Five of the eight jurisdictions in Australia are pushing for a national gun register after the murder of 2 police officers in Queensland last week by extremist conspiracy theorists.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has made a pre-Christmas dash to Beijing for the first visit there by an Australian minister in four years, after the Chinese Government invited her to mark the 50th anniversary of Australia-Chinese diplomatic relations.
And, Anthony Albanese has confirmed what had become the worst-kept secret in Canberra - that he has appointed former PM Kevin Rudd as Australia's next ambassador to Washington.
Photo: AFP / Alex Wong
