This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happened.
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By Bridget Judd
That's all for The Loop this morning — thanks for following along!
We'll be back on Monday, but in the meantime, you can stay up to date on the ABC News website and by subscribing to our mobile alerts.
If you're just joining us, here's what you need to know:
- The nation's leaders will meet virtually today, as the federal government looks to lock in a plan to put downward pressure on power prices by Christmas.
- Russia has freed WNBA star Brittney Griner in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the US releasing Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Before we go, just a reminder that the year almost over — meaning there are only a few more weeks to beat your news quiz high score for 2022.
Give it a go and let us know how you scored!
Peru's impeached former president fronts court
By Bridget Judd
Peru's former president Pedro Castillo has appeared in court following a failed attempt to shut down a hostile congress which voted to impeach him.
His successor Dina Boluarte is now looking for ways to unite the country behind institutions gutted by endemic corruption and mistrust.
At his initial court appearance, Mr Castillo looked downcast as he gave simple yes or no answers.
His attorney is arguing that he was arbitrarily ousted from Peru's presidency on trumped-up charges of rebellion.
Queensland nurses to receive pay rise in time for Christmas
By Felicity Ripper
A new enterprise bargaining agreement reached with the Queensland Government will see health nurses and midwives in the state become some of the highest paid in the country.
“The pay increase of 4 per cent will be backdated to 1 April 2022 and paid in a lump sum to nurses and midwives just in time for Christmas," Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said in a statement on Friday.
The agreement includes a wage increase of 4 per cent, 4 per cent and 3 per cent over three years and a cost-of-living adjustment payment each year of the agreement (capped at 3 per cent) if CPI in the relevant year is higher than the base wage increase.
Of the nurses and midwives’ who voted in the ballot, 92 per cent voted in favour of the enterprise bargaining agreement.
Men charged over international cyber investment scam
By Bridget Judd
Police have charged four Chinese nationals living in Sydney over an international cyber investment scam.
The US-based scam is believed to have seen victims lose more than $100 million.
It's alleged to involve the manipulation of electronic trading platforms, licensed to foreign exchange brokers.
AFP say they were notified by US authorities in August, with local investigations seeing more than $22.5 million frozen in 24 bank accounts linked to a criminal syndicate.
The four men were arrested yesterday and will face court next month on charges of dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Prince Harry and Meghan's Markle's Netflix documentary triggers war of words
By Bridget Judd
If you missed it overnight, the first three episodes of the six-part series were released around the world, with the opening credits of the first episode declaring the royal family declined to comment or take part in the series.
After the release, royal sources briefed several journalists and news organisations that Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace were not approached for comment.
But several hours later, those sources appeared to backtrack on who had or had not been contacted for comment.
A source said Kensington Palace — which handles media affairs for Prince William and Catherine, the Princess of Wales – did, in fact, receive a request for comment, but it was from a production company it did not recognise.
The source said Kensington Palace contacted Netflix and Archewell Productions – the production company belonging to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – but received no response.
The Australian suburbs where house and unit values have risen the most since COVID-19 hit
By Bridget Judd
Property values have more recently been easing across most parts of the country, but still remain elevated after earlier, large increases attributed to the "COVID housing boom".
One capital city led the charge with eye-watering gains and some of its suburbs posting nearly as much as 80 per cent capital growth since March 2020.
While the impact of eight consecutive rate rises will continue to reverberate well into next year, here are the Australian suburbs that have recorded the largest growth for house and unit values since the pandemic hit our shores.
'Who started it?': Putin vows more strikes on Ukraine energy infrastructure
By Felicity Ripper
As we heard earlier, Russian forces have reportedly installed multiple rocket launchers at Ukraine’s shut-down Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
The weapons were fitted as President Vladimir Putin vowed to keep battering Ukraine's energy grid despite an outcry against the attacks that have plunged millions into the cold and dark.
He blamed Ukraine for initiating a trend of attacking civilian infrastructure, pointing to a blast on a key bridge between Russia and the Crimean peninsula.
With a drink in his hand at a military awards ceremony on Thursday, Moscow time, he said there was a lot of noise about Russia's strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
"Yes we are doing it, but who started it?" he said.
Skyrocketing power prices will be top of the agenda at today's national cabinet
By Bridget Judd
But a prominent think tank is urging the federal government to reject calls from some states for compensation.
The PM is expected to put a proposal for a price cap to state and territory leaders, with NSW and Queensland pushing for the Commonwealth to cover any shortfall.
The Grattan Institute's Tony Wood argues energy companies shouldn't be asking for governments to cover costs incurred by outside influences.
"It's the wholesale price that's been responsible for huge power bill increases driven by the war in Ukraine. The issue of anyone being compensated for losses of profit they would have made because of the war in Ukraine seems like an extraordinary thing."
Bill protecting same-sex, interracial unions clears Congress
By Bridget Judd
US Congress has given final approval to legislation protecting same-sex marriages, a monumental step in a decades-long battle for nationwide recognition.
President Joe Biden has said he will promptly sign the measure, which requires all states to recognise same-sex marriages.
In a statement after the vote, Mr Biden called the legislation a “critical step to ensure that Americans have the right to marry the person they love.”
He said the legislation provides “hope and dignity to millions of young people across this country who can grow up knowing that their government will recognize and respect the families they build.”
The bipartisan legislation, which passed 258-169, would also protect interracial unions by requiring states to recognise legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin".
Ukraine claims Russia put rocket launchers at nuclear power plant
By Bridget Judd
Russian forces have installed multiple rocket launchers at Ukraine’s shut-down Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Ukrainian officials claim.
Ukraine’s nuclear company Energoatom said in a statement that Russian forces occupying the plant had placed several Grad multiple rocket launchers near one of its six nuclear reactors.
It said the offensive systems are located at new “protective structures” the Russians secretly built, “violating all conditions for nuclear and radiation safety.”
The claim could not be independently verified.
Iran executes protester convicted of injuring security guard with knife
By Felicity Ripper
Iran has executed a protester convicted of injuring a security guard with a knife and closing off a street in Tehran, as part of a crackdown on ongoing protests.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency identified the person who was executed as Mohsen Shekari.
Authorities have been cracking down on demonstrations that erupted after the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini on September 16.
Amnesty International has said the Iranian authorities are seeking the death penalty for at least 21 people in what it called "sham trials designed to intimidate those participating in the popular uprising that has rocked Iran".
NSW government to unveil 'purple flag' system for night time destinations
By Bridget Judd
The purple flags are designed to signify venues that are safe and enjoyable to visit after dark.
The four areas piloting the system include:
- The York, Clarence and Kent street precinct in the city
- Church Street in Parramatta
- Marrickville and Illawarra roads in Marrickville
- Lakemba's Haldon Street
The government says the four areas will be assessed before a wider rollout next year.
The system is already being run London, Stockholm and Auckland.
'One or none': Detained American Whelan says he's disappointed more not done to free him
By Felicity Ripper
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says it was a case of 'one or none' in bringing home basketball star Brittney Griner as ex-US Marine Paul Whelan pleas for help.
Mr Whelan expressed dismay on Thursday that more had not been done to secure his release and urged President Joe Biden to act fast following a prisoner swap that freed Griner.
Griner was released in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout, a transaction that may leave the United States with little leverage to negotiate for Whelan, who is serving 16 years on espionage charges which he denies.
He is approaching the four-year anniversary of his arrest.
Mr Biden said the US would never give up on seeking Mr Whelan's freedom, but Russia was treating his case differently than Griner's.
Mr Blinken told a news conference that they didn't have a choice in which American to bring home.
"The choice was one or none," he said.
It's that time of the week...
By Bridget Judd
The year is almost over, so there are only a few more weeks to beat your news quiz high score for 2022.
Well, unless you've already scored a perfect 10...
Give it a crack and let me know how you went!
China begins to relax COVID measures, including loosening of lockdowns
By Bridget Judd
China has started to implement a more relaxed version of its strict “zero COVID” policy.
The National Health Commission has loosened lockdowns and axed a requirement to produce a recent negative COVID-19 test in order to enter most public places.
The commission said it was due to “positive results” in fighting the virus and because of a recognition that the current omicron variant is less dangerous than earlier versions of the virus — a fact long embraced by other countries that have reopened their societies.
“Our country’s epidemic prevention and control work is facing new situations and new tasks,” commission spokesperson Mi Feng said.
Women sue Elon Musk’s Twitter alleging discriminatory layoffs
By Bridget Judd
Two women who lost their jobs at Twitter when billionaire Elon Musk took over are suing the company in federal court, claiming that last month’s abrupt mass layoffs disproportionately affected female employees.
The discrimination lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal challenges over Musk’s decimation of Twitter’s workforce through mass layoffs and firings.
The lawsuit filed in a San Francisco federal court this week alleges that 57 per cent of female employees were laid off, compared to fewer than half of men, despite Twitter employing more men overall before the layoffs.
Google must delete inaccurate search info if asked, court rules
By Bridget Judd
Google has to delete search results about people in Europe if they can prove that the information is clearly wrong, the European Union’s top court says.
The European Court of Justice ruled that search engines must “dereference information” if the person making the request can demonstrate that the material is “manifestly inaccurate.”
People in Europe have the right to ask Google and other search engines to delete links to outdated or embarrassing information about themselves, even if it is true, under a principle known as “right to be forgotten.”
Google said it welcomed the decision.
“Since 2014, we’ve worked hard to implement the right to be forgotten in Europe, and to strike a sensible balance between people’s rights of access to information and privacy,” the company said in a statement.
One thing to know: National cabinet is meeting later today
By Tom Williams
Originally slated for Wednesday but postponed after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese contracted COVID-19, national cabinet is now set to meet virtually at 2pm AEDT today.
The focus of the meeting is expected to be Australia's ongoing energy price crisis.
A potential price cap on coal and gas is expected to be discussed, but New South Wales and Queensland have already floated that they might want compensation for any lost royalties.
Federal and state energy ministers met earlier this week and endorsed a scheme to pay renewable energy providers for reliable electricity supply.
You can catch up on those developments here:
One thing from overnight: Prince Harry and Meghan's Markle's Netflix doco
By Felicity Ripper
The first volume of the Sussexes’ Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan dropped on Thursday night in Australia.
Through the lens of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, the six-episode series is what the streaming giant calls "a vulnerable look" into their time in British royalty.
Buckingham Palace has remained silent amid claims and counterclaims that no members of the royal family or royal household were approached for comment by the producers.
Here's the news Australia is searching for online
By Bridget Judd
Sandy Hook: US President Joe Biden has renewed vows to secure a new ban on assault weapons, at a two-hour candlelight vigil marking the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting.
Brittney Griner: Russia has freed WNBA star Brittney Griner in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the US releasing Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
