Australia news LIVE: PM says Voice strikes ‘right balance’ as referendum legislation passes; Labor could bypass Senate to finance affordable homes
Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
Key posts
- Xi hails ‘progress’ as he meets Blinken during rare China trip
- Tourist submarine exploring Titanic wreck missing, search underway
- This morning’s headlines at a glance
-
1 of 1
Xi hails ‘progress’ as he meets Blinken during rare China trip
In other overseas news, China’s Xi Jinping hailed “progress” at the start of talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing.
It was the final engagement of a rare trip aimed at ensuring disputes between the superpowers do not spiral into conflict.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.Credit: AP
Blinken, the first holder of his post to meet the Chinese leader since 2018, had earlier strode towards Xi with his hand outstretched at the Great Hall of the People, a venue China often uses for greeting heads of state – positive signals in the choreography of diplomacy.
The two delegations then faced each other across a long conference table bedecked with pink lotus flowers, with Xi at the head and Blinken just to his right.
The meeting, on the final day of Blinken’s two-day visit, could help facilitate a summit between Xi and US President Joe Biden later in the year.
Reuters
Tourist submarine exploring Titanic wreck missing, search underway
In overseas news, a submarine on a tourism expedition to explore the wreckage of the Titanic has gone missing off the coast of southeastern Canada, according to the private company that operates the vessel.
OceanGate Expeditions said in a brief statement on Monday, local time, that it was “mobilising all options” to rescue those on board the vessel.
A desperate search is underway after a vessel used to take tourists to see the wreck of the Titanic, went missing in the Atlantic Ocean.
The US Coast Guard did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Media reports said the Coast Guard launched search-and-rescue operations.
It was not immediately clear how many people were missing.
The family of British billionaire Hamish Harding said he was onboard.
His stepson wrote on Facebook that Harding had “gone missing on submarine” and asked for “thoughts and prayers.” The stepson subsequently removed the post, citing respect for the family’s privacy.
Read more from Reuters on this story here.
This morning’s headlines at a glance
Good morning, and thanks for your company.
It’s Tuesday, June 20. I’m Caroline Schelle, and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day.
Here’s what you need to know before we get started:
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is poised to bypass the Senate and finance thousands of affordable homes in the nation’s suburbs to deal with spiralling rents.
- Albanese also says the power of the proposed Voice to parliament strikes the right balance, after the bill to authorise the historic referendum passed the Senate yesterday.
- Independent senator David Van’s will have his pay cut by nearly $25,000, as well as the loss of a range of committee roles, while parliament’s new independent HR agency won’t run until at least October.
- Australia will pledge hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding to challenge China’s stranglehold over the supply of critical minerals as it works with allies to diversify supply chains.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government can take action on housing without Senate support.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
- The federal Treasury failed to carry out its key role in shining a light on the country’s $75 billion black economy, a scathing independent examination of the department has revealed.
- The Australian Energy Market Operator’s boss fears that declining investment in clean energy projects is slowing the rollout of infrastructure needed to replace coal-fired generators.
- And, the head of Tibet’s government-in-exile says it is unfair for Australia to hold countries such as Russia and Iran to a higher human rights standard than China.
- In overseas news, a submarine on a tourism expedition to explore the wreckage of the Titanic has gone missing off the coast of southeastern Canada.
-
1 of 1
Most Viewed in National
Source: Read Full Article