What’s making headlines today
Hello and welcome to our national news live blog for Friday, June 12. My name is Emily Kaine, and I’ll be helming our coverage for the first part of today. Here’s what is making news.
- This week, Labor has ramped up its economic argument against Pauline Hanson as it prepares to fight an election within the next two years against both One Nation and the Coalition, while Opposition Leader Angus Taylor scrambled to kill off talk of a partnership with Hanson.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appeared to imply yesterday that he doubted One Nation had raised more than $1.5 million in political donations on the first day of a fundraising campaign, and implored journalists during a press conference to investigate whether the figure was real.
- US President Donald Trump called off new military strikes on Iran, saying the “final points” of an initial peace deal had been approved and details of a signing ceremony would be announced shortly, just hours after he had threatened to escalate the war. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that Tehran was likely to approve the agreement, though it has yet to give a formal response.
- Extra police officers have been deployed to Northern Ireland after further violent unrest following a brutal stabbing attack in Belfast on Monday night. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said 16 people had been arrested in relation to the anti-migration protests, in which vehicles were set on fire and properties destroyed.
- And the 2026 FIFA World Cup has kicked off in Mexico City, with host nation Mexico facing South Africa for the first match of the tournament. The Socceroos will play their first match on Sunday against Turkey.
Chalmers doubles down on Taylor attack
Treasurer Jim Chalmers doubled down on the attack he launched on Opposition Leader Angus Taylor yesterday, insisting he did not have a problem with wealthy Australians, but that Taylor did not understand the challenges faced by Australians undergoing financial hardship.
The comments last night on ABC’s 7.30 program came after the treasurer had delivered the most impassioned defence of his controversial budget yet, in which he zeroed in on the opposition leader and claimed he was out of touch.
Chalmers said yesterday that the position of the Coalition and One Nation was absurd as they claimed the government was pulling up the “ladder of aspiration”.
“Not everybody is born already at the top of the ladder like Angus Taylor was, not everybody fails upwards like he has,” he said.
Trump calls off Iran strikes, claims peace deal could be signed this weekend
US President Donald Trump called off new military strikes on Iran, saying the “final points” of an initial peace deal had been approved and details of a signing ceremony would be announced shortly.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that Tehran was likely to approve the agreement, though it has yet to give a formal response.
Just hours after he threatened to escalate the war, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday (US time) that he had made a “great settlement of the war with Iran”.
He said that Vice President JD Vance would attend a US-Iran deal signing, which was expected to take place in Europe this weekend, and that the Strait of Hormuz would open as soon as it was signed.
What’s making headlines today
Hello and welcome to our national news live blog for Friday, June 12. My name is Emily Kaine, and I’ll be helming our coverage for the first part of today. Here’s what is making news.
- This week, Labor has ramped up its economic argument against Pauline Hanson as it prepares to fight an election within the next two years against both One Nation and the Coalition, while Opposition Leader Angus Taylor scrambled to kill off talk of a partnership with Hanson.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appeared to imply yesterday that he doubted One Nation had raised more than $1.5 million in political donations on the first day of a fundraising campaign, and implored journalists during a press conference to investigate whether the figure was real.
- US President Donald Trump called off new military strikes on Iran, saying the “final points” of an initial peace deal had been approved and details of a signing ceremony would be announced shortly, just hours after he had threatened to escalate the war. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that Tehran was likely to approve the agreement, though it has yet to give a formal response.
- Extra police officers have been deployed to Northern Ireland after further violent unrest following a brutal stabbing attack in Belfast on Monday night. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said 16 people had been arrested in relation to the anti-migration protests, in which vehicles were set on fire and properties destroyed.
- And the 2026 FIFA World Cup has kicked off in Mexico City, with host nation Mexico facing South Africa for the first match of the tournament. The Socceroos will play their first match on Sunday against Turkey.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
