Australian lawmakers pay tribute to queen, discuss republic

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian lawmakers paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, with some also weighing in on the republic debate, after they returned to parliament from a break taken to observe the queen’s death. Obscure protocol in Australia bars its parliament from sitting for 15 days following a British monarch’s death. The Senate and the House spent Friday passing condolence motions for the late monarch as well as congratulating King Charles III on his accession to the throne. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was hard to grasp that the queen was now just a memory after her seven-decade reign.