This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happens.
Key events
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Live updates
That's it for The Loop this morning
By Felicity Ripper
Thanks for joining us today. If you're catching up, here's a bit of what we've covered (click the link to jump straight to the post):
- Politicians will attend an urgent sitting at federal parliament today to consider legislation aimed at softening massive electricity prices hikes being forecast for the next two years
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China has removed one of its most senior diplomats in Britain, following a violent scuffle at its consulate in Manchester
- A massive asteroid (dubbed the "Christmas asteroid" or 2015 RN35) is set to pass Earth today and is expected to be most visible in the southern hemisphere
- And the Ellen DeGeneres Show's dancing DJ tWitch has died, aged 40
You can keep up-to-date with other news on the ABC's website, by subscribing to our mobile alerts, and by watching News Channel or listening to local radio here.
US rates rise for seventh time — and Fed signals there's more to come
By Peta Fuller
The big news that's driving markets today comes from the US Federal Reserve — they've boosted the benchmark rate half a point, to a range of 4.25 to 4.5 per cent.
And that's the highest level in 15 years.
It comes at a time when inflation is showing signs of easing.
Despite that, the Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has signalled that more hikes are to come:
"The inflation data received so far for October and November show a welcome reduction in the monthly pace of price increases. But it will take substantially more evidence to give confidence that inflation is on a sustained downward path."
We've got this and a whole lot more business news covered in our live blog here:
Eddie Murphy named as Golden Globes lifetime acheivement winner
By Peta Fuller
The actor and comedian will take home the Cecil B. DeMille Award in January, as the award ceremony attempts a comeback.
It was an off-screen ceremony last year after a 2021 LA Times investigation found that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the group behind the awards) then had no black members and enumerated a long history of ethical indiscretions.
But they're back on with a one-year deal with US network NBC.
If you want to check out the nominees (they came out on Tuesday), here's the lot — including Aussies Cate Blanchett, Margot Robbie, Hugh Jackman, Baz Luhrmann and Elizabeth Debicki:
Energy relief plan set to pass vote
By Peta Fuller
In case you've only just joined us, we've mentioned an energy relief package will go to a vote in federal parliament today.
The plan to cap coal and gas prices in an attempt to rein in power bills next year has enough support to pass federal parliament, with the Greens committing to backing the proposal.
You can follow what's happening in Canberra live here:
Twisters rage across US, killing mother and son
By Felicity Ripper
The bodies of a mother and her young son have been found after a tornado destroyed their home as it ripped through a rural town in northwest Louisiana - one of a swarm of twisters unleashed during the heavy winter system sweeping the United States.
First responders found the eight-year-old boy's body in a wooded area about a 800 meters from his home in Louisiana after the tornado struck late on Tuesday night, local time.
His mother's body was shortly after, under debris one street away from the destroyed house.
The tornado was one of 18 twisters reported in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi overnight into Wednesday that injured more than two dozen people and left homes in ruins.
AFP reveals majority of people helped in human trafficking scenarios were under 18
By Peta Fuller
Australia's federal police have released details on human trafficking, saying it intervened to protect more than 50 people over the past 18 months.
Who did they help? The vast majority (over three-quarters) were women and more than half were under 18.
Detective Superintendent Jayne Crossling says she wants people to know they can get help:
"We want these vulnerable members of the community to understand that their situation isn't hopeless, help is available and the AFP can protect you through a range of measures that don't necessarily involve arrests and charges."
HSBC updates climate policy to stop funding new oil and gas
By Bridget Judd
Europe’s biggest bank will no longer finance new oil and gas fields as part of its updated climate strategy.
HSBC says it will still provide financing to existing fossil fuel projects “in line with current and future declining global oil and gas demand".
It will also continue to provide finance and advisory services to energy sector clients, but will assess the companies’ plans to transition to clean energy.
“It sets a new minimum level of ambition for all banks committed to net zero,” said Jeanne Martin from the campaign group ShareAction, who added the change “doesn’t deal with the much larger proportion of finance it (HSBC) still provides to companies that have oil and gas expansion plans.”
Twitter has suspended the account that tracked Elon Musk's private jet
By Felicity Ripper
Twitter has suspended the widely-followed @ElonJet account which used publicly available flight data to track Elon Musk's private jet.
It was only last month that Mr Musk pledged to allow the account because of his free speech principles.
The account had more than 526,000 followers as of Tuesday.
Jack Sweeney, who started the flight-tracking account, said Mr Musk sent him a private message last year offering $5,000 to take the account down, citing security concerns.
Energy relief won't pass parliament without criticism
By Felicity Ripper
As mentioned earlier this morning, Labor recalled parliament for a special sitting today to pass legislation aimed at softening steep energy price rises next year.
Things are now getting underway in Canberra.
Here's what we heard from some federal MP's this morning before things kicked off.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says even though prices will still go up, the government is doing what it can to try and “take the sting” out of it.
“We will always do what we can, even when it involves difficult decisions like this one, to take some of the edge off these price pressures that people are feeling,” he said.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has remained highly critical of the government’s proposed intervention, reaffirming that the Coalition will vote against the bill.
He argued that by putting a price cap in place, the government could scare off future investment.
“These sort of market interventions don’t just restrict themselves in terms of the impact to the energy sector, there will be other companies and other sectors who’ll be looking to invest here at the moment who’ll be looking at the sovereign risk that’s created out of this and question whether they’ll invest into agriculture, whether they’ll invest into manufacturing,” he said.
The House of Representatives began at 9am AEDT and it’s expected the legislation will be passed by both houses by this afternoon.
Peru’s new government declares police state amid protests
By Bridget Judd
Peru’s new government has imposed a police state in response to violent protests following the ousting of former president Pedro Castillo.
The 30-day national emergency declaration suspends the rights of “personal security and freedom” across the Andean nation.
Acts of vandalism, violence and highway blockades “require a forceful and authoritative response from the government", Defense Minister Luis Otarola Peñaranda announced.
The declaration suspends the rights of assembly and freedom of movement and empowers the police, supported by Peru’s military, to search people’s homes without permission or judicial order.
Mr Otarola said the declaration was agreed to by the council of ministers. It didn’t mention Peru’s new president, Dina Boluarte, who was sworn in by Congress hours after lawmakers ousted Castillo.
A world first vaccine could forge a new way to treat cancer
By Felicity Ripper
A new melanoma vaccine may put an end to melanoma as a "death sentence", Australian experts are saying.
An early trial by Biotech company Moderna is the first to make use of personalised vaccines in cancer treatment.
Results indicate the personalised treatment reduces the risk of recurrence or death from melanoma by 44 per cent, compared with results from its immunotherapy drug alone.
An autopsy has shown soccer writer Grant Wahl died of a heart aneurysm
By Felicity Ripper
The autopsy of US sports writer Grant Wahl, who died while covering the World Cup in Qatar, died of a heart aneurysm his wife Céline Gounder says.
"Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium," she wrote on her husband's website.
"The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms.
"No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him. His death was unrelated to COVID. His death was unrelated to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious about his death."
Wahl, 49, died in the media tribune of Lusail Iconic Stadium early on Saturday during extra time in Argentina's quarterfinal match against the Netherlands.
Fiji's Frank Bainimarama narrowly ahead in election
By Felicity Ripper
Fiji is holding its third democratic election since the re-writing of its constitution 2013, and it's set to be the biggest yet.
Provisional results have put the country's incumbent government in the lead to win another term.
Frank Bainimarama's Fiji First party is on top, with 45 per cent of votes counted from about 60 per cent of polling stations.
France is through to the World Cup final
By Felicity Ripper
France is through to its second straight World Cup final.
The defending champions defeated Morocco 2-0 and will face Argentina on Monday, December 19 (AEDT) at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail, Qatar.
China won’t report asymptomatic COVID cases in further loosening of rules
By Bridget Judd
China says it will stop reporting asymptomatic COVID-19 cases since they’ve become impossible to track with mass testing no longer required.
The only numbers the commission will report are confirmed cases detected in public testing facilities where symptoms are displayed. Many people also test at home, and any positive results there will not be captured.
It's another step in the country’s departure from some of the world’s strictest antivirus policies.
While many governments have long focused on only the more serious cases, China has maintained a “zero COVID” policy that seeks to stamp out all virus transmission.
That included frequent mass testing campaigns and meant that anyone who tested positive was isolated in a government facility, even if they had no symptoms.
Now, people can recover at home if they don’t need medical care.
A Pyramid of Giza-sized asteroid is heading our way
By Felicity Ripper
A massive space rock is set to hurtle past Earth today.
The European Space Agency has christened it a "Christmas asteroid" but its real name is 2015 RN35.
The agency says it will pass by the planet at a safe distance — just close enough for Earthlings to get a glimpse.
Good news for us Down Under, 2015 RN35 will be most visible in the Southern Hemisphere.
But you'll need a telescope!
Russian strikes thwarted, wreckage hits buildings in Ukraine
By Bridget Judd
Ukrainian authorities say they've thwarted a Russian attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region, with the nation's air defence system destroying 13 explosive-laden drones.
However, wreckage damaged five buildings, without causing casualties.
The attempted strikes underlined how vulnerable Ukraine’s capital remains to the regular Russian attacks that have devastated infrastructure and population centres in recent weeks.
In a video, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the “terrorists” fired 13 Iranian-made drones, all of which were intercepted.
Police helicopter audio has revealed how the Queensland shooting siege unfolded
By Felicity Ripper
Police helicopter audio has revealed details of the intense siege that unfolded at a rural property west of Brisbane in the hours after two police officers and a nearby resident were gunned down.
The audio reveals the moments PolAir guides the team on the ground as the three offenders — later identified as brothers Nathaniel and Gareth Train, and Gareth's wife Stacey Train — were holed up at a Wieambilla property and continued to fire bullets.
China has removed six officials after an incident in Manchester, according to the UK
By Felicity Ripper
China has removed six officials from Britain who police wanted to question over the treatment of a man who said he was kicked and punched while protesting outside the Chinese consulate in Manchester, British foreign minister James Cleverly has said.
Mr Cleverly said the removal of the officials, including the consul general in Manchester, came after a police request to interview them over the incident.
"I am disappointed that these individuals will not be interviewed or face justice," Mr Cleverly said.
"Nonetheless, it is right that those responsible for the disgraceful scenes in Manchester are no longer – or will shortly cease to be - consular staff accredited to the UK."
The Chinese embassy hit back, saying Britain had failed to protect its staff, adding it launched its own representations with Britain over the incident.
It said the consul general had returned to China under a "normal rotation of Chinese consular officials".
Police had been investigating the alleged assault on a protester who was beaten by several men after being dragged inside the grounds of the consulate in northwest England during a demonstration against President Xi Jinping.
"Images carried on social media showed what appeared to be completely unacceptable behaviour by a number of individuals near the entrance to the consular premises," Mr Cleverly said.
Politicians meet to talk power prices
By Felicity Ripper
Federal politicians have flown into Canberra for an urgent sitting today to consider legislation designed to soften massive electricity prices hikes being forecast for the next two years.
Treasury had warned that electricity prices were set to rise a painful 56 per cent over the coming two years, above the price hikes Australians have already endured, due to the global shocks caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
