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!
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By Tom Williams
PM says critics of his meeting with Shaquille O'Neal need to 'chill out'
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says critics need to "chill out" about his meeting with basketballer Shaquille O'Neal over the weekend.
The former NBA star approached Mr Albanese to discuss the push for a First Nations voice to Parliament, and briefly appeared at a press conference on Saturday.
The government has faced some criticism from the Greens and the Liberals, with some describing it as a "bizarre stunt".
The Prime Minister told 2SM that his meeting with O'Neal has helped more people find out about the issue.
"He approached me and I think people should chill out a bit basically," he said.
"Shaq appeals to a whole bunch of people many of whom would've been hearing about the Voice to Parliament for the very first time, and that's a good thing."
Here's O'Neal's brief appearance at Saturday's press conference:
By Bridget Judd
Eighteen die as Madagascar police shoot at protesters, chief physician says
Eighteen people have died after police in Madagascar opened fire on what they called a lynch mob angered at the kidnapping of an albino child, a senior doctor has told AFP.
The kidnapping took place last week, according to Jean-Brunelle Razafintsiandraofa, a member of parliament for Ikongo district.
"At the moment, 18 people have died in all, nine on the spot and nine in hospital," said doctor Tango Oscar Toky, chief physician at a hospital in southeastern Madagascar.
"Of the 34 injured, nine are between life and death. We are waiting for a government helicopter to evacuate them to the capital".
Around 500 protesters armed with blades and machetes "tried to force their way" into the station, a police officer involved in the shooting said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The national police in the capital confirmed the "very sad event", but only gave a toll of 11, with 18 injured.
Andry Rakotondrazaka, the national police chief, told a news conference that what happened "could have been avoided but it happened".
AFP
By Tom Williams
Social Services Minister says October budget won't include an increase to Jobseeker
Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth, has told RN Breakfast that the government won't be increasing the Jobseeker unemployment benefit in October's federal budget.
"We've been really clear that in the October budget this is not something we are going to proceed with," she told host Patricia Karvelas.
Labor had already dumped a plan to review the Jobseeker rate, which was increased by $50 a fortnight last year — the first permanent increase in decades — and with indexation is now worth $642.70 per fortnight, or about $46 a day.
By Bridget Judd
Russian officials to probe shooting death of top official
Russian officials say they'll probe the shooting of a top agriculture official in southern Ukraine, the latest in a series of apparent assassinations of Russian-backed officials in occupied areas.
Oleksiy Kovalyov, deputy chairman for agriculture in the military-civil administration of the Kherson region, died of a gunshot wound at his residence on Sunday.
"A girl who lived with the deceased also fell victim to the attackers," the investigative committee of the Russian Federation said on Telegram.
The committee said it would investigate the case as a crime and identify the attackers.
By Tom Williams
Alex de Minaur through to second round at US Open
Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur is through to the second round of the US Open in New York.
He won his opening match against Serbia's Filip Krajinović in straight sets: 7-5, 6-2, 6-3.
Earlier, fellow Australian John Millman lost in five sets to American Emilio Nava.
In the women's draw, seventh seed Simona Halep has suffered a shock three-set loss to Ukraine's Daria Snigur, while 18-year-old American Coco Gauff has advanced with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Frenchwoman Leolia Jeanjean.
By Tom Williams
Sydney rail commuters facing more delays this morning
Rail commuters in Sydney are facing more delays today as industrial action continues.
Dozens of trains have been cancelled so far this morning.
Commuters on the T2 Inner West & Leppington, T3 Bankstown and T8 Airport & South Lines are experiencing the worst impact with large service gaps of more than 30 minutes in some areas.
The rail union is set to provide an update on the progress of its negotiations with the New South Wales Government later this morning.
A 24-hour strike on Wednesday is expected to sideline about 70 per cent of the state's train fleet.
By Bridget Judd
‘Zombie ice’ from Greenland will raise sea level 25 centimetres
Zombie ice from the massive Greenland ice sheet will eventually raise global sea level by at least 25 centimetres on its own, according to a new study.
Zombie or doomed ice is ice that is still attached to thicker areas of ice, but is no longer getting fed by those larger glaciers.
“It’s dead ice. It’s just going to melt and disappear from the ice sheet,” said study co-author William Colgan, a glaciologist at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland.
“This ice has been consigned to the ocean, regardless of what climate (emissions) scenario we take now.”
Study lead author Jason Box, a glaciologist at the Greenland survey, said it is “more like one foot in the grave".
By Bridget Judd
Ukrainian troops break through Russian defences in Kherson, spokesperson says
Ukrainian troops mounting a counter-offensive have broken through Russian defences in several sectors of the frontline near the southern city of Kherson, a senior advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.
In an interview on YouTube, Oleksiy Arestovych also said Ukrainian forces were shelling the ferries that Moscow is using to supply a pocket of Russian-occupied territory on the west bank of the Dnipro river in the Kherson region.
By Tom Williams
Elon Musk has subpoenaed a Twitter whistleblower ahead of his acquisition trial
Billionaire Elon Musk's legal team is demanding to hear from Twitter's whistleblowing former security chief, who could help bolster Mr Musk's case for backing out of a $US44 billion ($63.7 billion) deal to buy the social media company.
Former Twitter executive Peiter Zatko received a subpoena from Mr Musk's team on the weekend, according to Mr Zatko's lawyer and court records.
Mr Musk has spent months alleging that the company he agreed to acquire undercounted its fake and spam accounts — and that he shouldn't have to go through with the deal as a result.
Mr Zatko's whistleblower complaint to US officials alleged Twitter misled regulators about its privacy and security protections, and its ability to detect and root out fake accounts.
It could all play into Mr Musk's hands in an upcoming trial against Twitter, scheduled to begin on October 17.
By Tom Williams
One thing to know: A verdict in the Chris Dawson murder trial is expected today
A Supreme Court judge is expected to deliver a verdict today in the murder trial of former teacher Chris Dawson.
Here's what you need to know:
- The court proceedings are expected to begin at 10am AEST in Sydney
- 74-year-old Dawson is accused of murdering his first wife Lynette, who he reported missing in 1982
- He pleaded not guilty to murder, and his lawyers suggested Ms Dawson may have walked out on the family when she vanished
- The Crown alleged Mr Dawson killed his wife so he could have an "unfettered relationship" with their teenage babysitter
- Ms Dawson's body has never been found
ABC News will bring you the latest on today's proceedings with a live blog and all the breaking news.
You can keep reading here to learn more about the case:
By Tom Williams
News while you snoozed
- In the US, NASA has postponed the uncrewed launch of its new moon rocket Artemis 1 — which was scheduled to lift off last night — after an engine issue was discovered. NASA described the issue as "an engine bleed" which meant the engine "didn't get the high accuracy temperature" engineers were looking for. They won't try to launch it again until September 2 at the earliest
- Activist Grace Tame has reported her childhood abuser to police for targeting her with 'open threats and harassment' on social media. In a Twitter thread, Ms Tame said she first went to police over the messages earlier this year, but added, "our reactive justice system is too slow and nothing's changed"
- Three people have died in a light plane crash in the Somerset region, west of Brisbane. The aircraft came down in dense bushland near Fernvale on Monday afternoon
By Tom Williams
Here's the news Australia is searching for
- Britney Spears. The singer-songwriter has reportedly shared —and then deleted — a 22-minute voice recording in which she outlined new allegations about the 13 years she spent under a conservatorship controlled by her father. In the tape she reportedly said her mother Lynne Spears helped make "it all happen". On social media, Lynne Spears has said that she tried to help her daughter
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US Open. Seven Australian tennis players will be in action on day one of the US Open at Flushing Meadows today, including Nick Kyrgios who will play his friend and doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis. Serena Williams will kick off what is likely to be the last event of her farewell tour, where she will headline opening night in a first-round clash with Montenegro's Danka Kovinić. You can keep across all the live scores right here:
By Tom Williams
One more thing: Conspiracy site Infowars is facing a second Sandy Hook defamation trial
The parent company of far-right conspiracy theory site Infowars has agreed to face a second defamation trial stemming from its false claims that America's deadly 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax.
The parent company, Free Speech Systems, told a judge in Houston that it would no longer oppose a trial in Connecticut next month, even though the company's bankruptcy would normally protect it from lawsuits.
The new trial will determine how much the company and its founder, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, should pay in a case brought by family members of children killed in the shooting.
Some Sandy Hook families have already won judgments finding Jones and his companies are liable for defamation in Texas and Connecticut.
Earlier this month a Texas jury decided Jones must pay the parents of a six-year-old boy killed in the massacre $US45.2 million ($65.4 million) in punitive damages — on top of $5.9 million in compensatory damages — for falsely claiming the shooting was a hoax.
