Good afternoon. Donald Trump has announced that he will nominate longtime loyalist Pam Bondi for US attorney general, hours after Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration after just eight days amid growing concern over a series of allegations including sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl, drug use and misappropriating campaign funds.
Should Bondi, the former Florida state attorney general, be confirmed by the Senate in the coming months, it would be a reward for years of loyalty to Trump which started during his 2016 campaign. She also helped with Trump’s legal defence during his first impeachment trial, parroted claims that the 2020 election was stolen, and continued working as a surrogate through the 2024 campaign when she attended Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
Meanwhile, as the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief writes, Gaetz’s downfall is further proof that there is one rule for Trump and another for everyone else.
Top news
Mining giant refutes News Corp quotation | Swiss-based Glencore has told the Guardian it explicitly had “NOT” called on the Albanese government to slow down the shift from coal to renewables, contradicting a front-page story and editorial in the Australian claiming it had.
Company review clears WiseTech founder | A company-ordered review into Richard White, the embattled billionaire founder of the Australian software giant, uncovered “no impropriety” by the former CEO who stood down amid allegations including bullying, intimidation and misusing company funds.
Truth-telling inquiry to continue work despite likely abolition | Queensland’s Indigenous truth-telling and healing commission has reversed a decision to pause the inquiry, after it said it had received no contact from the state government about when or if the legislation would be repealed.
BoM warns of extended heatwave | Residents from across south-eastern Australia are being warned to remain indoors and stay hydrated as a heatwave sweeps across the region, with temperatures near the Victoria-South Australia border reaching 38C, over 10C above average for November.
Townsville mayor suspended for 12 months | Troy Thompson has been suspended from all council duties for a year on full pay, but has vowed to return to the job after clearing his name against allegations he exaggerated his military history.
Australia v India cricket | Australia has gained the upper hand in the first innings of the Perth Test, taking six wickets in the first 32 overs after India won the toss and elected to bat. Follow all the action in our live blog.
Jair Bolsonaro charged with plotting coup d’état | The former Brazilian president and some of his closest allies are among dozens of people formally accused by federal police of being part of a criminal conspiracy designed to “violently dismantle the constitutional state”.
Ukraine parliament postponed after missile strike | Members were ordered to keep their families out of Kyiv’s government district amid security concerns, after Vladimir Putin announced the strike on the city of Dnipro on Thursday was from an experimental ballistic missile known as “Oreshnik”.
Kayaker who faked his own death tells police he’s ‘safe’ | Ryan Borgwardt, who faked his own drowning so he could leave his wife and three children, is living in eastern Europe and has been communicating with authorities, a sheriff in his home state of Wisconsin has revealed.
In pictures
Rising Tide climate ‘protestival’ takes to the Port of Newcastle
Rising Tide activists are continuing their protest in the Port of Newcastle for a second day, in what is expected to be one of the largest climate protests in Australia’s history. Despite the NSW supreme court ruling invalid a Minns government decision to cut off access to Newcastle harbour to try to prevent the blockade, police have set up a perimeter to keep protesters confined to an area so that coal ships can still pass through.
What they said …
***
“Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians” – Elon Musk
The X owner, who has been a constant presence at Donald Trump’s side since the election, has taken a shot at Australia’s plan to ban under-16s from social media, using his platform – one of the big tech companies to be included in the new restrictions – to claim the Labor government was trying to “control access to the internet”. The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, rejected Musk’s criticism, saying it was “not an especially big surprise” to the government, “nor does that trouble us greatly”.
In numbers
… which equates to about A$139m. It’s according to official figures released showing the cost of King Charles III’s coronation ceremony in May 2023, with the cost of policing the ceremony an eye-watering £21.7m (A$42m). Anti-monarchy group Republic has called the price tag “obscene” and says the real cost is likely much higher.
Before bed read
How do I stay healthy in my 50s?
Ageing isn’t something that simply starts after you’ve reached a certain year. It’s a lifelong process, and in midlife your health needs can change. We talked to experts about how to take care of your health in your 50s.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: CIRC. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know with our Morning Mail newsletter.
