Your afternoon Briefing

Good afternoon, readers. Here’s what made news this Monday.

Good afternoon, readers. Here’s what made news this Monday.

2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in QLD. The Closing Ceremony flag bearer announcement at the Athletes Village. Retiring gold medal wheelchair marathon champion Kurt Fearnley is the flag bearer. Steve Moneghetti. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Fearnley: Many things to celebrate

The inspirational para-athlete who was chosen to carry the flag has opened up about the heavily criticised Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony.

Kurt Fearnley, who received a rousing ovation as he led the Australian team into the stadium on Sunday hours after winning gold in the men’s wheelchair marathon, agreed with Peter Beattie that organisers had “got it wrong” by not allowing athletes to march during the live broadcast.

But he stopped short of any further criticism.

“Right now, we have just finished the best and most inclusive Games we have ever had,” Fearnley told SEN radio.

“It’s the best two weeks of my life ... Let’s just move on and remember the Games as the absolute success that it was.

Prince Charles (right) is seen talking to the Australian Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten (left) at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort on the Gold Coast, Australia, Thursday, April 5, 2018. The Prince of Wales and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall are in Australia to officially open the XXI Commonwealth Games. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Charles reacts to republic plan

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Prince Charles has taken Labor’s push for an Australian head of state with “good grace” during their recent meeting.

“If Prince Charles is the head of the Commonwealth, then we’ll still have an ongoing connection with the United Kingdom.”

“But the fact of the matter is that after over 200 years of European settlement, as we approach the close of the second decade of the 21st century, our country is ready for our own head of state.”

“Prince Charles took that in good grace,” he said.

-

A pro-surfing competition has been suspended after a man was bitten by a shark at Gracetown about 270km south of Perth.

‘Like Mick Fanning moment’

A pro-surfing competition has restarted after a man was bitten by a shark at Gracetown about 270km south of Perth this morning.

Friends used the rope from the victim’s board as a tourniquet and gave him first aid until emergency crews arrived from Margaret River within six minutes.

A St John Ambulance spokesman said the victim, in his 30s, was conscious and was flown to Royal Perth Hospital.

—

A modified road sign in Victoria posted to Twitter by Bernard Salt.

Smashed avo a sign of the times

A road sign to the Victorian regional centre of Avoca has been vandalised in tribute to Australia’s priciest breakfast meal.

The picture was tweeted out by The Australian’s columnist Bernard Salt last night and has garnered huge hits on social media.

Salt’s name has forever been connected to smashed avo since one of his columns on the breakfast favourite received international attention.