Donald Trump suggests an Iran deal may depend on Arab nations signing the Abraham Accords; housing tax changes to be introduced to parliament today; and the Blues take a win at State of Origin game one.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Donald Trump suggests an Iran deal may depend on Arab nations signing the Abraham Accords.
- Housing tax changes to be introduced to parliament today.
- The Blues take a win in State of Origin game one.
US President Donald Trump says he is waiting for the perfect deal as his administration negotiates an end to the war with Iran.
The President has hinted but stopped short of confirming an Iran deal is dependent on agreements to join the Abraham Accords, which he brokered in his first presidential term aimed at normalizing relations with Israel.
"I'm not sure we should make the deal if they don't sign. You want to know the truth? If they don't sign to join the Abraham Accords, I don't know that we have, you know, we have countries in there already. UAE, great. Great countries, bold countries. And it's turned out to be so good, so effective. And so we're, you know, requesting strongly that they join. It'll be great. It would be great for Saudi Arabia, it would be great for Qatar, Kuwait, the whole group.”
Meanwhile Iranian state television has reported that Tehran would restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within a month in a framework deal with the US to also include withdrawing US forces from Iran's vicinity.
The report cited a memorandum of understanding being negotiated between the two sides to end the war - which the US has called a "complete fabrication" in a White House statement on social media.
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Israel has killed Hamas's newly appointed armed wing chief, days after it killed his predecessor, Izz al-Din al-Haddad.
The Israeli military says Mohammad Odeh was killed in an operation in Gaza, a statement confirmed by a relative of Odeh to the Reuters news agency.
Hamas has yet to issue an official statement, but his family says he died along with his wife and son in a strike that destroyed an upper floor of an apartment building in the Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City.
Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, Michael Kobi, says the attack is likely part of Israel's strategy to weaken Hamas as an organisation.
"When you take down experienced people, then they have a problem, to run the organisation effectively. And now they are almost out of experienced people. I mean, they are with another two, in the least, which are considered to be experienced. And therefore this is something that will impact will affect negatively the organisation, will weaken the organisation dramatically."
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Five of the seven people trapped in an underground cave in Laos have been found alive.
They were rescued by specialist divers, with the operation including a diver who took part in the 2018 rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave in northern Thailand.
The group had been trapped in the cave in Xaisomboun province for a week, after entering to look for gold before heavy rain and a landslide blocked their exit.
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Controversial changes to capital gains tax concessions and negative gearing will be introduced to parliament today.
The proposals to rein in investor tax breaks will be bundled up alongside a $250 a year tax rebate for workers and a $1000 standard tax deduction.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the changes will help level the playing field for many young Australians who have been locked out of the housing market by a system that taxes income earned from labour at a higher rate than income derived from investments.
The changes are likely to be passed with the support of the Greens.
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New South Wales’ only medically supervised injecting centre is calling for urgent legal reform to allow more sites to open across the state, as it marks 25 years since opening.
The centre in Sydney’s Kings Cross was the first supervised injecting facility in the Southern Hemisphere.
Not-for-profit organisation Uniting says staff have supervised more than 1.3 million injections, managed more than 12,000 overdoses without a single death, and made more than 25,000 referrals for treatment and care.
Medical Director Dr Marianne Jauncey says current New South Wales laws prevent more such centres from opening, despite the model’s proven success.
"So I think what we're saying now, after 25 years of operation, given that in Parliament House our Premier spoke to a large group of people on the event of our birthday and absolutely acknowledged, and I quote 'the unmitigated success' of our service, why is it that there can only be one. Surely that is time to change."
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In sport,
New South Wales has won the first State of Origin game 22-20, after a late comeback from the Blues.
The Maroons surrendered a 22-6 lead after Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga was sent off for a shoulder charge.
He's only the seventh player in Origin history to be sent off, but has avoided a ban and is instead paying a $6900 fine.
Queensland now need to win in Melbourne and Brisbane to retain the Origin shield, after they also came back from 1-0 down to win the series last year.
