This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happens.
Key events
Live updates
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:
-
The Australian man convicted of killing 51 people at Christchurch mosques in 2019 has filed an appeal against both his convictions and his sentence
-
A ransomware group has threatened to release Medibank customer data following its recent data breach
-
Australian actress Rebel Wilson has welcomed her first child, Royce Lillian
-
US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has been announced as the host of the 2023 Oscars
-
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has given her first interview since her husband's attack
- There will be a lunar eclipse tonight!
By Tom Williams
Christchurch shooter files appeal against convictions and sentence
The Australian man convicted of killing 51 people when he opened fire on two Christchurch mosques in 2019 has filed an appeal against both his convictions and his sentence.
Brenton Tarrant pleaded guilty in 2020, but last year signalled via a lawyer that he believed he’d received “inhumane and degrading” treatment while in custody.
Today, New Zealand’s Court of Appeal confirmed an appeal against the convictions and sentence had been filed.
Tarrant was sentenced to life without parole.
His lawyer has been contacted for comment.
By Tom Williams
A record $2.9 billion lottery jackpot is about to be drawn
In just a few hours' time, a record lottery jackpot will be drawn in the US.
Millions of people have bought tickets for the estimated $US1.9 billion ($2.9 billion) Powerball jackpot, which dwarfs all previous prizes by hundreds of millions of dollars.
The jackpot is nearly $US400 million larger than the previous record jackpot and will keep growing until someone wins the prize.
The jackpot started at $US20 million back in August, and has grown over three winless months.
The game's ultra-long odds of 1 in 292.2 million means there still is a good chance that another drawing will pass without anyone winning the grand prize.
That would push the jackpot for Wednesday's drawing to more than $US2 billion ($3 billion).
By Tom Williams
US leaders make final pitches before midterm elections
Key issues like the economy, abortion and crime are swaying undecided voters in the lead up to the US midterm elections.
Here's Jade Macmillan on what's at stake as Americans head to the polls:
By Tom Williams
US government seizes $5.2 billion in stolen bitcoin
The US government says it has seized $US3.4 billion ($5.2 billion) in bitcoin from a real estate developer who stole the cryptocurrency from the dark web marketplace Silk Road a decade ago.
James Zhong, 32, pleaded guilty on Friday to committing wire fraud in September 2012 when he unlawfully obtained more than 50,000 bitcoin, according to federal prosecutors in New York.
Agents recovered the digital currency when they raided Zhong's house in Gainesville, Georgia, in November last year, the Southern District of New York said.
They allegedly found the bitcoin on devices hidden in an underground floor safe and on a single-board computer that was concealed under blankets in a popcorn tin stored in a bathroom closet.
"Thanks to state-of-the-art cryptocurrency tracing and good old-fashioned police work, law enforcement located and recovered this impressive cache of crime proceeds," said US Attorney Damian Williams.
By Tom Williams
Workplace relations minister says government is ready to debate Industrial Relations Bill
Today the governments brings its contentious Industrial Relations Bill to debate in the House of Representatives.
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has already made some amendments to the omnibus legislation, and told RN Breakfast this morning that he suspects there will be more amendments to come.
He said he wants the legislation to get through by the end of the year.
"I know that means everybody feels pressure. It does mean there's pressure on members of parliament on getting across the legislation...
"That's nothing compared with the immense pressure that is on households right now.
"It's real. What's happening and the decisions that households are now being forced to make, as inflation is going up and up and up while wages are not moving for so many people, is a real pressure where we have to act."
You can listen to the full interview here:
By Tom Williams
White House pledges 'unwavering' support for Ukraine, even in Republicans win midterms
The White House says US support for Ukraine's war effort will be "unwavering" even if Republicans, who have expressed concerns about the level of spending, win the midterm elections.
"We are confident the United States' support will be unflinching and will be unwavering," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
She said President Joe Biden is "committed to work in a bipartisan fashion, as he has been doing, to support Ukraine".
Kevin McCarthy, who stands to become House of Representatives speaker if the Republicans take control of the chamber, recently warned there would be no "blank check" for Ukraine if his party was in charge.
Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion enjoys backing from much of the Republican base, although hard-right lawmakers close to former president Donald Trump have voiced criticism.
AFP
By Jessica Riga
North Korea denies arms dealings with Russia, says it has no plans to do so
North Korea says it has never had arms dealings with Russia and has no plans to do so, its state media reported.
The statement comes after the United States said North Korea appears to be supplying Russia with artillery shells for its war in Ukraine, Reuters reports.
"We once again make clear that we have never had 'arms dealings' with Russia and that we have no plan to do so in the future," the North said in a statement carried by state media KCNA.
By Tom Williams
Ash Barty rules out a comeback
Retired Australian tennis player and former world number one Ash Barty has ruled out making a comeback, but says she will "stay involved" with the sport.
Speaking on ABC News Breakfast this morning, Barty said she was "completely content, fulfilled and happy, no longer on the court for me".
"I'll still be around, absolutely. I love tennis. I love the sport. It's been a part of my life for almost all of my life," she said.
"I love it, and will stay involved. I promise."
The then-25-year-old retired from tennis in March, at the top of her game after her maiden Australian Open triumph.
By Tom Williams
Hackers threaten release of Medibank data
A ransomware group has threatened to release Medibank customer data as Australia's largest health insurer faces a possible class action lawsuit after the data of 9.7 million current and former customers was hacked.
Medibank has confirmed almost 500,000 health claims were accessed and the personal details of former and current customers were exposed when an unnamed group hacked into its system weeks ago.
Around midnight, a ransomware group posted to its darkweb blog that "data will be publish (sic) in 24 hours".
"P.S. I recommend to sell (sic) medibank stocks."
The post did not include data samples to back up its threat.
Medibank chief executive David Koczkar on Monday said paying a ransom could make Australia "a bigger target" for data thefts by giving criminals an incentive.
"Based on the extensive advice we have received from cybercrime experts we believe there is only a limited chance paying a ransom would ensure the return of our customers' data and prevent it from being published," he said.
AAP
By Jessica Riga
Rebel Wilson announces birth of first child
Some good news to start our day!
Australian actress Rebel Wilson has welcomed her first child, Royce Lillian, who was born this past week via surrogate.
"I can’t even describe the love I have for her, she’s a beautiful miracle!" Wilson wrote on Instagram.
"I am forever grateful to everyone who has been involved, (you know who you are), this has been years in the making…but particularly wanted to thank my gorgeous surrogate who carried her and birthed her with such grace and care."
By Tom Williams
Jimmy Kimmel to host the Oscars again: 'Either a great honour or a trap'
US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has been announced as the host of the 2023 Oscars (the 95th Academy Awards), completing a trilogy which started with the chaotic "envelope-gate" ceremony.
Kimmel has hosted the show twice before — in 2017, when he managed the chaotic final moments in which the wrong best picture winner was called, and then the next year, which came just months into the #MeToo reckoning.
"Being invited to host the Oscars for a third time is either a great honour or a trap," Kimmel said.
"Either way, I am grateful to the academy for asking me so quickly after everyone good said no."
By Tom Williams
One thing from overnight: Nancy Pelosi has given her first interview since her husband's attack
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has given her first sit-down interview since her husband, Paul, was injured by an attacker in their San Francisco home.
Ms Pelosi has told CNN that she had been asleep in Washington DC when her doorbell rang early in the morning.
"I look up, I see it's 5, they must be at the wrong apartment," the Democrat said.
She said the doorbell rang again and she heard "bang, bang, bang, bang, bang on the door".
"So I run to the door, and I'm very scared," Ms Pelosi said. "I see the Capitol Police and they say, 'We have to come in to talk to you.'"
Pelosi said she worried something may have happened to her children or grandchildren.
"I never thought it would be Paul because, you know, I knew he wouldn't be out and about, shall we say. And so they came in. At that time, we didn't even know where he was," she said.
Ms Pelosi also said the attack on her husband will factor into decisions about her own political future after the US midterm elections.
Paul Pelosi was attacked with a hammer at the couple's home in by a male assailant last month.
The man who attacked him was searching for Ms Pelosi, according to court documents.
Mr Pelosi had surgery "to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands," a spokesman for Ms Pelosi said.
Mr Pelosi was released from the hospital last week.
By Tom Williams
News while you snoozed
- A Kremlin-connected entrepreneur named Yevgeny Prigozhin admitted that he had interfered in US elections and would continue to do so — confirming for the first time accusations that he has rejected for years. "Gentlemen, we have interfered, are interfering and will interfere. Carefully, precisely, surgically and in our own way, as we know how to do," he said in a statement from the press service of his catering company on the eve of US midterm elections
- United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has told dozens of leaders at the UN's annual climate conference (COP27) to "cooperate or perish", as the world is on "a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator". Mr Guterres also singled out the two biggest polluting countries, China and the United States. Most of the leaders who pleaded for action came from poorer nations which cause little of the pollution but often see a larger share of weather-related damage
By Tom Williams
Here's the news Australia is searching for online
- Lunar eclipse. Australians will get to see some or all of the total lunar eclipse tonight, but what you'll see depends on where you live. The Moon will turn shades of rust and blood red in the last total lunar eclipse for three years, and it will take about three hours and 40 minutes from the time it starts changing colour at 8:09pm AEDT. Here are the best times to see it in your jurisdiction:
- The Crown. The fifth season of the Netflix series will be the first to be released after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September and her husband, Prince Philip, in 2021. All 10 episodes will start streaming on Netflix from tomorrow — head here for the details
By Tom Williams
One more thing: Iran has reportedly hanged a man who was already dead
You read that correctly.
Authorities in Iran have allegedly hanged a man convicted of drug offences even though he had already been killed just prior to his planned execution.
Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said the man, named Nematullah Barahui, was to be hanged on Sunday with another man also convicted of drug offences.
IHR cited unspecified local sources who said Barahui was killed in an altercation with prison officers before the planned execution, and that authorities hanged him anyway to prevent any legal problems for the prison guards.
The Hal Vash news site likewise reported that Barahui was killed before the intended execution.
There was no confirmation from the Iranian authorities and the execution has not been reported in Iranian media, as is the case with most hangings in the country.
IHR says 462 people have been put to death in Iran so far this year.
By Tom Williams
Let's set you up for the day
Hi there, I'm Tom Williams and this is The Loop for the morning of Tuesday, November 8.
From Nancy Pelosi's first interview since her husband's attack to the UN climate summit and tonight's lunar eclipse — here's what you need to know this morning.
