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National

The Loop: Donald Trump affidavit one step closer to release, UN Secretary-General visits Ukraine, and tourists fined for surfing Venice's Grand Canal — as it happened

This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happens.

Key events

Live updates

By Kate Ainsworth

That's all for The Loop this morning

You can keep up-to-date on the ABC's website, by watching the ABC News Channel or listening to local radio here, and by subscribing to our mobile alerts.

By Kate Ainsworth

Key Event

Alastair Clarkson to coach North Melbourne

 After weeks of speculation, the four-time premiership-winning coach has signed on with the Kangaroos from next year.

After leaving Hawthorn last year, Clarkson had been linked to Essendon and GWS.

It's also a homecoming for Clarkson — he played 93 games for the Kangaroos between 1987 and 1995.

You can follow all the reaction from this developing story below.

By Kate Ainsworth

Three men charged over prison death of James 'Whitey' Bulger

Three men are facing multiple charges over the death of James "Whitey" Bulger in a West Virginia prison in 2018.

Bulger was serving a life sentence after he was convicted in August 2013 for 11 murders and other offences, and was found dead in the high-security federal prison on October 30, 2018.

He was one of Boston's most notorious mobsters and acted as a secret FBI informant, before going on the run for 16 years.

Fotios "Freddy" Geas has been charged with murder, while Paul DeCologero and Sean McKinnon were charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

McKinnon also faces a separate charge of making false statements to a federal court.

By Kate Ainsworth

Key Event

Victorian hotel quarantine workers not fined for holding party during lockdown

The head of COVID Quarantine Victoria says police investigated reports that 13 people who worked as part of the state's hotel quarantine system held a party on June 4, while the state was in lockdown.

The staff involved with the event, held in a CBD office of CQV, were stood down and the manager who organised the event had their employment terminated.

CQV Commissioner Michelle Osborne said Victoria police decided not to issue any fines to those involved.

"CQV also investigated [and] found that most of those in attendance didn't stay long and were keen to leave as soon as possible," she said.

"All of them were counselled about their behaviour and about CQV's expectation of its staff to uphold the highest standards."

By Kate Ainsworth

African health officials welcome renaming of monkeypox variants

The head of Africa's public health agency is "really pleased" the World Health Organization has renamed two variants of monkeypox to remove references to African regions after concerns about stigma.

The variant known as Congo Basin is now Clade 1, and the West Africa variant is now Clade 2.

"We are really pleased with that change in naming, which will remove stigma from disease-causing variants," acting director of the Africa Centeres for Disease Control and Prevention, Ahmed Ogwell said.

The WHO is also planning to rename monkeypox, and will hold an open forum to come up with new names for the virus.

By Kate Ainsworth

Key Event

PM confirms Bali bomb-maker has sentence reduced

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the bomb-maker responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings has had his sentence reduced by five months.

Umar Patek was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison in 2012 for his role in the bombings that killed more than 200 people, including 88 Australians.

Mr Albanese said he learned of the decision to reduce Patek's sentence overnight.

"We have been advised that there has been a further reduction in the sentence for this person of some five months," he said.

"And that of course will add to the distress that Australians are feeling."

There are reports Patek could be released from prison in Indonesia within days.

The 20th anniversary of the bombings is on October 12.

By Kate Ainsworth

Key Event

Apple warns of security flaw for iPhones, iPads and Macs

If you're an Apple user and haven't updated your software for a while, your weekend plans might be sorted.

Apple says there are software flaws relating to security content, which could potentially allow trackers to take complete control of these devices.

The company says it's "aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited."

Security experts say users with the below devices should update their software ASAP:

  • iPhone6S and later
  • iPad Pro (all models)
  • iPad Air 2 and later
  • iPad 5th generation and later
  • iPad mini 4 and later
  • iPod touch (7th generation)
  • Mac computers with MacOS Monterey

By Kate Ainsworth

Zelenskyy corrects interpreter who failed to properly translate his comments

During a major news conference overnight, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took over as a translator after noticing his official interpreter wasn't translating his remarks properly.

Zelenskyy was speaking alongside Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Lviv, and had been speaking about why it was impossible for Ukraine to start peace talks with Russia.

But when the translator finished interpreting the comments to English, Zelenskyy noticed parts of his comments were missing — so completed them himself in English.

Turning towards the interpreter, Zelenskyy said pointedly:

"And I said about the window of possibilities. I said that it couldn't be solved because ... we see each day guns and firing from the Russian side."

Zelenskyy wasn't the only one to correct the Ukrainian translator either — the UN Secretary-General also felt the need to correct them after failing to pass on his gratitude to the Turkish and Ukrainian leaders.

By Kate Ainsworth

Finland's PM regrets partying videos becoming public

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin says she's upset that videos of her dancing and singing at private parties have been published online.

Videos posted on a private Instagram account show six people dancing and lip-synching to a song in front of a camera.

Ms Marin said she knew she was being filmed, she never thought the videos would be made public.

"These videos are private and filmed in a private space. I resent that these became known to the public," she said.

"I spent a night with my friends. We just partied, also in a boisterous way. I danced and sang,"

Ms Marin said the videos were filmed during the summer at a private home.

She publicly apologised last Decemebr after going out clubbing until 4am without her work phone, which led to her failing to be told she was a close contact of a COVID-19 case.

The 36-year-old became the world's youngest serving government leader in December 2019 — but has maintained she intends to be the same person as before she came to office.

By Kate Ainsworth

Key Event

One thing from overnight: We could see the evidence that led the FBI to raid Trump's home

A US judge says he's leaning towards releasing some of the evidence that was used by the Department of Justice in justifying its search of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last week.

Despite objections from the Justice Department, US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart says he believes "there are portions of the affidavit that could be unsealed".

He's ordered the Justice Department to file a redacted version of the evidence by next Thursday, but said prosecutors can appeal.

The Department of Justice opposes releasing the affidavit, even in redacted form, saying it could harm the ongoing probe which is in its early stages.

Mr Trump has also vocally called on the court to unseal the unredacted version, but his attorneys have not filed any such requests.

Judge Reinhart approved the search on August 5, which is part of a federal investigation into whether Mr Trump illegally took documents from the White House in January 2021 after losing the election to Joe Biden.

By Kate Ainsworth

Key Event

More news while you snoozed: UN chief worried by nuclear power plant shelling in Ukraine

The nuclear power zone of Zaporizhzhia has seen several incidents of shelling at the plant in recent days, which Ukraine and Russia blame each other for.

Russia captured the nuclear power plant early in its invasion of Ukraine, but is still operated by Ukrainian engineers.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting Lviv in Ukraine's west, says he's gravely concerned by the site being impacted by shelling.

Mr Guterres says military equipment and personnel at the plant should be withdrawn.

"The facility must not be used as part of any military operation, he said.

"Instead, agreement is urgently needed to re-establish Zaporizhzhia's purely civilian infrastructure and to ensure the safety of the area."

Meanwhile Russia has rejected calls for a demilitarised zone around the plant, saying it was "unacceptable".

By Kate Ainsworth

News Australia is searching for

  • Keith Pitt: The former resources minister told Q+A that former deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Michael McCormack knew that Scott Morrison had sworn himself into the portfolio at some point in 2021.
  • Panthers: Penrith toppled the Rabbitohs 26-22 after a late try from Liam Martin  in a rematch of last year's grand final to clinch the minor premiership. 
  • Salman Rushdie: A New York judge has refused to grant bail to the man accused of trying to kill the acclaimed author at a talk last week. The 24-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

By Kate Ainsworth

Key Event

One more thing: Venice fines tourists for surfing the Grand Canal

 It's a city that's famous for its canals, but two tourists angered Mayor Luigi Brugnaro after speeding down the Grand Canal on motorised surfboards earlier this week, with the footage going viral on social media.

Mr Brugnaro called the pair "imbeciles" and said anyone who could identify them would get dinner at a restaurant as a reward.

It didn't take local police long to track them down, and they've been fined 1,500 euros ($2,187).

They've also had their surfboards — worth $36,500 — confiscated.

By Kate Ainsworth

Let's set you up for the day

From the latest on the affidavit that led to Donald Trump's FBI search to tourists being fined for surfing Venice's canals, here's what you need to know to get going today.

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