Hi there. It's Friday, September 16, and you're reading The Loop.
Here are some of the top stories you might have missed while crowds have been queuing to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state in London.
The Loop is looking a bit different at the moment as people across Australia and around the world mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II. We'll return to our usual programming soon, but for now, we hope these special editions of The Loop help you stay up to date.
A leaked document shows details about the cancellation of the French sub deal
Written by a Defence insider, the document reveals what was happening behind the scenes as the French submarine contract was scrapped.
It was written by Kim Gillis, who was involved in the original decision to choose the French bid for the submarines and the contract negotiations with the French.
Mr Gillis wrote that he did not believe that any more than a handful of people within Defence knew the French submarine contract was being dumped.
"I believe it is totally unacceptable when the Commonwealth contract manager is excluded from discussions regarding the termination of the contract for what now appears to be six or more months.
"The problem was that there was an alternate strategy being developed behind closed doors and outside the accepted contractual processes."
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have met in Uzbekistan
It was the Russian and Chinese leaders' first face-to-face meeting since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin thanked Xi Jinping for his "balanced" approach to the Ukrainian crisis.
"We understand your questions and your concerns in this regard, and we certainly will offer a detailed explanation of our stand on this issue during today's meeting, even though we already talked about it earlier," he added.
China has been concerned about the impact of volatile oil prices and economic uncertainty due to the war, which has dragged on for nearly seven months.
A Chinese government statement issued after the meeting did not specifically mention Ukraine, but said Mr Xi promised "strong support" to Russia's "core interests".
The Wallabies are shattered after a referee's call cost them a shot at the Bledisloe Cup
New Zealand has retained rugby's Bledisloe Cup for another year after a dramatic 39-37 win over Australia in Melbourne last night.
The Wallabies were leading 37-34 when fly half Bernard Foley was pinged for time wasting as he prepared to kick a penalty into touch.
The All Blacks then scored the winning try after the final siren.
The result meant the All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup.
Wallabies captain James Slipper said he was "absolutely gutted".
"That is probably the most gutting way to finish a game in my opinion," he said.
Later on: Anthony Albanese will arrive in London
The Prime Minister will land in London on Friday afternoon, local time, ahead of the Queen's funeral next Monday.
So that's about 1am on Saturday AEST.
While in London, he will have his first meeting with new British Prime Minister Liz Truss, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and King Charles III.
ABC/wires
