This is The Loop, your quick look at this morning's news as it happens.
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By Kelsie Iorio
Thanks for joining our live wrap of today's key headlines.
You can stay up to date on the ABC News website and by subscribing to our mobile alerts.
If you're just joining us, here's what you need to know:
- Argentina won the World Cup
- Twitter says it will no longer allow "free promotion of certain social media platforms", including Facebook and Instagram
- Police have released images of people they want to speak to about Saturday night's A-League pitch invasion
- A pro-Trump leader of the US anti-abortion movement has been dismissed from the Catholic priesthood by the Vatican
Update: Facebook's social media manager questioning their life choices
By Kelsie Iorio
(If you don't know what I'm talking about, jump down to this post in the blog from earlier)
Just in: FIFA denied Volodymyr Zelenskyy an address ahead of the World Cup final
By Kelsie Iorio
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed holding a global peace summit in a video message Kyiv was hoping would be broadcast ahead of the World Cup final in Qatar.
Mr Zelenskyy had wanted to appear via video link before Argentina took on France at Doha's Lusail Stadium, which had an expected global audience of hundreds of millions.
FIFA rejected Mr Zelenskyy's wish for the video to be played ahead of the final, although it was never expected the governing body would allow the move.
ICYMI: The Sydney Thunder actually snagged more than 15 runs last night
By Kelsie Iorio
They didn't win or anything, but at least it was better than their last outing.
It was just days ago that the Thunder sputtered their way to the lowest total in the history of men's professional T20 cricket — bowled out for just 15 runs.
They pulled themselves together last night though, reaching 6/174 against the Renegades, but it wasn't quite enough with Aaron Finch's 70-not-out securing Melbourne a four-wicket victory on the second-last ball of the match.
The Hurricanes play the Scorchers tonight.
Your thoughts: Battle of the GOAT(s)
By Kelsie Iorio
To me Maradona is and will always be GOAT. Messi and Pele very great but to me Maradona is it.
- Teekyweeks
Just in: Unbelievable crowds celebrate Argentina's win
By Kelsie Iorio
Just in: Police are at the scene of a fatal house fire outside Melbourne
By Bridget Judd
Firefighters found the bodies of two people at a property on Forest Road North in Lara, south-west of Melbourne, just before 5:00am this morning.
Vision shows a side section of the home has been destroyed.
Detectives from the Arson Squad and a fire investigator are investigating the cause.
Just in: UN summit sets goal for 'nature-positive world by 2050'
By Bridget Judd
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibsersek says she's still hopeful the UN's latest global biodiversity summit will agree to firm and ambitious targets.
Ms Plibersek is at the summit in Montreal and is spearheading a push for all countries to adopt a target of protecting 30 per cent of their land and 30 per cent of their seas by 2030, as well as zero new extinctions.
She says the wording of the final document is still being negotiated.
"What we'd like to see out of this conference is an agreement that we need to halt the biodioversity loss we've seen, and reverse it, and be living in a nature-positive world by 2050."
Coming up: NT students to get their ATARs today
By Kelsie Iorio
Year 12 students across the Northern Territory are gearing up for the release of their ATAR results this morning.
Students will be able to access their scores online from 7.30am local time and are expected to receive their NT Certificate of Education and Training and transcript in the mail later in the week.
Marrara Christian College student Emma King says she's feeling good but has been trying not to dwell on the day too much:
"I thought I was going to be, like, completely out of it, so stressed, but I actually am feeling okay," she says.
"I think the lead-up to the exams is much more stressful because now you can't really do anything about it you just have to let it be."
Good luck all! And remember — it's just a number. You're gonna do great things no matter what that number is.
Just in: A-League pitch invaders should never 'see the inside of a football stadium again'
By Bridget Judd
That's according to the union representing Australian soccer players, which is urging authorities to ensure those responsible for Saturday's pitch invasion in Melbourne never set foot in an A-League stadium again.
The incident during the Melbourne derby injured a player, referee and camera operator, and led to the game's cancellation. Victoria Police have since released nine photos of people they want to question.
Francis Awaritefe, chair of Professional Footballers Australia, says there must be consequences.
"They don't belong to the game. They've not had anything to do with the game," he says.
"They've just come into the game to cause havoc, and that they are identified and that they're routed out and that these people are never ever to see the inside of a football stadium again, no matter what."
ICYMI: Cecily Strong leaves Saturday Night Live after 11 seasons
By Bridget Judd
After 11 seasons, Cecily Strong has said farewell to Saturday Night Live.
A two-time Emmy nominee for her work on the show, Strong was known for characters like the Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With At a Party and impressions of people like Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro and US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green.
During Saturday’s show, she broke character to give a personal statement.
“I had a lot of fun here,” she said. “And I feel really lucky that I have had so many of the best moments of my life in this place, and with these people that I love so much.”
It’s latest in a string of high-profile departures for Saturday Night Live this year, including Pete Davidson, Chris Redd, Kate McKinnon, Kyle Mooney and Aidy Bryant.
Coming up: Cricket Australia reveals details of Boxing Day tributes for Shane Warne
By Kelsie Iorio
There's a week to go until the Boxing Day Test, and Cricket Australia has released a statement confirming "a range of tributes" have been planned for the late Shane Warne.
In the statement, CA encourages fans to wear zinc and a wide-brim floppy hat on Day 1 of the Test "to pay homage to a look that Warne often donned on the field".
"Shane is an icon to cricket fans globally for the greatness of his cricketing achievements, his charisma and his infectious enthusiasm for the game," Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said in the statement.
"His place as a legend of Australian and world sport is assured. Whilst we continue to mourn his passing, it is fitting that we honour Shane at his beloved Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
"I know I speak for the whole cricket community in saying that our thoughts continue to be with Shane’s family and friends and particularly his children Brooke, Jackson and Summer."
Other planned tributes include players wearing floppy hats during the national anthem ceremony, painting Warne's Test cap number square of the wicket and a "special highlights package" both in-stadium and throughout the broadcast.
Overnight: Vatican dismisses Trump-supporting, anti-abortion leader from priesthood
By Kelsie Iorio
A leader of the US anti-abortion movement and a strong supporter of former president Donald Trump has been dismissed from the Catholic priesthood over "blasphemous" social media posts and disobedience to bishops.
A letter sent to US bishops from the Vatican's ambassador to Washington says Father Frank Pavone has been defrocked and will not be allowed to appeal.
In a lengthy video shared on Sunday, Pavone, still wearing a priest's collar, said he had been "persecuted in the Church for decades" and derided his critics as "the dumbest in the world".
Pavone was among Trump's supporters who questioned the validity of the 2022 presidential election, and in a Twitter post in 2020 he spoke of "supporters of this goddamn loser Biden and his morally corrupt, America-hating, God-hating Democrat party".
He referred to that in his video, saying "I used the word G-D in a response to somebody in a Tweet and for that they want to throw me out of the priesthood."
He was reprimanded during the 2020 election campaign for suggesting that Catholics who voted for Democrats should not be absolved of their sins in confessions.
In his video on Sunday, he accused his critics of "spouting Democrat talking points".
He said he still had not received any official communication from the Vatican on his dismissal, criticised the Vatican for "talking to the media before you talk to the priest", and said he's "never going to leave the priesthood".
Reporting with Reuters
ICYMI: Woman injured in London concert crowd crush dies in hospital
By Bridget Judd
A woman injured in a crush outside a London concert venue has died, police say.
London resident Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, was one of eight people hospitalised after being caught in mayhem outside the O2 Brixton Academy on Thursday night, where Nigerian singer Asake was due to perform.
The Metropolitan Police force said she died on Saturday morning. Two other women, aged 21 and 23, remain in critical condition.
Asake said he was “overwhelmed with grief” at Ikumelo’s death.
“My sincerest condolences to her loved ones at this time. Let us please keep her family in our prayers. I have spoken to them and will continue to do so,” he wrote on Instagram.
Overnight: Joe Biden marks anniversary of wife and daughter's deaths
By Bridget Judd
US President Joe Biden and his family have held a private memorial service to mark the 50th anniversary of the car crash that killed his first wife and their baby daughter.
Mr Biden, who had just been elected to the Senate in November 1972, was not in the car when his wife, 30-year-old Neilia, and their 13-month-old daughter, Naomi, were hit by a tractor-trailer on December 18 of that year as they went out to buy a Christmas tree.
The couple’s two sons, Beau and Hunter, who were just about to turn 4 and 3 at the time, were also in the car and were seriously injured.
The tragedy almost prompted Mr Biden to give up his fledgling political career, but on the advice of other senators he stayed in office, commuting back and forth from Washington to Delaware.
ICYMI: It's Messi's world, we're just living in it
By Kelsie Iorio
From the weekend: Avatar sequel opens shy of US box office projections
By Kelsie Iorio
Avatar: The Way of Water, the expensive and long-delayed sequel to the highest-grossing film of all time, has opened below American box office forecasts with an estimated US$134 million (almost AU$200 million) in US and Canadian ticket sales.
Pre-weekend predictions from analysts had called for at least a US$140 million start for director James Cameron's decade-in-the-making return to the story of the Na'vi people on Pandora.
Walt Disney Co says overseas markets added US$301 million for a global total of roughly US$435 million through Sunday.
Cameron has said that the film will need to make US$2 billion over its theatrical run just to break even.
The film was released 13 years after the first installment wowed audiences with pioneering 3D technology.
The original Avatar remains the all-time box office champion with US$2.9 billion in global ticket sales.
Reporting with Reuters
Developing story: Twitter, self-proclaimed home of free speech, cracks down on cross-promotion
By Kelsie Iorio
What do you make of this?
Twitter made this announcement online a few hours ago, declaring "free promotion" of selected other platforms will no longer be allowed.
As you can see, they've directly called out the platforms that are on their radar — Facebook, Instagram and Donald Trump's Truth Social all included.
TikTok, notably, is not.
Twitter added later in the thread that cross-posting is still allowed, and "posting links or usernames to social media platforms not listed above are also not in violation of this policy".
Overnight: Teenager charged over English Channel deaths
By Kelsie Iorio
A 19-year-old man has been charged by police after four migrants died while trying to cross the English Channel to enter the UK last week.
Another 39 people, including 12 children, were rescued after the inflatable boat they were using started to sink.
Police say the suspect has been charged with facilitating attempted illegal entry into Britain.
He's expected to appear in court this week.
ICYMI: Argentina wins third World Cup in spectacular fashion
By Kelsie Iorio
Six goals.
Extra time.
Possibly the highest-stakes penalty shootout in decades.
Argentina has defeated France to claim their third-ever World Cup.
In what many are describing as the ultimate fairytale ending, Lionel Messi's record-breaking World Cup run ends with a victory — the first time in his career he's held the trophy aloft.
You can relive the whole match here, and we'll bring you more reaction from around the world throughout the morning.
