Trump claims 'best debate ever' as Taylor Swift drops election bombshell: Australia news live

Police have shared a concerning update on today's anti-weapons protest in Melbourne that has so far led to 39 arrests.

A Victoria Police spokesperson said the force were "appalled" with the behaviour of some protesters.

"This morning, those police have been pelted with missiles including bottles filled with liquid, rocks, and horse manure whilst trying to protect the attendees of the Land Forces expo, some of whom were also assaulted by protestors," the spokesperson said.

"Some police have been spat at by protestors, whilst other officers have been sprayed with a liquid irritant, some of which has been identified as acid."

Several police horses have been injured, with Chief Commissioner Shane Patton saying some were punched, while 24 police officers needed medical treatment.

Commissioner Patton said it was highly hypocritical to protest war, only to engage in violent acts.

We bring you some breaking news now. Killer bus driver Brett Button, whose reckless driving led to the death of 10 wedding guests in the Hunter Valley in 2023, has been jailed for at least 24 years.

Judge Roy Ellis handed the 59-year-old a maximum 32-year sentence, saying he was clearly impaired by the opioid Tamerol when driving too fast and engaging in risk-taking behaviour before the horrific crash at Greta.

The judge said in his more than 50 years of being involved in the judicial system, 21 years as a judge, he was unaware of any other case of such magnitude which had had such a devastating impact on so many people.

Giving evidence in his defence earlier on Wednesday, Button said he was "ashamed" and wished he could "disappear".

"I can't forgive myself. I can't believe I caused this. I never meant to cause this," he said. "I truly wish it never happened."

Read more here.

That's the big question isn't it? For many, it was Kamala Harris who came out on top. But has it put her in the driving seat? Well it's not that simple.

When asked, five campaign reporters from US-based political publication Politico were unanimous in choosing Harris as the victor.

But it hasn't necessarily made a significant shift when it comes to the key states in the election.

"The race is going to stay close until the very end. Harris went into this debate needing to prove that she could be unscripted, and she did that tonight. Does it change the election fully in her favor? Probably not. But it keeps people from running away from her," White House correspondent Eugene Daniel said.

"For Trump, everything he did tonight is what voters are probably used to for him, whether they like it or not. For the MAGA faithful, nothing changed. But I’m not sure he pulled anyone who was on the fence into his camp, which means they both have a lot more work to do."

Read more here.

"It was my best debate ever, I think."

That's what Donald Trump thought of his performance in the presidential debate with Kamala Harris.

He spoke to reporters roughly 30 minutes after the debate, and referenced unidentified polls suggesting he came out on top despite what he described as an "unfair" debate.

“I thought the moderators were very unfair. Basically it was three-on-one. But I thought they were very unfair," he said.

“I assumed the moderators would be bad because that is the worst of the networks, in my opinion.”

Trump said he was unsure if he would accept Harris' proposal of another debate.

"She wants to do another because she got beaten tonight," he said.

Well this is very big news.

Taylor Swift has endorsed Kamala Harris immediately after the debate.

"I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them," Swift wrote.

We will be speaking to an expert shortly to dig into just how significant this is for the presidential race.

In the immediate aftermath of the debate, Tom Llamas, a news anchor at ABC which hosted the debate said the vibes were bad in Trump’s camp.

“My phone has been blowing up with both Republicans and Democratic strategists and voters,” he said on air. “It is a completely different shift from that first debate”.

“After the first debate Republicans felt very victorious … This time it’s very different. Republicans seem very frustrated with former president Trump,” he said.

“They also felt very frustrated with the format of the debate, which is never a good sign,” he added, suggesting Trump supporters were not happy with moderators fact checking certain statements he made.

According to Politico, which also spoke to a number of Republican strategists on the condition of anonymity, the mood was similar. “She crushed him,” one told the publication. “He was unprepared and rambled.”

With early voting just weeks away from opening in many US states, the candidates don’t currently have another debate scheduled. However Harris, perhaps riding high, has already requested another debate. We’ll see if Trump accepts.

The US presidential debate has now concluded and we've just heard from Kamala Harris' Vice Presidential Nominee Tim Walz who hailed Harris' "confident" performance.

He quickly moved his attention to Donald Trump, describing him as "angry" and "unhinged".

"[He was] talking about things that are deeply concerning because they make no impact on the American public.

"He shouldn't be anywhere near the White House."

During the debate, 70 per cent of nearly 40,000 voters in a Yahoo poll suggested Harris was coming out on top.

For an in-depth breakdown of the key talking points from the debate, take a look here.

Donald Trump was pressed on his previous remarks about Kamala Harris' race, where he said she "happened to turn black" for political reasons.

Moderator David Muir asked whether it was appropriate to comment on Harris' racial identity, with Trump brushing off his previous narrative.

"I don't care what she is, I don't care. You make a big deal out of something. I couldn't care less. Whatever she wants to be is okay with me," he said.

Harris is the daughter of Jamaican and Indian migrants and identifies as both Black and South Asian.

After all the back-and-forth about microphone rules during the debate, there appears to have been a relaxation of the muting rule.

One of the rules ABC News released ahead of the debate stated that microphones "will be live only for the candidate whose turn it is to speak and muted when the time belongs to another candidate."

It was a rule Kamala Harris was not happy with and wanted scrapped, but a furious Donald Trump blocked her push.

But that rule was quickly flouted, as both Trump and Harris could be heard responding while their microphones were supposed to be muted, interrupting the proceedings.

Shortly before the debate, CNN's Brian Stelter reported that ABC producers were considering opening mics up outside of candidates' allotted speaking time "if something really newsworthy" or "editorially significant" happened.

Donald Trump has remained defiant on a baseless claim Haitian immigrants are stealing and eating pets in Ohio when pressed on immigration.

"They're eating the dogs, the people are eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there, this is what is happening to our country," Trump said.

Moderator David Muir told Trump that there was no such evidence, but Trump persisted with the claim. “Well I've seen people on television [say their pets were taken]" he said.

Once finished, Harris simply laughed. "I mean you talk about extreme?" she said.

Local police said there was no evidence of such criminal activity happening following a social media post pushing the claim.

The US presidential debate is underway. And it started with Kamala Harris approaching Donald Trump to shake his hand.

It's an obvious change from the last debate where US President Joe Biden failed to shake Trump's hand, highlighting the hostility that has developed during this election.

The US presidential debate, which will see Kamala Harris and Donald Trump face off for the first time, will start at 11am (AEST). It is being hosted by ABC News in the US and its namesake here, our ABC will be broadcasting the debate live on its news channel and on YouTube.

Our US team is providing in-depth rolling coverage which can be found here and we will bring you the key moments in this blog.

Protesters have been filmed throwing manure at mounted police in a disgusting act during heated protests in Melbourne this morning.

Thousands surrounded the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, rallying against the Land Forces Defence Expo being held inside.

Protesters are chanting “Free Palestine” and “money for houses and education, not for weapons corporations”.

Scenes have turned ugly, with reporters being surrounded by protesters while reports have emerged rocks have been thrown at police and reins of horses have been grabbed. A number of arrests have been made. We will bring you more information when we have it.

Here's a story that's got a lot of people talking this morning. Rock icon Dave Grohl has announced he's fathered a child with a woman who is not his wife.

The Foo Fighters frontman shared the news on Instagram on Tuesday, writing, “I’ve recently become the father of a new baby daughter, born outside of my marriage. I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her.”

“I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness,” the message went on. “We’re grateful for your consideration toward all the children involved, as we move forward together.”

Grohl’s statement did not include any additional details about his new daughter or her mother.

We're just a couple of hours away from the highly-anticipated presidential debate, which will be the first time Kamala Harris goes head-to-head with Donald Trump.

She was unsuccessful with her push to have the rules changed, meaning microphones will be muted when it is not a candidate's turn to speak.

They will get two minutes to answer each question, with a two-minute rebuttal and an additional minute for a follow-up, clarification or response.

Harris says she is preparing for a wave of lies from Trump during the debate, saying there is "no floor for him in terms of how low he will go".

Trump has lashed out at ABC News, who will host the debate, accusing the network of funnelling questions to Harris ahead of the debate.

There is a desperate search for four Olympic medals that were stolen from an Australian icon's car last week.

Drew Ginn, who was one of the members of Australia's Oarsome Foursome rowing team, won four medals at four separate games, including thee golds. But they have been stolen from him after his car was ransacked on Friday in Melbourne's Docklands when he was due to speak at a school.

"They've got a lot of value for family and friends but you can't insure them," he told ABC Radio Melbourne, hoping whoever has taken them will return them.

Detective Sergeant Timothy Reiher said such items are "priceless" and urged the public to keep an eye out for them for sale online or in pawn shops.

A bus driver behind the wheel when a wedding bus crashed, killing 10 people and injuring 25 more in NSW’s popular Hunter Valley, is expected to give evidence in court for the first time.

Brett Button, 59, will appear before Newcastle District Court on Wednesday having pleaded guilty to 19 charges, including dangerous driving occasioning death and grievous bodily harm.

Button was driving guests from a wedding reception at the Wandin Valley Estate, two hours north of Sydney, back to Singleton on June 11, 2023 when the bus flipped at a roundabout at Greta.

Button sat stoically for two days, avoiding eye contact according to victims and families, 40 of whom provided victim impact statements to the court during a marathon sentence hearing.

Read more here.

A 19-year-old man has been killed after he was stabbed in the stomach overnight in an Adelaide street.

South Australia Police do not believe the attack at about 10pm on Carey Avenue in Seaton is a random incident with investigations ongoing.