Afternoon Update: man in custody after Trump assassination attempt; AI chat headed to NSW schools; and a win for a rare smelly penguin
Good afternoon. Family and political figures from both ends of the US political spectrum expressed shock after what appeared to be “an attempted assassination of the former president”, the FBI said.
An agent with the US Secret Service spotted the muzzle of a firearm poking through a fence in a wooded area at the Trump International golf club in West Palm Beach, where Trump was playing, officials said. Agents opened fire, prompting the man to flee. A suspect was later arrested and a weapon, a scope and a GoPro camera were recovered.
The son of the man suspected of targeting the former president described his father as passionate about the Ukrainian cause in its war with Russia. The White House said Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had been briefed on the incident, with a statement saying they are “relieved to know that he is safe”. Trump’s son Eric told Fox News: “My father is running out of lives here.”
Top news
Amber Haigh trial verdict | Robert and Anne Geeves have been found not guilty of the murder of Amber Haigh, who disappeared more than two decades ago, aged 19. The couple consistently denied ever harming Haigh or having anything to do with her disappearance.
CFMEU in ‘cycle of lawlessness’ | The Victorian branch of the construction union has been “infiltrated” by bikie and organised crime figures, according to an independent probe launched by the union before it was put into administration. The interim report by barrister Geoffrey Watson made seven recommendations, many calling for further investigation.
Ricky Gervais skit shown in Nazi salute hearing | Three men accused of performing Nazi salutes outside the Sydney Jewish Museum have pleaded not guilty, with one telling police he was mimicking the comedian in the comedy skit on Netflix, prosecutors told the court.
Moira Deeming defamation trial | Deeming claims Victoria’s opposition leader, John Pesutto, “tarred” the former Liberal MP with “the Nazi brush” as he attempted to force her resignation from the Liberal party, the federal court heard. The high-stakes defamation case is expected to run for three weeks.
AI chat to be rolled out in NSW schools | The NSWEduChat tool, developed to ease administrative pressure amid a teacher shortage, was shown to save staff up to an hour a week by helping to produce student resources, correspondence and newsletters, the state government said.
Historic truth-telling inquiry begins in Brisbane | Queensland’s Indigenous truth-telling and healing inquiry has begun nearly 200 years to the day since a penal colony was established in Moreton Bay. Counsel assisting Melia Benn – one of just two Indigenous barristers in Queensland – said her people were “dying for their story to be heard”.
Scores dead in Myanmar after flooding from Typhoon Yagi | Myanmar’s death toll from floods has risen to at least 113, the country’s military government said. At least 320,000 people have been displaced and 64 were still missing after heavy rains that have also killed hundreds of people in Vietnam and Thailand.
Rare smelly penguin crowned by Kiwis | The hoiho, which means “noise shouter”, has been crowned New Zealand’s bird of the year, in a competition free from the foreign interference and voting scandals of previous years.
September snowfall as south-east shivers | Canberra recorded its coldest September morning since 2012 on Monday, dropping to -6.9C. Snow also fell on the hills surrounding Canberra over the weekend, as well as in Victoria’s Mount Macedon and Yarra Ranges. The Bureau of Meteorology says temperatures should return to average from Wednesday.
In pictures
Emmys 2024 red carpet: Ayo Edebiri, Meryl Streep, Andrew Scott and more
Shōgun has made Emmys history as the first ever non-English language series to win for best drama. The historical epic, based on the 1975 novel, picked up four awards during the evening, including Emmys for lead stars Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai, the first Japanese actors to win their respective awards. Hacks was the surprise winner of best comedy series, beating previous winner The Bear and Abbott Elementary. On the red carpet, Meryl Streep’s sherbet-pink suit was a bright spot in an evening otherwise dominated by black and metallic looks.
What they said …
***
“While our richest private schools are getting taxpayer money to build libraries that look like castles and sports centres with Olympic swimming pools – my old high school is still using demountables from the late 1980s.” – Jacqui Lambie
The independent senator, along with other crossbenchers including Fatima Payman and David Pocock, have backed a call by Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne for the government to “properly” fund public education. The crossbench senators want the government to increase its share of public school funding to 25% of the school resource standard, up from the 22.5% that was agreed in a deal with WA.
In numbers
Australians pay more than anyone in the world to sell their homes online, with many agents signing up to “premiere” advertising packages. Agents say these listings cost more than 50 times what they did 15 years ago for a top-tier listing – and in most other markets, the cost of advertising a property is negligible and usually covered by the agent’s selling fee.
Before bed read
Hell on Middle-earth? The Rings of Power fails to spin streaming gold
Unfortunately for fans of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings saga, many viewers and entertainment industry observers see the Amazon series as a disappointment. The most expensive TV show ever made is in its second season, but reviews are disappointing and audiences are staying away.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: TEMP. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know with our Morning Mail newsletter.
