actress in a leading role in a play for her critically-acclaimed portrayal of Jane Banbury in a the 1925 comedy of manners, Fallen Angels.
The Tony Awards are capping a record Broadway season, with no clear frontrunner among the leading nominees and a mix of star-driven shows and new works signalling sustained momentum for the New York theatre industry.
Pop singer Pink will host the televised ceremony in New York on Sunday from 8pm local time (10am Monday Sydney time).
New musicals The Lost Boys and Schmigadoon! lead all nominees with 12 nods each, followed by the revival Ragtime with 11, with 24 shows vying for wins across 26 categories.
Obit Scolyer (SYDNEY)
World-renowned melanoma pathologist Richard Scolyer, who died after a lengthy public battle with brain cancer, will be honoured in a state funeral.
The 2024 Australian of the Year, who died aged 59 on Sunday, helped save thousands of people through his groundbreaking skin cancer research.
Along with Professor Georgina Long, he took the disease from being a death sentence to largely curable through treatment that activates a patient's own immune system, bringing hope and healing to many.
Born in Tasmania, Professor Scolyer was diagnosed with an incurable and aggressive stage four brain cancer named glioblastoma in June 2023 and given just six to eight months to live.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the offer of a state funeral for his "personal friend" has been accepted.
Federal (CANBERRA)
Labor insists it's implementing "big changes" as voters abandon the major parties, with new polling showing Pauline Hanson's right-wing party is the most popular for the first time.
The Newspoll recorded a four-point rise in One Nation's primary vote to 31 per cent, while Labor dipped one point to 30 per cent and the coalition fell two points to 18 per cent.
The poll comes after fierce criticism of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government following its bid to introduce controversial tax reforms in the May budget. The laws face an uncertain future, with the Greens yet to indicate if they will back them through the Senate.
''We see those polls and we get the message, which is we need big changes in this country, and that's exactly what Labor is delivering,'' Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said, even as she took aim at One Nation as a protest party.
In finance ...
Economy Preview (CANBERRA)
Central bankers in Australia will scrutinise consumer and business confidence figures amid a dearth of hard economic data this week.
Sentiment has plummeted amongst households and employers since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict in late February.
The Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer confidence survey, due to be released on Tuesday, will give a sense of how much global uncertainty and the federal budget continue to weigh on spending decisions and inflation expectations.
Also on Tuesday, NAB's business sentiment survey will provide a read on the extent to which businesses are passing on cost pressures.
Financial markets are fully priced in for the Reserve Bank to hold the cash rate at 4.35 per cent at its June meeting, but one more rate hike is still expected by the end of the year.
Markets (NEW YORK CITY)
Wall Street's major indices have advanced as chipmakers bounced back from a sharp sell-off last week while investors took comfort from signs of cooling tensions in the Middle East.
Intel shares jumped 8.5 per cent.
The Information reported that Alphabet had tapped the company to make 3 million in-house chips while Nvidia was evaluating their technology.
The S&P 500 tech sector index gained 1.9 per cent while the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index advanced 4.6 per cent, rebounding from Friday's sharp decline that wiped out $US1 trillion ($A1.4 trillion) in market value for US-listed chipmakers.
Shares of Nvidia and Broadcom rose 1.7 per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively while Micron Technology soared 8.7 per cent.
Expectations of tighter monetary policy and underwhelming results from Broadcom last week had raised concerns that the sector was growing too fast, prompting traders to retreat after a strong run this year.
In entertainment ...
Guthrie (LONDON)
Savannah Guthrie has shared an emotional plea to "bring her home" amid the ongoing search for her missing mother.
The NBC Today show presenter's 84-year-old mother Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Arizona home on February 1 and police have been treating her disappearance as a kidnapping.
While Guthrie previously admitted she does not think her mother is still alive, she refuses to stop looking for her.
In a post on Instagram, Guthrie shared a picture of Jesus' ascension with "Oh my, my soul it cries out, soul, it cries out", written over the top.
In a heartbreaking addition, Guthrie wrote on the bottom: "Bring her home," alongside a heart emoji.
According to reports, ransom notes were sent to local media outlets - furthering rumours that Nancy was taken against her will.
King (LONDON)
Mollie King was rushed to hospital after "collapsing unconscious" in her bathroom.
The Saturdays singer explained that she had got back from work late, and had gone into the bathroom of her London home to get ready for bed when the incident happened.
Calling it a "huge shock", King wrote on Instagram: "After coming home late from work, I suddenly collapsed unconscious on the bathroom floor at 4am, hitting my head and face as I fell ... I ended up being rushed to A E."
She took to the social media site to share an update to fans after being absent from the BBC Radio 1 show she co-hosts with Matt Edmondson.
King admitted the scary incident had been a "real wake-up call" that she needed "to take some time to get my strength back, not just for my own health but so I can be the best version of myself for my family too".
In sport ...
RL Origin NSW (SYDNEY)
NSW coach Laurie Daley is rolling the dice on the fitness of Mitchell Moses after recalling the Parramatta captain to his Blues side for game two of the State of Origin series.
Moses was named in Daley's squad on Monday despite having failed to play for the Eels since he was ruled out of the May 27 series opener in Sydney less than 48 hours before kick-off.
The Parramatta playmaker suffered a minor hamstring strain in the lead-up to game one and was replaced at five-eighth by Canberra's Ethan Strange.
Strange played a key role in the Blues' 22-20 victory but Moses' inclusion is expected to force the Canberra youngster to the bench for next Wednesday's clash at the MCG.
AFL Freeze (MELBOURNE)
Collingwood and Melbourne players have formed a circle in the middle of the MCG as a tribute to Neale Daniher.
After a video tribute on the giants screens, the capacity crowd erupted in applause ahead of the AFL Kings' Birthday clash.
The pre-game 12th Big Freeze was held in perfect sunny conditions, a fortnight after Daniher died from motor neurone disease.
It was 13 years since he had been diagnosed with MND. A state memorial service will be held for him on Wednesday, also at the MCG.
The former AFL player and coach became an inspiration for fronting the FightMND charity, with the Big Freeze its annual centrepiece. In 2025 he was named Australian Of The Year.
The impact of Daniher and the FightMND campaign means that the King's Birthday game is the biggest AFL game this year outside the grand final - a status traditionally reserved for the MCG Anzac Day blockbuster.
Ends Bulletin
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