This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happened.
Key events
Live updates
That's all for The Loop this morning
By Andrew Thorpe
Thanks for joining us today. If you're catching up, here's a bit of what was covered (click the link to jump straight to the post):
- Rugby Australia backs the Indigenous Voice to Parliament
- Colombian children found alive more than two weeks after plane crash in thick jungle
- Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes to begin her prison sentence later this month
- ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold takes leave as Lehrmann trial inquiry continues
- Ancient Hebrew bible sells at auction for $57 million
- Independent NSW MP Alex Greenwich to sue Mark Latham over graphic, homophobic tweet
- Chinese comedy group fined $3 million for Xi Jinping military joke
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.
Giuliani sued over back touch 'assault' claim
By Andrew Thorpe
A man jailed for touching Rudy Giuliani on the back and calling him a "scumbag" is suing the former New York City mayor and several police officers for false arrest and defamation.
Daniel Gill accuses Mr Giuliani of fabricating a claim of political violence from what he says was an act of harmless heckling, and says officers went along with Mr Giuliani's claim despite video disproving the account.
Mr Gill spent 21 hours in jail after the incident, before being charged with second-degree assault, later downgraded to third-degree.
Mr Giuliani, for his part, said the incident felt "like somebody shot me".
Here's the footage so you can see for yourself:
Dancers at LA bar seek to become first unionised strippers in United States
By Andrew Thorpe
Dancers at a Los Angeles bar could soon become the only unionised group of strippers in the United States.
The Actors' Equity Association labour union says the owners of the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar, in North Hollywood, have withdrawn their opposition to the move and agreed to recognise the strippers' union.
For 15 months, dancers at the club have sought safer workplace conditions, better pay and health insurance, among other benefits.
The union announced this week that management had agreed to a settlement, and a formal vote count by the National Labor Relations Board has been set for Thursday US time.
Rugby Australia backs Voice to Parliament
By Andrew Thorpe
Rugby union's national governing body has joined the NRL and the Australian Olympic Committee in formally supporting the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan told ABC Radio Sydney the code has a very long and proud association with Indigenous players, and the decision taken by the Rugby Australia board was a natural fit.
The AFL is expected to make its own decision shortly.
Rugby Australia announced its decision this morning in a full-page newspaper advertisement, arguing that the referendum on the Voice is "too important a contest to watch in silence".
Bushfire warning in Perth's south-east
By Andrew Thorpe
An emergency warning has been issued for an out-of-control bushfire heading toward homes on Perth's south-eastern fringe.
The bushfire, in Whitby in the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale, started near the intersection of the South Western Highway and Reilly Road and was reported to authorities just before 5am.
The emergency warning is in place for people in an area bounded by the South Western Highway to the east, Kiernan Road to the south, Haywire Avenue to the east and Reilly Road to the north.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services says the blaze is not contained or controlled, and there is a threat to lives and homes.
Stay safe, Perth. You can follow the full story here:
Colombian children found alive in jungle weeks after plane crash
By Andrew Thorpe
Some good news out of Colombia this morning, with President Gustavo Petro announcing four children have been found alive in the country's south, more than two weeks after the plane they were travelling in crashed in thick jungle.
The children were rescued by members of the military, firefighters and civil aviation authority officials in the dense jungle of Colombia's Caqueta province.
Rescuers, supported by search dogs, had previously found discarded fruit the children ate to survive, as well as improvised shelters made with jungle vegetation.
Three adults, including the pilot, died as a result of the crash and their bodies were found inside the plane. The four children, aged 13, 9 and 4, as well as an 11-month-old baby, survived the impact.
"A joy for the country," Mr Petro said in a message via Twitter.
There's no place like home …
By Andrew Thorpe
A grand jury has indicted a man on charges of stealing a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, US prosecutors say.
The shoes were stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota — the late actress's hometown.
They were recovered 12 years later in an FBI sting operation, but no arrests were made at the time.
On Tuesday, local time, Terry Martin was indicted with one count of theft of a major artwork, federal prosecutors in North Dakota announced.
The indictment did not provide further information about Mr Martin and online records do not list an attorney for him.
Prosecutors said the slippers were insured for $US1 million ($1.5 million) when they were stolen, but the current market value is about $US3.5 million ($5.2 million).
Elizabeth Holmes to start prison sentence at end of month
By Shiloh Payne
Disgraced Theranos Chief Executive Elizabeth Holmes will begin an 11-year prison sentence on May 30 after she lost her bid to remain free.
Holmes is facing prison time for defrauding investors in a blood-testing scam.
US District Judge Edward Davila set Holmes' revised prison-reporting date after her lawyers proposed it in a filing on Wednesday.
It came after a federal appeals court rejected Holmes' bid to remain out of prison while she attempts to overturn her conviction on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy.
The punishment also includes a $452 million restitution bill that Mr Davila ordered Holmes to pay in a separate ruling issued late on Tuesday.
F1 Grand Prix cancelled in Italy due to severe flooding
By Shiloh Payne
This weekend's Emilia-Romagna Formula One Grand Prix has been called off due to severe flooding in northern Italy.
Thousands of people have been evacuated and at least eight people have died in the widespread flooding around Imola.
It's unlikely the race will be able to be rescheduled due to the sport's packed calendar.
Stefano Bonaccini, Emilia-Romagna region's president, says the area is facing "catastrophic events".
"Extraordinary amounts of rain have fallen on land no longer capable of absorbing them."
ACT director of public prosecutions takes leave as Lehrmann trial inquiry continues
By Andrew Thorpe
The ACT's director of public prosecutions (DPP), Shane Drumgold, has taken leave from the position while the board of inquiry into the handling of the Bruce Lehrmann case continues.
His deputy, Anthony Williamson SC, will act in the position until June 13.
Mr Drumgold has been under pressure in questioning at the board of inquiry, which is examining how the criminal case against Mr Lehrman, for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins at Parliament House, was handled by criminal justice agencies.
Mr Lehrmann has maintained his innocence and there have been no findings against him after the criminal trial was abandoned.
1,100-year-old Hebrew bible sells for $57m
By Andrew Thorpe
A 1,100-year-old Hebrew bible that is one of the world's oldest surviving biblical manuscripts sold for $US38 million ($57 million) in New York on Wednesday.
The Codex Sassoon, a leather-bound, handwritten parchment volume containing a nearly complete Hebrew Bible, was purchased by Alfred H. Moses, a former US ambassador to Romania, on behalf of the American Friends of ANU, a group which supports the ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv.
The group will donate the bible to the museum, where it was previously exhibited as part of a worldwide tour before the auction, auction house Sotheby's said in statement.
The Codex Sassoon is believed to have been assembled sometime between 880 and 960.
It got its name in 1929 when it was purchased by David Solomon Sassoon, a son of an Iraqi Jewish business magnate who filled his London home with his collection of Jewish manuscripts.
It's one of highest prices for a manuscript sold at auction. In 2021, a rare copy of the US constitution sold for $US43 million ($64.5 million). Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester sold for $US31 million in 1994, or around $US60 million ($90 million) in today's dollars.
Exford Primary School bus crash leaves community and first responders reeling
By Shiloh Payne
As Melbourne's outer-suburban sprawl has inched towards Exford Primary, the school has retained its country feel — and it was a sense of community that kicked in after Tuesday's horror bus crash.
The bus overturned, severely injuring many of the children on board.
Nine students were trapped and seven children sustained life-threatening injuries.
Teachers from the school rushed the 900 metres to the site of the accident, not yet knowing the extent of the chaos and destruction.
When they arrived, they found the bus lying on its side and dozens of students, some seriously injured, needing help and comfort.
"Our staff just instinctively wrapped their arms around the kids and provided love and support and comfort in a really difficult situation," principal Lisa Campo said.
Alex Greenwich to sue Mark Latham over graphic, homophobic tweet
By Andrew Thorpe
Independent MP Alex Greenwich will launch defamation action against One Nation's Mark Latham over a graphic, homophobic tweet.
Mr Greenwich previously warned that he would commence legal proceedings unless Mr Latham apologised, and attempted to make amends.
The NSW One Nation leader, who was re-elected in March, was given a deadline of 17 days, which expired at midnight on Wednesday.
Late yesterday, Mr Greenwich received a letter from Mr Latham's lawyers saying they would not accept his offers to resolve the situation outside of court.
The offensive tweet was posted seven weeks ago, and the ABC has chosen not to reveal the highly graphic contents.
It has since been deleted from Mr Latham's account.
News Australia is searching for: Harry and Meghan in 'near catastrophic' car chase
By Andrew Thorpe
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" involving paparazzi in New York on Tuesday night, according to a spokesperson for the couple.
The couple's office said the pair and Meghan's mother were followed for more than two hours by half a dozen vehicles after leaving a charity event in New York on Tuesday, resulting in "multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers".
It called the incident "near catastrophic".
"While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone's safety," the statement from the couple said.
The New York City police department confirmed the incident involving photographers and the couple but said no injuries, collisions or arrests took place.
The paparazzi run-in is just the latest chapter in Prince Harry's long, torrid history with the tabloid press.
Following his mother's split from then-prince Charles, tabloid front pages routinely featured paparazzi pictures tracking Princess Diana's every move, obsessing over her new relationships, including her final one with Dodi Fayed.
The fever reached a tragic crescendo when, on August 31, 1997, the driver of the car transporting Princess Diana through Paris lost control and collided with a pillar in the Pont de L'Alma tunnel, killing the princess, Fayed and the driver.
Their car was being pursued by paparazzi.
Indian Australians prepare for Narendra Modi visit, despite Quad summit's cancellation
By Andrew Thorpe
Indian Australians have booked charter buses, a "Modi Airways" plane and a sold-out arena in Sydney to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week.
The Indian leader will continue his trip to Australia despite the cancellation of the Quad Leaders' Summit in Sydney on May 24.
More than 20,000 people are booked to attend a reception at Sydney Olympic Park the evening before the meeting would have taken place.
Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation spokesman Pranav Aggarwal said after initial nerves on Wednesday, plans were going ahead for the visit.
"It is a rare moment. The excitement really knows no bounds," Mr Aggarwal said.
"There have been over 20,000 tickets which have been given out and really our colleagues have been buzzing."
The reception will feature three hours of performances, and organisers are expecting a speech from Mr Modi himself.
One more thing: Chinese comedy group fined $3 million after Xi Jinping military joke
By Andrew Thorpe
China has slapped one of the country's best-known comedy companies with a 14.7 million yuan ($3.1 million) fine, accusing it of "harming society" after one of its comedians made a joke about the military.
Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Co was fined 13.35 million yuan and had 1.35 million yuan in "illegal gains" confiscated after the government found a recent show by Li Haoshi — who performs under the name House — had breached rules.
Li went viral on Chinese social media earlier this week after an audience member posted online a description of a joke he had made at a live stand-up set in Beijing on May 13.
In the joke, Li recounted seeing two stray dogs he had adopted chase a squirrel, said it had reminded him of the phrase "Have a good work style, be able to fight and win battles", a slogan President Xi Jinping used in 2013 to praise the PLA's work ethic.
The incident has strongly divided the Chinese public over what sort of jokes are inappropriate, as performances such as stand-up comedy become increasingly popular in an environment where authorities say entertainment must promote core socialist values.
You can read the full story here:
