Rachel RaskerUpdated June 18, 2026 — 7:21am,first published 6:46amMorning headlinesBy Good morning and welcome to our national news live blog for Thursday, June 18. Here’s what’s making headlines today.Details of the US-Iran deal have emerged, revealing the United States will immediately waive restrictions on Iranian oil exports and ultimately lift all sanctions, as well as help create a $US300 billion ($425 billion) development fund for Iran. The memorandum of understanding is yet to be signed.One Nation says leader Pauline Hanson’s safety was compromised yesterday when a stunt banner unfurled behind her as she delivered her first-ever speech at the National Press Club in Canberra. Activist group GetUp claimed responsibility for the stunt, which has been referred to the Australian Federal Police.A national coalition of doctors, nurses and a pharmacy boss have penned an open letter against what it calls a lack of oversight of the rushed moves that have given pharmacists the power to prescribe medications, saying it puts patients at risk of complications.England take on Croatia in their first FIFA World Cup match this morning. You can follow along on our World Cup blog here. And the State of Origin will head to a decider in Brisbane on July 8 after a dominant Queensland 44-24 win last night.Latest Posts7.21amLabor frontbencher says Hanson wants divisionBy Brittany BuschLabor frontbencher Murray Watt said Pauline Hanson’s National Press Club address showed “her plan for Australia is one of division, chaos, and cuts”.“She made really clear that she wants to cut people’s wages, make it easier for them to get sacked by their boss, and she wants to cut healthcare, which means paying more for a GP,” Watt told ABC News Breakfast.Environment Minister Murray Watt.Alex Ellinghausen“I lost track of the number of different people and groups that Pauline Hanson targeted in her speech yesterday. She’s coming after workers, she’s coming after women, she’s coming after migrants, she’s coming after the ABC and SBS, but you can’t run a country just fuelled by your grievances against different groups in our community.”He rejected her claim that multiculturalism is a “failed policy”, saying Australia was one of the most successful multicultural nations in the world, and pointed to the economic benefits.Asked about Hanson’s cut through and success with her fundraiser, Watt said:“There’s nothing unusual about political parties putting up negative advertising. I mean, you know what this shows isthat the Pauline Hanson and One Nation are are becoming like every other political party. She’s always tried to present herself as a bit of an outsider. She’s now very clearly showing that she is a career politician.”7.16amEight victims of B-52 Stratofortress crash identifiedBy US military officials have identified all eight people killed in this week’s fiery crash of a B-52 during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California.The victims were men between the ages of 32 and 53. They include four active duty airmen, one reservist and three civilians.“They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates,” said Colonel Thomas Tauer, commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards.7.06amMcKenzie criticises GetUp stunt By National Party Senator Bridget McKenzie has criticised the GetUp protest banner unfurled during Pauline Hanson’s National Press Club speech, but stopped short of joining calls for a ban.On an appearance on the Today Show this morning, McKenzie said the banner “wins the most stupid political stunt of the year,” but said a lifetime ban on the protest group is “a bit too much”.A GetOut poster interrupted Pauline Hanson’s speech at the National Press Club yesterday.GettyShe called the National Press Club an important platform for political leaders, who she said need to be able to face tough scrutiny from the media.“I think nothing says more that One Nation is now a mainstream political player than this address,” she said.“I am concerned that One Nation also wants to pick and choose which media they take questions from, who they like or they don’t like. That might be OK for Donald Trump to pick and choose which media he takes questions from, but it does not go well here in a democracy like Australia.”6.40amLuigi Mangione to assert psychiatric defenceBy Luigi Mangione plans to assert a psychiatric defence at his state murder trial, claiming he was suffering from extreme emotional disturbance when he gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a judge said on Wednesday. It wouldn’t absolve him of the Dec. 4, 2024, killing, but could free him from prison sooner.If a jury accepts that defence, the panel would convict Mangione of manslaughter and he would face up to 25 years in prison. Alternatively, the jury could reject the extreme emotional disturbance defence and convict him of murder, which carries a potential life sentence. That defence isn’t available in his federal case.If a jury finds that Mangione was emotionally disturbed at the time of the killing, it could convict him of manslaughter instead of murder.AP Photo/Angelina KatsanisJudge Gregory Carro announced the decision in court on Wednesday, two weeks after holding a secret hearing on the matter at the defence’s request. He said he will unseal a transcript and other records from that proceeding once redactions are made.Carro said he didn’t expect the development to delay Mangione’s trial, which is scheduled to start September 8. The federal trial, which involves stalking charges, is set to begin on October 13. Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty in both cases.AP6.38amQantas to launch Sydney to London non-stop flightsBy Qantas will launch direct flights between Sydney and London, with the new route to become the world’s longest non-stop commercial flight.The airline plans to begin selling tickets in February and launch the flights in October 2027, CEO Vanessa Hudson said.Non-stop flights between Sydney and London are set to take off in 2027.AP“Australia’s distance from the rest of the world should never stand in the way,” Hudson said.The flights are part of the airline’s “Project Sunrise” initiative, which will also serve New York using modified Airbus A350-1000ULR jets capable of flying up to 22 hours with 238 passengers on board.6.29am‘I’m the boss,’ Trump says at G7, as he warms to Ukraine’s war aimsBy Michel RoseUS President Donald Trump on Wednesday told a roomful of global leaders “I’m the boss”, as he and other G7 heads acknowledged Ukraine’s improved battlefield fortunes with a unified pledge of support and fresh sanctions against Russia.Trump’s comment - a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment of an unspoken truth hanging over the June 15 to 17 summit of the Group of Seven Western powers in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains - followed a joint leaders’ statement that could bolster Kyiv’s growing leverage in potential peace talks with Moscow.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his allies came to the G7 hoping to convince Trump that Ukraine’s fightback is delivering results, and that Russia is in no position to dictate terms for any peace deal.The joint statement and comments from leaders suggest Trump has warmed to Zelensky’s argument after years of scepticism.Pinned post from 6.25amMorning headlinesBy Good morning and welcome to our national news live blog for Thursday, June 18. Here’s what’s making headlines today.Details of the US-Iran deal have emerged, revealing the United States will immediately waive restrictions on Iranian oil exports and ultimately lift all sanctions, as well as help create a $US300 billion ($425 billion) development fund for Iran. The memorandum of understanding is yet to be signed.One Nation says leader Pauline Hanson’s safety was compromised yesterday when a stunt banner unfurled behind her as she delivered her first-ever speech at the National Press Club in Canberra. Activist group GetUp claimed responsibility for the stunt, which has been referred to the Australian Federal Police.A national coalition of doctors, nurses and a pharmacy boss have penned an open letter against what it calls a lack of oversight of the rushed moves that have given pharmacists the power to prescribe medications, saying it puts patients at risk of complications.England take on Croatia in their first FIFA World Cup match this morning. You can follow along on our World Cup blog here. And the State of Origin will head to a decider in Brisbane on July 8 after a dominant Queensland 44-24 win last night.1 of 1