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The US Secret Service has shot and killed a suspect who fired a weapon at officers outside the White House. The man - who Reuters described as emotionally disturbed - pulled a weapon from his bag and fired at Secret Service police, who returned fire.

Multiple journalists at the White House reported hearing a volley of around 20 gunshots before being rushed into the press briefing room by members of the secret service.

The US President says a memorandum of understanding on ‌a peace deal with Iran that would open the Strait of Hormuz has been "largely negotiated", with ‌details to ‌be unveiled soon.

Donald Trump made the announcement on social media after separate phone ‌calls with ⁠the leaders of Muslim-majority nations and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ⁠Netanyahu.

But Iran has dismissed the claim as "inconsistent with reality".

A man has died following a shark attack in Far North Queensland.

Emergency services were called to the Hull River boat ramp, 160 kilometres south of Cairns, just after 12pm, after receiving reports of an attack.

A 66-year-old man is understood to have been attacked while at Kennedy Shoal, before being retrieved from the water.

He later died from his injuries.

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The US Secret Service has confirmed a suspect who fired shots at officers outside the White House has died.

Authorities say the man approached a security checkpoint close to the White House before pulling a weapon from his bag and firing at Secret Service officers.

Secret Service police fired back, hitting the suspect who was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

President Donald Trump was in the White House at the time.

Iran is downplaying an announcement by the US President that a peace deal with Tehran which would re-open the Strait of Hormuz is "largely negotiated".

Donald Trump took to social media to say that a "memorandum of understanding" on a deal is close, and that the final details are being discussed and will be announced shortly.

Mr Trump has spoken with regional leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reports that saying an agreement is close is "inconsistent with reality" and that any deal will see the Strait remain under Iranian control.

Independent Senator David Pocock has left open the door to forming a party of independents to counter the rise of One Nation.

A Redbridge poll published this weekend suggests One Nation could win as many as 59 seats in the lower house, if an election were held this weekend, and would become the main Opposition party.

Mr Pocock says he's in constant conversations with other independents about how to improve the country.

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Officials in the US say a gunman has approached a checkpoint near the White House and opened fire.

Police say the suspect has been "taken down" and is in hospital

They say the scene is now contained, and no officers have been injured.

The shooting saw the White House temporarily placed into lockdown, with nearby journalists ushered inside and locked in the media briefing room.

The US President was inside at the time.

Firefighters in the US state of California who are trying to stop a tank full of poisonous chemicals from exploding say it's getting hotter.

Officials say it's still  being doused with water in an effort to keep it cool.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes south east of Los Angeles, and a state of emergency has been declared for Orange County.

Donald Trump says a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal with Iran has been largely negotiated.

Donald Trump has posted on Truth Social, saying he has had a "very good" call with the leaders of several nations including Turkiye, Egypt and Pakistan, and a separate phone hookup with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He says the group has largely negotiated a deal, with the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz among the its elements.

But Iran has dismissed the announcement as  inconsistent with reality, insisting the Strait would remain under Iranian management.

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There are multiple reports of gun shots fired near the White House in Washington DC.

US media is reporting dozens of gun shots being heard, and reporters have been ordered to run into the White House Press Briefing Room.

FBI director Kash Patel says federal agents are on the scene supporting secret service.

Iran is dismissing US President Donald Trump's claim that a peace deal that would open the Strait of Hormuz has been largely negotiated.

Mr Trump has made the announcement after calls with the Israeli Prime Minister and Muslim nation leaders.

Iran says the claim of reopening the strait as part of the deal as "incomplete and inconsistent with reality" but agress talks are progressing.

A man has died after being shot by police, north of Brisbane.

Officers were called to a domestic violence incident at a house at Narangba... following reports a man was armed and making threats about 12:30 this morning.Police say the man was armed with a gun - and threatened and approached officers and as a result was shot.

Officers immediately provided first aid, but he died at the scene.

A crime scene has been declared and the Ethical Standards Command is investigating... with oversight from the Crime and Corruption Commission.

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Listen to the latest updates from ABC News

Listen to the latest updates from ABC News

A new opinion poll suggests One Nation could pick-up dozens of seats in federal parliament.

The poll of more than six-thousand voters by Redbridge and Accent Research shows if an election was held today, Pauline Hanson's party could win up to 59 lower house seats.

It currently holds two.

Political scientist Shaun Ratcliff, who helped produce the polling, says it would mean an end to the two party system.

The ABC can reveal Australia's spy agency issued its annual holiday threat assessment less than two weeks before the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach - but did not identify heightened risks to the Jewish festival, despite earlier declaring antisemitism as a top "threat to life".

ASIO's advice was circulated days after a Jewish security organisation warned police of a heightened terrorism risk at the Chanukah by the Sea event at Bondi.

Director-general Mike Burgess is expected to face questions at royal commission hearings next week.

Scientists in the UK say they're developing a vaccine for the strain of Ebola virus at the centre of an outbreak in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The World Health Organisation has raised the risk level posed by the outbreak to "very high".

177 people have died, and nearly 750 suspected cases of the rare strain of the virus have been detected, with no vaccine and no treatment.

Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, Professor Andrew Pollard, says the vaccine could be ready for trials within weeks.

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Pollsters believe the rise in popularity of One Nation signals the end of the major party stranglehold of  Federal Parliament as we know it.

Labor and a Liberal Coalition have been the major parliamentary representatives since the three-party system was abolished in 1910, however at the last election, the Coalition suffered its worst result in decades since parliament grew from 74 seats in 1949.

A Redbridge poll for the Australian Financial Review has found One Nation would pick up 53 seats if an election were held today compared to the coalition's 12.

The Labor and Liberal parties are hosting their Victorian state conferences today, with both announcing policy pledges ahead of the November election.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been addressing Labor party faithful in Melbourne.

Security is tight at the venue, as the United Firefighters Union protests outside, calling for more funding.

An ABC investigation can reveal that an ASIO threat assessment, less than two weeks before the Bondi attack, failed to identify heightened risks to Hanukkah celebrations.

The assessment on the 2nd of December found violent protests were more likely than a terrorist attack against Jewish targets.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess is expected to face questions at royal commission hearings next week about security preparations.

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For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen.

An ABC investigation can reveal that an ASIO threat assessment, less than two weeks before the Bondi attack, failed to identify heightened risks to Hanukkah celebrations.

The assessment on the 2nd of December found violent protests were more likely than a terrorist attack against Jewish targets.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess is expected to face questions at royal commission hearings next week about security preparations.

A new poll shows One Nation would wipe out the Liberal-National Coalition in all but three states and territories if an election were held today.

The new MRP poll conducted by the Redbridge Group and Accent Research for the Australian Financial Review has quizzed just over 6,000 voters finding that Labor would win 76 seats and One Nation 53, to take its place as the official opposition.

The Coalition would win just 12 seats and the Nationals would be virtually wiped out based on the survey results.

And  Australia has joined the UK, France and other nations in pressing Israel to stop its takeover of the occupied West Bank.

Israel has accelerated its takeover recently through increased settler violence, land seizures, and new laws on ownership and archaeology

Australia has joined eight other nations in condemning these actions as serious breaches of international law.

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