Donald Trump says he'd he honoured to meet with Iran's Supreme Leader amid pressure to end the war; Labor hits back at the opposition on permanent resident housing help; The Socceroos prepare for final World Cup trial match.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Donald Trump says he'd he honoured to meet with Iran's Supreme Leader amid pressure to end the war.
- Labor hits back at the opposition on permanent resident housing help.
- The Socceroos prepare for final World Cup trial match.
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US President Donald Trump says he'd be "honoured" to meet with Iran's supreme leader to make a deal to end the months-long conflict, as pressure mounts over the conduct of the war.
Trump is facing warnings from foes and allies alike that he’s running out of options on the Iran war, a conflict he sold as a brief military incursion but has since settled into a holding pattern.
It's been a week since negotiatiors from both sides reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire in the conflict by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program that required Trump's signoff.
President Trump says the hypothetical meeting with Khamenei would be respectful, despite him not being what he described as the Ayatollah's favourite person after Operation Epic Fury killed his father and several family members.
"I don't want to meet, but if I did meet, I'd be honored to meet him. I'd like to see if we make a deal. But if we made a deal, it's possible that I would meet him? I'd be okay with that."
REPORTER: "Would that happen here in the U.S.? The White House? Camp David?"
TRUMP: "Oh, I haven't really heard too much about it, and I didn't suggest it, but some people have suggested it. If it happened, it would happen, I'd be respectful."
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The US has imposed sanctions on Cuban authorities, including President Miguel Díaz-Canel and the country's Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.
The 66 year old has served as president since taking over from Raul Castro, who is currently the subject of a US indictment on murder charges for his alleged involvement in a 1996 incident in which Cuban jets shot down planes operated by a group of Cuban exiles.
The sanctions are the latest effort by the US to intensify pressure on the island's communist leaders.
Speculation remains rife about US-led regime change in Cuba after Trump pledged to conduct what he has called a 'friendly takeover' if its leadership did not open its economy to US investment and kick out US adversaries.
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Labor Minister Mark Butler has hit back at Opposition concerns that permanent residents have benefited from a Federal Government housing support package.
Senate Estimates have heard that 51,000 permanent residents have accessed the governments five per cent deposit program since 2022, when Labor expanded access to the scheme.
Liberal leader Angus Taylor has vowed to limit access to only Australian citizens.
But Mark Butler has told Channel 7's Sunrise that is not fair.
"Permanent residents are here forever. They're building careers, they're building businesses, they're having children and we want them to enoy the full Australian dream which includes getting into housing. Some in my electrorate have been here literally for decades: Brisish, Italian migrants. More recently people from India and China. So they are here for life, of course we'd love them as soon as possible to go out and take the citizenship test and go to the ceremony as well but they are here for life and we want them to enjoy the full Australian dream."
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There's speculation the Coalition could team up with the Greens in the Senate to stop contentious tax changes going through parliament.
A bill passed the lower house on Tuesday to limit negative gearing on properties to new homes from July next year - and scrap a 50 per cent discount on the capital gains tax for a rate tied to inflation.
It's due to be voted on in the Senate after an inquiry examining the tax overhaul later in June.
But it will need the support of the Greens which is not yet assured, while Liberal MP Jane Hume says more scrutiny is needed.
"This is a government that promised transparency and accountability, it was one of its commitments on returning to government and yet it has done the exact opposite. all the senate is expecting is the opportunity to scrutinise legislation, which is what the senate's job is. That's our job, to make sure any legislation that appears before the senate chamber has had appropriate scrutiny and can be amended appropriatrely, the government is denying that"
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Authorities in New South Wales have seized thousands of cockroaches from a commercial breeder in the state's central west.
The Department of Environment and Water says dubia cockroaches and Madagascar hissing cockroaches were among 100,000 creatures seized from a property at Bathurst this week.
These species cannot be legally imported into Australia, or by extension, kept, bred, or sold.
The Department says it is the largest seizure of illegal exotic invertebrates in Australia.
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In sport,
The Socceroos are hoping for a strong showing in their final world cup warm up match this weekend, ahead of the tournament's start next week.
Attacking midfielder Ajdin Hrustic says the squad is hoping for a win against Switzerland in San Diego.
Their first match of the World Cup will be against Turkiye next weekend, before facing off against the United States and Paraguay.
This Socceroos squad is the second-youngest ever with eight players under 23.
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