This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happened.
Key events
Live updates
That's all for The Loop this morning
By Tom Williams
Thanks for joining me today. If you're catching up, here's a bit of what was covered (click the link to jump straight to the post):
-
More deaths after another earthquake hits Türkiye and Syria
-
Alec Baldwin's Rust shooting charges have been downgraded
- Two bushwalkers found alive after going missing in NSW Blue Mountains
-
UN torture prevention body cancels planned trip to Australia
-
British police identify body as missing woman Nicola Bulley
-
Dozens killed, more missing after landslides and flooding in Brazil
You can keep up-to-date with other news on the ABC's website, by subscribing to our mobile alerts, and by watching News Channel or listening to local radio here.
Newly found NSW bushwalkers say they weren't actually lost at all
By Tom Williams
Two bushwalkers who were found early this morning after being reported missing in the New South Wales Blue Mountains over the weekend say they actually weren't lost at all.
Experienced hikers Alfred Zawadski (69) and Klaus Umland (81) say a combination of "very hot" weather and overgrown walking tracks delayed their return.
"We had a bit of a thunderstorm as well," Umland said. "Most of the time the phones don't work.
"See, in the middle of the day, we wouldn't walk because it was too hot. You need a lot of water to go up the hill."
The men said they had brought enough food for three days but had to spread it over six, as the condition of the terrain added time to the trip.
Australian police travel to India for Rajwinder Singh's extradition
By Tom Williams
Detectives from Queensland will travel to India today, for the extradition of a man accused of murdering a young woman on a beach in far north Queensland.
Rajwinder Singh is accused of killing Toyah Cordingley at Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, in 2018.
The ABC understands police are boarding a flight from Melbourne to New Dehli shortly.
Singh is expected back in Australia early next week to face a murder charge, after an Indian court ordered his extradition last month.
SA Liberals set to oppose a state Voice to Parliament
By Tom Williams
South Australia’s Liberal Opposition is set to oppose laws that would create a First Nations Voice to the state’s parliament.
The bill, which was introduced by the Labor Government to the Upper House earlier this month, will allow Indigenous people to vote for representatives, who can directly address parliament, cabinet and department chief executives.
It has won the support of the Greens, which means it should pass no matter which way Liberal MPs vote.
But Shadow Attorney-General Josh Teague says the party has resolved to oppose the Voice because the bill is “rushed” and “defective”.
“The State Government’s proposed legislation is rushed, impractical and in isolation will do nothing to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people,” he said.
Why are wombat poos cubed? Experts have used volcanic science to find the answer
By Tom Williams
First, they discovered that wombats created their famously square poos in the intestine and not at "point of exit".
Now, the same team of scientists has explained how wombats poo such "perfectly consistent" pellets.
As Zoe Kean from ABC Radio Hobart reports, the experts found a wombat's distinctive cubic poo is a result of the drying forces of its intestine being just right for the creation of poo that's about as long as it is high.
And the inspiration for the research stemmed from the cooling proces of lava beds.
You can read more of the smelly details here:
Ukraine's president says he sees 'resolve' from the US to end Russian aggression this year
By Tom Williams
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he sees "resolve" from US President Joe Biden and America to end Russian aggression in 2023.
In his nightly address, he says a world order based on rules and humanity depends on how events play out in Ukraine.
"It is right now and here in Ukraine that the future of a world order based on rules, humanity and predictability is being decided," he says.
"All it takes is resolve. Today, I saw such resolve from President Biden and the United States of America."
The comments comes after a surprise visit to Kyiv by the US president, and an announcement of further military aid.
This week also marks one year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began.
Energy Market Operator warns grid reliability in doubt without new investments
By Tom Williams
In a national electricity market update released today, the Australian Energy Market Operator warns the reliability of the electricity grid is in doubt over the next 10 years without new investments — including gas.
AEMO CEO Daniel Westerman says timely investment in the grid is needed as Australia ends its traditional dependency on coal-fired generation and faces delays on some major projects.
Mainland states in the national electricity market are forecast to breach the reliability standard from 2027 onwards, with at least five coal-fired power stations — totalling 13 per cent of the market's capacity — expected to retire.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the operator is not suggesting Australians should expect blackouts in future, but there is more work to be done to close gaps in the system.
"This task is very significant, of course it is, but the progress we've made so far I'm pleased with — (but) not yet satisfied with because we have a lot more to do," he tells ABC Radio National.
More than 30 countries back calls for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be banned from Olympics
By Tom Williams
More than 30 countries, including the United States, Britain and Japan, have pledged their support for banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in international sporting events.
Their statement follows recent proposals from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suggesting a pathway is being explored to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition, including the 2024 Olympic Games in France, but not under their national flags.
However, Ukraine and many of its Western allies have pushed for a ban, meeting on February 10 for a summit that led to the joint statement.
"There are serious concerns about how feasible it is for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete on a neutral basis, given they are directly funded and supported by their states," it reads.
You can keep reading this story here:
Follow all the developments from the latest earthquake in Türkiye and Syria
By Tom Williams
As you might have read earlier, there have been further deaths and injuries following a magnitude-6.4 earthquake in Türkiye and Syria overnight.
Middle East Correspondent Allyson Horn is on the ground, and my colleague Shiloh Payne is live-blogging the latest developments.
You can follow all of the latest details at the link below.
UN torture prevention body cancels planned trip to Australia
By Tom Williams
The United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) has cancelled its planned visit to Australia, citing unresolved issues with local authorities.
The SPT first suspended its trip in October, due to what the UN said were "obstacles in carrying out its mandate" when it was blocked from accessing prisons in Queensland and New South Wales.
SPT chairperson Suzanne Jabbour says the UN will keep communicating with the Australian government, despite the issues:
"Despite the good cooperation the Subcommittee has with the Australian Federal Authorities following our initial mission, there is no alternative but to terminate the visit as the issue of unrestricted access to all places of deprivation of liberty in two states has not yet been resolved," she says.
"Nevertheless, a report based on what the SPT observed during its October visit before the suspension will be shared with the State party as soon as possible. It will enable ongoing communication with the Australian Government."
Joe Biden arrives in Poland, after meeting Ukraine's president in Kyiv
By Tom Williams
US President Joe Biden has arrived in Poland for security talks with NATO leaders.
He is expected to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda, and with Eastern European members of the NATO military alliance.
Earlier, Biden walked around Ukrainian capital Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on an unannounced visit, where he promised to stand with Ukraine "for as long as it takes".
Alec Baldwin's Rust shooting charges have been downgraded
By Tom Williams
Prosecutors in the United States have downgraded involuntary manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin, over the fatal shooting on the set of the film Rust.
It reduces the possible prison time Baldwin may face from five years to a maximum of 18 months.
Baldwin and the movie's set armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
New Mexico first judicial district attorney, Mary Carmack-Altwies, filed altered charges for Mr Baldwin and Ms Gutierrez-Reed on Friday, removing firearm enhancement from the charges.
Baldwin has denied responsibility for the shooting.
More deaths after another earthquake hits Türkiye and Syria
By Tom Williams
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake has struck southern Türkiye near the Syrian border, setting off panic and further damaging buildings two weeks after the country's worst earthquake in modern history left tens of thousands dead.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu says three people have been killed and 213 injured in the latest quake.
The mayor of Türkiye's Hatay province says they have received reports of people being stuck under the rubble after the latest quake.
Middle East Correspondent Allyson Horn is in Türkiye, and says the quake was "40 seconds of sheer terror".
"The best way I can describe it was absolute terror. I was in my hotel room here in Adana, which is about 200 kilometres away from where this new quake has struck," she says.
"I felt it quite strongly. The room was shaking violently, I could feel the building swaying. I dove under the desk in the room as per the safety instructions when you're in earthquake zones.
"I could hear outside that people were running down the hallways trying to get down the stair wells to get out of the building. They were yelling and crying.
"And then the power went out. And all I could hear was people outside the building screaming and crying as well. And then the earthquake stopped.
"It was 40 seconds of sheer terror which felt a hell of a lot longer than 40 seconds."
Two bushwalkers found alive after going missing in NSW Blue Mountains
By Tom Williams
Police have found two bushwalkers safe and well in the New South Wales Blue Mountains after they were reported missing on the weekend.
Alfred Zawadski (69) and Klaus Umland (81) set off on a bushwalk in the Megalong Valley area on Wednesday, telling a friend they planned to be back on Friday.
When they didn't return they were reported missing on Sunday, sparking a rescue operation.
Police say the men rang a relative last last night to say they were well but deep in bushland.
Police rescue officers and special ops paramedics found the pair in the Megalong Valley about 1am this morning.
Michael Marinello from Blue Mountains Police says the rescue was a timely reminder for bushwalkers to be prepared.
"It is also important to let someone know your intended route, what tracks you are taking and your estimated return time. If there is any change to the original plan, then tell someone," he says.
"Please ensure you register your trip with the appropriate agency, such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and think before you trek – know what the weather conditions will be like, know your physical abilities and make your bushwalk a safe one."
Dozens killed, more missing after landslides and flooding in Brazil
By Tom Williams
Rescuers are searching for survivors of landslides and flooding which have killed at least 36 people along the coast of Brazil's southern state of Sao Paulo, following a huge weekend downpour.
Worst hit is the city of Sao Sebastiao, where at least 35 were dead. In neighboring Ubatuba a seven-year-old girl was killed.
The disaster, in an area famous for beaches flanked by mountains, prompted cancellations in many cities of the Carnival festivities now in full swing elsewhere in the country.
State government officials say dozens of people are missing, and hundreds displaced or left homeless.
News Australia is searching for
By Tom Williams
Nicola Bulley.
British police say they have identified a body found in the River Wyre in northern England as Nicola Bulley, a mother of two who went missing last month sparking a large search.
Bulley, 45, was last seen walking her dog near the river in Lancashire on January 27. Her mobile phone, still connected to a work call, was found on a nearby bench.
Lancashire Police said an underwater search team and specialist officers had recovered a body from the water on Sunday.
While police had said throughout there was no evidence of anything untoward or any third party involvement, her case became widely reported in Britain and debated on social media as the general public discussed her possible whereabouts.
In a statement read by police, Bulley's familty said:
"We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments and that will never leave us. We will never forget Nikki. How could we? She was the centre of our world."
The family statement went on to heavily criticise media intrusion during the search.
One more thing: MasterChef India's cheesy controversy
By Tom Williams
The judges of MasterChef India are being criticised by some on social media for allowing a vegetarian contestant to use paneer cheese instead of fish for a cooking challenge.
As the BBC reports, contestant Aruna Vijay used paneer while four others cooked with salmon during an immunity challenge which would save them from being knocked out of the competition.
The judges didn't give a reason for their decision, and while the other contestants appeared to be fine with it, some viewers haven't been too pleased.
While some viewers have accused the judges of playing favourites, but other viewers have defended the show and praised Vijay for defending her religious beliefs.
