AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 14 at 0530
Ukraine (KYIV)
A Ukrainian drone attack has killed one person and injured three in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, local officials said, as part of Kyiv's campaign of strikes on military and energy targets deep inside Russia.
Drone debris sparked a fire at a sea terminal, local Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Saturday. He did not give details, but Russian news outlets reported that a Black Sea export terminal transporting terminal crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied gas in the village of Volna was damaged.
Ukraine's General Staff did not comment on the Krasnodar strike on Saturday, but said that its forces had hit an oil preparation and pumping station overnight in Russia's Volgograd region, as well as Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine's Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Iran (DUBAI/WASHINGTON)
US President Donald Trump and mediator Pakistan say an initial deal to end the war in the Middle East will be signed in hours, although Iran denies the signing will take place so soon.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides had agreed on a framework for a peace deal and that Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing on Sunday, to be followed by technical-level talks next week.
Trump also said in a social media post that the deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed on Sunday and that the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil supplies which Iran has blocked, would be immediately "open to all" after it was signed.
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei cautioned against commenting on the timing the signing.
Shark (MELBOURNE)
Multiple city beaches remain off limits to board riders and swimmers after a woman mauled by a shark up to 4m long was left critically injured.
The attack happened just metres from shore and between the flags at Sydney's popular Coogee Beach shortly after 11am on Saturday.
The woman, thought aged in her 30s, was airlifted to hospital after being brought from the water by an off-duty lifeguard said to have paddled towards the incident.
Footage from a Westpac Life Saving Rescue Helicopter appears to show a lone shark swimming near the beach after the assault.
All of Sydney's eastern suburbs beaches remain closed.
Randwick City Council made the call to prohibit anyone entering the surf during the 24 hours following the attack.
Fuel (MELBOURNE)
Australian motorists are in for higher prices at the bowser when temporary tax relief measures wrap up at the end of the month.
A fuel excise cut and GST rebate designed to ease surging costs for motorists amid the conflict in Iran are both set to expire on June 30.
Plans to repeal the 32 cent per litre tax break haven't changed, Energy Minister Chris Bowen told media on Saturday but added that the government would continue to assess the latest information.
"We've been very clear this was a temporary reduction in the excise; it was always intended to be temporary," he said.
"Our intention has been for it to come off at the end of the month and that remains the plan."
Search (MELBOURNE)
Police have recovered the body of a man and are desperately scouring a Sydney waterway and surrounds for a young girl.
The girl, who is believed to be six or seven years old, was reportedly spotted with the man in a small boat on the Parramatta River.
Police were called to Hen and Chicken Bay in Concord in inner-west Sydney about 11.45am on Saturday following reports a man's body had been found in the water.
Responding to witness reports the man and girl had been seen together, a search was launched to locate the child.
The man has yet to be identified.
A command post has been established at the scene and specialist resources are assisting.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police.
Shark (SYDNEY)
A woman is fighting for life following a shark attack at one of Australia's busiest beaches.
Emergency services were called to Coogee Beach shortly after 11am on Saturday, following reports a swimmer had been bitten by a shark.
Bystanders pulled her from the water and commenced first aid before emergency services arrived.
Police rendered first aid to the woman, believed to be aged in her 30s, who had suffered serious arm and leg injuries.
Ambulance paramedics then continued her treatment before police cleared nearby Coogee Oval to facilitate the landing of the Careflight helicopter.
The woman was airlifted to hospital.
Nearby beaches including Coogee, Clovelly and Bronte have been closed.
SpaceX (NEW YORK CITY)
SpaceX shares have jumped 19 per cent in their Nasdaq debut, sending the company's value past $US2 trillion ($A2.8 trillion) to make it the sixth-biggest US company by value and turning Elon Musk into the world's first trillionaire.
Investors jumped at the chance on Friday to get a piece of Musk's sprawling empire spanning rockets, satellites and AI after the record-setting $US75 billion ($A106 billion) initial public offering.
More than 510 million shares worth about $US84 billion ($A119 billion) changed hands, even though SpaceX is currently unprofitable and generated only a fraction of the revenue brought in by similarly valued tech giants.
The launch was smoother than many observers expected, with trading kicking off late on Friday morning without the hiccups that had marred Facebook's debut in 2012.
Ebola (NAIROBI)
The United Nations refugee agency has confirmed the first Ebola-related deaths in a displacement camp in eastern Congo, as aid workers warn of a high risk the disease could spread rapidly in overcrowded sites.
The two victims were internally displaced people living in the Kpangba camp, which hosts 30,000 internally displaced people, the UNHCR said on Thursday.
As of Friday, Congo had reported 689 confirmed cases and 136 deaths in an outbreak that has also spread to neighbouring Uganda, which has reported 19 cases.
The virus has spread across three provinces since the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17.
The affected provinces - Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu - have been devastated by decades of conflict and are home to more than five million displaced people.
In finance ...
Paramount (WASHINGTON, D. C.)
The US Justice Department's Antitrust Division has cleared Paramount Skydance Corp's planned acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, Politico reports, citing two people familiar with the matter.
The deal is worth $US110 billion ($A156 billion).
Justice officials determined the transaction did not pose a threat to competition, according to the sources.
Politico on Friday reported, citing one source, the department approved the merger without requiring any divestitures, behavioural remedies or concessions.
Spokespeople for Paramount and the DOJ spokesperson declined to comment.
The clearance gives Paramount another regulatory green light to point to as it seeks to ward off a potential challenge to the deal by California and other states.
In April, Paramount also asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve foreign investments backing the acquisition. US senators have raised concerns about Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and Chinese companies taking part.
Markets (NEW YORK CITY)
US stocks ended higher on Friday as investors held out hope for a peace deal between Iran and the United States and as SpaceX shares surged in their debut, making it Wall Street's biggest public listing in history.
The United States and Iran signalled that an agreement to end their war was close, with a senior US administration official saying a draft proposal was in place that was liked by both sides. President Donald Trump has said several times since mid-March that a deal with Iran to end the war was close.
Market participants were glued to shares of Elon Musk's SpaceX , which began trading on the Nasdaq on Friday. Its shares closed up 19.2 per cent at $US160.95 ($A228.36), well above the IPO price of $US135 ($A192) apiece. Its market capitalisation was last at $US2.1 trillion ($A3 trillion).
In entertainment ...
Styles (LONDON)
Harry Styles paid tribute to the late British artist David Hockney as he kicked off his record-breaking residency at London's Wembley Stadium.
The One Direction star will play 12 nights at the venue in a bid to beat Coldplay's record of 10 performances there last year.
The string of shows is poised to smash the record for the most performances by any artist in a single year at the national stadium.
Styles will also beat pop superstar Taylor Swift's record for the most concerts performed at Wembley by a solo artist during a single concert run.
She performed eight shows at the venue as part of the Eras Tour in 2024.
In a tribute to Hockney, whose death at 88 was announced just hours before his show, Styles flashed up a quote from the artist on screens around the venue before performing his hit Aperture.
Mirren (LONDON)
Dame Helen Mirren has said she is "incredibly proud" after being made Companion of Honour in the King's Birthday Honours.
The Academy Award-winning actress, 80, known for The Queen and Prime Suspect, was recognised on Friday for her services to drama, making it onto an exclusive list of only 65 people who hold the title at any one time.
In a video message shared on her Instagram account on Saturday, Dame Helen expressed her gratitude for the "incredible honour" and that she wished her parents could be here to see it.
She said: "I would like to communicate how incredibly proud I am of being offered to become a companion of honour to my country, Britain, the country that I love so much.
In sport ...
WC26 Aust (VANCOUVER)
Young, exuberant and with talent to burn, a new-look Socceroos are ready for their own chance to shock the world.
Australia will kick off their World Cup campaign against Turkey on Saturday night (Sunday afternoon AEST) at Vancouver's BC Place.
The Socceroos are underdogs against the world No.22, whose captain Hakan Calhanoglu only on Friday said he expected Turkey to dominate as they are "more talented".
But Jackson Irvine believes there's no ceiling on this group, with 17 debutants and eight players under 23.
Attackers Nestory Irankunda, Mohamed Toure and Cristian Volpato are dynamic and Paul Okon-Engstler adds midfield drive.
Defender Alessandro Circati could be anything while 18-year-old centre-back Lucas Herrington is already attracting attention from Barcelona.
"The level of hype around this group has probably never been (this high). In my 10 to 12 years, I've never experienced what Mo and Nestor and Ale are probably having now," midfielder Jackson Irvine told AAP.
WCT20 AUST (LONDON)
Australia have blasted out a powerful statement of intent for the women's T20 World Cup, dominating South Africa to win their opening match by 65 runs.
The Aussies made 8-172 off their 20 overs in Manchester on Saturday, a target that always looked too much for South Africa, who were all out for 107, from 16.4 overs.
Georgia Wareham, Australia's player of the match after taking 3-13 and contributing an important batting knock, hailed the Aussie spirit, picking out Phoebe Litchfield, who top-scored with 50, and new captain Sophie Molineux for special accolades.
"With our batting line-up, you know you can play with confidence and freedom. Phoebe was awesome and it was a good all-round performance by the team," she said.
Ends Bulletin
Rolling News Desk inquiries : 02 9322 8611
