‘TWISTS AND TURNS’
Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese relations between the two countries are improving while also acknowledging the “twists and turns” of the past.
The pair met on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with Albanese posting footage of their meeting on X, captioned: “Stabilising Australia’s relationship with China is in the interests of both our countries. Dialogue is critical, and we’ve made encouraging progress. Trade is flowing more freely.” He added: “Our approach will remain patient, calibrated and deliberate. It is important that we have direct discussions on the issues that matter to us, and to the stability and prosperity of our region.”
AAP reports Xi told Albanese during the meeting: “Over the past decade, we have made some progress in China-Australia relations and also witnessed some twists and turns. That trajectory has many inspirations to offer. Now, our relations have realised a turnaround and continues to grow, bringing tangible benefits to our two peoples. So, this is the result of our collective hard work in the same direction, and should be maintained with great care.”
Reuters highlights the G20 leaders’ discussions this week on trade, climate change and international security will take place amid endless speculation over how much of US president-elect Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric will become reality next year. The newswire quotes sources as saying diplomats attempting to draft a joint statement from the leaders have struggled to hold together a fragile agreement on how to address the escalating Ukraine war.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden told the summit on Monday “the United States strongly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Everyone around this table, in my view, should as well,” the BBC reports. US officials have said the 81-year-old has given the green light for Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by the US to strike Russia, sparking a furious response from Moscow.
“Kyiv’s use of long-range missiles to attack our territory would represent the direct involvement of the United States and its satellites in hostilities against Russia, as well as a radical change in the essence and nature of the conflict. Russia’s response in such a case will be appropriate and tangible,” the BBC quotes a Russian foreign ministry spokesperson as saying.
The New York Times reports the decision, which marks a significant change in US policy and comes just two months before Biden leaves the White House, was made in part to help shore up Ukraine’s defences after Russia recruited North Korean troops to assist its fighters. The paper flags the decision also coincided with Russia attacking Ukraine’s power grid in one of the largest bombardments of the war.
The NYT said Biden and his aides are in a “desperate race against time” as they attempt to strengthen and support Ukraine before Trump assumes office. The 78-year-old has regularly pledged to bring the war to an end, sparking concern he may pressure Kyiv into ceding territory to Russia. The paper highlighted Biden’s acknowledgement of his lame-duck status ahead of the G20 summit when he declared: “It’s no secret that I’m leaving office in January. I will leave my successor and my country a strong foundation to build on, if they choose to do so.”
The Australian Financial Review flags Albanese will address the G20 on Tuesday morning (AEDT) and is expected to say: “The hard truth is that in times of global turmoil, it is always those who have the least who are hurt the most. We see that in the shocking loss of innocent life in the Middle East. We see it in the ongoing toll that Russia’s invasion is taking on the brave people of Ukraine.
“The G20 is another vital opportunity for the international community to call for a de-escalation of the violence in the Middle East. And to condemn the illegal and immoral actions of Russia and indeed North Korea, which is now committing troops to the invasion of a sovereign nation while its own people starve.”
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
The response to the Coalition’s last-minute decision yesterday to join with the Greens in voting against the government’s plans to cap new enrolments from overseas students to 270,000 from next year has featured prominently overnight.
The Australian leads its homepage on the decision, which it claims has “created a chasm in the higher education sector”. The paper says while the traditional institutions are happy, regional and technical colleges are warning they will be billions of dollars worse off if things stay as they are.
Numerous publications have highlighted the response from Education Minister Jason Clare, with Guardian Australia flagging him saying “never in my life” had he expected to see the Greens and the opposition join sides on issues related to immigration.“Over the course of the next few months, Peter Dutton is going to wander around the country pretending to be a tough guy on immigration. But the truth is he’s a fraud,” the site quotes him as saying. The Sydney Morning Herald reports Coalition sources have claimed they will reveal their own plans to reduce student numbers before the election.
Elsewhere, the AFR reports the government’s hopes of reforming financial advice services are at risk of collapse because the industry can’t agree on who should pay for the advice. Meanwhile, Guardian Australia carries polling which suggests almost half of voters want the federal government to review the AUKUS defence agreement and the acquisition of nuclear submarines following Donald Trump’s victory in the US election.
The site also flags new research claiming almost half the population believe immigration is too high. The 2024 Scanlon Mapping Social Cohesion report is also covered by AAP, which flags that sentiment is up sharply from 33% last year.
The newswire said the vast majority of Australians “still view multiculturalism and immigration favourably” and the the country was evenly split between those who believe immigration is too high and those who think it’s about right or too low.
Lastly, AAP reports that Woolworths senior executives will once again face the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry into the nation’s supermarkets today, with Coles bosses following later in the week.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE…
A video shot by a paraglider of a dog scaling the Pyramid of Khafre has resulted in a boost for local businesses as well as the animals that reside nearby.
The video, recorded by American paragliding enthusiast Alex Lang last month, showed a stray dog called Apollo climbing the Egyptian pyramid and barking at birds from the summit. Unsurprisingly the clip went viral when it was later shared on social media.
AFP says the video has resulted in tourists showing an increased interest in the dogs that have long made their homes around the site, with tour guides now including them in their excursions. The newswire quotes one anonymous pyramid guard as claiming celebrities had even paid for permits to have their own dogs photographed with Apollo.
As a result of Apollo’s viral fame, local animal care groups have now started working with the government to set up food and water stations for the stray animals in the area.
AFP reports a permanent veterinary centre will be established at the pyramids, with Vicki Michelle Brown, co-founder of the American Cairo Animal Rescue Foundation, quoted as saying: “I definitely believe him [Apollo] climbing the pyramids can help all of the dogs in Egypt to have a better life.”
Say What?
I think Kennedy’s views on vaccines are dangerous, and I don’t think most Americans share them.
Caroline Kennedy
The outgoing US ambassador to Australia criticised her cousin, Robert F Kennedy Jr, during a speech at the National Press Club. President-elect Donald Trump has named RFK Jr as his health secretary.
CRIKEY RECAP
If Brereton believes leaders should foster cultures where responsibility is taken, he’d have resigned already. The fact one of his few public appearances was partially devoted to trying — unsuccessfully — to downplay and explain away findings against him should tell him that he has failed as a leader of an integrity institution.
Brereton whinged about Quentin Dempster — a bloke who’s done more for public integrity in his life than Brereton can ever hope to achieve — who suggested it was “revolver in the library” time for Brereton. To put it in a way that won’t offend Brereton’s apparently highly refined sensibility, the gods won’t be appeased until he sacrifices himself. Nor will the NACC’s reputation recover.
Donald Trump’s flurry of cabinet appointments has been an early example of how mainstream media outlets contort language usually designed to cover conventional politics.
Trump has made “several contentious hires” according to the BBC, while “some” of his picks “may be controversial” warns CBS. Trump’s team has taken an “unorthodox approach”, says The Washington Post, noting a tendency to choose “people with controversial backgrounds and little relevant policy experience”.
This language has come in response to, say, accused sex trafficker Matt Gaetz’s nomination as attorney-general, or anti-vaxxer and literal and figurative brain-worm sufferer Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s assignment heading public health.
So, yeah. Pretty worrying. But looking back at Trump’s last presidency and his picks for these cabinet roles will give us an indication of just how concerned we should be.
Powell and the Federal Reserve have confidence in their understanding of the US economy and its inflation drivers, and the need to be proactive on monetary policy to avoid harming growth too much. They have backed their judgement that US inflation will continue to fall. The contrast here is significant: a central bank that appears to be at a loss as to the trajectory of inflation, and too intimidated by markets and the economic commentariat to display any initiative.
If Australia’s inexperienced central bank waits until next year, RBA governor Michele Bullock, during her first federal election cycle, will discover just how much pressure will be on her from the AFR and News Corp not to cut rates, given its possible impact on the election.
The RBA, it appears, won’t move until it’s forced to — and working households will pay the price.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Russian ballet star Vladimir Shklyarov dies after falling from building (CNN)
Australian gold miner to pay Mali $160m to free detained CEO and executives (The Guardian)
Diddy called witnesses from prison, prosecutors say (BBC)
Trump has second thoughts on Treasury pick (The New York Times) ($)
Ed Sheeran says he didn’t give Band Aid 40 permission to use his vocals (Sky News)
Matildas captain Sam Kerr and partner Kristie Mewis announce pregnancy (ABC)
THE COMMENTARIAT
Labor’s plight is not unique but the solution remains elusive — Phillip Coorey (AFR): The solutions were economic reform and fiscal restraint, neither of which were easy and to both of which the Australian government has paid lip service but not much else.
The latest The Australian Financial Review/Freshwater Strategy poll shows the government firmly mired in trouble, with the cost of living by far and away the key reason.
Every time the prime minister or one of his ministers speaks, they note that this government has more than halved inflation, saying it inherited a number with a six in front of it and, using the artificially lowered headline number, has delivered a number with a two in front of it.
The poll suggests, as does the IMF, that this is “not being reflected in public sentiment”.
Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson is the absurd spectacle we deserve — Will Leitch (The New York Times): The problem with spectacle as an end to itself is that it crowds out actual quality. It’s one thing to watch a farcical fight; it’s another entirely when farcical fights are all that are left. This echoes Martin Scorsese’s complaint about comic book movies. The problem is not that all comic movies are bad; the problem is that if studios only focus on making comic book movies, it’s what audiences will expect — and they’ll slowly become accustomed, even inured, to the declining quality.
We are seeing this phenomenon not just in boxing or in other sports, but in many aspects of American society, from silly stuff (an influencer entering the ring against a legendary but over-the-hill boxer) to food commerce (a YouTuber puts his name on a restaurant chain but ends up being accused of serving raw meat to customers) to, perhaps inevitably, cabinet appointments (a famous television host gets a high-profile nomination, but doesn’t somebody actually have to run the place?).
This is not to say the ability to draw eyeballs doesn’t matter; in most arenas, you can’t get anything done if no one’s watching. But there’s a cost in prioritising the attention economy. Early estimates indicate the Paul-Tyson fight might have been the most-watched boxing contest of all time. All this despite Paul not actually being a serious boxer and Tyson being, you know, 58 years old. If the Paul-Tyson match was the first fight you watched in years, was there anything about it that made you want to watch another? Perhaps this is what the people wanted — not a boxing match, or anything new, but a faint reminder of something they once vaguely recall enjoying.
