TRANSCRIPT:
- Labor preparing its second term agenda after Saturday's decisive election result;
- A massive sandstorm hits the capital of Saudi Arabia, forcing residents inside;
- Casper Ruud wins his first Masters 1000 title at the Madrid Open.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his deputy Richard Marles have met in Canberra today to decide on a timeline for the government's path forward following Saturday's election.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the government wants to work hard to repay the trust delivered to them by voters.
"Our responsibilities to the working people of Australia (and) - the working people of Queensland - are really clear: decent pay and conditions, lower income taxes, helping people with the cost of living. Making sure that in difficult times, people can get by, work hard and provide for their loved ones."
The PM himself says he already knows what the first legislative agenda item will be.
"REPORTER: "Prime Minister, once you've sorted out the front bench and everyone's been sworn in, when it comes to legislation and policy what is the first item on the agenda for you?"
PM: "Twenty percent cut in student debt, as I promised."
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Backlash from the Chinese Australian community appears to have cost the Liberals at least one more seat.
The Liberals have lost Menzies to Labor with a tight margin, with almost one third of the electorate's population identifying themselves as Chinese.
Other electorates known for large Chinese Australian populations such as Bennelong, Reid and Chisholm have all been retained by Labor with large margins.
In its 2022 internal review, the Liberal party had identified losing votes from this community as a key reason for failing to retain the government.
A Chinese Australian resident living in Sydney has told SBS Chinese the Coalition do not appear to have learned anything from that review.
"On my social media feed, I can see my friends are quite happy with the election result. I know most of my friends support Labor. Maybe that's because people don't have a good impression of the Coalition's leader Peter Dutton. But the main reason could be related to the US election and Trump's victory. Having seen Trump being elected and what happened to the US, people might feel Australia's economy could become as messy as the U-S, if the Liberals were elected."
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A powerful sandstorm has hit the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
The Saudi National Centre of Meteorology says the storm swept through the capital with thick clouds of dust, almost hiding skylines and forcing many residents to stay indoors in one of the kingdom’s busiest cities.
But the weather system has also affected several other regions across Saudi Arabia, including Jazan, Asir, Al Baha, Mecca, and Al Qassim.
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U-S President Donald Trump has announced a 100 per cent tariff on movies produced outside the country.
In a statement on the Truth Social platform, he's declared that he has authorised the commerce department and the US trade representative to begin imposing the tariff immediately.
He claims other countries have used production incentives to attract American filmmakers, leading to a loss in the country's film-making sector.
Mr Trump says in his view, these incentives are a national security threat to the US.
"Every country, almost without fail, friend and foe has been ripping us off for years. So we're meeting with almost all, including China. And at the end, I'm setting the deal. I keep saying, what are you going to… this is not like a big deal that's going to be signed. In some cases we’ll sign, but we don’t have to. I'm going to be setting the deal."
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The New South Wales government has unveiled a plan revitalise Australia's live performance scene.
Arts Minister John Graham says the government will offer international music concert tours discounted arena hire fees at some of Australia's largest venues if they choose home-grown acts to open their shows.
Just three Australian albums were in the ARIA top 100 charts in 2024, which John Graham has labelled a "crisis".
NSW Premier Chris Minns says giving Aussie artists their first big break in front of thousands of locals will help them get high rotation on playlists.
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A champion pilot injured in a serious crash at the Avalon Airshow says he's on the mend - slowly - more than five weeks after the accident.
Sky Aces pilot Glenn Collins has published a message that says he's without full feeling in his lower body, and that while he's got a long road to recovery, he's grateful for those who have donated to a fundraiser established in his name.
Mr Collins was injured after his plane plunged into the ground while he attempted an aerobatic manoeuvre at the Airshow near Melbourne on March 28.
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Norway's Casper Ruud has won his first Masters 1000 title, beating fifth seed Jack Draper in the Madrid Open men's final.
He is now the first Norwegian player to ever win at this level.
Ruud says he has been dreaming about achieving this goal for years.
"It's been a long time coming... So it’s an incredible feeling to accomplish it, and the way I also did it today. It was a great match. I mean, Jack had been playing unbelievable all year, and especially this tournament. I knew that if I don’t bring my AA-plus game I’m going to be whipped around the court."
