AM briefing: Your very own naked Trump

Bare necessities

Naked Donald Trump could be yours. Celebrity auction house Julien's Auctions said that it will sell one of the life-sized, naked Trump statues artist collective INDECLINE installed around the country last month at an upcoming auction. The statue is expected to fetch at least US$10,000 at the October 23 sale. A portion of the auction proceeds will benefit the National Immigration Forum. The statue originally appeared on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Similar Trump statues popped up in San Francisco, Seattle, Cleveland and New York.

Rhinos being de-horned

Wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe have begun de-horning the country's 700 adult rhinos to curb rampant poaching, a conservation group said. "Our target is to de-horn every single adult rhino and to ear-notch the young ones for record-keeping," Lisa Marabini, director for the Aware Trust Zimbabwe (ATZ) conservation group, said. "This (de-horning) will act as a dissuasive measure and reduce the potential reward for poachers." ATZ is working with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority on the de-horning project. Marabini said at least 50 rhinos were killed by poachers in Zimbabwe's game reserves last year.

Ready for Hurricane Madeline

Intermittent, heavy rain has fallen in Hawaii ahead of what could be the first hurricane to hit the island in a quarter of a century. The rain fell then stopped, leaving just a slight wind. Residents took precautions to protect themselves and their belonging from Hurricane Madeline. Hilo resident Olivia Guerrero used tape to reinforce her apartment windows amid uncertainty about the storm. The National Weather Service said Madeline had weakened but remained on track to hit Hawaii's Big Island tonight. Officials urged residents to expect hurricane conditions.

First US to Cuba flight in 55 years

The first regular commercial flight in more than 50 years from the United States landed in Cuba, as the two nations took the latest step in their efforts to boost ties. JetBlue Flight 387 landed in the central Cuban city of Santa Clara about an hour after leaving Fort Lauderdale in southeastern Florida with 150 passengers on board. The plane was greeted with a water cannon salute, an aviation tradition in which aircraft pass under arcs of water before flying to their destinations for the first time. Its departure from Florida was celebrated the same way. The flight was the first of 110 expected daily trips connecting US cities to airports in Cuba. Regular air service was severed during the Cold War, and charter flights have been the only air links since.

'Gabon parliament on fire'

Angry protesters set fire to Gabon's National Assembly as thousands of people took the streets after an announcement that President Ali Bongo had been re-elected, witnesses said. "The whole building is catching fire," said a man at the scene called Yannick told AFP. Journalists further away saw a plume of fire and smoke rising into the air above the building. The National Assembly lies on the same road as several important institutions, among them the Senate, the Oil Ministry, several embassies and the headquarters of state television.