Australia: Morrison on foreign students return, job figures

Two universities in Australia's capital plan to fly in 350 foreign students as the country's international education sector reopens after the coronavirus lockdown.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra he supports the move and was working alongside state governments to see it through.

Australian National University and Canberra University said Thursday they expect the chartered aircraft to fly to Canberra from Singapore in late July.

Priority will be given to students involved in research that can't be done online.

The students will be quarantined at a hotel for two weeks.

They are likely to be the first foreign students to return to Australian campuses since the lockdown.

Officials said it's likely Australia won't allow general international travel before next year.

Meanwhile, the country's unemployment rate rose to 7.1% in May from 6.4% in April costing another 228,000 jobs, and a total of 835,000 jobs over the two months.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the numbers were "devastating".

Morrison blamed the coronavirus for the downturn and estimated it would take about two years for the economy to recover to where it was before the pandemic.

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