RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today
NORTH Korea is threatening war against the US and it’s all James Franco and Seth Rogen’s fault. And, no, we’re not joking.
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TODAY
● North Korea is threatening war against the US and it’s all James Franco and Seth Rogen’s fault
● The Big Day Out has been canned for 2015
● Next year’s season of The Block will take place in a real-life hotel of horrors
● Clive Palmer has teamed up with Al Gore to back the repeal of the carbon tax
LIVE UPDATES
10am
That’s it for our RUSH HOUR live news blog for this morning. Get across the stories you need to know today below.
9.45am
Melbourne can expect some respite from harsh weather today — but it ain’t gonna last.
The forecast is for a partly cloudy with isolated showers this morning, mostly clearing in the afternoon.
Strong westerly winds will decrease to 20 to 30km/h by the arvo and the top temperature is expected to be 16C.
Colder weather and showers are expected for the weekend.
9.30am
Google’s biggest event of the year has been hijacked by protesters railing against “killer robots”.
The seventh annual I/O Developers Conference in San Francisco is usually a highly anticipated way for the company to unveil new products and developments, but two sets of protesters brought the event to a halt.
“You all work for a totalitarian company that builds machines that kills people!” one man yelled while pointing towards the stage.
Once the crazies were dispensed with, Google unveiled its Android One plan, which aims to bring cheap smartphones to developing nations, and a range of new software.
Read our technology writer Harry Tucker’s full wrap-up here.
9.15am
A MAN’S ear has been severed during another shocking case of road rage in Sydney.
The man also suffered stab wounds and a head injury, and is in a critical condition in hospital, police said.
The incident, which involved a black Toyota Hilux and a silver Subaru WRX, occurred in Parklea and Stanhope Gardens in the city’s north-west about 9 last night.
This shocking event follows another road rage incident in the Sydney’s inner west on Monday night, which left an elderly man with a fractured neck and head injuries.
9am
Powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has vowed to “shake the ground” under the feet of advancing Sunni militants in Iraq.
Sadr leads the movement that battled US forces during the latest nine-year war in Iraq.
He has voiced opposition to American military advisers meeting with Iraqi commanders to address the ongoing unrest, AFP reports.
So far, the Sunni offensive has overrun large parts of five Iraqi provinces, killed nearly 1100 people, displaced hundreds of thousands and threatened to tear the country apart.
8.30am
Bad news for music lovers this morning.
The owners of the Big Day Out music festival have axed the event for 2015.
The US owners of the alternative music icon, C3 Presents, have confirmed to NZ Newswire that the festival will not be staged in the US or New Zealand next year.
“While we intend to bring back the festival in future years, we can confirm there will not be a Big Day Out in 2015,” C3 said in a statement.
8.15am
The Australian dollar has lifted on the back of the underperforming US economy.
The Aussie dollar bounced back this morning to sit at 94.08 US cents, up from 93.62¢ yesterday.
Disappointing economic data from the US dragged the greenback lower, AAP reports.
The US economy shrunk 2.9 per cent (annual rate) in the first quarter, the sharpest contraction in five years.
Click here for all the other finance news you need to know today.
8.05am
France has drawn with Ecuador 0-0 in Group E of the World Cup. The French will now advance to knockout stages.
Keep up to date with the latest scores, blow-ups and novelty of the Cup with our live blog.
8am
Rolling political crises have put the Victorian Coalition government in a losing position, a new poll shows.
The Coalition would be comfortably beaten if an election were held today, according to The Australian, with an exclusive Newspoll putting Labor at 54 per cent and the Coalition at 46 per cent in two-party-preferred terms.
It has been a tough few months for Premier Denis Napthine, with suspended independent MP Geoff Shaw causing political headaches.
The federal budget is believed to have contributed to the poor showing, despite a big-spending state budget.
Victoria goes to the polls on November 29.
7.40am
BREAKING: A seven-year-old boy who went missing in the Victorian ski fields has died from cardiac arrest.
The Herald Sun reports that the boy was found unconscious in the snow at Mt Buller about 6.30 last night.
“He was treated for over an hour, but unfortunately couldn’t be revived,” Ambulance Victoria spokesperson Paul Bentley said.
7.20am
North Korea has threatened war against the US — and it’s all James Franco and Seth Rogen’s fault.
The North Korean foreign ministry has promised “merciless” retaliation if a new film about killing Kim Jong-un is released, the BBC reports.
The movie in question, The Interview, stars the Hollywood buddies playing a talk-show host and his producer sent to the country to interview the North Korean leader. They are then tasked by the CIA to assassinate him.
A ministry spokesman said release of the movie was “the most blatant act of terrorism and war and will absolutely not be tolerated”.
7am
If Arnold Schwarzenegger can do it, surely George Clooney can.
There are reports out of the US this morning that Oscar winner George Clooney is seriously contemplating running for the governor of California.
A source has told Us Weekly that Clooney “has been talking to politicians about running for years”.
“George has said his ultimate goal is to become a US senator, but he knows he would have to hold a position like governor first,” the insider said.
6.40am
We will find out today whether Gerard Baden-Clay will give evidence in his own murder trial.
The former real estate agent has pleaded not guilty to killing his wife Allison and dumping her body in a Brisbane creek in April of 2012.
The Crown wrapped up its case yesterday after 10 days of evidence that included 71 witnesses.
Keep up to date on the trial with The Courier-Mail.
6.20am
It’s the most unlikely of political pairings.
Mining magnate Clive Palmer has teamed up with former US vice-president and climate action advocate Al Gore last night to announce that he would back the government’s plan to repeal the carbon tax.
Mr Palmer’s support of the repeal is conditional on the government ensuring through legislation that power bill savings are passed on to consumers.
He has also wants Australia to legislate an emissions trading scheme that can kick in when other countries come on board.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott will meet with Mr Palmer this morning to discuss his views.
Read more about the developments here.
6.01am
WE’VE had The Block Sky High and The Block Glasshouse is on its way — but could the next version of ratings hit be The Block Haunted House?
Channel 9 has bought the notorious Hotel Saville in South Yarra, Victoria, for next year’s season of the reality TV series, The Daily Telegraph reports.
The hotel was the scene of a grisly attack by a self-styled vampire gigolo.
As if renovating on The Block wasn’t tough enough!
6am
Good morning, and welcome to our “headlines in a hurry” news coverage. We’ll be bringing you the morning’s biggest stories so you can get across the news quickly.
Originally published as RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today
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