Trump to nominate new Supreme Court judge

The White House has indicated in conversations that Ms Barrett was Mr Trump’s intended choice to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg but cautioned that he could still change his mind, senior Republican sources told CNN.

Ms Barrett was spotted Friday at her home in South Bend, Indiana, but it’s unclear if she’s aware of Mr Trump’s intentions, CNN said.

Ms Barrett is a former law clerk to late right wing Justice Antonin Scalia, and her appointment would tip the Supreme Court to a conservative majority, 6 to 3.

The New York Times also reported that Mr Trump had made Ms Barrett his choice.

Supreme Court nominees are often informed of their selection at the last possible moment to maintain secrecy.

Trump has repeatedly said that he was going to pick a woman and make a formal announcement in the Rose Garden of the White House at 5pm Saturday.

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US President Donald Trump in Maryland on Thursday. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett will replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the US Supreme Court. Picture: Julian Velasco/University of Notre Dame/AFP

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The president said Monday that he was considering five women for the seat on the Supreme Court, including Ms Barrett and another federal appeals court judge, Barbara Lagoa.

President Trump told reporters on Friday evening he had made up his mind on his Supreme Court nominee, but he refused to confirm that it was Ms Barrett.

“I haven’t said that,” Mr Trump said after arriving back in DC from Florida.

“I haven’t said it was her, but she is outstanding.”

The commander in chief said he did not meet with Lagoa while he was in the Sunshine State.

At 48, Ms Barrett would also be the youngest member of the high court and would maintain its conservative majority for decades.

The revelation of Mr Trump’s reported intentions came just hours after Ginsburg’s body lay in state at the US Capitol, making her the first woman and the first Jewish person to receive the posthumous honour.

Ginsburg, who died September 18 of metastatic pancreatic cancer at 87, will reportedly be buried next week in Arlington National Cemetery, next to her late husband, Marty Ginsburg, who died in 2010.

The move to replace Ginsburg ahead of the November 3 election has sparked outrage from Democrats because US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) blocked then-President Barack Obama’s nomination of federal appeals Judge Merrick Garland in 2016 on grounds that it was an election year.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and two GOP members — Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — have objected to fast-tracking Ginsburg’s replacement, but no others appear ready to break ranks.

Earlier this week, Mr Trump called on Republican senators to quickly confirm whoever he nominated so the Supreme Court has a full bench of nine justices to rule on a likely legal battle over mail-in votes cast in his race against former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden.

“I think this scam that the Democrats are pulling — it’s a scam,” he said Wednesday.

“This scam will be before the United States Supreme Court and I think having the four-four situation is not a good situation if you get that.”

In 2017, Mr Trump nominated Ms Barrett, then a Notre Dame law professor, to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, and she was confirmed by the US Senate in a near-party-line vote of 55-43.

Ms Barrett was also reportedly on his shortlist to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy in 2018 after the jurist announced his retirement at age 81.

But Ms Barrett’s White House interview didn’t go well, NPR reported Thursday, citing a source who said she had to wear dark glasses due to a case of conjunctivitis and was “not at her best.”

Mr Trump ultimately nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, who was confirmed by a narrow 50-48 margin following a gruelling, four-day hearing during which he emotionally denied Christine Blasey Ford’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her while drunk at a party when they were teenagers.

A report last year in Axios suggested Mr Trump still had big plans for Barrett, based on private comments he reportedly made to confidants while discussing Kennedy’s replacement.

“I’m saving her for Ginsburg,” Mr Trump said in remarks confirmed this week by NPR.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

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Australian man Trent Lee killed in Solomon Islands bomb blast

Newcastle man Trent Lee, believed to be in his 40s, was working for a Norwegian aid agency conducting surveys of unexploded World War II bombs when the blast rocked a residential part of Honiara, local police said.

The Solomon Islands is littered with unexploded bombs and the Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA) is an NGO that aims to locate and remove them.

In August, Mr Lee took to Facebook to talk about his dangerous his line of work.

“Pretty much the most dangerous WWII ammunition we find. It’s cocked and ready to fire … one bump and it’s all over,” he wrote, accompanied by two images.

An Australian man and his British colleague died in the blast. Picture: Facebook

NPA confirmed Mr Lee had died, alongside British citizen Stephen Atkinson.

“It is with my deepest regret that we confirm the death of two dear colleagues after a tragic accident,” the organisation’s deputy secretary-general Per Nergaard said in a statement.

“We are devastated by what has happened.”

Authorities are working to clear the site of the explosion while investigators try to determine why explosives were present at a block of residential flats.

“Explosives ordnance disposal officers will have to render the scene safe before forensics and other investigators access the scene to find out what happened,” Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Inspector Clifford Tunuki said.

It is understood the two men were rushed to National Referral Hospital where they were later confirmed dead.

It is with deepest regret that we confirm the death of two dear colleagues after a tragic accident in the Solomon...Posted by Norwegian People's Aid on Sunday, September 20, 2020

A spokesman for NPA said the organisation was “deeply sorry” for the ”tragic accident” involving two of their staff.

“We are devastated by what has happened, and for the loss of two good colleagues. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to their families, relatives and staff,” NPA’s secretary-general Henriette Killi Westhrin.

“The safety and security of our staff is our highest priority, said Nergaard, emphasising that the investigation needs to be completed before there can be a conclusion on the cause of events.”

Trent Lee (centre) was killed after a historic WW2 bomb exploded in Honiara in the Solomon Islands.

The Solomon Islands is one of the forgotten battlefields of WWII, but is still littered with wrecks and unexploded bombs left over from the first major offensive in the Pacific nearly 80 years ago.

The Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942-43 was crucial in ensuring the Pacific - and ultimately Australia - did not fall to the Japanese who were constructing an airfield on the island as they built up strategic and communications strongholds in the region.

The US Marines landed on the main island Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942 and, together with Australian forces, engaged in a bloody six-month battle to fend off the Japanese.

Thousands of men died from both sides, more than 50 warships sunk and hundreds of aircraft shot down.

While wreckage remains littered throughout the islands and under the sea, so too do unexploded bombs and munitions.

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Tiny island is key to stopping China

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Regan and assault ship USS America will join amphibious warfare vessels USS New Orleans and USS Germantown in war-games centred on Guam’s major naval and air force facilities.

Dubbed “Exercise Valiant Shield”, the co-ordinated land, sea and air operations around the central Pacific island will last 10 days and extend through the Marianas Island chain, the US Pacific Fleet said in a statement.

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USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) leads a formation of Carrier Strike Group Five ships as U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircrafts and U.S. Navy F/A-18s pass overhead for a photo exercise during Valiant Shield 2018. Picture: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kaila Peters.

Military analysts have recently highlighted the importance of Guam, noting it is just outside of the range of potential missile swarms that could quickly overwhelm other key US bases such as those in Japan and Okinawa.

The manoeuvres were announced at the same time as China’s Communist Party mouthpiece The Global Times published an editorial exhorting its people to prepare for a potential war.

“We have territorial disputes with several neighbouring countries instigated by the US to confront China,” it said of Beijing’s expansionist moves into the Himalayas and the South and East China Seas. “Chinese society must therefore have real courage to engage calmly in a war that aims to protect core interests, and be prepared to bear the cost.”

Beijing is heavily engaged in an expansive series of military exercises around Taiwan and the South China sea. Spanning several months, Taiwan last week accused Chinese combat aircraft of violating its airspace and highlighted the presence of ‘militia’ vessels close to its territorial claims.

Last month, Beijing threatened to extend the scope of its war-games to include Guam.

“If the US goes further, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could take more countermeasures, including live-fire missile drills east of Taiwan Island and near Guam,” a senior Chinese Communist Party official warned.

RELATED: China-India border tensions flare up

The tiny island of Guam in the Pacific. Picture: Google Maps.

‘MORALLY JUSTIFIED’

“We are confident to win on the battlefield if conflicts are fought with neighbouring forces that have territorial disputes with China,” the Global Times editorial warns India, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. “Similarly, if there is a war with the US near China’s coastal waters, we also have a good chance of victory.”

The PLA on Wed released a video of Tibet military command’s live-fire drill on the plateau. PLA also conducted a drill of airborne troops. Yes, these are all aimed at the situation on China-India border. The Indian army will either stop provoking or be prepared to be defeated. pic.twitter.com/124h0ccu8h— Hu Xijin ??? (@HuXijin_GT) September 9, 2020

The Chinese Communist Party insists these widespread international tensions are not its fault.

“Some of these countries believe that the US support provides them with a strategic opportunity and try to treat China outrageously,” the editorial asserts.

“Of course, after all, wars cannot be fought casually, and we must win if we are to fight. Such winning has two meanings: First, it means defeating the opponent on the battlefield; second, it must be morally justified.”

But the tough-talking editorial makes one key concession: Beijing runs the risk of being internationally isolated.

“If we win on the battlefield at the expense of our international morality, we might mistakenly help the US build an anti-China alliance that challenges our strategic position even more,” it reads.

PILAU PITCHES IN

The tiny Pacific Island nation of Palau has urged the United States to build military bases on its territory to counter Chinese influence in the region.

The US Defence Secretary visited the nation last week, some 1500km to the east of the Philippines, accusing Beijing of “ongoing destabilising activities” in the Pacific.

Palau’s President Tommy Remengesau declared his 22,000 strong nation would welcome US military facilities – so long as they use them often.

“Palau’s request to the US military remains simple — build joint-use facilities, then come and use them regularly,” he said.

China will hold military drills in the south of the #YellowSea from Sept 13 to 20 every day from 8 am to 11 pm; entry will be prohibited, according to China's Maritime Safety Administration. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/f46WxMhRX4— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) September 12, 2020

Remengesau also asked for US help in patrolling its vast marine reserve which is increasingly the subject of illegal international fishing.

Palau, while an independent nation, has no military. Since World War II, a Compact of Free Association has given the US responsibility for its defence.

“The US military’s right to establish defence sites in the Republic of Palau has been under-utilised for the entire duration of the Compact,” Remengesau said.

A new US radar facility is being constructed on the strategically placed island chain. But work has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID CRISIS

The global pandemic being partially blamed for South East Asia’s dramatically increased instability is also taking its toll on Guam. Some 1900 cases have been reported there.

This does not include the 1150 sufferers from the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt which cut short its operations in March and anchored off Naval Base Guam to fight its outbreak.

According to local media, US military personnel taking part in the exercise are having their movements restricted and must largely stay within their hotels. Soldiers, sailors and aircrew were also required to take part in 14-day quarantines before being deployed to the island.

“In support of exercise events, service members will only be permitted to travel between their designated hotel room and their appointed place of military duty on base,” A US Pacific Fleet spokesperson said.

RELATED: China’s secret ‘space plane’ mission

The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) fought a COVID-19 outbreak off the coast on Guam. Picture: Nicholas V. HUYNH / Navy Office of Information / AFP.

Valiant Shield follows last month’s downsized Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise off Hawaii and the following Pacific Vanguard operation. Among the 23 warships from 10 nations were the Australian destroyer HMAS Hobart, the frigates HMAS Stuart and Arunta, and the supply ship HMAS Sirius.

“It is vitally important that we demonstrate to our allies and partners our strong commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” US Rear Admiral Michael Boyle said in the Valiant Shield statement.

It’s the eighth time the war game has been held since first initiated in 2006. The most recent was in 2018.

Jamie Seidel is a freelance writer | @JamieSeidel

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‘Historic, life threatening’ hurricane Sally is set to smash the US coast

“It’s not going to be pretty,” said one forecaster.

Any hurricane is bad but authorities have grave concerns about Hurricane Sally due to its painfully slow progress, that could exacerbate its deadliness.

Sally is one of as many as five storms currently circulating in the northern Atlantic.

Late on Tuesday night US time (Wednesday afternoon in Australia) Hurricane Sally was sitting about 100 kilometres south of Mobile, Alabama, moving north through the Gulf of Mexico at a speed of just 4 kilometres an hour.

It is currently a category 1 storm but it is quickly worsening and could reach cat 3. There is the threat of tornadoes within the hurricane.

Winds of 150 km/h were recorded by an US air force reconnaissance aircraft, with gusts of 131 km/h at the eye wall as measured by a buoy in the Gulf reported the National Hurricane Centre (NHC). Already flooding is occurring in coastal areas.

It was only last month that Hurricane Laura struck Louisiana and Texas.

Satellite imagery of Sally’s progress through the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday evening, US time. Picture: NOAA

EXTRA DEADLY ASPECT TO SALLY

Sally is expected to make landfall east of Mobile, at 8am on Wednesday (11pm Sydney time). It could be the first hurricane to directly hit Alabama for 16 years.

However, some models have it smashing straight through the centre of Pensacola on the Florida Panhandle, a city of 500,000 people, just east of the Alabama border.

“Historic life-threatening flash flooding due to rainfall is likely along and just inland of the Florida Panhandle,” the NHC said in a warning.

“Life threatening storm surge is expected along the coastline from Alabama to the western Florida Panhandle, including Mobile Bay.”

The emergency services are particularly concerned because Sally’s slow passage could worsen two of the deadliest aspects of hurricanes: storm surges and flooding.

Huge gusts might be the hallmark of tropical storms, but 90 per cent of fatalities are due to the sheer amount of water.

Storm surges can see the sea level temporarily rise. In Sally’s case this could be by more than two metres on the coast around Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama with New Orleans under risk from a surge of more than a metre.

Sally is expected to hit land on Wednesday evening Australia time. Picture: Windy.

The storm’s snail pace momentum could also see vast amounts of moisture fall on the areas it passes through, producing several months’ worth of rain in a single dumping.

By some estimates, Sally could dump three quarters of a metre of rain on parts of the Florida Panhandle as it ambles through, with up to half a metre falling over a wider area.

“You could get four to five months of rain in just a matter of two to three days,” CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray said.

Heavy and persistent rain can fall far inland leading to flash flooding sweeping away vehicles and inundating homes.

Eye really coming together now! #Sally is a strengthening #hurricane and close to a CAT2. #sally will wobble most of the overnight before early morning landfall. Then still half of the eye will remain offshore! #Sally pic.twitter.com/QT3NP1o45W— Janessa Webb (@JanessaWebb) September 16, 2020

Hurricane Sally has cleared out its eye. An amazing structural evolution and improvement right off the coast. pic.twitter.com/gG1EHoS01t— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) September 16, 2020

Flood watches are now in place for a swath of land stretching almost 500 kilometres inland from the Gulf Coast encompassing all of Alabama and Georgia and as for north as Virginia.

“It’s going to be a huge rainmaker,” Phil Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State University told the Associated Press.

“It’s not going to be pretty.”

Winds and rain have already hit the Gulf Coast, in Alabama above, ahead of Sally making landfall. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP.

Flash flooding has already occurred. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP.

The NHC’s Stacy Stewart added: “There is going to be historic flooding along with the historic rainfall.

“If people live near rivers, small streams and creeks, they need to evacuate and go somewhere else.”

The governors of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have all declared states of emergency, and President Donald Trump has issued emergency declarations for parts of the states, Fox News reported.

“This is not worth risking your life,” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said on Tuesday.

Mississippi State Governor Tate Reeves told CNN there was still uncertainly over the effects of Sally, but she shouldn’t be trifled with.

He urged residents living in Mississippi close to the border with Alabama to leave, adding: “the time to get out is now.”

“The good news with that is that it is during light. The not good news is that is near high tide and so as we have said the potential water event here is significant,” he said.

“We are prepared, we are going to continue to monitor this storm, and we are going to continue to prepare for the worst case scenario, pray for the best case scenario and expect somewhere in between,” Mr Reeves said.

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September 11 memorial flyover cancelled after backlash in New York City

New York City emergency management announced the flyover on Thursday evening, with a short notice message saying an F-18 jet would fly over the Hudson River and towards the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge at 3:30pm.

However it was met with swift backlash given the nature of the terror attack, that saw almost 3000 people die after two planes crashed into the World Trade Centre twin towers in 2001.

“Are you out of your mind? Cancel this immediately,” Staten Island Representative Max Rose demanded on Twitter.

Social media user Arlene Kaplan wrote “What? CANCEL THIS! This is insane and cruel to those of us who still suffer from PTSD when we hear a low-flying plane no matter where we are, yet alone flying down the Hudson River past the WTC!”

Victoria Brownworth said “This is the worst idea ever. Did you ask anyone who was in NYC on 9/11 — because every last one of them would tell you.”

RELATED: Photos show true horror of 9/11

The Freedom Tower stands on the ground zero site. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

New York City firefighters pause to mark commemorations. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

Members of the public also travelled to the site which contained virtual tributes. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

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New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office told media he “wasn’t aware of the flyover.”

“Frankly it’s inappropriate,” a spokesman told the paper.

The Department of Defence later cancelled it after a request from City Hall, a spokesman told the New York Times.

However the initial alert continued to spark a wave of backlash, with Twitter’s own vice president of global communications, Brandon Borrman, calling it a “really bad idea, verging on completely tasteless.”

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Planned Flyover: An F-18 jet will be conducting a flyover on the Hudson River towards the Verrazzano Bridge on 9/11 at 3:30 PM. The aircraft will fly at approx 2,500 ft. Multilingual & ASL Link: https://t.co/Ic8EyOBgzI.— NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) September 10, 2020

“We all remember not only the original hijacked planes but also the fighter jets on 09/11. This is literally like tearing open a closed scar until it bleeds again just so you can throw some salt on it,” @nycinoc said.

Michael Henry called it a “crappy idea,” writing, “Let’s re-create the gut punching memory of a low-flying plane over the harbour.”

“Could you get any more tone deaf?” @Qasharah asked. “PTSD is real, and this will definitely trigger some people.”

“Sure. Let’s terrorise New Yorkers on the anniversary of 9/11,” Camille Duran wrote.

The navy did not immediately respond to messages about the flyover.

US President Donald Trump spoke at a ceremony in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Picture: Brendan Smialowski / AFP.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump observe a moment of silence aboard air force One to mark the 9/11 attacks on September 11, 2020. Picture: Brendan Smialowski / AFP.

TRUMP AND BIDEN BOTH VISIT PENNSYLVANIA

Democratic contender Joe Biden appeared in New York City for the annual event honouring the almost 3,000 people who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center.

He then travelled to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where an airliner crashed after the passengers tried to wrest control of the plane from the al-Qaeda hijackers.

Biden did not speak at the ground zero ceremony in Manhattan, an event traditionally reserved for families of the victims, who this year have prerecorded their contributions.

Donald Trump was absent from the memorial in his native New York, but was represented by Vice President Mike Pence.

Mr Trump instead appeared in Shanksville, Pennsylvania where he hailed those on board flight 93 who wrestled control from hijackers but lost their lives.

He also praised those who worked to find survivors at ground zero and worked to analyse the black box of the plane.

LIVE: President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS visit the Flight 93 National Memorial https://t.co/NbXON6t2yB— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 11, 2020

"When terrorists raced to destroy the seat of our democracy, the 40 of Flight 93 did the most American of things—they took a vote, and then they acted.Together they charged the cockpit, they confronted the pure evil, and in their last act on this earth, they saved our capital." pic.twitter.com/U0JVIqbQfM— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 11, 2020

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, with wife Jill Biden and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Picture: AMR ALFIKY / POOL / AFP.

TEMPORARY RESPITE FROM LEADERSHIP RACE

Robert Shapiro, a political scientist at Columbia University, said ahead of the event it was unlikely to feature any political showmanship.

The 9/11 ceremonies are traditionally “free of rhetoric, dedicated to paying tribute to victims” of the attacks, he said.

“There will be a temporary silencing of the more vitriolic rhetoric they are using against each other,” Shapiro said.

The choice of both candidates to show up in Pennsylvania, an important state to win in the presidential election, illustrates the “obvious calculations” their advisers have made.

Long a Democratic stronghold and Biden’s home state, Pennsylvania swung narrowly to Trump in the 2016 election, helping him secure his surprise victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Polls show Trump and Biden nearly even in Pennsylvania, and Democrats hope to win the state back in the November 3 vote.

But if the sombre commemorations mark a “truce,” it is likely to be a short-lived one, as was the case in 2016.

Clinton took part in the New York memorial but left the event early because she was feeling ill. Her doctor later revealed he had diagnosed her two days earlier with pneumonia, which she had kept secret.

Trump leapt on the incident and for weeks mercilessly mocked his rival’s health.

– With wires and the New York Post.

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Trump defends decision to hold rally indoors amid pandemic

Controversy loomed over the rally, which was held indoors despite the continuing threat of the coronavirus pandemic. We’ll get to that argument in a bit.

First though, let’s go over the highlights.

Mr Trump started the event with one of his current favourite jokes, quipping that he might seek a third term in four years if he wins the upcoming election.

“Fifty-one days from now, we’re going to win Nevada, and we’re going to win four more years in the White House. And after we win four more years, we’ll ask for maybe another four or so,” Mr Trump said, sparking huge cheers from the crowd.

There is no actual chance of that happening, as the 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution limits presidents to two terms in office.

Nevertheless, the line has been a frequent feature of the President’s recent appearances. He seems to think it annoys the media.

“Thank you very much. You know, whenever I say that, I watch - look at all that news back there, look at all that fake news,” he continued, pointing to the media section at the back of the room.

“When I say that, their heads explode.”

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He then mentioned the horrific shooting of two Los Angeles police officers, who were ambushed while sitting in their patrol car on Saturday night.

RELATED: Sick chants after police officers ambushed

“The radical left in America is waging open war on law enforcement. Hundreds of officers nationwide have been injured in left-wing riots and mobs. You see it. You see it all the time,” said Mr Trump.

“Sleepy Joe Biden and his supporters continue their dangerous war on the police. They’re putting the lives of our brave officers directly in harm’s way. At his convention, he never even mentioned the words law and order.

“Now he’s all of a sudden - his polls are dropping like a rock, and he’s starting to say, ‘We need law and order.’ And then he goes back into the basement for four days. What happens to this guy? I know what happened to him. He’s shot, that’s what happened to him.”

There are a few things to fact check there.

It is true that Mr Biden did not mention law enforcement in his speech to the Democratic convention last month. Nor did he explicitly mention the protests against police brutality across much of the US, some of which have deteriorated into violence.

In the aftermath of the convention, under sustained political pressure to address the rioting, Mr Biden did give a speech on the subject urging Americans to “stand against violence in every form it takes”.

“I want to make it absolutely clear, so I’m going to be very clear about all of this. Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting,” he said in that speech.

“None of this is protesting. It’s lawlessness, plain and simple. Those who do it should be prosecuted.

“Violence will not bring change, it will only bring destruction. It’s wrong in every way.”

The line about Mr Biden hiding in his basement is another of the President’s recurring favourites. The Democrat has, in fact, been doing campaign events across the country, though he has not held a large scale rally since his party’s primaries, citing the pandemic.

Finally, Mr Biden’s lead in the polls has been stable at more than 7 per cent since the beginning of August, though the race is much closer in the key battleground states, where he’s only ahead by about 3 per cent.

Whether those polls can even be trusted is a whole other matter.

RELATED: Yes, Trump’s polls are bad, but can they be trusted?

President @realDonaldTrump in #Nevada: “Tell your governor to open up your state!" pic.twitter.com/VViC45mQ5O— Team Trump (Text VOTE to 88022) (@TeamTrump) September 14, 2020

OK, back to Mr Trump’s speech.

The President complained that the Biden campaign had created an attack ad based on a recent story in The Atlantic, which cited unnamed sources to claim he had called fallen US soldiers “losers” and “suckers”.

“Biden is too weak to be president, and he’s not a smart person,” he said.

“He wasn’t smart 25 years ago. Everybody knew it. Now we don’t even have to discuss the matter.

“But I was going to say, when he put that ad up - we told him to take it down - when he put that ad up that dishonoured our fallen heroes. They are great, great heroes of mine, of yours, of everybody’s.”

This is the ad in question. It features some military veterans slamming Mr Trump.

Our nation’s veterans speak for themselves. pic.twitter.com/ai5Y1MzCaQ— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 5, 2020

The President then transitioned into a riff about Mr Obama.

“No bad person, the worst person I know - I saw some beauties, I know some beauties from New York. I know some developers in New York, actually. Nobody would say what they said. They made it up. It was a made up statement, and they put it up in the form of an ad, from a third-rate magazine whose best friend is Obama,” he said.

“Who, by the way, got caught spying on my campaign. He got caught. We caught him cold. We have him cold. Now let’s see what happens.”

The crowd responded by chanting, “Lock him up!” - a reprise of the “Lock her up!” chant Mr Trump’s supporters used against Hillary Clinton four years ago.

Mr Trump’s allegation that Mr Obama illegally directed US intelligence agencies to “spy” on his campaign - a theory he calls Obamagate - is not supported by the facts.

Multiple investigations, conducted by both major parties in Congress and Mr Trump’s own Justice Department, have found no evidence the former president was involved in initiating the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s election interference, which targeted four people with ties to the 2016 Trump campaign.

“We did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that political bias or improper motivation influenced the decision to open Crossfire Hurricane,” the Justice Department Inspector-General said in his report, using the FBI operation’s code name.

The investigations also found no evidence that Mr Obama interfered in the operation after it started.

RELATED: What is Obamagate? Trump’s accusation explained

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Former president Barack Obama. Picture: DNC/AFP

Mr Trump’s campaign has defended his decision to hold the rally indoors, brushing off concerns about the crowd’s safety amid the ongoing pandemic.

The President spoke at a facility run by Xtreme Manufacturing, a company that makes construction equipment, in Henderson, Nevada.

It was his first indoor rally since the one in Tulsa, Oklahoma back in June.

Attendees were required to undergo temperature checks, and were encouraged to use masks and hand sanitiser, both of which were provided by the campaign.

But the City of Henderson warned the event violated an order from Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, limiting public gatherings to 50 people. Before the rally started, it sent a compliance letter and verbal warning to Xtreme Manufacturing.

“If the Governor’s directives are not followed, the city may assess a fine of up to $US500 per violation as well as suspend or revoke the business licence,” said city spokeswoman Kathleen Richards.

Defending its choice of venue, the Trump campaign compared the President’s rally to the mass protests against police brutality across the US.

“If you can join tens of thousands of people protesting in the streets, gamble in a casino, or burn down small businesses in riots, you can gather peacefully under the First Amendment to hear from the President of the United States,” campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said.

That argument did not satisfy Mr Sisolak, who posted an extended criticism of the rally on Twitter.

“Tonight, President Donald Trump is taking reckless and selfish actions that are putting countless lives in danger here in Nevada,” he said.

“The President is knowingly packing thousands into an indoor venue to hold a political rally. The President appears to have forgotten that this country is still in the middle of a global pandemic.

“As usual, he doesn’t believe the rules apply to him. Instead, he came into our state and blatantly disregarded the emergency directives and tough choices made to fight this pandemic and begin reopening our economy by hosting an indoor gathering that’s categorised as ‘high risk’ according to his own Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It’s a direct threat to all of the recent progress we’ve made, and could potentially set us back.

“The President’s actions this weekend are shameful, dangerous and irresponsible.”

Mr Trump did briefly address his campaign’s decision to hold the rally indoors during his speech, reassuring the owner of Xtreme Manufacturing that he would stand with him “all the way” if Mr Sisolak tried to punish him for hosting it.

“We had many sites, by the way. All exterior sites, all outside,” he said.

“And if the governor comes after you, which he shouldn’t be doing, I’ll be with you all the way. Don’t worry about a thing.”

Some of Mr Trump’s supporters at today’s rally. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

The President has resumed regular campaigning in recent weeks, having suspended his trademark rallies at the height of America’s epidemic. But his other events have all been outdoors.

Over the weekend, he spoke to supporters at Minden-Tahoe Airport – which is also in Nevada – and compared his throng of supporters Mr Biden’s socially distanced campaign events.

“The governor of your state tried very hard to stop us from having this event tonight,” the President said.

“They can have riots and they can have all sorts of things, and that’s OK. You can burn up the house, that’s OK.

“We call this a protest, because if you call it a protest, you’re allowed to have it. It’s OK. So if anybody asks outside, this is called a friendly protest, OK? It’s true.

“You can’t have political rallies. That’s because of me. Because if Biden were here, he’d have about three people. Do you ever see him with his little circles? The circle? You know why he puts the circles. Because he wants to be correct with COVID.

“But it’s not really, because they can’t get anybody to fill up a room. So they put up these big circles. So he can’t get anybody to fill. Nobody wants to go.”

As we mentioned earlier, Mr Biden has not held any rallies since the Democratic primaries. His events typically feature just a handful of people – the exact number varies, depending on the coronavirus guidelines of whichever state he’s in – and face masks are mandatory.

“I really miss being able to, you know, grab hands and shake hands. You can’t do that now,” he told his supporters recently.

RELATED: Donald Trump’s own words on virus haunt him

The scene at Minden-Tahoe Airport as Mr Trump spoke. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

A different Trump rally in Michigan last week. Picture: Mandel Ngan/AFP

Not much social distancing going on here. Picture: Mandel Ngan/AFP

Mr Trump spent a few minutes at his Minden rally criticising Mr Sisolak, along with the news media, and celebrating the size of his crowds.

“Your governor tried to stop us. He tried to stop us. The governor of Nevada, he tried to stop us, and we went to different venues,” he said.

“Kelly O’Donnell, she’s a fading reporter for NBC. Do you know that? She was on, she said, ‘Well, they have a crowd tonight.’ Behind her it looked like 25,000 people. That’s what we have, by the way, a lot more coming in. But she said, ‘He’s got maybe a thousand people. A thousand.’ You know what I got? I have a thousand people here.

“No, this is the fake news. You know what? It’s not a question of how many. They are just a bunch of dishonest people. I’ve never seen anything like it. Being in real estate and being in New York and being in all over, I’ve seen a lot of dishonest people. I think the media, the fake news, is the most dishonest group of people I’ve ever seen anywhere in my entire life.

“And that includes, by the way, leaders of foreign countries that aren’t our friends, OK? That’s a big statement. They really are bad news. But here we are, and this is really amazing. The governor tried to stop us. He couldn’t.

“But think of this, he’s in control of millions of votes. Here’s a guy calling venues, telling them not to have the rally, calling different venues. ‘Don’t have the really. We’re not going to let you have the rally.’ And he’s calling, this governor who was a political hack. He was a political hack, and then he became governor.

“This is the guy that we’re entrusting with millions of ballots, unsolicited ballots, millions and millions. And then we’re supposed to win these states, and we have a guy that would do that, where he won’t let us have – and... ( подробнее )

‘Disgusting, barbaric’: China’s bizarre Australia rant

The comments in Chinese state media come as diplomatic relations between Beijing and Canberra continue to plummet even as many trade links remain solid.

On Tuesday, the China correspondents for the ABC and The Australian Financial Review, Bill Birtles and Mike Smith, arrived back in Sydney after police came to there respective homes in China in the middle of the night and demanded they present themselves for questioning.

The pair sought shelter in Australian missions due to fears they would be arbitrarily detained and were later allowed to depart the country.

The journos were already planning to leave following the arrest of Australian Cheng Lei who worked for a Chinese state broadcaster and who local authorities have said “endangered national security”.

RELATED: Two Australian reporters extracted from China

The Australian Financial Review's Michael Smith (left) and the ABC's Bill Birtles flew out of Shanghai on Monday night. Picture: ABC.

It has since emerged that Australia has now cancelled the visas of two Chinese academics, Chen Hong and Li Jianjun, who can now not re-enter the country.

It’s also believed four Chinese journalists left Australia earlier this year after being questioned by ASIO. Police and security services have been investigating alleged attempts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to influence proceedings at the New South Wales state parliament.

Since Birtles’ and Smith’s departure, Chinese officials and media have focused instead on the four Chinese journalists who left Australia reportedly after their homes were raided as part of the ASIO investigation.

That’s despite barely a peep from Chinese media when the raids occurred in June.

A piece from the CCP aligned Global Times from late yesterday said Australia was engaged in an “extreme anti-China witch-hunt” which was a “McCarthyism-style horrific persecution of Chinese journalists and scholars”.

The article does not have a byline and is listed as a “viewpoint” but no articles in the Global Times go against Beijing’s wishes. Indeed, many of the sentences used the same phrasing as China’s foreign affairs spokesman when he piled into Australia on the same day.

The article was illustrated with a picture of a benign looking panda staring at an angry kangaroo.

“The witch hunt campaign under the excuse of investigating the so-called Chinese infiltration, promoted by Australian security departments, is getting infuriating,” the piece stated.

“The raid was a horrendous violation of the basic rights and freedom of the press of the Chinese journalists.”

That line might come as a surprise to countless Western journalists who claim they have been harassed in China by authorities, with many now expelled, not allowed into the country or, like Cheng, in detention.

RELATED: China fires ballistic missiles as warning to US

Australian journalist Cheng Lei has been held since at least August 14, 2020. Picture: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade/Australia Global Alumni/AFP.

“It is unbelievable that such barbaric behaviour actually happened in broad daylight in a country that claims to be a free and democratic country,” it said of the raids in Australia.

“Australia‘s so-called freedom of the press and freedom of speech have become a complete joke.”

As in most Global Times’ pieces, the author accused Australia of being subservient to the US. Although it said that Australia was carrying out the policies of Washington D.C. in a more “ruthless way”.

“The intent of Australian authorities is clear – they want to hype the anti-China sentiment to the largest extent possible so that political figures who hold somewhat neutral views fear voicing their opinion which in turn has led to anti-China Australian public opinion to become one-sided.”

The piece was one of the first from inside China to reference the departure of the two Australian journalists. It attempted to compare the treatment of Birtles and Smith with the four Chinese journalists.

Angry roo, benign panda. How Chinese media outlet Global Times illustrates the relationship. Picture: Liu Rui/GT.

“Chinese authorities did not search their residences or electronic devices. However, Australian media has spared no efforts in discrediting China‘s actions, deliberately fabricating a scene in which China suppresses journalists from Western countries.

“Such double standard is disgusting. To be honest, the bizarre logic of Australian journalists leaves us speechless,” the piece frothed.

On Wednesday, China‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian also attacked the June raids.

“The Australian Government‘s behaviour severely interrupts the normal reporting of Chinese media outlets in Australia, blatantly violates the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese journalists there and caused severe harm to the physical and mental health of the journalists and their families.”

Mr Zhao said China had asked Australia to “immediately stop such blatant irrational behaviours, stop harassing and oppressing Chinese personnel in Australia”.

China has accused Australia of “barbaric behaviour” despite Australian journalists fleeing Chine. Picture: Anthony Wallace/AFP

Former ASIO director-general Dennis Richardson told The Australian on Thursday that the treatment of Birtles and Smith was incomparable to the raids of Chinese journalists.

“Foreign journalists in China are being systematically harassed and … those that have left China have done so out of concern for their own safety, or they have been expelled by the Chinese.”

Investigating Chinese journalists in Australia in the context of an investigation into foreign interference was “legitimate,” Mr Richardson said.

Last week, a Global Times editorial called Australians “poor white trash” and darkly warned there will be “consequences” if we don’t play nice with China.

Australia, it claimed, was “provoking China” and was on a “lose-lose path” that would “undoubtedly cause huge damage to its already severely injured economy”.

“The momentum of trade liberalisation, investment facilitation, economic complementarity and normalisation of cultural exchanges has come to an abrupt end,” it said.

The publication recalled an infamous 1980 quote about Australia from then Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

“If Australia doesn’t open up its economy and reduce unemployment, it risks becoming the ‘poor white trash of Asia’, the Global Times editorial stated.

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Eerie first pics of deadly NZ island

Now, a filmmaker has captured the first images from the air of White Island to show how the volcanic remains look 10 months after the disaster.

Filmmaker Geoff Mackley asked for permission from the Civil Aviation Authority to enter the no-fly zone and photograph what lingered below.

RELATED: White Island volcano eruption victims named as soldiers retrieve bodies

NZ Based Volcano explorer Geoff Mackley has reported that he is the first to capture drone images of the White Island Volcano since its eruption in December 2019. Picture: Geoff Mackley/GWN

Mr Mackley had to get permission from the Civil Aviation Authority to enter the no-fly zone. Picture: Geoff Mackley/GWN

RELATED: White Island tour guide survivor Jake Milbank opens up about recovery

In an interview with Stuff, Mr Mackley said he could still smell the sulphur during his visit, and while there was no heat coming off the island – he could see a yellow chemical slick swirling into the ocean.

Sending the drone into the sky, Mr Mackley shot the video showing the volcano below which is the first documentation of close-up images since the December 9 eruption.

“It’s not like it was before, where there was clearly defined tracks,” he said.

“They’ve been totally obliterated. It’s like no-one has ever been there. So yeah, it’s pretty eerie.”

Mr Mackley said he witnessed mud and ash, however there was no clear sign of destruction aside from the abandoned helicopter on the island with its broken blade after being blown off the helipad during the 2.11pm blast.

An abandoned helicopter on White Island, New Zealand. Picture: Geoff Mackley/GWN

Mr Mackley has he’s filmed dozens of volcanoes around the world. Picture: Geoff Mackley/ GWN

Despite being close to the island to capture the shots, Mr Mackley said he wasn’t “nervous” about his visit to the waters surrounding the eruption site.

“Obviously I know that it can blow up without warning at any time,” he said.

“It’s Russian roulette. Something’s not highly likely to happen today, but if you were going out there every day, something will happen eventually.

“The volcano doesn’t care what we’re doing up top, it will do what it wants to do. It’s really just unfortunate that it happened when it did. There were 20 other hours in each day when it could have happened when there was no-one there, and all night.

Mr Mackley said the island looked very grey. Picture: Geoff Mackley/GWN

The NZ island that used to once bring in millions in tourism dollars each year. Picture: Geoff Mackley/GWN

“You obviously thought about what went on out there and how terrible it would have been.”

Since the eruption, no one has stepped foot on the island that used to once bring in millions in tourism dollars each year.

Many of the visitors to the island were trapped by the plumes of smoke, unable to outrun the acidic gas and ash that surrounded them.

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‘I did not choke her’

In a statement posted on Twitter, Aaron Coleman responded to a report published by The Intercept last week in which Taylor Passow, 21, recalled the alleged assault last year.

Ms Passow said they were sitting in a hot tub at an Airbnb in Kansas City last December when Mr Coleman brought up his interest in having a threesome.

According to Ms Passow, she told him she wasn’t interested but as a joke said maybe as a birthday present she could break up with him for one day and he could have one.

“He sat there for a few seconds, then he jumped on top of me, put his hands around my throat and started squeezing, and slapped me three times, and said, ‘I don’t know where the f**k you think you’re going’,” she told The Intercept.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 09-06-2020Statement from Democratic Party nominee Aaron Coleman of Kansas’ 37th District on relationship problems pic.twitter.com/THia6h7TA1— Aaron Coleman

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Man sues British wife over anti-Australian racial discrimination

Duncan Bendall, a businessman who grew up in Sydney, took his wife Fiona and the company they set up together to the London Employment Tribunal after the couple separated, The Times reported.

Mr and Mrs Bendall founded The Female Social Network in 2016 while they were living in Sydney. Their marriage began to break down after they returned to London last year, until Mr Bendall was eventually sacked in August for “gross misconduct”.

He took his case to the tribunal alleging he had been unfairly dismissed and discriminated against based on his race and sex.

As the relationship deteriorated Mrs Bendall became “increasingly abusive and bullying”, Mr Bendall said.

Mr Bendall told the tribunal he had been victimised by his wife, with the board forcing through a change in share holdings from 50-50 to 51-49 in favour of Mrs Bendall in order to market the company as female-owned.

“Fiona told them (the board) that I would be compliant as long as the investment comes in,” Mr Bendall told the tribunal, according to The Times. “I believe the optics were not as good as introducing a male founder to prospective investors, especially one as a plain-talking Australian, compared to an English woman.”

Mrs Bendall, who was nominated for the 2019 NSW Business Woman of the Year Award, allegedly gave her husband just 12 hours to object to the proposal while he was in Australia for Anzac Day.

Duncan and Fiona Bendall pictured with Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, at the UK launch of The Female Social Network at The Ivy in London. Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images

During the argument, she sent him an email which read, “I hate Australian mentality and you have it droves just shit ... And DO NOT say you are a founder in MY business MY efforts ever again You Leech – you don’t even believe in women or have ever struck your neck out.”

In August he learned his bags had been packed and he was being kicked out of the London home they shared, which was also the company’s office. “It is clear that we are done ... Your belongings will be packed ... Ed and Praveen will meet with you to discuss TFSN and the way forwards,” Mrs Bendall texted her husband.

Mr Bendall told the tribunal running the business from their family home had put a strain on their relationship, with staff often drinking and smoking at the house after work.

“Fiona had an ­almost exclusively female team — there was one male who worked as a sales intern — and they got into the habit of staying up late drinking excessive amounts of alcohol in the family home,” he told the tribunal.

“Many of the colleagues were smokers and used to stand outside the house smoking directly under the bedroom window of my and Fiona’s 15-year-old daughter. This used to distress me and I would ask them to stop.”

He said it was one of these altercations that was cited as justification for his dismissal.

“She kept treating Australia as an inferior race, despite living there for 15 years,” he said.

The employment judge accepted he had been discriminated against based on race, but not on sex, ordering Mrs Bendall to pay him more than £100,000 ($180,500).

frank.chung@news.com.au

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