Australia news live: arrival of H5N1 bird flu a ‘genuine wildlife emergency’, experts say; fuel excise rebate extended for extra month

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Tram passengers in Melbourne will be able to pay for their trip using a bank card, smartphone or smartwatch from today.

The long awaited expansion of tap-and-go payments follows a staged roll out to the city’s train network and main regional routes. Buses are expected to follow.

From today, you can step off a train and straight on to a tram using the same phone, watch or bank card.

Four in five tap and go trips are already being made with a phone or smartwatch – showing more Victorians are leaving the wallet at home.

The potential for this virus to kill wildlife in significant numbers means it could be particularly catastrophic for threatened species.

We are talking about possible extinctions, alongside severe impacts to common birds like our beloved pelicans and black swans.

This is a genuine wildlife emergency and it must be treated as such with emergency funding to increase efforts to protect wildlife populations.

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King Charles to publish personal tax bill in first for UK head of state

Buckingham Palace says move is intended to increase ‘clarity and accessibility’ of monarchy’s finances

King Charles will become the first head of state to reveal their personal tax bill in what the palace said was an attempt to enhance the transparency of royal finances.

Charles, 77, will publish his financial details as part of the royal household increasing the “clarity and accessibility” of the monarchy’s finances by producing a new report on the subject.

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Polish president strips Zelensky of honor after special forces unit’s renaming – The Washington Post

  1. Polish president strips Zelensky of honor after special forces unit’s renaming  The Washington Post
  2. Zelensky returns highest Polish honour after award stripped  BBC
  3. Poland strips Zelenskiy of top honour as WW2 dispute sours ties  Reuters
  4. Ukraine Officials Return Polish Honors Over World War II Row  Bloomberg
  5. No strategic mistake: Polish President's Office responds to Ukrainian foreign minister's statement regarding  Українська правда
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Trump threatens to charge US tolls in Strait of Hormuz if final Iran deal not reached in 60 days – AP News

  1. Trump threatens to charge US tolls in Strait of Hormuz if final Iran deal not reached in 60 days  AP News
  2. Mideast Live Updates: Vance Heads to Talks as Strait of Hormuz Re-emerges as Point of Tension  The New York Times
  3. Trump says US will begin charging tolls in Strait of Hormuz if final Iran deal not reached in 60 days  The Hill
  4. Trump says no toll on Strait of Hormuz unless US imposes one  Reuters
  5. Trump threatens to charge US tolls in Strait of Hormuz for 'services rendered as the Guardian Angel'  Fortune
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Iran says Strait of Hormuz is closed over ceasefire violations after continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon – NBC News

  1. Iran says Strait of Hormuz is closed over ceasefire violations after continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon  NBC News
  2. Iran claims Hormuz closure, U.S. says ships still passing  NPR
  3. Live Updates: JD Vance heads to Switzerland to accelerate peace talks as Iran threatens to close Strait of Hormuz  CBS News
  4. Sunday shows preview: Iran’s Strait of Hormuz closure threatens Trump MOU ahead of planned Switzerland peace talks  The Hill
  5. Iran reportedly closes Strait of Hormuz again, casting shadow over nuclear talks  CNBC
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Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Wishah killed in Israeli strike on Gaza

Wishah among at least 260 journalists killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023

Qatar-based news network Al Jazeera has said one of its journalists was killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza on Saturday, becoming one of the at least 260 Palestinian journalists to have been killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023.

Ahmed Wishah, a cameraman for the network, was killed in a strike targeting a house in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, the broadcaster said on its website.

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Five injured in suspected anti-Muslim incidents across Edinburgh

Counter-terrorism officers investigating as Police Scotland arrest 36-year-old white Scottish man

Counter-terrorism officers are investigating a number of “violent attacks” in Edinburgh on Friday night that injured five men in suspected anti-Muslim incidents.

A 36-year-old white Scottish man has been arrested and police have said there is no further threat to the public.

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy confirms drone strike on refining facilities in Russia’s Tyumen region – Reuters

  1. Ukraine's Zelenskiy confirms drone strike on refining facilities in Russia's Tyumen region  Reuters
  2. Massive blasts in Moscow shatter even Putin’s protective shell  CNN
  3. Moscow residents complain of black rain after largest Ukrainian attack hits oil refinery  BBC
  4. Ukraine Targets Oil Refinery 2,000 Kilometers Inside Russia  Bloomberg
  5. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 18, 2026  Institute for the Study of War
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Wife of Spanish Prime Minister to Stand Trial for Corruption – The New York Times

  1. Wife of Spanish Prime Minister to Stand Trial for Corruption  The New York Times
  2. Spanish Court Orders PM’s Wife to Face Trial, Surrender Passport  Bloomberg
  3. Court bans Spanish PM’s wife from leaving country amid corruption probe  Al Jazeera
  4. Pedro Sánchez’s wife ordered to face corruption trial and surrender passport  Financial Times
  5. Spanish PM’s wife must stand trial on corruption charges, judge rules  NBC News
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Nothing succeeds like excess at Dolce & Gabbana’s Milan menswear show

Italian house’s catwalk emphasised the brand’s ‘molto sexy’ look with flamboyant, sometimes revealing outfits

Dolce & Gabbana leaned heavily into the art of theatrical misdirection on the second day of Milan fashion week as it aimed to draw attention away from its debt issues, catwalk controversies and management reshuffles.

On the catwalk its signature “molto sexy” Italian aesthetic that comes served with a generous scoop of la dolce vita was in full swing. This was Euro summer on steroids. There were clingy muscle vests and micro shorts that made short shorts look modest while some models simply went topless. Jeans came ripped, shredded or smothered in sparkling jewels while T-shirts featured everything from giant prints of Sicilian lemons and ancient amphitheatres to a mosaic depiction of Christ.

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Tourist dies in Dominican Republic luxury resort fire – BBC

  1. Tourist dies in Dominican Republic luxury resort fire  BBC
  2. Woman killed, 1,700 evacuated in beach hotel fire in Dominican Republic  CNN
  3. Massive fire destroys resort in Dominican Republic and forces evacuation of almost 1,700 tourists  WSB-TV
  4. Huge Blaze Ravages Dominican Republic Beach Resort  The New York Times
  5. 1 killed in large fire at luxury resort in Dominican Republic  CBS News
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Europe swelters under heatwave, France restricts alcohol consumption – Reuters

  1. Europe swelters under heatwave, France restricts alcohol consumption  Reuters
  2. Western Europe Braces for Another Round of Heat  The New York Times
  3. ‘A kind of massive rave’: Paris braces for 2m revellers as Fête de la Musique returns amid heatwave warnings  The Guardian
  4. France swelters in heatwave as temperatures look set to hit 40C  Euronews.com
  5. France issues red heatwave alert on Sunday for third of country, bans public alcohol consumption at music festival  Le Monde.fr
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Iran says it is closing strait of Hormuz over Israeli strikes in Lebanon

Unclear if threat has been carried out or if move will jeopardise talks with US scheduled for Sunday

Iran has said it is closing the strait of Hormuz after waves of Israeli strikes in Lebanon in a move that threatens to derail the fragile interim peace deal with the US, signed just days ago.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned ships not to approach the strategic waterway, which before the war carried a fifth of global oil and liquid gas supplies, citing what it called Israeli crimes in Lebanon and a US violation of commitments to establish a ceasefire there.

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A Kennedy, a ‘nerd’, an ex-Republican and a tech target: New York races toward a House seat

In NY-12, four Democrats, including one Kennedy, are vying to replace Jerry Nadler – and potentially shake things up

When news broke that a safely Democratic seat in New York’s wealthiest congressional district was becoming vacant, it was inevitable that there would be a crowded field of candidates.

What people might not have expected is that the subsequent Democratic primary would become one of the country’s most closely watched and action-packed, the race coming to reflect a range of Democrats’ national political priorities: who is the strongest against Trump; who is the most critical of artificial intelligence companies; and who is, basically, the coolest.

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