Hi there. It's Tuesday, October 11 and you're reading The Loop, a quick wrap-up of today's news.
One thing to know: There was security chaos at some Australian airports today
Two major Australian airports were thrown into chaos today, following security breaches that appeared to be unrelated.
Here's what happened:
- Firstly, Melbourne Airport experienced a security breach when a passenger who had just arrived walked back through one-way security doors and triggered an alarm. Security were initially unable to find the man, so a decision was made to clear the airport and re-screen all passengers, which caused flight delays. The man was eventually found and was interviewed by the AFP, who will not be laying charges
- Then, Adelaide Airport decided that about 2,000 passengers had to be re-screened after a walk-through security detector failed, also causing delays. The terminal was evacuated just after 10am when it was discovered that the equipment had failed about half an hour earlier.
Today we also heard a lot about flooding in Australia's south-east
Wet weather is set to continue in the south-east over the coming days, with parts of Victoria and New South Wales bracing for heavy rain.
- In Victoria, minor-to-moderate flooding is expected in Melbourne, starting on Wednesday, with the worst of the weather to hit from Thursday. Other areas of the state could see 50 to 100 millimetres of rain, with residents in flood-prone areas told to prepare for up to 72 hours of isolation
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In New South Wales there's been a downgrading of evacuation orders for parts of the Hawkesbury, with milder conditions in Greater Sydney today. There are around 100 warnings across the state, with the focus on inland New South Wales. More rain is forecast from Thursday in parts of the state's south and south-west, before the system reaches Sydney on Friday
Here's the latest video update from the BOM:
News you might have missed
- More investigations have been launched into the Optus data breach that affected millions of customers last month, with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) launching an investigation that will look at the company's handling of customer data. The OAIC will work with the Australian Communications and Media Authority, which has also launched an investigation into whether the telco has breached its obligations
- Disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein was in court again, this time facing more than 100 additional years behind bars. The 70-year-old has pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape and seven other sexual assault counts at a trial in Los Angeles. He's already serving 23 years in jail in New York after being convicted there of a series of sex crimes.
Here's what Australia has been searching for online
- Belarus. The country has announced another military link-up with Russia, with President Alexander Lukashenko saying that some of Belrus's 60,000-strong army will deploy alongside Russian troops in his country. The announcement from Mr Lukashenko, who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, came just hours after Russia launched its largest series of air strikes against Ukraine since the beginning of its invasion, killing at least 11 people and wounding dozens of others.
One more thing: Here are the Fat Bear Week finalists
After a voting scandal in its first semi-final, Fat Bear Week is about to reach its climax, with the crowning of its 2022 champion.
The publicly-voted competition, which tracks bears in an Alaskan national park as they fatten up for winter hibernation, is down to its two finalists: bear 747 and bear 901.
Here's how they size up:
- 747 is a large adult male who was crowned the champion in 2020. He is said to be one of the largest brown bears on Earth, weighing as much as 636 kg. Organisers say "few brown bears ever grow as large as the bear who shares an identification number with a jet airplane"
- 901 is a "medium-small yet quickly growing adult female", according to organisers. They say 901's recent efforts are a potential investment in more than her own individual survival, as there's a chance she could return with her first litter of cubs next year
The final two will go head to head today, US time, with the winner expected to be announced around 10am AEDT on Wednesday.
Stay tuned to find out which dangerous animal chubby cutie takes home the title.
You're up to date!
We'll be back tomorrow with the latest.
ABC/wires
