This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happens.
Key events
Live updates
That's it for The Loop this morning
By Peta Fuller
Thanks for joining us today. If you're catching up, here's a bit of what we've covered:
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The founder of right-wing US Oath Keepers group Stewart Rhodes has been convicted of seditious conspiracy over the Capitol riots
- Donald Trump is facing more criticism over his (alleged) meeting with a white supremacist at Mar-a-Lago, this time from top Republican Mitch McConnell
- The IMF has weighed in on China, saying they need an urgent "recalibration" on COVID policy, as it hurts their economy (with spillover fears for the rest of the world)
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Clarence Gilyard Jr, who was in Die Hard and Top Gun and hit TV shows Matlock and Walker, Texas Ranger, has died at age 66
- And remember *that* Oscars slap? Well Will Smith is back on the publicity trail, so he's talking about why he did it
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.
Coming up today: New inflation figures
By Tom Williams
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will release its latest inflation numbers at 11:30am AEDT this morning.
The Consumer Price Index is currently at 7.3% for the year to September, with some economists predicting it will lift closer to 8% for the year to October.
Earlier this week data from the ABS showed that Australian retail sales suffered their first fall of 2022 in October as rising prices and higher interest rates seemed to impact spending.
You can read more about that here:
Breaking: Anti-money laundering regulator's court action against Star
By Peta Fuller
Star casinos are facing massive fines as the anti-money laundering regulator AUSTRAC has launched a Federal Court action seeking civil penalties.
AUSTRAC alleges Star failed to implement legally required monitoring of money laundering risks.
It is arguing the breaches were "serious and systemic" and that, in the absence of these risk-based controls, the Star Entities were vulnerable to criminal exploitation.
Coming up: Prince and Princess of Wales about to land in US for first visit since 2014
By Peta Fuller
They're heading to Boston for the Earthshot Prize — it's being viewed by the royals as a trip, rather than a more traditional "tour".
They'll visit local environmental, educational and community projects in Boston — but the Earthshot ceremony will have star power, featuring Billie Eilish and actor Rami Malek.
The visit has gained added significance as it comes a few days before Prince Harry and Meghan take the limelight at a prestigious awards ceremony ahead of a Netflix TV documentary and revealing memoir.
But no, before you ask, it's not thought that they'll use this trip to visit each other, although Joe Biden will be in town at the same time:
Ukraine's first lady tells UK MPs 'we need justice'
By Peta Fuller
During her speech in the UK overnight, Olena Zelenska likened what was happening in Ukraine now with the blitz on London during World War II:
"What Ukrainians feel now is the same... Dozens and dozens of Ukrainian cities which now suffer attacks of the Russian blitz.
Every day we hear sirens, identical to those which were heard by the past British generation. You did not surrender, and we will not surrender, but victory is not the only thing we need — we need justice."
Coming up: The latest national survey on workplace sexual harassment
By Tom Williams
At 10am AEDT this morning the Australian Human Rights Commission will release the results of its fifth national survey on workplace sexual harassment.
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins will then give a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra at 12:30pm AEDT, which will be broadcast live by the ABC.
Parliament passed new legislation earlier this week to bring into place seven of the recommendations from the landmark Respect@Work report into sexual harassment.
You can learn more about what's being implemented here:
Two convicted and three acquitted in Capitol riots trial
By Peta Fuller
Stewart Rhodes and four of his associates were accused of having planned on using force to prevent Congress from formally certifying Joe Biden's election victory.
One of the co-defendants has also been found guilty (alongside Rhodes) while three others have been acquitted.
Rhodes didn’t go inside the US Capitol on January 6, but was accused of leading a plot that began shortly after the 2020 election to wage an armed rebellion to stop the transfer of presidential power.
The rarely used, Civil War-era charge calls for up to 20 years behind bars.
Breaking: Right-wing Oath Keepers founder convicted over January 6 attack
By Peta Fuller
The Oath Keepers right-wing group founder Stewart Rhodes has been convicted of seditious conspiracy involving the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.
The high-stakes trial was an important victory for the Justice Department.
His was the first verdict read out on behalf of the 12-member jury in the most significant of the numerous trials arising from the deadly riot.
The other verdicts are still being read.
The government is introducing Scott Morrison's censure motion
By Peta Fuller
House leader Tony Burke has just introduced it, after Mr Morrison failed to disclose his secret ministries.
We're covering it in full over here:
Nationals frontbencher says he *doesn't* support party's stance on Indigenous Voice
By Peta Fuller
Andrew Gee told ABC Radio he doesn't agree with the federal Nationals call to oppose it, and he wasn't present at the party room meeting when the position was debated:
"I wasn't a part of it. And I have a very long standing view on it. And so I'm not going to change it... If the expectation was from anyone that I was just going to fall into line on it. I mean, it's it's just never going to happen. It's absurd to think that that that is going to be the case."
The Nationals announced their plan this week saying they'd oppose the constitutionally enshrined body, which would advise the government on matters relating to First Nation's people.
Western Australia's Nationals branch has also criticised its federal counterpart's decision.
What do you think about Will Smith's comments on 'the slap'?
By Peta Fuller
Absolutely no reason can justify an act of violence on the world stage... zero!
- Jay
If you missed it earlier, Smith has been hitting up the publicity trail and did a big interview on The Daily Show — but he's also said he would "completely understand" if some people were not yet ready to watch him in a new movie.
In a separate interview with FOX 5 television, he said:
"I would absolutely respect that and allow them their space to not be ready.
My deepest hope is that my actions don't penalize my (production) team."
Hit the blue comment button if you've got thoughts.
China has launched three astronauts to complete its space station
By Jessica Riga
China has launched a rocket carrying three astronauts to complete construction of the country's permanent orbiting space station, during which they will expand the facility to its maximum capacity of six crew aboard.
The crew of the Shenzhou-15 will overlap for several days with the existing 3-member crew of the Tiangong station, who will then return to Earth after their six-month mission.
Without the attached spacecraft, the Chinese station weighs about 66 tons — a fraction of the International Space Station, which launched its first module in 1998 and weighs around 465 tons.
With a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, Tiangong could one day be the only space station still up and running if the International Space Station retires in the coming years as planned.
Prince William's *awkward* World Cup moment
By Peta Fuller
So yes, England has defeated Wales this morning at the World Cup (and you can recap all of that over here) — knocking them out in the process, but the inclusion of both sides has produced some *awkward* moments for Prince William, aka the Prince of Wales.
A video posted by England's Football Association (which he's the president of) showed him saying: "We're all rooting for you."
Controversial? A touch. Welsh actor Michael Sheen weighed in on it here:
So official tweets have been super careful since then:
Breaking: World Cup wins for England and US
By Peta Fuller
England has run away with a 3-0 win over Wales in Qatar, while the US held on to beat Iran 1-0.
You can recap the match highlights here:
Breaking: US approves $1 billion anti-drone sale to Qatar
By Peta Fuller
The US State Department has made the move, which approves a potential anti-drone system for sale to the nation.
The Pentagon said it notified Congress of the possible sale on Tuesday.
Clarence Gilyard dies at 66
By Jessica Riga
Clarence Gilyard Jr, a popular supporting actor whose credits include the blockbuster films Die Hard and Top Gun and the hit television series Matlock and Walker, Texas Ranger, has died at age 66.
His death was announced this week by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he taught stage and screen acting. No further details about his death are available at this time.
"Professor Gilyard was a beacon of light and strength for everyone around him at UNLV," the school's film chair, Heather Addison, said in a statement.
"Whenever we asked him how he was, he would cheerfully declare that he was ‘Blessed!’ But we are truly the ones who were blessed to be his colleagues and students for so many years."
Gilyard had a prolific career as an actor, starting in the 1980s with appearances in Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life and other shows.
He then appeared in two of the biggest movies of the decade: Top Gun, in which he played Sundown, a radar intercept officer, and Die Hard, when he was featured as a villainous computer maven whose one liners included "You didn’t bring me along for my charming personality."
Fans have already started sharing their favourite on-screen moments of Gilyard's.
Top Republicans criticise Trump's meeting with white supremacist
By Peta Fuller
US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is the latest critic of the former president, after Mr Trump's apparent dinner meeting with white supremacist, Nick Fuentes.
Mr McConnell said anyone meeting with people advocating that point of view is unlikely to ever be president:
Top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy (likely to be incoming House speaker) also broke his silence but stopped short of criticising Trump, saying:
"I don't think anybody should be spending any time with Nick Fuentes."
Mr Trump says the encounter at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, was inadvertent.
Russia's ex-president calls NATO a 'criminal entity' over Patriot missiles
By Peta Fuller
As NATO accused Russia of "weaponising" Ukraine's harsh winter, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has hit back at the defence pact this morning, calling them a "criminal entity" and warning against supplying Patriot missile systems
"If, as (NATO Secretary-General Jens) Stoltenberg hinted, NATO were to supply the Ukrainian fanatics with Patriot systems along with NATO personnel, they would immediately become a legitimate target of our armed forces."
It was not clear from his message whether he was referring to Patriot systems, Ukrainian forces or NATO personnel becoming a target.
Coming up: Scott Morrison's censure
By Peta Fuller
The former PM censure motion is expected today, over the secret ministries scandal (when he failed to disclose those extra appointments to both the parliament and the public).
Liberal leader Peter Dutton has already described the move as a stunt (alongside his Nationals leader colleague, David Littleproud) and the Opposition won't support the censure.
However at least one Liberal MP will cross the floor, with backbencher Bridget Archer saying Mr Morrison's actions were an "affront to democracy".
Catch-up here:
Coming up: The Doug Moran National Portrait Prize
By Tom Williams
At $150,000, the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize is the richest painting prize in Australia — and its 2022 winner is being announced today.
This year's winning portrait will be selected from a shortlist of 30 that includes portraits of Australian personalities such artist Reg Mombassa, musician Warren Ellis and former Australian Ballet artistic director David McAllister.
Three artists were joint winners last year, with each receiving $100,000 prize money.
Here are the judges looking at some of this year's entries:
