AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 9 at 0000
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.
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.
Iran (BEIRUT/DUBAI/NEW BRUNSWICK)
US President Donald Trump says he will tell Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike back after Iran fired a salvo of missiles at Israeli targets in retaliation for an attack on the outskirts of Beirut, news outlet Axios reports.
Iran has long said any peace deal with the US would depend on a ceasefire also holding in Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March in pursuit of Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters who fired rockets and drones across the border in solidarity with Tehran.
But Israel earlier on Sunday launched strikes in the Beirut area for the first time since the US announced a truce plan for Lebanon last week.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted Ramat David air base, near Nazareth.
Ukraine (LONDON)
The leaders of Britain, Germany and France want direct talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to secure a ceasefire, with Europe playing a role.
In a joint statement after a meeting in London, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron said they commended Zelenskiy's call for an end to the war and supported the proposal for direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia - with active US and European participation - to that end.
The leaders called on Putin to agree "an immediate and complete ceasefire" with the current line of contact as a starting point for any negotiations, Downing Street said on Sunday.
"They condemned Russia's large-scale missile and drone attacks - including the repeated use of the Oreshnik missiles - on Ukrainian cities with a tragic toll on civilians, as well as irresponsible and dangerous Russian drone incursions into NATO territory," a statement said.
Obit Scolyer (SYDNEY)
World-renowned melanoma pathologist Richard Scolyer has died following a lengthy public battle with brain cancer, after saying he would like to be remembered as "a proud everyday Aussie who gave it a crack".
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 paid tribute to the "remarkable man" who shared his cancer battle with the public.
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.
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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