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This has been a theme, but let’s keep nailing it shut.

My favorite recent news was this beauty:

Russia would struggle to sustain its assault on Ukraine without China’s support, Blinken said. “If China does not address this problem, we will,” he added, in a possible reference to sanctions against Chinese businesses involved in the trade with Russia.

China wants Russia to win, or at least not lose the war and needs Russia as a secure ally so that it can’t be encircled or blockaded. Russia has the food, minerals and fuel that China needs, and naval power can’t embargo supplies.

As for the effect of sanctions, well, what’s the line? “Don’t threaten me with a good time?” The effect of sanctions on China has been to make China stronger in almost every way.

ANZAC Day was commemorated with pride in Sawtell, with large crowds attending services at the Lyle Rose RSL Memorial Park. President of the Sawtell RSL sub-Branch, Pat ‘Paddy’ Magann, officiated on the day. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email...

The post Large crowds drawn to commemorate ANZAC Day at Sawtell appeared first on News Of The Area.

Source - Patreon

Source - Patreon

Source - Patreon

Not that there was any question He still has a constitutional right to testify in his own defense. Obviously. I have no idea why his lawyer is bobbing his head up and down in agreement.

Former Prime Minister (yep, really), Scott Morrison, has been asked to leave Dymocks Burwood after repeatedly hassling customers and trying to foist his new book on them. ”It was really embarrassing, he was standing at the door trying to lay... Read More ›

American writer Meghan O’Gieblyn on when the mind is alive.

The post Consciousness, Creativity, and Godlike AI appeared first on Nautilus.

University faculty have put their bodies and livelihoods on the line amid a brutal, violent response to student protests for Gaza.

The post From UCLA to Columbia, Professors Nationwide Defend Students as Politicians and Police Attack appeared first on The Intercept.

Voters in Newcastle said they planned to shun Labour for their treatment of Jamie Driscoll who is running as an independent and was hopeful of victory

Ron DeSanctimonious is back! This is completely ridiculous. The same people who are freaking out about the government pushing non-gas stoves is telling people they are not allowed to be vegetarians who like to eat impossible burgers at Burger King. FREEDOM!!!! Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 1084 to prohibit the sale of lab-grown meat in the state of Florida. Florida is taking action to stop the World Economic Forum’s goal of forcing the world to eat lab-grown meat and insects, “an overlooked source of protein.” While the World Economic Forum is telling the world to forgo meat consumption, Florida is increasing meat production, and encouraging residents to continue to consume and enjoy 100% real Florida beef.

Everything is rigged — unless he wins. Donald Trump claimed the 2016 election was rigged and refused to accept the popular vote total.He established a commission to investigate it and claimed for years that illegal immigrants had tipped the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. (The commission was disbanded because they found no proof of it and they “turned the investigation over” to the DHS, which never found anything either.) We all know what he did in 2020. He set up the whining excuse for his loss months in advance by claiming that mail in voting was fraudulent and the vote had been rigged in the swing states. So what’s he saying today about the 2024 election? Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday didn’t commit to accepting the results of Wisconsin’s presidential election in November if he does not win and again promoted the falsehood that he won the Badger State in 2020.

For the past seven months, life as I knew it has stopped. The enormity of the genocide in Gaza inhabits me. My short nights of interrupted sleep are bookended with hours at the computer combing the news of Gaza. Meal times are now brief moments to gulp tasteless food. A sentence or a photo triggers Continue reading »

You can’t solve a problem without talking about it, honestly. Take the impact of climate disruption on security. “Too hot to handle: The scorching reality of Australia’s climate–security failure” is a report published this week by the Australian Security Leaders Group (ASLCG) . This article is an extract from the report. One line of evidence Continue reading »

At a time when China is becoming increasingly more important to the Australian economy as well as to our stability and security in the Asia-Pacific, the overall decline in Australia’s China knowledge capability runs counter to our national sovereign interests. The opportunity to congratulate Colin Mackerras on his six-decade long involvement with China is bitter-sweet. Continue reading »

If we don’t recognise and understand the history of the struggle to end violence against women it will undermine efforts to eliminate it. On Anzac Day, April 25, the Australian media made sure we remembered the men who fought for Australia both recently, and a century ago in WW1. I am the daughter of an Continue reading »

Antony Blinken megaphoned the United States’ complaints about China in advance of his visit this week. They included Beijing’s unfair economic and trade practices, ‘industrial over-capacity’, and ‘genocide and crimes against humanity’ against Uyghurs. Coming from the nation most complicit in Israel’s human rights violations and potential genocide against Palestinians, the Secretary of State’s hypocrisy Continue reading »

On Sunday 28 April, Defence Minister Richard Marles announced $100 million in military aid to Ukraine. It was said to raise Australia’s support to $1 billion in support of Ukraine’s attempt to counter “Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion”. I have hitherto addressed the issue of the “morality”, at least, of Russia’s invasion: Ukraine: The other Continue reading »

Community trust in journalism is at an all-time low. Even politicians rate higher. Our media – journalists, publishers and broadcasters – should urgently get together and work out how best to rebuild public confidence in what is being presented as news. What lessons can be learnt from the recent high profile Ben Roberts-Smith and Bruce Continue reading »