AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 11 at 0400
Daniher (MELBOURNE)
Neale Daniher's family have vowed to "play on" and continue his quest to find a cure for the "beast" he battled.
The much-loved AFL legend and motor neurone disease advocate was honoured in an emotional state funeral on Wednesday, attended by more than 5000 people, including political leaders, former and current AFL players and colleagues.
A symbol of the fight against MND, Daniher died on May 25 aged 65 after a 13-year battle with what he called The Beast.
Thousands of attendees formed guard of honour wearing their distinctive blue FightMND beanies along Daniher's Way and clapped as his hearse was driven from the grounds of the MCG for a final time.
The former Essendon player, Melbourne coach and tireless MND campaigner had been eulogised inside the hallowed grounds where he spent much of his life working and playing.
Social (MELBOURNE)
There is little sign of a dip in cyberbullying or image-based abuse in the six months since teenagers under 16 have been banned from social media.
But, even without a clear fall in reports of online harm, the early results are not necessarily discouraging, experts say, as the nation remains at the front of efforts to restrict under-16 access to social media.
The world-first ban, which stipulates users must be 16 or older to create or hold social media accounts, made international headlines in December.
Call patterns remained largely unchanged since the ban was introduced, a helplines operator said.
Non-profit yourtown operates Kids Helpline and virtual services manager Tony FitzGerald told AAP it was too early to gauge any real difference.
UK Stab (BELFAST)
Masked men have burned families out of their homes in Belfast in a wave of anti-immigrant violence after a Sudanese man was charged over a knife attack.
Hundreds of protesters, many with their faces covered, attacked police and burned vehicles in a number of locations across Northern Ireland on Tuesday after a video of the knife attack, which left one person with serious neck and head wounds, went viral.
A number of homes could be seen burning in the city on Tuesday evening, with video broadcast by the BBC showing police helping a family escape from a burning house.
"There can be no excuse and no justification for these attacks tonight," Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill said in a statement.
Legal: Cutmore (BRISBANE)
A man accused of wielding a knife in a violent home invasion and carjacking spree has been stripped of bail.
Darren Brian Cutmore, 35, is in a mental health unit after allegedly sparking a police chase across Brisbane's north in May 2025 that ended when good Samaritans fought back.
A police helicopter tracked Cutmore who allegedly drove the wrong way down busy roads and threatened motorists during a six-hour rampage.
Cutmore on Wednesday had his bail revoked after a Supreme Court judge ruled he was an unacceptable risk to the public.
Cutmore allegedly began his spree when he broke into a home and held a woman at knifepoint before leaving in her blue BMW coupe.
He is accused of driving dangerously before pulling in front of a young woman, brandishing a large knife and demanding she get out of her vehicle.
Smelter (HOBART)
Two under-pressure smelters and their 1000-plus workers have been given a $105 million lifeline as the federal government aims to build critical minerals production.
The joint state and commonwealth funding, announced on Wednesday, supports continued Nyrstar operations in South Australia's Port Pirie and Hobart until the end of 2026.
The money would allow the company to continue work on a two-year feasibility study into critical minerals production and modernisation, Industry Minister Tim Ayres said.
"It is really important as Australians we value these facilities and think carefully about the industrial capability that we need for the future," he said in Hobart.
"This is about securing jobs, strengthening our industrial base and positioning Australia higher up the global value chain."
The agreement follows the expiry of a $135 million rescue package in May and weeks of tense talks over how much taxpayer money would be put on the table to secure the sites.
Ukraine (KYIV)
Ukrainian drones have hit a historic museum in Sevastopol in Russia-annexed Crimea.
The museum commemorates the 1853-1856 Crimea War between the Russian Empire and a coalition that included the Ottoman Empire. Russia was defeated in that war.
Sevastopol's Russian-installed governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said on Telegram the museum's roof was hit. He did not provide details about the damage or whether there were any casualties.
"The enemy will pay for this sacrilege!" Razvozhayev said in his post early on Wednesday.
Elsewhere in Crimea, authorities cut train schedules for night hours, the peninsula's Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov said on Telegram, after a drone attack this week injured a train driver and killed his assistant.
The Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, is facing a fuel shortage following recent Ukraine drone attacks just as the holiday season starts.
Daniher (MELBOURNE)
A sea of blue beanies has streamed into the Melbourne Cricket Ground as punters join sporting royalty to farewell AFL legend and motor neurone disease crusader Neale Daniher.
Daniher, who became the symbol of the fight against MND, died on May 25 aged 65 after a 13-year-long public battle with what he called The Beast.
On Wednesday, thousands of people flocked to the same hallowed grounds where Daniher played for and coached both Melbourne and Essendon, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese leading tributes at the state funeral.
Wife Jan Daniher will offer the first eulogy, which will be followed by tributes from Daniher's four adult children Bec, Lauren, Luke and Ben.
His brother, Anthony Daniher, will offer a tribute along with Brisbane's 2025 Premiership coach, Chris Fagan.
Legal: Joannidis (MELBOURNE)
The son of a woman killed in a horrific crash has declared the justice system "absolutely broken" after prosecutors lost their appeal of the driver's three-year prison term.
Christopher Joannidis ignored a police warning about the dangerous roads in Strathmerton, in Victoria's north, disregarded signs and crossed three sets of rumble strips before killing five people and a dog.
He had just been given a speeding ticket before he crashed into a ute, which was pushed into the path of a truck towing two trailers along the Murray Valley Highway in 2023.
Ute driver Deborah Markey, 62, her dog Sophie and four farm workers from Taiwan and Hong Kong who were staying at her home - Zhi-Yao Chen, Pin-Yu Wang, Wai Yan Lam and Hsin-Yu Chen - all died instantly.
In finance ...
US Economy (WASHINGTON, D. C.)
US consumer inflation increased at its fastest pace in three years in May, boosted by surging prices for energy products amid the Middle East conflict, and giving more ammunition for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates unchanged into 2027.
The third straight month of strong increases in the Consumer Price Index reported by the Labor Department on Wednesday underscored the mounting pressure on households, who are increasingly tapping their savings to fund spending.
Inflation eroded wages for a second consecutive month in May, which could weigh on overall economic growth.
The soaring cost of living is a political liability for US President Donald Trump and his Republican Party, seeking to retain control of Congress in the midterm elections in November.
Boresight (SYDNEY)
An Australian company that makes cheap drones for armies to destroy during training has soared after making its stock exchange debut.
Boresight shares were changing hands at 36c on Wednesday afternoon, up 80 per cent from the 20c offer price in its $8 million initial public offering, giving the company a market value of $75 million.
"I wouldn't say we're surprised at the result," Boresight managing director and chief executive Justin Olde told AAP.
"There was a lot of interest in the lead-up to the bell-ringing, so you're always cautiously optimistic.
"The fact that things did well, it's great, we're thrilled to bits with it.
"We're in a great position in a very fast, expanding and growing market, and that's reflected in what's happened to the share price."
In entertainment ...
Arts Philanthropy (MELBOURNE)
Arts philanthropy is a distant dream for organisations in some of Australia's most remote communities, with generous donors far away in capital cities.
A parliamentary inquiry into arts and cultural philanthropy is trying to work out how to encourage more donations from the private sector, for groups such as the Northern Territory's peak music body, Music NT.
Current policies to encourage philanthropy favour city-based organisations and need structural reform, Music NT executive director Mark Smith told the federal inquiry.
"(Remote) organisations face thin local donor markets, higher delivery costs across vast distances, and limited access to major foundations," he said.
"We see this inquiry as a genuine opportunity to make cultural philanthropy work for the whole country."
The federal government will spend $1.1 billion on Australia's arts and cultural sector in 2026/27, according to budget figures.
Swift (LOS ANGELES)
Pop superstar Taylor Swift has made a surprise appearance in Hollywood at the premiere of animated movie Toy Story 5.
Swift sat at a piano in a full-length gown on stage at the Dolby Theatre and sang I Knew It, I Knew You, the song she wrote for the new Toy Story instalment.
The singer said she has been a longtime fan of the movie franchise.
"It means the world to me to be a small part of these films," she said on Tuesday.
Swift then introduced another unexpected guest - Randy Newman, composer of the musical scores and many of the breakout songs from the Toy Story movies.
The pair sang a duet of You've Got a Friend in Me, one of Newman's hits from the first Toy Story in 1995.
In sport ...
WC26 (OAKLAND)
The biggest, flashiest and most polarising World Cup is finally here.
The action officially gets under way on Thursday (Friday 5am AEST) when co-hosts Mexico play South Africa at the Estadio Azteca.
The following day, Canada host Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto while the United States play Paraguay.
There will be a monster 104 matches across 39 days in the new 48-team format, stretching across three countries.
But so far what's happening off the field is taking centre stage.
If some continue to argue that politics should be kept out of sports, the lead-up to this tournament has underlined how the two are always connected.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino famously declared this tournament would be "the biggest, the most inclusive, the greatest FIFA World Cup ever".
AFL Bulldogs (ADELAIDE)
Marcus Bontempelli against Jordan Dawson is arguably the most mouth-watering match-up in the AFL.
And it could happen on Thursday night when Bontempelli's Western Bulldogs host Dawson's Adelaide at Marvel Stadium.
"I'd love to see that as well," Crows coach Matthew Nicks said of the potential duel.
"And if the game is going our way, then we may get a look at that."
Bontempelli and Dawson, renowned as among the best players in the competition, boast strikingly similar traits.
Both are inspirational captains. Both are multiple All Australians.
Both are dynamic midfielders, but capable of kicking clutch goals when stationed in attack. Both boast raking left-foot kicks.
Bontempelli is 1.94 metres tall and weighs 96 kilograms; Dawson is 1.92m tall and 91kg.
Ends Bulletin
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