Australian PM Morrison looks set to form majority govt: report
Melbourne: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison could form a majority government as the ruling conservative coalition was on course to win some more seats in the election which defied exit polls to deliver a shock defeat to the opposition Labor Party, forcing its leader Bill Shorten to resign.
A party needs 76 seats for a simple majority in the 151-member House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament. Before the election, the Coalition held 73 seats, while Labor 72.
According to ABC, the Liberal party led by Prime Minister Morrison was expected to secure Bass, Chisholm, Boothby and Wentworth seats that could lead the Coalition to secure majority with at least 77 seats.
On Monday morning, another Liberal candidate of Indian-origin Dave Sharma raced ahead of the independent candidate Kerryn Phelps. Phelps later conceded that she had lost the eastern suburbs Sydney seat to Sharma who was leading the sitting MP by 2572 vote.
So far, coalition has won 75 seats as compared to Labor's 65.
"As far as I'm concerned, on the numbers to come, Bass will be the 76th seat. Postals and absent votes favour the coalition in Bass and they're already ahead," ABC chief elections analyst Antony Green was quoted as saying.
"At some time today, Bass will tick over to become the 76th seat, delivering the government a majority," he said.
Green further said that he was expecting Chisholm to become the 77th seat, with Boothby and Wentworth already in the Liberal count.
Backed by "quiet Australians" and defying exit polls, the ruling conservative coalition staged a "miraculous" victory in the general election on Sunday, devastating the opposition Labor Party and forcing its leader Shorten to step down.
The Labor party has started looking for a new leader.
Former deputy prime minister Anthony Albanese and deputy leader Tanya Plibersek are both considering their options as the next Labor party leader.
"I believe I'm the best person to lead Labor back into government. We've lost three elections in a row. That has an impact on those Australians who rely upon us to improve their education, to look after their health care, to build public transport infrastructure," Albanese said.
Apart from Plibersek who has been the deputy leader for six years and held the foreign affairs, Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen was also considering running for the Labor leader.
"We have an obligation as Labor Party people to keep fighting for a fairer Australia, for a strong economy and a fair society. We'll keep doing that," Plibersek said.
Meanwhile, media reports suggested that the election results have pushed the stocks for banks, private health to record high with over a billion dollars added to the value of ASX-listed health insurers after the coalition's victory.
According to The Age, "the Scott Morrison-led coalition was now tipped as likely to form a majority government... investors sent Medibank (private health insurance) shares soaring over 11 per cent by late Monday morning".
The market capitalisation of the big four banks in the country - NAB, ANZ, Commonwealth and Westpac - was 24 billion Australian dollars, higher with traders turning to buy, reports said.
Even Australian dollar was recorded higher following the coalition's victory.
Around 16 million Australians swarmed to the polling booths across the country on Saturday to elect the nation's 31st prime minister, in what was widely referred to as the climate-change election.
Earlier, a Nine-Galaxy poll released shortly before the voting stations closed in the east of the country showed a victory for the opposition Labor party and Liberal Party-led coalition losing its bid for a third three-year term.
The poll showed the Labor winning as many as 82 seats, beating the ruling Coalition. On Friday, media reports also endorsed Labor leader Shorten as the best chance to end a "cycle of instability" in Australian politics.
Australia has compulsory voting and a complex system of ballots ranked by voter preference. The political, economic and cultural differences varies from state to state on the vast island-continent.
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US pauses visa processing for individuals from 75 countries
New York/Washington (PTI): The Trump administration on Wednesday announced pausing immigrant visa processing for individuals from 75 countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Russia, as part of increasing crackdown on foreigners likely to rely on public benefits in the US.
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the State Department said in a post on X.
“The Trump administration will PAUSE immigrant visa processing from 75 countries until the US can ensure that incoming immigrants will not become a public charge or extract wealth from American taxpayers. AMERICA FIRST,” the White House said in a post on X.
“The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people. The pause impacts dozens of countries – including Somalia, Haiti, Iran, and Eritrea – whose immigrants often become public charges on the United States upon arrival. We are working to ensure the generosity of the American people will no longer be abused," the State Department said.
"The Trump Administration will always put America First," the State Department added.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said in a statement, "The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people."
A report in the Fox News said that the pause will begin from January 21.
The State Department memo, seen first by Fox News Digital, directs “consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures”.
The list of countries include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
The Fox News report added that in November 2025, a State Department cable sent to missions around the globe instructed consular officers to “enforce sweeping new screening rules under the so-called "public charge" provision of immigration law.
The guidance had instructed US consular officers across the world to deem those individuals seeking to enter and live in the US ineligible if they have certain medical conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, saying these people could end up relying on public benefits.
The foreigners applying for visas to live in the US “might be rejected if they have certain medical conditions”. “You must consider an applicant’s health…Certain medical conditions – including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions – can require hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care,” the cable had said.
The cable also advised visa officers to consider conditions like obesity in making their decisions, noting that the condition can cause asthma, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure.
The guidance directed "visa officers to deem applicants ineligible to enter the US for several new reasons, including age or the likelihood they might rely on public benefits.
The guidance says that such people could become a “public charge” — "a potential drain on US resources — because of their health issues or age”.
The report added that older or overweight applicants could be denied, along with those who had any past use of government cash assistance or institutionalisation.
