This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happens.
Live updates
By Kate Ainsworth
That's all for The Loop this morning
You can keep up-to-date on the ABC's website, by watching News Channel or listening to local radio here, and by subscribing to our mobile alerts.
We'll be back tomorrow morning to cover the latest updates.
By Peta Fuller
Phil Mickelson among 11 golfers to file suit against PGA Tour
The 11 golfers are now on the LIV Golf Series and joined the lawsuit, which challenges their suspension from the PGA Tour.
Three of the 11 — Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones — are seeking a temporary restraining order to be allowed to participate in the FedEx Cup play-offs, which begin next week.
That trio qualified for the playoffs but were banned after joining LIV, a competing circuit considered a direct threat to the PGA Tour.
By Peta Fuller
Australia's COVID cases may have peaked, Health Minister says
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says the rate of people being hospitalised with COVID-19 is falling.
Mr Butler says case numbers may have peaked across the nation, with the worst of winter behind us, telling ABC Radio:
"Hospital numbers are pleasingly down, they are still high at about 5,000 across the country, but they are certainly down from the peak we saw a couple of weeks ago and we will really be monitoring this very closely," he said.
By Peta Fuller
BREAKING: US Senate backs Finland and Sweden joining NATO
It'll be the most significant expansion of the 30-member alliance since the 1990s when Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO is approved.
The count in the US Senate is 74 to 1 as voting continues — but that's already passed the two-thirds majority of 67 votes required to support ratification.
By Peta Fuller
AFL Players' Association responds to Eddie Betts's book
Former Adelaide Crow Eddie Betts claims he was subjected to verbal abuse at the club's notorious 2018 pre-season training camp, which he feels caused him psychological hurt.
Chief Executive of the Players' Association, Paul Marsh, says the association had previously spoken to players about the camp, but he now believes "players felt pressured into remaining silent".
Mr Marsh says the details are extremely concerning and difficult to read.
By Peta Fuller
Eyes on Canberra today
We'll be watching developments as the climate bill goes through the lower house this morning.
But there's also a National Cabinet meeting on the cards.
What's on the agenda this morning?
It'll be health — and not just COVID. Monkeypox and the threat of foot and mouth disease are on the list.
By Peta Fuller
Steggall: Unconvinced by government's emissions target
Independent MP Zali Steggall says she remains unconvinced by the government's 2030 emissions reduction target, but will vote to legislate it.
A government bill to enshrine the target of 43 per cent by 2030, and net zero by 2050, will pass through the lower house this morning, and reach the Senate next month.
The Greens announced their support for the bill, meaning it is very likely to become law.
Ms Steggall told ABC Radio she is hopeful emissions can be reduced much faster:
"It does establish that it's a minimum ambition, and certaintly that there is no cap to our ambition. It also provides for greater certainty around reporting from government and government having to have scientifically based advice from the climate change authorities," she said
By Peta Fuller
Let's set you up for the day
From Alex Jones admitting the tragic Sandy Hook massacre is "100% real" to a volcano in Iceland, here's what you need to know today at 7:00am AEST.
By Peta Fuller
One thing to know now
Nancy Pelosi is out of Taiwan — so what happened in the hours after the US House Speaker's departure?
China sent 27 aircraft into the Taiwan Strait, with 22 crossing the median line.
Why is that important?
Neither side's aircraft normally cross it.
In response, Taiwan's military said it scrambled jets to warn off the Chinese aircraft.
By Peta Fuller
News while you snoozed: Alex Jones makes a concession
Alex Jones has conceded the Sandy Hook mass shooting attack was "100 per cent real".
The US conspiracy theorist and InfoWars host is in court to decide how much his company owes for defaming the parents of Jesse Lewis, who was among the primary school students killed in the deadliest school shooting in American history.
"Especially since I’ve met the parents. It’s 100% real," he said.
He also told the court that he understood it was "absolutely irresponsible" to push false claims the massacre didn't happen but added:
"(I'm) typecast as someone that runs around talking about Sandy Hook, makes money off Sandy Hook, is obsessed by Sandy Hook," he said.
Great Barrier Reef —the northern and central parts are showing some promising levels of coral cover, according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Cover is the highest in those sections in the36 years since monitoring began.
And the biggest front of the season is sweeping through south-eastern states today.
More rain is expected for inland NSW, Canberra, and Victoria's alpine regions.
Here's weather bureau meteorologist Dean Narramore:
"The main band will really start to pick up on Thursday morning and then become widespread across New South Wales and north-eastern Victoria Thursday afternoon and Thursday night," he said.
So watch out for warnings in your area.
By Peta Fuller
News Australia is searching for
- Iceland Volcano: Pictures show lava and smoke spewing from a fissure in the ground on the side of the Fagradalsfjall mountain (near the capital Reykjavik). Last year the same site saw an eruption that lasted six months. There's a "code red" prohibiting planes from flying over the site, but helicopters like this one have been allowed to survey it:
- Abortion Kansas: This was an unexpected (and big) win for US abortion rights activists — they blocked an amendment to the Republican state's constitution that planned to reject the right to abortion. It was the first big test at the ballot box since the Supreme Court's decision
By Peta Fuller
One more thing: A Joker sequel
Something for fans of the Joker film — the sequel will start filming in December and will be released in October 2024.
And who could feature?
Joaquin Phoenix will be back as the Joker (no surprise, it won him an Oscar for best actor), but Lady Gaga could join him.
That's all for your first update, but we'll be keeping you in The Loop with the latest news as it happens this morning (just scroll back to the top).
