What we learned today, Sunday 25 September
The time has come to wrap up the blog. Here’s a summary of the day’s top stories:
The ongoing flood emergency in NSW is expected to continue, with towns cut off by road and further wet weather across the state forecast in the coming days.
Australia’s defence minister, Richard Marles, has condemned the latest nuclear threat from Russia and pledged long-term support for Ukraine.
The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, has criticised a proposal for Australia to buy nuclear submarines directly from the US.
Tasmanian authorities have removed the majority of whale carcasses on Ocean Beach, in the state’s west, after a mass stranding event on Wednesday.
The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, said the ending of the fuel excise – due on Wednesday – will be “tough on motorists”.
We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow. Ciao!
Australian PMs and former PMs to attend Shinzo Abe’s funeral
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will travel to Japan on Monday to attend the state funeral of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.
Joining Albanese will be former prime ministers John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull, all of whom worked with Abe during his two terms in government.
Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, serving between 2006 and 2007 and then again between 2012 and 2020.
He was assassinated in July.
Abe visited Australia five times as prime minister, the last of which was in 2018.
Albanese called Abe “a reassuring figure of certainty” during a condolence motion moved in the Australian parliament in July:
Our friendship with Japan is one of the central elements of Australia’s international relations.
There is warmth at the heart of our friendship, there is respect and there is trust. Mr Abe embodied them all.
– from AAP
Updated
