Good morning. It's Monday 30 May, and here's a round up of the latest news.
Vote counting continues in final three seats
Counting will resume this morning in the final three seats that remain undecided after last Saturday's federal election.
The margin between the leading candidates in Gilmore in southern New South Wales, and Macnamara and Deakin, both in Victoria, remains incredibly close, with just hundreds of votes separating first and second place in each seat.
The results will ultimately decide if can form a majority government in the new Parliament, with the official tally still placing Labor at 75 seats, one short of the 76 needed.
Peter Dutton expected to be confirmed as new leader of Liberals
Peter Dutton is expected to be confirmed as the new leader of the Liberals when the party meets in Canberra today, following their worst election result in 70 years.
Sussan Ley is expected to be endorsed as the new deputy Liberals leader.
Liberal MP Karen Andrews says that she believes their appointment would be ideal as the party enters opposition for the first time in nine years.
"I think that that would be an excellent outcome," she said.
"So I think to have Peter Dutton as the leader and Sussan Ley as the deputy leader would give the breadth, the skills and the experience to take us forward."
The Liberals' Coalition partner, the Nationals, will also hold a party room meeting to decide their new leadership this morning.
It will be a three-way contest between Barnaby Joyce, Darren Chester, and David Littleproud.
President meets victims of US shooting victims
United States President Joe Biden and his wife Jill have met the families of the 21 victims of last week's mass shooting which killed 19 students in Uvalde, Texas.
The shootings in Texas has opened up the enormous political divides in the United States over gun violence.
The Bidens visited the makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School before attending mass at a local Catholic church.
The main focus of the day for the President will be talking to survivors and the families of the victims.
Jai Hindley wins Giro D'Italia
In cycling, Jai Hindley has become the first Australian to win the Giro D'Italia.
He started the 17.4 kilometre final stage with a lead of one minute and 25 seconds.
He finished fifteenth, but only lost seven seconds to his nearest challenger, Richard Carapaz.
Team Bora's Australian rider Jai Hindley has won the Giro d'Italia 2022 cycling race. Source: AFP / LUCA BETTINI/AFP via Getty Images
Hindley came close to winning the Giro D'Italia in 2020, but things didn't go his way in the final stage.
He says what happened two years ago was motivation for this triumph.
Russia continues assault on Donbas region
Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai says Ukrainian forces are resisting a Russian assault on Sievierodonetsk, the largest city they still hold in the eastern Donbas region, but are weathering heavy artillery barrages.
He says the shelling has been so intense it was not possible to assess casualties and damage.
In the latest official update from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun has said that Russia has launched an offensive around the city of Bakhmut, in the neighbouring Luhansk region, but had been pushed back and sustained high levels of casualties.
Moscow says it has taken the strategic railway hub in Ukraine's Donetsk region, but there has been no acknowledgement from Kyiv.
Australians urged not to delay flu jabs
Pharmacists have urged Australians not to wait for the influenza vaccine to become freely available where they live, as multiple state premiers announce the jab will not cost residents anything.
Western Australia and South Australia have now joined Queensland in providing residents for everyone, rather than just the high risk groups** free shots are normally reserved for.
New South Wales and Victoria are considering a similar commitment.
But David Heffernan from the New South Wales branch of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia says no one should be waiting for the flu jab, given there is so much influenza already in the community.
"This year, this influenza A virus, yes it has come in quite early. It's quite virulent. It's been spreading rapidly now that we are - have all of our borders open," he said.
"So I think it's very important that you get your influenza vaccine to protect yourself - and also make sure you're up-to-date with your COVID vaccines because they are both nasty respiratory viruses and they can cause harm."
