TRANSCRIPT
- Tributes pour in for Former Liberal MP Kevin Andrews who died at 69
- South Korea's Prime Minister takes charge as acting president after Yoon's impeachment
- Cummins resists calls for four-day Tests despite rapid finishes
Parliamentarians from across the board are sharing tributes to former Coalition MP Kevin Andrews who has died at the age of 69 after a short struggle with cancer.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described Mr Andrews as "a man of strong views" who was "very personable."
Former Prime Minister John Howard, who said he spoke with Mr Andrews hours before his death, has described him as a "warrior for what he held dear."
Mr Andrews died in the presence of his wife Margaret, and with their five children at his side.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has labelled the Opposition's nuclear energy proposal a disaster for all consumers.
Peter Dutton unveiled the long-discussed nuclear plan by the Opposition, projecting it would cost taxpayers around $337 billion over 25 years.
The plan, which the Coalition says will provide a cheaper alternative to Labor's renewable energy solution, involves the development of at least seven power stations by 2037.
But Mr Albanese has accused Peter Dutton of not being straight forward about the true costs of his plans towards consumers.
"This is a disastrous plan put forward by Peter Dutton just before Christmas because he wants to hide from scrutiny, with no costing whatsoever of what the difference will be for consumers. I don't know where you get the idea of cheaper from because there's no costings out there from Peter Dutton saying what the cost will be for consumers."
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South Korean officials have delivered impeachment documents against President Yoon Suk Yeol to the Presidential Office and Constitutional Court after politicians voted to censure him over his mishandled martial law declaration on the 3rd of December.
The Constitutional Court has six months to decide whether to remove Mr Yoon.
If removed, a snap election will follow.
The impeachment passed after at least 12 members of Yoon’s People Power Party joined opposition lawmakers, who control 192 of the 300 seats in the National Assembly, exceeding the two-thirds majority required.
The final vote was 204 in favour, 85 against, with three abstentions and eight invalid ballots.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Saturday held the first Cabinet meeting as acting president, following the parliament's impeachment of Mr Yoon, calling on the military to be on alert.
"I ask the military to be deeply aware of the gravity of the current situation and establish a combined defense posture in close coordination with the United States, while further strengthening surveillance and readiness in preparation for North Korean provocations and other threats."
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says American officials have been in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Mr Blinken is the first US official to publicly confirm contacts between the Biden administration and HTS, which led a coalition of armed opposition groups that ousted former President Bashar al Assad from power last Sunday.
The US has long designated the group as a foreign terrorist organisation.
Speaking at a news conference following regional talks in Jordan, Mr Blinken said it was important for the U-S to convey messages to the group about its conduct and how it intends to govern in a transition period.
He added that a political transition in Syria should be Syrian-led and Syrian-owned.
"In this region and elsewhere, we've seen how the fall of a repressive regime can swiftly give way to more conflicts and chaos, how the shoes of one dictator can be filled by another, or how interference by an outside country can be thrown off, only to be replaced by another. That's why it's so important that we and our partners came together today to agree on principles that will guide our efforts to help the Syrian people meet these challenges."
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of a terror attack against his nation's energy grid.
The Ukrainian president claims almost a hundred missiles and 200 drones were launched in the attack that mainly targeted the nation's power sources.
Russia has been aiming to cut off the Ukrainian citizens from their energy supply for months, in an attempt to put an early end to the conflict.
Mr Zelenskyy says many of the most recent attacks have been intercepted.
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And in sport,
Test cricket hasn’t seen so many early finishes in 140 years, but Australia captain Pat Cummins opposes shifting to four-day matches.
Heavy rain at the Gabba on Saturday appears to be the best chance of a match lasting five days this summer, following two quick Tests in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
In Perth, 17 wickets fell on day one, with the match ending on day four, while Adelaide's Test wrapped up in the first session of day three after a 14-wicket second day.
The Gabba, known for fast-paced games, has seen only one of its last four Tests extend beyond day four.
