AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 22 at 1230
Legal: Ridley (SYDNEY)
A man accused of stealing a camera from one of the Bondi massacre victims has refused to answer questions after facing court for the first time.
Danny James Ridley was present moments before gunmen opened fire on a crowd of people celebrating Hannukah at Bondi Beach on December 14.
The 35-year-old is accused of using the chaotic aftermath of the alleged terror attack to steal a set of camera equipment worth $3500.
The gear belonged to 61-year-old Peter Meagher, a retired police officer who was one of 15 people killed in the attack at the Jewish festival of lights.
NSW Police allege Ridley pawned the equipment - which was later recovered - along with an SD card containing Mr Meagher's last photographs, from a home in Sydney's northwest.
Ukraine (KYIV)
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to take concrete steps towards de-escalation of the war in Ukraine.
Lukashenko recently called on Moscow and Kyiv to end the war, saying a military victory was unrealistic for either side. At the same time, he said Ukraine had nothing to fear from Belarus and apologised to Zelenskiy for harsh comments in the past.
"Lukashenko must demonstrate de-escalation beyond just words," Zelenskiy said in an interview with Ukrainian media. A mere apology from Moscow's closest ally was not enough, he said.
"He can keep his 'I apologise' to himself - that hasn't worked since the first day of the war."
Belarus is considered Russia's closest ally.
When Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, they also attacked in the direction of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv from Belarusian territory, but were forced to withdraw after suffering heavy losses.
Federal (CANBERRA)
Labor will attempt to push through controversial changes to the tax system before parliament takes a long winter break.
Negotiations are under way between the Greens and the Albanese government on the major overhaul as parliament returns on Monday for the fortnight before the five-week recess.
A Labor-led committee handed down its final report on Friday, recommending legislation proposing changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax be passed.
On the same day, a separate parliamentary inquiry into the overhaul of the NDIS delayed its report for a second time, pushing the deadline back to Tuesday.
The Greens are withholding support for both plans, arguing the grandfathering of tax concessions is too generous while also insisting on an extension for the NDIS inquiry.
UK Starmer (LONDON)
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering his political future after rival Andy Burnham's decisive by-election victory to parliament prompted more ministers in the governing Labour Party to call for him to go.
Struggling with some of the lowest popularity ratings for any United Kingdom prime minister in modern political history, Starmer could decide as soon as Monday whether to step aside or fight a leadership contest against Burnham, one source said.
The scale of victory Burnham won for a parliamentary seat in northwestern England on Friday has piled pressure on Starmer, with dozens of MPs and some ministers privately calling for him to set out a timetable for his departure to clear the way for the former Greater Manchester mayor.
Iran (BUERGENSTOCK)
US Vice President JD Vance says "great progress" has already been made at talks between US and Iranian officials in Switzerland aimed at hammering out a long-term peace deal.
"What the president has asked us to do is turn over a new leaf to transform our relationship with the people of Iran," Vance said in the mountain resort of Burgenstock, where the talks kicked off just hours earlier on Sunday.
"We've already made great progress over just the last few hours, and I expect that we'll make additional progress," Vance said.
The talks - dubbed the "Lake Lucerne Summit" - began on Sunday afternoon on the shore of Lake Lucerne.
According to the foreign ministry of Qatar, which is mediating between the warring countries alongside Pakistan, the initial high-level meeting involved representatives from the US and Iran as well as delegations from Pakistan and Qatar.
Ukraine (KYIV)
Officials in Russia-occupied Crimea have suspended civilian petrol sales as Ukraine ramped up attacks on fuel supplies on the Black Sea peninsula.
Governor Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed head of Crimea, said that overnight Ukrainian strikes killed four people and wounded 28 others. He did not specify the target of the attack.
He later wrote on social media that local petrol stations would halt all sales to non-state companies and individuals for an undefined period.
"Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea," Aksyonov said on Sunday.
"I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information."
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted fuel supplies to Crimea in recent weeks, triggering the worst energy crisis in the region since it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
UK Starmer (LONDON)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a career-defining decision: step down or fight a challenge from Labour Party rival Andy Burnham.
Starmer has publicly vowed to stay in post, but pressure is building as more and more Labour Party colleagues conclude his time is up.
Expectation is growing he will announce a timetable for his resignation as soon as Monday.
That's the day Burnham will be sworn in as an MP in the House of Commons after winning a by-election last week.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said on Sunday that Starmer was "making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and opportunities that he finds himself in".
"I know he is a prime minister who always puts his country first," Kyle told the BBC, though he said reports Starmer would resign were "speculation".
Iran (ZURICH/DUBAI/WASHINGTON)
US Vice President JD Vance has arrived in Switzerland to lead talks with Tehran on its nuclear program as part of fragile deal to end Iran war, as US officials dispute Iranian claims about closing the key Strait of Hormuz.
A high-level Iranian team arrived in Switzerland for peace talks with the US, Iranian state media reported, and Vance touched down at Emmen Air Base at 6am on Sunday (2pm AEST) for meetings in the mountain town of Burgenstock, overlooking Lake Lucerne.
Although the US and Iran had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire while negotiations take place, Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Saturday declared the Strait of Hormuz shut, though the US military said commercial vessels continued operating in the waterway.
In finance ...
Economy (MELBOURNE)
Australia has the resources it needs to be a globally prosperous economy, but it is failing to convert those assets into meaningful growth, a think tank says.
Abundant renewable energy, critical minerals, a world-class research sector and ties to the world's fastest-growing region are among its advantages.
But it risks falling behind unless governments pursue more ambitious reforms to lift business investment, innovation and economic dynamism.
These were the findings of the Committee for Economic Development for Australia's inaugural State of the Nation report, released on Monday.
"We have a strong hand," the think tank said.
"However, national advantage does not convert into prosperity automatically, it requires deliberate choice."
The report found Australia's long-term economic performance was weakening across several key measures.
Markets World (SYDNEY)
Most share markets have slipped in Asia as doubts about the Middle East peace process send oil prices and bond yields up again, leading investors to price in more risk of higher US interest rates.
Sterling eased amid reports British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was considering his political future, after rival Andy Burnham's decisive election victory to parliament prompted more ministers in the governing Labour Party to call for him to go.
US President Donald Trump posted that Starmer was set to resign, while also threatening fresh attacks on Iran even as Vice President JD Vance met Iranian officials for the first talks under an interim peace deal.
The talks were overshadowed by Tehran's announcement it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz, with tracking sites showing fewer vessels transiting after 32 ships made the passage on Friday and 26 on Saturday.
In entertainment ...
Oasis (LONDON)
Noel Gallagher has thrown his support behind calls for Wonderwall to become England's unofficial World Cup anthem.
The Oasis songwriter, 59, spoke out about supporting the idea after England's 4-2 victory over Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday, where an estimated 20,000 supporters remained in the stands after the final whistle to sing the Britpop classic alongside members of Thomas Tuchel's squad.
"Wonderwall belongs to the people, and it was a magical moment between the people and the players," Noel told The Sun, which is spearheading the campaign.
"Best of luck to everyone who's made the trip out there."
The Wonderwall singalong moment rapidly went viral online and has fuelled growing momentum behind a campaign to make the song the soundtrack to England's World Cup journey.
Royals Sussex (LONDON)
Prince Harry has posed for a heartfelt Father's Day moment with his children Archie and Lilibet – with his son wearing an England football shirt.
The 41-year-old's wife Meghan posted the photo in Instagram to mark Father's Day.
It comes as Harry and Meghan are expected to travel to Britain in July with Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, marking the children's first visit to the UK in four years.
The trip is expected to include events linked to Harry's Invictus Games and could see the family stay in a royal residence, with reports suggesting Buckingham Palace is among the options under consideration.
The visit comes as efforts towards a reconciliation between Harry and King Charles continue following years of family tensions after the Sussexes stepped back from royal duties in 2020.
In sport ...
Box Paro (BRISBANE)
Liam Paro has questioned the mindset of champion Lewis Crocker and revealed he was reduced to sleeping in a car to chase his boxing dream ahead of his historic title fight chance.
The Queenslander (27-1) will seek to become a multiple-division world champion when he takes on the Northern Irishman (22-0) at Brisbane's Pat Rafter Arena on Wednesday.
Paro's shot at the IBF welterweight crown comes almost two years to the day since he upset Subriel Matias in his Puerto Rican stronghold to win the IBF super lightweight belt.
Victory would see the 30-year-old become the first Australian-born fighter since Jeff Fenech, 39 years ago, to win world titles involving the four major boxing organisations in more than one weight division.
RL Origin NSW (SYDNEY)
Latrell Mitchell's return from a back injury, and game-three State of Origin hopes, have been thrown into doubt after he left a crucial South Sydney field session.
The superstar centre did not participate in Monday's training session after warm-ups in a potential blow to his hopes of playing for NSW in the Origin decider on July 8.
He stretched and performed light drills with the team before leaving the pitch at Heffron Park with a trainer, removing his wrist strapping tape as he went, in a sign he would not be returning.
The 29-year-old had told Fox League that he was "pushing" to face Parramatta on Thursday night, pending the back injury that has sidelined him since round nine.
"We have training tomorrow, we'll see what Wayne (Bennett, coach) wants me to do tomorrow," he said on Sunday night.
Ends Bulletin
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