This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happens.
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By Tom Williams
That's all for The Loop this morning — thanks for being with us!
We'll be back tomorrow, but in the meantime, 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:
- Bottles have been thrown at French soccer fans in Melbourne, during the country's victory over Australia at the World Cup
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Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is contesting his election defeat
- Manchester United owners will consider selling the club
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Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has quit Manchester United
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The US Supreme Court has cleared the way for Donald Trump's tax returns to be released
Qantas upgrades its profit outlook
By Tom Williams
Qantas has upgraded its interim profit outlook for the first half of the financial year, due to ongoing strong travel demand.
The national carrier now expects an underlying pre-tax profit of between $1.35 billion to $1.45 billion for the first half of fiscal 2023.
It had previously forecast underlying earnings to be between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion.
This would be a huge turnaround on the underlying earnings loss of $1.28 billion Qantas reported for the first half of fiscal 2022.
Australians Jordan Thompson and Alex de Minaur battle into Davis Cup semi-finals
By Tom Williams
Jordan Thompson and Alex de Minaur have taken a leaf out of their captain Lleyton Hewitt's book with backs-to-the-wall singles wins to propel Australia into the semi-final of the Davis Cup in Spain.
Thompson vindicated the tough call from Hewitt to choose him ahead of Thanasi Kokkinakis for the opening singles match of Tuesday's quarter-final against the Netherlands by coming from a set down to defeat Tallon Griekspoor 4-6 7-5 6-3.
Then de Minaur continued his run of success in the World Cup of men's team tennis, winning his ninth singles match in his last 10 outings by rallying to beat Dutch number one Botic van de Zandschulp 5-7 6-3 6-4.
State of the Climate report warns of continued warming in Australia
By Tom Williams
Australia is facing longer fire seasons, more intense tropical cyclones and oceans riddled with acidity due to rising global temperatures, according to the new State of the Climate report released this morning.
The country's climate has warmed on average by 1.47C since national records began in 1910, the report says.
You can read the details here:
FTX lawyer says 'substantial amount' of assets has been stolen
By Bridget Judd
Lawyers for FTX have disclosed that a “substantial amount” of assets have been stolen from the accounts of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange, diminishing the odds that its millions of investors will get their money back.
The admission came during FTX’s first court appearance since the company filed for bankruptcy protection on November 11.
Such hearings typically happen days after a filing, but this one was delayed because FTX’s collapse came suddenly and management kept few, if any, records.
"This company was run by inexperienced, unsophisticated and potentially personally compromised individuals," said James Bromley, a partner with Sullivan & Cromwell, the law firm hired by FTX’s debt holders to navigate the company through bankruptcy.
"It is one of the most abrupt and difficult company collapses in the history of corporate America."
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is contesting his election defeat
By Tom Williams
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is contesting his defeat at the hands of leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the country's October election.
Bolsonaro is calling on Brazil's electoral authority to annul votes cast on most of the nation's electronic voting machines, citing a software bug which independent experts have said didn't affect the reliability of results.
Such an action would leave Bolsonaro with 51 per cent of the remaining valid votes — and a reelection victory according to Marcelo de Bessa, the lawyer who filed the 33-page request on behalf of the president and his Liberal Party.
Bolsonaro's claim seems unlikely to get far, as Lula's victory has been ratified by Brazil's Superior Electoral Court and acknowledged by the country's leading politicians and international allies.
Still, it may fuel a small but committed protest movement that has so far refused to accept the result.
Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley sentenced to 12 and 7 years in prison
By Bridget Judd
The couple have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms after being convicted earlier this year on charges including bank fraud and tax evasion.
Todd Chrisley was handed 12 years in prison, while Julie Chrisley got seven years behind bars, according to the US attorney’s office in Atlanta.
The Chrisleys gained fame with their show Chrisley Knows Best, which follows their tight-knit, boisterous family.
Federal prosecutors said the couple engaged in an extensive bank fraud scheme and then hid their wealth from tax authorities while flaunting their lavish lifestyle.
“The Chrisleys have built an empire based on the lie that their wealth came from dedication and hard work,” prosecutors wrote in a pre-sentencing court filing.
“The jury’s unanimous verdict sets the record straight: Todd and Julie Chrisley are career swindlers who have made a living by jumping from one fraud scheme to another, lying to banks, stiffing vendors, and evading taxes at every corner.”
Manchester United owners will consider selling the club
By Tom Williams
Manchester United's American owners say they will consider selling the Premier League club.
The team said it was commencing a process to explore strategic alternatives, including a new investment or a potential sale, 17 years after being bought by the Glazer family.
Fans of the team have been calling for a change of ownership and the Glazers have been the target of intense criticism after five years without a trophy.
"As we seek to continue building on the club's history of success, the Board has authorized a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives," the company said in a statement.
"We will evaluate all options to ensure that we best serve our fans and that Manchester United maximizes the significant growth opportunities available to the Club today and in the future."
The Glazers bought Manchester United for 790 million pounds ($1.4 billion) in 2005 in a highly leveraged deal which has been criticised for loading debt onto the club.
Eurovision to open voting to viewers across the world in big rule change
By Tom Williams
The Eurovision Song Contest has announced major changes to the voting process at next year's contest.
Professional juries have been scrapped from the semi-finals, meaning that viewers from across the world will choose who qualifies for the grand final.
Countries who are not competing in the contest will also be allowed to cast votes for the first time.
The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in the northern English city of Liverpool on behalf of this year's winners Ukraine.
Three-bus crash leaves at least 37 people dead in Nigeria
By Bridget Judd
At least 37 people have been killed after three buses collided outside the north-east Nigerian city of Maiduguri.
The accident happened when two commercial buses had a head-on collision and burst into flames, before a third bus then crashed into them, said Utten Boyi, head of the road safety agency for Borno state.
"So far, 37 people have been confirmed dead and most of them burnt beyond recognition," Boyi said.
The collision happened near Jakana village, some 35 kilometres outside Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
The tyre of one of the buses burst and it hit the vehicle coming from the opposite direction, Boyi said, blaming "excessive speeding" for the accident.
AFP
Biden extends pause on federal student loan payments
By Tom Williams
US President Joe Biden has announced that his administration will extend a pause on federal student loan payments while the White House fights a legal battle to save his plan to cancel portions of the debt.
"It isn't fair to ask tens of millions of borrowers eligible for relief to resume their student debt payments while the courts consider the lawsuit," Biden said in a video posted on Twitter.
The moratorium was slated to expire on January 1 — a date that Biden set before his debt cancellation plan stalled in the face of legal challenges from conservative opponents.
Now it will extend until 60 days after the lawsuit is resolved. If the lawsuit has not been resolved by June 30, payments would resume 60 days after that.
Dangerous rhetoric' stoking nuclear tensions, UN chief says
By Bridget Judd
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has warned against "dangerous rhetoric" stoking tensions among nuclear-armed rivals.
"Growing divisions are threatening global peace and security, provoking new confrontations and making it all the more difficult to resolve old conflicts," Mr Guterres told a conference in Morocco.
"Dangerous rhetoric is raising nuclear tensions," he warned. "At the same time, we are dangerously close to the edge on the climate, while hate speech and disinformation are proliferating."
It comes as Russia's war in Ukraine nears its tenth month with no end in sight, fanning nuclear fears.
Mr Guterres says "forces of discord" are waking up "old demons" including anti-semitism and Islamophobia.
"In this troubled world, we must ease tensions, foster inclusion and social cohesion, and bring about more united and resilient societies," he said.
Bottles thrown at French soccer fans in Melbourne
By Tom Williams
There have been scuffles in Melbourne's Federation Square this morning during the Socceroos' World Cup opener against France in Qatar.
Bottles have been thrown at French supporters as the country's national team gets closer to claiming victory against Australia.
Here's what reporter Stephanie Ferrier has shared from the scene of the ugliness:
Celtic gold coins worth 'millions' stolen from German museum
By Bridget Judd
A stash of Celtic coins worth several million euros have been stolen from a German museum in an early morning raid.
Employees at the museum in Manching discovered that the "showcase was broken" and the entire gold coin hoard had been stolen on Tuesday morning (local time), local police told AFP.
Investigators did not provide any other details as to the circumstances surrounding the heist, but local officials highlighted a disruption to phone and internet services.
"They cut off the whole of Manching," mayor Herbert Nerb told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily.
"The museum is actually a high-security location. But all the connections to the police were severed," Nerb said.
"Professionals were at work here," he added.
The collection of over 450 gold coins has been a highlight of the Celtic and Roman Museum in Manching.
Discovered in 1999, the coins can be dated back to "around 100 years before Christ" and have a value of "several million euros", according to police.
Looking for the latest on the Socceroos' World Cup opener?
By Tom Williams
The Socceroos are playing world champions France in their FIFA World Cup opener in Qatar.
Australia scored the first goal, but the French have clawed their way back.
You can follow the game in our other live blog here:
One thing to know: Cristiano Ronaldo has quit Manchester United
By Tom Williams
Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Manchester United "with immediate effect" the Premier League club has announced, days after the soccer star gave an explosive interview criticising manager Erik ten Hag and the club's owners.
It wasn't known where 37-year-old Ronaldo will go next next after failing to secure a move to a Champions League club in the summer.
"Following conversations with Manchester United we have mutually agreed to end our contract early," Ronaldo said.
"I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge.
"I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future."
Ronaldo is currently in Qatar with Portugal as he aims to win a first World Cup title for his country.
US Supreme Court clears way for Trump's tax returns to be released
By Tom Williams
The US Supreme Court has cleared the way for the imminent handover of former president Donald Trump's tax returns to a congressional committee after a three-year legal fight.
The court, without comment, rejected Trump's plea for an order that would have prevented the Treasury Department from giving six years of tax returns for Trump and some of his businesses to the Democratic-controlled committee.
It was Trump's second loss at the Supreme Court in as many months, and his third this year.
In the dispute over his tax returns, the Treasury Department had refused to provide the records during Trump's presidency.
But the Biden administration said federal law was clear that the committee had the right to examine any taxpayer's return, including the president's.
What else is happening
By Tom Williams
King Charles III has welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to London for the first state visit of his reign, which will include a formal banquet as well as talks with government leaders focused on investment and green energy.
Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, greeted Ramaphosa during a ceremony on Horse Guards Parade near Buckingham Palace.
William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, also attended.
The last state visit by a South African leader was in 1996, when Nelson Mandela was honored two years after he became South Africa's first Black president.
The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Kim Yo-jong, has called Australia and a bunch of other Western nations "rabbles" after the United States read out a statement by 14 countries which supported action to limit North Korea's advancement of its weapons programs.
Kim, who is widely considered North Korea's second most powerful person after her brother, lambasted the US for issuing what she called "a disgusting joint statement together with such rabbles as Britain, France, Australia, Japan and South Korea".
She compared the US to "a barking dog seized with fear".
Here's the news Australia is searching for online
By Tom Williams
- Indonesia earthquake. A magnitude-5.6 earthquake which struck Indonesia's island of West Java earlier this week has now killed at least 268 people, with authorities warning some people remained trapped in isolated places. It's believed a combination of factors made this Indonesia's deadliest earthquake this year, including its shallow depth, the location and the region's population density
- Argentina vs Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia have notched up one of the biggest shocks in FIFA World Cup history with a 2-1 win over Lionel Messi's Argentina thanks to a second half comeback. Saudi Arabia was the second-lowest ranked team in the tournament after Ghana, and their win breaks Argentina's 36-match undefeated run
One more thing: 'Teal' is the Australian 'Word of the Year'
By Tom Williams
The political term teal has been named Australian 'Word of the Year', referring to the wave of Independents elected to Federal Parliament this year.
The National Dictionary Centre, based at the Australian National University if Canberra, notes the word originated from the colour used by several high profile candidates but it quickly evolved to represent a movement of "independent, strong female voices".
Teal beat out other words including cooker, eshay, quiet-quitting and shrinkflation.
