Julian Assange set to return to Australia later today after pleading guilty to espionage charges, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosts Solomon Islands prime minister Jeremiah Manele in Canberra, Queensland Maroons hoping to end State of Origin Series tonight at the MCG.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Julian Assange set to return to Australia later today after pleading guilty to espionage charges.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosts Solomon Islands prime minister Jeremiah Manele in Canberra.
- Queensland Maroons hoping to end State of Origin Series tonight at the MCG.
Julian Assange has pleaded guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U-S national defence documents.
Under the deal with the US justice department, Mr Assange will be free to leave the court due to time already served in a UK prison.
He is expected to arrive in Canberra at 6:45pm tonight.
The WikiLeaks founder arrived at the Saipan District Court alongside Australia's Ambassador to the United States and former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Mr Assange's father, John Shipton, says it feels surreal to be welcoming his son home after all this time.
"It seems as though the detail, as it expands, is less interesting than the fact that I've got to go to the airport tonight and greet Julian on Australian soil. As the detail unfolds, there's some trepidation because the United States, this may be unwise to say, but the United States seems very hard to trust."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government is proud to welcome newly elected Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele on his first trip since he took up the role.
The two men have held a joint press conference shortly before their meeting where they are set to discuss several key issues, including security partnership, economic development and infrastructure.
Mr Albanese says the federal government considers the neighbouring nation as one of its most important allies.
"Australia is Solomon Islands' partner of choice. And we do not take this for granted. Today we discuss how we can keep working together, to further strengthen our bilateral relationship and I thank you for the invitation for me to visit the Solomon Islands. We are clear and open with one another. And this is the key to our enduring partnership."
The Australian Council of Social Service has launched its blueprint framework for fair, fast and inclusive action on climate change.
Several MPs attended the launch earlier today at Parliament House in Canberra.
Head of ACOSS Cassandra Goldie, who announced the blueprint, says it provides an equitable pathway to the net zero emissions target.
Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Jenny McAllister says the blueprint shows governments a way to improve the lives of all Australians.
"These principles are as relevant to this area of policy, as they are to anything else that we do as a government. And so, I'm really delighted Cass to see the blueprint that you and the team have put together and are bringing forward today. Because there is no source of disadvantage that climate change doesn't make worse. And your blueprint sets out a range of ways and a range of areas where governments have an opportunity to make a difference."
Australians are concerned social media platform giants are failing to stop scams and even encouraging the online phenomena.
The Australian Banking Association released research on Wednesday revealing 39 per cent of Australians believe Meta - the owner of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp - is not trying to stop scams on its platforms.
It also found one in five think the mega social platform is encouraging scams.
Google faired better among public opinion with eight per cent of people surveyed thinking it encouraged scams while 37 per cent believe the platform is failing to do anything to stop them.
Confidence in banks, telcos, payment companies like Mastercard and the government was also assessed in the poll.
Australia's battle against inflation is not over and the monthly consumer price gauge is expected to show the annual measure edging higher once again.
After moderating convincingly in the second half of 2023, progress to beat inflation has been frustratingly slow for policy makers.
For two months running, the Australian Bureau of Statistics' consumer price index has recorded a faster pace of annual growth, inching higher each month to hit 3.6 per cent in April.
AMP Australia chief economist Shane Oliver said the May inflation gauge would likely clock a 3.8 per cent annual increase.
That said, the annual rise would in part be influenced by unfavourable base effects, while a 0.2 per cent decline is expected on a month-by-month basis largely thanks to falling prices at the petrol pump.
In rugby league,
The Queensland Maroons will be hoping to end this year's State of Origin series when they take on the New South Wales Blues later tonight at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Maroons coach Billy Slater has said his team's fullback Reece Walsh is fully fit and will be starting the game despite taking a knock in the series opener in Sydney.
The 21-year-old has not taken part in any game since he picked up a knock in the clash against the Blues but has been very energetic in training.
Slater has rejected claims that the New South Wales team will choose to focus on the young player, saying the emphasis is placed on the entire team.
The Maroons won the first game, which was played on June 5, by 38-10.
