This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happens.
Key events
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By Peta Fuller
That's all for The Loop this morning
You can keep up-to-date on the ABC's website, by watching News Channel or listening to local radio here, and by subscribing to our mobile alerts.
We'll be back tomorrow morning to cover the latest updates.
By Peta Fuller
What else have we heard about Pelosi's trip?
It's early in Taipei (just gone 8am) and we know the US House Speaker is supposed to be heading to parliament today at some point.
But what else is on her agenda?
We're expecting a meeting with the President and a visit to a memorial park before she leaves the country at the end of the day.
And outlets including the Washington Post have reported Ms Pelosi will meet with Mark Liu, chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co — they'll discuss the recently passed Chips and Science Act, which provides $52 billion of US federal subsidies for domestic chip factories
For more live coverage of her visit, we're blogging it here.
By Kate Ainsworth
BP records highest profits in 14 years
British oil and gas company BP has reported massive profits for the three months to June, making more than $11 billion.
That's the company's highest profit figure in 14 years, and comes as oil and gas prices soar.
It's more than triple the amount BP made at the same time last year.
The company has confirmed that it will boost shareholder payouts by 10 per cent as a result of its higher earnings.
Last week, rivals Shell and Centrica also announced record profits.
By Peta Fuller
Perrottet: Report's draft findings 'raised a concern'
A bit more on that breaking story from earlier, when NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announced NSW minister Stuart Ayres would step down from key roles.
It comes after an inquiry looking into the appointment of ex-deputy premier John Barilaro to a lucrative New York trade job.
The Premier said Mr Ayres denies any wrongdoing, but there was "no doubt" the findings in a draft report raised questions "in relation to whether or not there has been a breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct".
"Late last night Minister Stuart Ayres informed me he would resign from his ministerial positions and as deputy leader of the NSW parliamentary Liberal Party," Mr Perrottet said.
"His intention to resign follows a briefing I received from the Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter on a section of the draft Graham Head report relevant to Mr Ayres.
"I subsequently discussed the issues raised in that briefing with Mr Ayres.
"Mr Head's draft findings raised a concern about whether Mr Ayres had complied with the Ministerial Code of Conduct."
Mr Ayres is expected to remain in parliament.
By Kate Ainsworth
California wildfire death toll rises to four
Teams searching the Klamath National Forest in northern California have found two more bodies in the area scorched by fire since Friday.
Officials say the latest two victims were found in separate homes along a highway that runs through the fire zone in the forest, about 483km north of San Francisco.
The sheriff's office said two other bodies were discovered on Sunday inside a burned-out car that had been trying to escape the fire at the last minute.
Authorities say they won't release further information until the victims are identified and the next of kin are notified.
As of Tuesday (local time) the so-called McKinney fire has burned through more than 56,000 acres of drought-stressed timber, tall grass and brush.
Around 2,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes since Friday, but authorities haven't confirmed how many homes have been destroyed in the fire, which began amid record-breaking heat in the region.
By Peta Fuller
BREAKING: NSW minister Stuart Ayres resigns
The NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has revealed Stuart Ayres has resigned as a Minister.
It comes after a review into Mr Ayres's involvement in the recruitment of former deputy premier John Barilaro to a key New York trade role.
By Kate Ainsworth
Frontrunner to replace Boris Johnson backtracks on key policy
British foreign minister Liz Truss, who is likely to replace Boris Johnson as UK Prime Minister, has been forced to backtrack on one of her major policies a day after announcing it.
Ms Truss detailed plans to save billions of pounds a year in government spending, which opponents said would require slashing the pay of public sector workers, including nurses and teachers outside of England's wealthy south-east.
Late on Monday Ms Truss said she would introduce regional pay boards rather than having a national pay agreement, tailoring pay to the local cost of living.
But after criticism from opposition parties and her fellow Conservatives, Ms Truss has confirmed the policy won't be going ahead.
"I never had any intention of changing the terms and conditions of teachers and nurses. But what I want to be clear about is I will not be going ahead with the regional pay boards," she said.
By Peta Fuller
Penny Wong says 'peace and stability' needed in Taiwan-China relations
Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong says she's encouraging peace and stability in the Taiwan region, after a visit from US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Ms Pelosi touched down in Taiwan overnight, triggering an immediate response from Chinese officials, labelling the US as "a saboteur of peace".
Senator Wong will be travelling to Cambodia later today for a meeting of the ASEAN nations, and told the ABC'S AM program that she's advocating for de-escalation from all parties:
"We should continue to be asserting that all parties should de-escalate the tensions and we should continue with others in the region to urge the maintenance of peace and stability in the region and in particular across the Taiwan strait," she said.
By Peta Fuller
Foetus can be tax exemption in US state of Georgia
An anti-abortion law in the state will allow women to deduct their foetuses as dependents on their taxes.
A judge allowed the 2019 law to go into effect last month.
The state has now said any woman whose foetus has a detectable heartbeat as of July 20 (the date of the court ruling) can take a personal tax exemption of $3,000 for each foetus.
That bill, which also allows women to collect child support for a foetus, was one of a raft of abortion bans and restrictions that weren't allowed to go into effect for years — until Roe v Wade was overturned earlier this year.
By Peta Fuller
Truce in Yemen extended
The UN says Yemen’s warring parties agreed to renew an existing truce for two more months after concerted international efforts.
The four-month ceasefire has been the longest ease in the conflict there since the war began nearly eight years ago.
Around a third of Yemen’s 30 million population has been facing starvation due to the war and a lack of funding for humanitarian aid, according to the UN's food agency.
US President Joe Biden says it's an important step but "not enough in the long run".
By Peta Fuller
Wild weather hits southern states
Waking up in the south of the country?
A massive weather system has caused some damage (and it's not done yet).
The State Emergency Service says the weather system "could be the most significant cold front of the winter" and urged residents to prepare early and remain wary of the risk falling trees posed.
Winds have been whipping up gusts of up to 104km/hr on Victoria's Phillip Bay and 111km/hr on the Neptune Islands, off the coast of Adelaide.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Dean Narramore told ABC's News Breakfast there's more to come:
"Some of those winds are easing but still going to be a windy morning for many areas before the next bout of wind comes across WA today and then into SA and Victoria late tonight and into tomorrow."
It took out power to Perth airport overnight, causing widespread cancellations but it is back on this morning.
By Peta Fuller
Let's set you up for the day
From reaction in China and Taiwan to Nancy Pelosi's visit, to Princess Charlotte's comm games pictures, here's what you need to know today at 6:30am AEST.
By Peta Fuller
One thing to know: Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan's parliament
After days of speculation, the US House of Representatives Speaker has touched down in Taiwan — and she's expected to visit the parliament today.
The visit has triggered an angry response from China (she's the highest ranking US official to visit in 25 years).
And what exactly did China have to say about it?
Foreign Minister Wang Yi again issued this strong rebuke:
"Some American politicians are playing with fire on the issue of Taiwan," he said.
"This will definitely not have a good outcome, the exposure of America's bullying face again shows it as the world's biggest saboteur of peace."
China's Defence Ministry said the Chinese military is now on high alert and will launch "targeted military operations" in response:
But crowds turned out in Taipei, and flight tracking website Flight Radar said Ms Pelosi's flight was its most tracked of all time — clocking 708,000 people monitoring its landing.
By Peta Fuller
News while you snoozed
- A man has been charged under the treason act in the UK, after allegedly breaking into Windsor Castle's grounds armed with a crossbow in 2021. The Queen was there during the incident, celebrating Christmas with family.
- Australian F1 driver Oscar Piastri has taken to Twitter to say he *won't* be driving for Alpine's team next year (despite his team's press release just hours earlier):
- And there was another big medal haul at the Commonwealth Games — including a pole vault gold for Nina Kennedy (clearing 4.6 metres) and an all-Aussie podium in the 100m Women's freestyle final — Mollie O'Callaghan took gold ahead of Shayna Jack and Emma McKeon
- Australia's still at the top of the medal table, with 39 gold, 30 silver and 30 bronze (England is next on 29 gold)
By Peta Fuller
News Australia is searching for: Princess Charlotte to UN speech
- Princess Charlotte: That'll be *all* about these pictures, with the fourth in line to the throne taking in the Commonwealth Games (and letting her expressions do the talking):
- UN Nuclear Warfare: We're also still searching for this today, a speech from yesterday by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He warned humanity was "just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation"
By Peta Fuller
One more thing
Think what happens with weather in the West doesn't affect the eastern seaboard?
The Indian Ocean Dipole actually affects rainfall across Australia — and it has turned "negative" for the second year in a row.
What does that mean?
The risk of flooding remains higher than normal, and these areas are going to get more rain (especially in the south-east):
You can read more about that here, from the ABC's weather and climate reporter Tyne Logan.
And you've made it to the *end* of your first catch-up, but we'll be bringing you other breaking news through the morning, so scroll back up for updates.
