ABC新闻:中美签署第一阶段贸易协议 美众议院表决是否向参议院递送对特朗普的指控
Parts of Victoria have received a soaking, starting to clear the choking smoke haze hanging over Melbourne. But as yet little or no rain has reached the fire grounds in the state's north and east. Flash flooding and even hail fell across the city and surrounds as storms rolled in. Some flights were delayed and others diverted to Adelaide. Canberra and parts of New South Wales are bracing for some heavy rain today.
The federal government has been accused of using a $100 million community sports program as a re-election slush fund. The opposition has seized on a scathing report by the auditor general which also raised the prospect that the entire scheme was illegal. A report says the office of then-sports minister Bridget McKenzie identified target electorates as part of allocating grants in the lead up to the election.
The US and China have signed a partial deal in Washington, after a bitter 18-month trade war that's hit global growth. The initial trade deal will roll back some tariffs and boost Chinese purchases of American goods and services. But the agreement fails to address many of the structural differences that led the Trump administration to start the trade war in the first place.
The US House of Representatives speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has announced there'll be seven impeachment managers for president Donald Trump's trial. The House will vote later today to send the impeachment charges against Mr Trump to the Senate. The president is accused of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.