This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happens.
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By Tom Williams
Stay in The Loop
That's all for The Loop this morning — thanks for being with us!
We'll be back tomorrow, 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:
- Huge areas of Australia's eastern states are preparing for more flooding, with up to a month's worth of rain expected to fall in some areas over the next few days
- There have been tributes for country music icon Loretta Lynn, who has died aged 90
- A new court filing from Angelina Jolie has detailed allegations of physical abuse by her ex-husband Brad Pitt on a 2016 flight
- Lawyers for former US president Donald Trump have asked the US Supreme Court to step into the legal fight over classified documents the FBI seized from his estate
By Tom Williams
Just in: Harvey Norman is being sued by the corporate regulator
Just in from our business reporter David Chau — the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is suing retailer Harvery Norman in the Federal Court for misleading customers about its "no deposit" and "interest-free" payment methods in its advertising.
It is also suing Latitude Financial Australia.
Here's an extract from David's report on Harvey Norman:
According to court documents lodged by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the retailer failed to disclose that, in order to take advantage of the payment methods, they had to sign up for a Latitude GO Mastercard.
Latitude Financial Australia is also a defendant in the lawsuit filed by the corporate regulator.
ASIC also alleges that Harvey Norman and Latitude misled customers about the "true cost" of this payment arrangement.
You can keep reading the details here:
By Tom Williams
Finance minister says there's 'no change' to position on stage 3 tax cuts
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has told RN Breakfast that the government is "mindful" of "significant" global challenges, but its position on stage 3 tax cuts hasn't changed.
Labor is under pressure to repeal the former government's stage 3 income tax cuts, which will benefit people earning over $120,000 from 2024.
It's been widely reported that the government is discussing changes in light of increased economic pressures.
The cuts are also in the headlines just as the British government drops plans to cut income tax for top earners, following public outrage and market turmoil.
"We have not changed our position on stage three but we are finalising a budget, and I think the treasurer and I have been upfront about some of the challenges and changes we've been seeing in the economy that are front of mind for us, and we can't ignore those and we won't ignore them," Katy Gallagher said.
Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume said the tax cuts would be "good for the economy" and she didn't want to see the government walk away from an election promise.
By Tom Williams
UN says North Korea firing missile over Japan was 'a reckless act'
North Korea's launch of a missile which travelled over Japan yesterday has been described as "a reckless act and a violation of Security Council resolutions" by UN secretary-general António Guterres.
A spokesperson for Mr Guterres said: "It is also of serious concern that the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] has again disregarded any consideration for international flight or maritime safety."
Here's what a spokesperson for EU foreign affairs and security said:
"The DPRK must cease missile launches, refrain from a nuclear test and engage in meaningful dialogue with the United States, the Republic of Korea and other members of the international community."
The EU statement also called for the UN Security Council to respond to the "growing threat to international and regional peace and security" posed by such actions.
By Tom Williams
Angelina Jolie details Brad Pitt abuse allegations in court filing
Warning: This post contains details of alleged physical abuse.
A court filing from Angelina Jolie has alleged that on a 2016 flight, her then-husband Brad Pitt grabbed her by the head and shook her, then choked one of their children and struck another when they tried to defend her.
The descriptions of alleged abuse on the private flight came in a cross-complaint Jolie filed in the former couple's dispute over a French home and winery they co-owned.
A representative for Pitt has strongly denied Jolie's allegations to the Associated Press, and called them "another rehash that only harms the family".
The allegations of abuse on the plane first became public shortly after the flight, but reports were initially vague and details were kept sealed in divorce documents and investigations.
The FBI and Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services both found that no action was needed against Pitt.
Family and domestic violence support services:
- If you need help immediately call emergency services on 000
- 1800 Respect National Helpline: 1800 737 732
- Women's Crisis Line: 1800 811 811
- Men's Referral Service: 1300 766 491
- Mensline: 1300 789 978
- Lifeline: 131 114
By Jessica Riga
Vardy must pay up to $2.6 million after losing UK 'WAGatha Christie' libel case
There's been another update in the 'WAGatha Christie' saga.
Rebekah Vardy, the wife of English soccer player Jamie Vardy, has to pay about 1.5 million pounds ($2.6 million) in legal costs to fellow soccer spouse Coleen Rooney after losing the high-profile libel lawsuit she brought against Rooney.
Vardy lost her libel claim against Rooney in July when a judge ruled that this widely circulated social media post Rooney wrote accusing Vardy of leaking her private information to the tabloid press was "substantially true."
In an order made public overnight, a judge ruled that Vardy should pay 90 per cent of Rooney's legal costs.
The case, which mixed social media, an acrimonious celebrity feud and amateur sleuthing, was a British media sensation and made headlines for days.
The two women are both married to famous footballers: Vardy to Leicester City and England striker Jamie Vardy, Rooney to former Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney.
By Tom Williams
An update on the flooding in Australia's eastern states
Huge areas of the eastern states are preparing for more flooding, with up to a month's worth of rain expected to fall in some areas over the next few days.
Severe weather warnings are in place for north-western Victoria, across the western half of New South Wales, Tasmania's north-west corner, and into southern Queensland.
Farmers are preparing for the deluge, but with many river systems already in flood, locals are wondering when it will end.
The severe weather system has already passed through South Australia, bringing wild storms.
Authorities are also worried about the safety of racegoers ahead of this weekend's Bathurst 1000 event, which you can read about at the link below.
By Jessica Riga
Prince William pays tribute to 'much-missed' Queen in wildlife speech
Prince William has made his first speech as Prince of Wales, where he's remarked on his "much-missed grandmother's" concern over the illegal wildlife trade.
The heir to the British throne has observed a drawn-out mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II, which lasted almost a month.
Speaking at a global wildlife summit in London, Prince William reflected on his family's shared concern for the natural environment.
"Our natural world is one of our greatest assets. It is a lesson I learnt from a young age, from my father and grandfather, both committed naturalists in their own right, and also from my much-missed grandmother, who cared so much for the natural world," he said.
You can watch the speech below.
By Tom Williams
BREAKING: Trump asks Supreme Court to intervene in Mar-a-Lago documents dispute
Lawyers for former US president Donald Trump have asked the US Supreme Court to step into the legal fight over the classified documents seized during an FBI search of his Florida estate.
The Trump team asked the court to overturn a lower court ruling and permit an independent arbiter, or special master, to review the roughly 100 documents with classified markings that were taken in the August 8 search.
A three-judge panel last month limited the special master's review to the much larger tranche of non-classified documents.
By Tom Williams
One thing from overnight: Country star Loretta Lynn has died, aged 90
In a statement, the singer's family says she died at her home in Tennessee.
Known throughout the music world as 'the coal miner's daughter' (which is also the name of one of her songs, an album and a biographical film), Lynn was named by The Academy of Country Music as the artist of the decade for the 1970s, and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988.
She gained popularity for her honest songs about sex and love, cheating husbands, divorce and birth control, which occasionally landed her in trouble with radio programmers.
Here are some of the tributes we've seen this morning:
By Tom Williams
News while you snoozed
- A new report has found China engaged in spreading "false narratives" to damage Australia's relationship with Solomon Islands. The report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute found the Chinese government had been running a coordinated disinformation campaign suggesting that Australia, the United States and Taiwan fomented the riots that rocked Solomon Islands' capital Honiara last year
- Three scientists have jointly won this year's Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on quantum information science, which has significant applications. Alain Aspect, John F Clauser and Anton Zeilinger were awarded for "experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science"
By Tom Williams
Here's what Australia is searching for online
- Elon Musk. After trying to back out of his deal to buy Twitter and take the social media company private, the billionaire now appears to be ending his legal battle by offering to go through with his original $US44 billion ($68 billion) bid. The Tesla CEO made the offer in a letter to Twitter which he disclosed in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission
- Bayern Munich vs Viktoria Plzeň. Bayern Munich struck three times in the opening 21 minutes before securing a 5-0 demolition of Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League to stay top of Group C and set a record for the longest unbeaten run in group matches. The Germans have now gone 31 group matches in the competition without defeat, passing the mark set by Real Madrid
By Tom Williams
One more thing: Remember that asteroid moonlet which got whacked by NASA?
Well, we've got an update on the moonlet, which NASA whacked with a spacecraft (on purpose) last month.
The mission known as DART — Double Asteroid Redirection Test — aimed to knock the moonlet off its course, in order to trial technology for protecting Earth from potential asteroid collisions.
Astronomers have now captured an image which shows an expanding, comet-like tail more than 10,000 kilometres long, consisting of dust and other material spewed from the impact crater.
Here it is:
Astronomers captured the scene millions of kilometres away with a telescope in Chile, and are still monitoring the moonlet to see how much it diverts from its course.
It never posed a threat to Earth though, so don't worry.
Scientists expect the tail to get even longer and disperse even more, becoming so tenuous at one point that it's undetectable.
By Tom Williams
Let's set you up for the day
Howdy, I'm Tom Williams and welcome to The Loop live.
From the death of country singer Loretta Lynn to Elon Musk offering to buy Twitter (again) and an update on that asteroid moonlet which got whacked by NASA, here's what you need to know this Wednesday morning.
