Daily News Roundup

WEDNESDAY, SEPT 30

The first US presidential debate turned extraordinarily ugly today, as Donald Trump and Joe Biden hurled insults and repeatedly spoke over each other.

The two candidates have been slagging each other off in public for months, but this was their first face-to-face meeting, and it quickly went off the rails.

Moderator Chris Wallace struggled to maintain control as Mr Trump in particular repeatedly interrupted both he and Mr Biden.

“I guess I’m debating you, not him. That’s OK, I’m not surprised,” the President remarked at one point, addressing Wallace.

When the debate ended and the US TV networks cut back to their studios for analysis, several of the anchors and political experts seemed shellshocked by what they had just witnessed.

NBC anchor Lester Holt, who has moderated presidential debates in the past, described it as a “low point in American political discourse”.

“Frankly, I’m a bit at loss for words here to describe what we’ve just witnessed,” Holt said.

“I think we just need to pause for a moment and say, that was crazy. What was that?” said his colleague Savannah Guthrie.

Over on ABC, George Stephanopoulos said he had never seen a worse debate in his life.

“I have to speak personally here, as somebody who’s watched presidential debates for 40 years, as someone who has moderated presidential debates, as someone who has prepared candidates for presidential debates,” said Stephanopoulos.

“That was the worst presidential debate I have ever seen in my life.”

The network’s White House correspondent, Jon Karl, agreed that the debate was “a total mess”.

They were even harsher on CNN.

“That was the worst debate I have ever seen. It wasn’t even a debate. It was a disgrace,” said anchor Jake Tapper.

He labelled it “a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a trainwreck”.

“That was a s***show,” said his colleague Dana Bash.

“That is really the phrase I’m getting from people on both sides of the aisle on text, and it’s the only phrase I can think of to describe it.”

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Australian singer Helen Reddy, who reached number 1 around the world with hits like I Am Woman, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 78.

She had been out of the limelight for several years after being diagnosed with dementia.

“She was a wonderful mother, grandmother and a truly formidable woman,” a family statement on her official fan Facebook page said.

“Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever.”

Born in Melbourne in 1941, she started her career as Baby Helen touring with her parents.

She won Bandstand in 1965 and went straight to the United States.

Reddy had her first hit with I Don’t Know How To Love Him in 1971, making her the first Australian to top the US charts.

It was one of three number-one chart toppers she released.

But it was the release of her signature song I Am Woman in 1972 in particular that propelled her to international fame.

She co-wrote the song with Ray Burton and it became the anthem of the women’s movement.

In 1973, she became the first Australian to win a Grammy Award.

The performer’s acceptance speech at the Grammys ceremony is one of music’s memorable moments.

“I’d like to thank God because she makes everything possible,” she told the audience.

“Nobody was singing songs about women and I thought it was high time that they did,” she said.

She had lived in California for several years near her children, but last toured Australia in 2014.

A biopic about her life, which has the same name as her hit song, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019.

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One of the worst kept secrets in NRL has been made official with the Brisbane Broncos confirming Kevin Walters will be the coach chosen to resurrect the side from their worst season in the club’s history.

It is expected that Walters will step aside as head coach of the Queensland team in taking on a two-year contract with the Broncos, but still assist in preparation before the Maroons’ first match in Adelaide in November.

Queensland Rugby League (QRL) is yet to announce his successor at the Maroons.

The Broncos head coaching role is one Kevin Walters has had his eyes on since he was pipped at the post by Anthony Seibold two years ago.

Seibold didn’t last half his five-year contract with the Broncos, but Walters believes he’s up to the challenge to turn things around at Red Hill.

The Broncos took the NRL wooden spoon this year for the first time in the club’s 33-season history.

In 2020, records tumbled for all the wrong reasons, with the club notching up its biggest ever loss — 59-nil to the Sydney Roosters in June.

Brisbane closed out the season with just three wins from 20 matches, losing a record 11 matches in a row