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Trump's insult to Biden after he drops out of presidential race

<p>Joe Biden has officially withdrawn from the presidential race against former president Donald Trump. </p> <p>Biden, who is the oldest US president at 81, has been facing mounting calls to drop out of the election from both his opponents and supporters, amid fears of his failing health, mental clarity and age. </p> <p>On Sunday, the 46th president shared a lengthy statement to share that he would be dropping out of the race, saying it is "in the best interest" for both his Democratic Party and the country to take a step back. </p> <p>“While it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Mr Biden wrote in a letter he posted on his X account.</p> <p>“I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision. It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President.”</p> <p>Biden shared a second announcement to social media following his bombshell withdrawal, saying he would be endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee to run for President in the November election against Trump. </p> <p>"My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President, and it’s been the best decision I’ve made," he began.</p> <p>"Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this."</p> <p>Mere hours after Biden's announcement, former President Donald Trump reacted to the news on TRUTH social, his own social media platform, exactly as many expected. </p> <p>“Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve — And never was!” Trump said.</p> <p>“All those around him, including his doctor and the media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t. We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly.”</p> <p>In a phone call with CNN minutes after Biden announced his exit from the 2024 race, former Trump described Biden as going “down as the single worst president by far in the history of our country”.</p> <p>Mr Biden will remain President until the end of his term next January.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Bonnie Cash / Pool via CNP/ Ron Sachs/CNP /Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

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Joe Biden has COVID. Here’s what someone over 80 can expect

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hassan-vally-202904">Hassan Vally</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p>If US politics leading up to the 2024 presidential election was a Hollywood thriller, it would be a movie full of plot twists and surprises. The latest twist is President Joe Biden has <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/17/politics/joe-biden-tests-positive-covid-19/index.html">COVID</a> and is isolating at home.</p> <p><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/07/17/statement-from-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-3/">Biden’s doctor says</a> his symptoms are mild and include a runny nose, cough and generally feeling unwell. His temperature, oxygen levels and respiratory rate are said to be normal.</p> <p>Biden, who has <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2gj8314nqo">been diagnosed</a> with COVID twice before, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/07/17/statement-from-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-3/">has received</a> his COVID vaccine and booster shots, and has taken the first dose of the antiviral drug Paxlovid.</p> <p>No doubt, Biden will be receiving the best of medical care. Yet, as much <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-joe-biden-experiencing-cognitive-decline-heres-why-we-shouldnt-speculate-234487">recent media coverage</a> reminds us, he is 81 years old.</p> <p>So let’s look at what it means for an 81-year-old man to have COVID in 2024. Of course, Biden is not just any man, but we’ll come to that later.</p> <h2>Luckily, it’s not 2020</h2> <p>If we were back in 2020, a COVID diagnosis at this age would have been a big deal.</p> <p>This was a time before COVID vaccines, before specific COVID treatments and before we knew as much about COVID as we do today. Back then, being over 80 and being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID) represented a significant threat to your health.</p> <p>It was very clear early in the pandemic that your chances of getting severe disease and dying <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-older-people-more-at-risk-of-coronavirus-133770">increased with age</a>. The early data suggested that if you were over 80 and infected, you had about a 15% likelihood of dying from the illness.</p> <p>Also, if you did develop severe disease, we didn’t have a lot in the toolkit to deal with your infection.</p> <p>Remember, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson <a href="https://theconversation.com/scott-morrison-has-covid-its-a-big-deal-but-not-how-you-think-178298">ended up in the ICU</a> with his COVID infection in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/boris-johnson-and-coronavirus-inside-story-illness">April 2020</a>, despite being 55 at the time. That’s a much younger age than Biden is now.</p> <p>Former US President Donald Trump also had what was understood to be a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/11/trump-coronavirus-ventilator-covid-illness">very severe case</a> of COVID in October 2020. He was 74 at the time.</p> <h2>How things have changed</h2> <p>So let’s wind the clock forward to 2024. A lot has happened in four years.</p> <p>COVID is still a disease that needs to be <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/changing-threat-covid-19.html">taken seriously</a>. And for some people with other health conditions (for instance, people with heart disease or diabetes) it poses more of a threat. And of course we know more about the well-publicised <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-have-covid-how-likely-am-i-to-get-long-covid-218808">longer term effects</a> of COVID.</p> <p>But the threat COVID poses to an individual is far less now than it has ever been.</p> <h2>More of us have some immunity</h2> <p>First, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/03/who-estimates-90-of-world-have-some-resistance-to-covid">most people</a> have some immunity to COVID now, whether this has come from vaccination or prior infection, and for many both.</p> <p>The fact that your immune system has had some exposure to the virus is transformative in how you respond to infection. Yes, there’s the ongoing problem of waning immunity over time and the virus mutating meaning you need to have regular booster vaccines. But as your immune system has “seen” the virus before it allows it to respond more effectively. This means the threat posed by infection has fallen drastically.</p> <p>We know Biden has received his booster shots. Boosters have been shown to offer <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-the-new-covid-booster-vaccines-can-i-get-one-do-they-work-are-they-safe-217804">substantial protection</a> against severe illness and death and are particularly important for older age groups.</p> <h2>Now we have antivirals</h2> <p>Second, we also have antiviral medicines, such as Paxlovid, which is effective in reducing the likelihood of severe illness from COVID if taken soon after developing symptoms.</p> <p>In <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2118542">one study</a>, if taken soon after infection, Paxlovid reduced the likelihood of severe illness or death by 89%. So it is <a href="https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/antivirals-including-antibody-products/ritonavir-boosted-nirmatrelvir--paxlovid-/">highly recommended</a> for those at higher risk of severe illness. As we know, Biden is taking Paxlovid.</p> <p>Paxlovid has also been associated with rebound symptoms. This is when a person looks to have recovered from infection only to have symptoms reappear. Biden experienced this <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-some-people-who-take-paxlovid-for-covid-get-rebound-symptoms-or-test-positive-again-like-president-biden-188002">in 2022</a>.</p> <p>The good news is that even if this occurs in most instances the symptoms associated with the recurrence tend to be mild.</p> <h2>Biden would have the best care</h2> <p>The other factor of course is that Biden would have access to some of the world’s best medical care.</p> <p>If his symptoms were to become more severe or any complications were to develop, you can be assured he would get the best treatment.</p> <p>So is Biden’s diagnosis news? Well of course, given all the speculation about his health. But in terms of COVID being a major threat to Biden’s health, there are no indications it should be.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/234999/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hassan-vally-202904"><em>Hassan Vally</em></a><em>, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Bonnie Cash/Pool via CNP/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/joe-biden-has-covid-heres-what-someone-over-80-can-expect-234999">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Hero tradie’s daring move saves toddler who wandered onto busy street

<p>In an awe-inspiring act of bravery that will leave you breathless, shocking <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/tradie-scary-move-save-child-095600259.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dash cam footage</a> has captured a heart-pounding moment that will forever be etched in the annals of heroism. </p> <p>Laurie Owens, a true guardian angel who fearlessly soared into action on the Salisbury Highway in Adelaide, embarked on a heart-stopping mission to save a young child's life, giving no thought to his own safety or that of his vehicle</p> <p>It was just another day for working tradie Laurie Owens as he navigated the bustling roadways. But with eagle eyes and a heart tuned to protect, Laurie spotted a young boy, still adorned in his nappy, wandering innocently into the treacherous path of oncoming vehicles on a busy highway.</p> <p>In a surge of adrenalin-fuelled heroism, Owens sprang into action as – u<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">ndeterred by the imminent danger, he gallantly mounted the median strip and fearlessly directed his own vehicle into the path of the charging traffic, all in an effort to shield the toddler from harm's way. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">His words echo with undying determination: "I'd rather take the damage of a car running into me because I'm safe rather than the child be killed because what protection do they have?" he told 9News. </span></p> <p>In a dazzling display of divine intervention, the unsuspecting little boy, named Aaryan, instinctively turned and bolted towards the safety of his family driveway, under the watchful gaze of Owens.</p> <p>Owens then gathered the child in his arms, poised to reunite him with his worried parents, who confirmed that Aaryan was indeed their precious child. The driveway gates had been left ajar, allowing the child, who grapples with autism, to embark on an unplanned adventure onto the perilous road.</p> <p>In the tearful aftermath, Aaryan's mother, overwhelmed with gratitude, expressed her deepest appreciation, declaring, "Thank you, I'm really grateful that [he] saved my child."</p> <p>For Owens, the humble champion of this heart-stopping saga, the joy of knowing that the little boy made it home safely was an immeasurable reward. Bursting with pride, he triumphantly proclaimed, "I've saved a kid's life. He's got a future now!"</p> <p><em>Images: 9 News</em></p>

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Jacinda Ardern slammed for “shocking” gift to Joe Biden

<p dir="ltr">A gift the New Zealand Prime Minister gave to US President Joe Biden has been criticised by environmentalists who say she showed a “lack of care” in her “appalling” gift choice.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Ardern gave Mr Biden a swamp kauri bowl, made from glazed timber harvested from kauri trees commonly found in wetlands and culturally significant sites in the country’s North Island.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fiona Furrell, the chair of the Northland Environmental Protection Society criticised the “faux pas”, saying Ms Ardern shouldn’t have given a gift that promoted the exchange of indigenous plants and a process that harms the ecosystem.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To us, swamp kauri, of all things for a gift to America, is really not on. It's shocking after all the work we've gone through to try and protect these wetlands that produce the swamp kauri,” chair Fiona Furrell told <em><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/471281/environmentalists-mana-whenua-criticise-pm-s-appalling-gift-to-us-president" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RNZ</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The milling of kauri timber often damages or destroys the peat swamps where they are buried, often for up to 60,000 years, which prompted the Supreme Court of New Zealand to restrict what was considered a legal export of the timber in 2018.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the ruling, swamp kauri items must be a product in itself, in its final or kitset form, and ready to be used or installed into a larger structure.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-42fc494e-7fff-0b8e-9157-735dd9f2115a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">However, Ms Ardern’s office confirmed the gifted kauri bowl was bought from Nelson Parker, who was investigated for exporting wood products to China and was found to have likely broken the Forest Act for exporting a large kauri log arrangement and calling it art.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/jacinda-ardern-gift1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A pamphlet of swamp kauri products from Nelson Parker, including bowls. Image: RNZ</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Parker wasn’t prosecuted because the manufacturer was originally told the kauri was compliant, even though little work had been done to change it from being raw wood.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Furrell said the Kiwi PM should have done more “investigating” before choosing such a polarising gift.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Any use of swamp kauri that is featured by our government, therefore puts our wetlands at risk, because people will want more swamp kauri now,” Furrell said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He [Biden] could make the decision himself. Perhaps it could be returned to New Zealand.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Parker has defended Ms Ardern’s decision, claiming that anyone who questioned her gift choice was a “parasite”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To think that people, somebody, can out of the goodness of their heart give a gift to somebody and then somebody comes in behind and says, 'Well that's wrong, it's illegal, it's immoral' or whatever they say. To me that shows you the quality of the people actually,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To be quite blunt, these people, they're probably listed as zero in my opinion, as far as I'm concerned.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I can pretty well describe these people to you, they probably don't do anything. They're parasites. As far as I'm concerned, if they want to meddle in what we do, well, then it's not a wise thing to do.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb42abf8-7fff-60b9-4bce-64e6ccdd4fe6"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @jacindaardern (Instagram)</em></p>

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Where the Crawdads Sing author wanted for questioning over murder

<p>Best-selling author Delia Owens has been receiving global attention for all the wrong reasons, as it has been revealed she is wanted for questioning over a murder committed in Zambia. </p> <p>Owens, who shot to the top of the New York Times best seller list with her novel <em>Where the Crawdads Sing</em>, has been back in the public eye recently as her novel is being adapted into a film, and has garnered a lot of buzz. </p> <p>However, as the spotlight has been placed back on the story, many people have noticed some strange parallels to Delia's personal life and the protagonist in her novel. </p> <p>Before Owens published <em>Where the Crawdads Sing</em>, she worked as a zoologist and conservationist in Africa alongside her husband Mark. </p> <p>During the 1990s, the couple were focusing on battling poachers in Zambia’s North Luangwa National Park, as detailed in Owens’ second book, <em>The Eye of the Elephant</em>, which was released in 1992.</p> <p>In 1996, the couple then featured a documentary about their work, as they had established a reputation of being ruthless in their efforts to stop the poachers. </p> <div data-testid="body-content"> <p>Bizarrely, the documentary included a scene that depicts, according to Jeffrey Goldberg writing in <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2022/07/where-the-crawdads-sing-delia-mark-owens-zambia-murder/670479/?taid=62cd901236d8fb0001cd2b91&amp;utm_campaign=the-atlantic&amp;utm_content=true-anthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Atlantic</a>, “the filmed murder of an alleged poacher, executed while lying collapsed on the ground after having already been shot.”</p> </div> <div> </div> <div data-testid="body-content"> <p>Goldberg has been following the Owens case since the beginning, and his 2010 story in <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/04/05/the-hunted" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Yorker</a> revealed that the couple – along with Mark’s son Christopher – were suspected by Zambian authorities of being involved in the killing. </p> <p>The Zambian national police launched an investigation but the body of the executed poacher was never found, as Mark, Delia and Christopher returned to America. </p> <p>The story is back in the public eye as the film adaptation of <em>Where the Crawdads Sing</em> continues to excite fans of book, which follows protagonist Kya, a young woman accused of murder. </p> <p>It’s hard to say whether Delia would actually face charges, but in The Atlantic piece Goldberg spoke to Zambia’s director of public prosecutions, Lillian Shawa-Siyuni, who confirmed that Mark, Delia, and Christopher Owens are still wanted for questioning.</p> <p>“There is no statute of limitations on murder in Zambia,” Siyuni told Goldberg. “They are all wanted for questioning in this case, including Delia Owens.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

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Jacinda Ardern welcomed as “good friend” by Joe Biden

<p dir="ltr">New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has left talks with US President Joe Biden on a positive note, saying the interaction pointed to the “warmth” in their relationship as political leaders.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Ardern was initially scheduled to meet with Mr Biden for one hour during her ongoing US tour, but the pair continued to talk for another 30 minutes, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/jacinda-ardern-wows-us-president-joe-biden-in-white-house-meeting/news-story/a05ab88bfe0e2bfcc93a29f337db4684" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think that is a demonstration of the warmth in our relationship,” Ms Ardern said after the meeting.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Biden welcomed Ms Ardern as a “good friend”, citing the last time they met at the launch of the Indo-Pacific Framework and said: “We need your guidance”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You understand that your leadership has taken on a critical role in this global stage - and it really has,” Mr Biden said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair also discussed gun control, online extremism, Ukraine, climate change, and the growing influence of China in the Pacific, with the last issue becoming the main focus as the US attempts to bolster its presence in the region.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8c909d5e-7fff-d3f9-ef5f-8e1a34bb0e44"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“We are in an incredibly difficult international environment,” Ms Ardern said.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeP0hflvMcD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeP0hflvMcD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">According to a senior administration official, the leaders had a “very warm” and “direct” conversation, as the Biden administration looks to step up its cooperation to support the Pacific Island states.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The President and the Prime Minister met for well over an hour,” the official said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The conversation was very warm, very direct, and there was a great understanding between the two of them, as you would expect.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And there really was discussion about the shared vision for the Indo-Pacific and the importance, in particular, of stepping up engagement with the Pacific Island states.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In a joint statement after the meeting, both leaders expressed their concern about the security agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Solomon Islands, which also caused a stir in Australia in April.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In particular, the United States and New Zealand share a concern that the establishment of a persistent military presence in the Pacific by a state that does not share our values or security interests would fundamentally alter the strategic balance of the region and pose national-security concerns to both countries,” the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A freer and more open Indo-Pacific depends on preserving the international rules-based order in the maritime domain.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To that end, we reaffirm our support for freedom of navigation and overflight, in the South China Sea and beyond, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).</p> <p dir="ltr">“We oppose unlawful maritime claims and activities in the South China Sea that run counter to the rules-based international order, particularly UNCLOS.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We reiterate our grave concerns regarding the human-rights violations in Xinjiang, and the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, which undermines the high degree of autonomy enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The meeting comes as China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, finishes his ten-day tour of the Pacific Island region, having visited eight nations in total and raising concerns that deals similar to that between China and the Solomon Islands would be struck with other countries.</p> <p dir="ltr">Within hours of Ms Ardern and Mr Biden’s meeting, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian accused the US of “distorting the truth that the cooperation between China and the Pacific Island countries has been in line with regional benefits”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“China and Solomon Islands have no intention to establish military bases,” Mr Zhao said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Australia is also making efforts to meet with leaders in the region, with newly-sworn-in Foreign Minister Penny Wong jetting off to Samoa and Tonga for her second visit to the Pacific in nine days.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We want to make a uniquely Australian contribution to help build a stronger Pacific family - through social and economic opportunities including pandemic recovery, health, development and infrastructure support, as well as through our Pacific labour programs and permanent migration,” Ms Wong said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We will increase our contribution to regional security: we understand that the security of the Pacific is the responsibility of the Pacific family, of which Australia is a part.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We will stand shoulder to shoulder with our Pacific family in addressing the existential threat of climate change. And we will deepen cultural and sporting ties.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0c2debcf-7fff-0413-2aec-9fcf453570fb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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“It's extraordinary”: Biden praises Albo after new PM hits the ground running

<p dir="ltr">Just days after the federal election and within 24 hours of being sworn in as Australia’s 31st Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese has hit the ground running and brought in a slew of changes.</p> <p dir="ltr">Shortly after he was sworn in on Monday morning, Mr Albanese was jetting off to Tokyo for the Quad Summit, where he was welcomed and congratulated by his peers, including US President Joe Biden.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Prime Minister Albanese, I welcome you to your first Quad meeting. Like I said, you got sworn in, got on a plane and if you fall asleep while you’re here, it’s okay,” he joked.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d8694510-7fff-7d20-f34a-312b4e0a2fbc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Because I don’t know how you’re doing it! It’s really quite extraordinary just getting off the campaign trail as well. Congratulations on your election.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd7SKB9BQWB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd7SKB9BQWB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Anthony Albanese (@albomp)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Though he might be in Japan at the moment, the newly minted leader has made some noticeable changes, including one in Parliament House’s Blue Room.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Indigenous recognition</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">During his first press conference, members of the Canberra press gallery were present for the installation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags behind the podium, joining the Australian flag for the first time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Albanese didn’t make note of this big change while speaking to reporters, but he did make reference to his plans to accept the Uluru Statement of the Heart in its entirety.</p> <p dir="ltr">The statement, which was first delivered by First Nations leaders in 2017 and rejected by then PM Malcom Turnbull, involves implementing a Voice to parliament to act as an official representative body for First Nations Australians and establishing a Makarrata Commission, which would involve signing a treaty and engaging in a truth-telling process.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Staffing at the Public Service</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Though he suggested that he wouldn’t be sacking anyone in the public service before he was elected, moves have already been made to remove Phil Gaetjens, the country’s top public servant, hours after Mr Albanese was sworn in.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Gaetjen, who was tasked with investigating what Scott Morrison’s office knew about the rape allegations from former staffer Brittany Higgins, is understood to have offered to stand aside, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/all-the-changes-anthony-albanese-made-on-day-one-as-prime-minister/news-story/19a989209036d37b0a94a7172ffdadcf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Getting acquainted with fellow leaders</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">As well as attending the Quad meeting, where he has met with leaders from Japan, India and the US, Mr Albanese has already spoken with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the “strength of Australia’s close relationship with the United Kingdom” and their shared commitment to AUKUS and acting on climate change.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Albanese has also scheduled one-on-one meetings with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Mr Biden, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Mass texts come under the microscope</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The Prime Minister has reportedly tasked his government with investigation into the arriverl of a Sri Lankan asylum seeker boat on Saturday morning - the same day the Liberals sent out a mass of robo-texts to voters announcing that an asylum seeker vessel had been intercepted.</p> <p dir="ltr">Senior Labor members questioned the timing of the texts sent to voters in marginal seats, which also came after Mr Morrison warned voters that people smugglers would prepare to send more boats in the event of a Labor win.</p> <p dir="ltr">The message read: “BREAKING – Australian Border Force has intercepted an illegal boat trying to reach Australia. Keep our borders secure by voting Liberal today. https://vote.liberal.org.au.”</p> <p dir="ltr">On Tuesday, multiple senior Labor sources confirmed there would be an investigation into how the boat got so close to Australia and the timing of the texts, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-084401cc-7fff-99e2-f49b-cc16e6ec379e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @albomp (Instagram)</em></p>

News

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Meghan Markle called on to run for president

<p dir="ltr">Meghan Markle would make a “great presidential candidate” according to US President Biden’s sister. </p> <p dir="ltr">Valerie Biden Owens, who works as President Biden’s campaign manager, has called on the Duchess of Sussex to join the Democratic Party saying she would be welcomed with open arms. </p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to <em>Good Morning Britain</em>, Ms Owens was firm in her statement about Meghan Markle being a US President candidate. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Yes, perhaps. Of course she will," she said on the show.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's wonderful to have women in politics. The more women we have, the better our democratic system will work. A better point of view, a different point of view.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We embrace all women and we welcome her to come in and join the Democratic party."</p> <p dir="ltr">Meghan has previously weighed in on the politics in America after she left her royal duties with husband Prince Harry. </p> <p dir="ltr">She urged Americans to vote in the 2020 Election and also called for more paid parental leave. </p> <p dir="ltr">Author Tom Bower is writing a biography about the Duchess and previously said that it is “possible” and “likely” that she would run for president.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The prospect of Meghan running for president is possible and I'd even say likely. I really believe it's where she sees herself going,” he told Closer Magazine.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fellow author Omid Scobie concurred saying: "Meghan is the embodiment of the American dream. One day we may see Meghan become president."</p> <p dir="ltr">Back in 2020, an anonymous friend told Vanity Fair that Meghan refused to give up her American citizenship in order to have the option to get into politics. </p> <p dir="ltr">As per the British Royal Family, all members are required to remain neutral which Meghan has not - pointing out that she has already met with senators to lobby a bill.</p> <p dir="ltr">A legal expert has called it “controversial” but only time will tell what Meghan decides to do. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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JFK's daughter named as Ambassador to Australia

<p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p>US President Joe Biden has announced his intention to nominate Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of former president John F. Kennedy, to serve as ambassador to Australia.</p> <p>Ms Kennedy, who is a longtime friend, ally and donor to Mr Biden, and who endorsed the president's candidacy early in the 2020 campaign, previously served as US ambassador to Japan in the Obama administration.</p> <p>In a statement, Ms Kennedy called Australia "a country that is vital to our future security and prosperity".</p> <p>"I am always grateful to the courageous Solomon Islanders and Australian coast watchers who rescued my father during World War II, and if confirmed, I will work hard to repay this debt," Ms Kennedy said.</p> <p>"I look forward to collaborating with the Government of Australia to strengthen our alliance, improve global health and increase vaccine access during this terrible pandemic and to address the urgent climate crisis.</p> <p>"I am excited to get to know the Australian people, learn about their fascinating country and share with them what I love most about America."</p> <p>Ms Kennedy, a scion of one of America's most high-profile political families, threw her support behind Mr Biden relatively early in the crowded 2020 Democratic primary process.</p> <p>Mr Biden also said he will nominate Michelle Kwan, a former Olympic figure skater and longtime Democratic activist, to serve as ambassador to Belize.</p> <p>Ms Kwan, who worked on the Biden campaign and has been pressing for an ambassador post, said she was honoured by the nomination.</p>

International Travel

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Hunter Biden’s art venture poses ethical headache for the White House

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hunter Biden has unveiled his first art collection in a New York gallery, which is an impressive feat for someone with no formal artistic training. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With his passion for art previously kept secret from the rest of the world, Hunter has burst onto the scene with his artworks that are attracting mildly favourable reviews, and are anticipated to sell for tens of thousands of dollars. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the early success of Hunter’s collection with the </span><a href="https://bergesgallery.com/our-artists/hunter-biden"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Georges Berg</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">ès Gallery</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, his venture into the art world has posed a series of quandaries for the lawyers of his father, President Joe Biden. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lawyers were first concerned when there appeared to be no recommended retail price for an original painting. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instead, a buyer would make an offer and the dealer chooses whether to accept or decline. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, while President Biden would be unable to accept a briefcase full of a million dollars as a donation, someone would instead be able to offer the same sum for one of his son’s paintings. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Walter Shaub, who headed the Office of Government Ethics under the Obama Administration, was outraged by the younger Biden's venture into art.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"There is no ethics program in the world that can be built around the head of state's staff working with a dealer to keep the public in the dark about the identities of individuals who pay vast sums to the leader's family member for subjectively priced items of no intrinsic value," he tweeted.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"If this were Trump, Xi or Putin, you'd have no doubt whatsoever that this creates a vehicle for funnelling cash to the first family in exchange for access or favours."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, thanks to the White House’s new ethics rules, if someone offers a suspiciously high figure for a painting, Hunter’s art dealer Georges Bergès will turn down the offer. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On top of this, Georges would keep the identity of any buyer secret from Hunter Biden or the White House. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Bergès told </span><a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/hunter-biden-gallery-show-1979790"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Artnet News</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that he expected some of Mr Biden's pieces to sell for as much as half a million dollars, and although Hunter has agreed to abide by the White House ethics rules, he is not legally bound to them.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Georges Berg</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">ès Gallery</span></em></p>

Art

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Joe Biden and Boris Johnson caught napping at COP26

<p dir="ltr">US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson were both caught trying to catch some shut eye during the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow this week, and while that may sound bad, many people were quick to look for the nuance in the situation.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a video posted to Twitter by<span> </span><em>Washington Post<span> </span></em>journalist Zach Purser Brown, President Biden can be seen closing his eyes for approximately 20 seconds, before he is approached by an aide. After their conversation, Biden can be seen rubbing his eyes.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Biden appears to fall asleep during COP26 opening speeches <a href="https://t.co/az8NZTWanI">pic.twitter.com/az8NZTWanI</a></p> — Zach Purser Brown (@zachjourno) <a href="https://twitter.com/zachjourno/status/1455174496164458496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Some weren’t convinced he was actually falling asleep, with one Twitter user writing, "I have extensive knowledge re: watching old men fall asleep during church. This ain’t that. I’d bet everything he was just closing his eyes so he can listen better w/out distraction."</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, others accepted that he was falling asleep, but shared their own experiences of what his schedule might have looked like that contextualised his exhaustion. One Twitter user wrote, “When I worked in the Joint Staff and would go NATO meetings, we'd typically fly overnight then have a whole day of meetings...I'd grow my fingernails long to stick them into my palms during the meeting to keep from falling asleep. Nice work by the aide to intervene.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Others said it indicated he was not up to the job, with one person writing, “If it isn’t that important, then he shouldn’t be there. If it is important and he can’t stay awake, then he shouldn’t be there. Either way it shows he is not up to the job.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Fortunately, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on hand to help Biden feel less alone. He was spotted shutting his eyes during the opening ceremony of the conference, while seated next to Sir David Attenborough and the Secretary-General of the United Nations. While some made fun of the Prime Minister for nodding off, others wondered why he was not wearing a mask when both men next to him were.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Takes an extra special kind of dickhead to not wear a mask to protect David fucking Attenborough <a href="https://t.co/UwJFBxc3pz">pic.twitter.com/UwJFBxc3pz</a></p> — James Felton (@JimMFelton) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimMFelton/status/1455271483102703622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">A source at Number 10 said it was “total nonsense” to suggest Johnson had been falling asleep. Obviously, he was just resting his eyes.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter/<span>Getty Images</span></em></p>

News

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Paris Hilton calls on Biden to take account for troubled teen industry

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paris Hilton has shared her own shocking experiences while calling on US President Joe Biden and Congress to do something about the “troubled teen industry”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The former reality TV star previously revealed she had faced mental and physical abuse as a teenager in youth facilities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Appearing outside Capitol Hill, </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/paris-hilton-strangled-slapped-watched-in-the-shower-troubled-teen-industry-reform/c0ee9436-162e-48e1-988b-503af5584097" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hilton said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">: “For 20 years I couldn’t sleep at night as memories of physical violence, the feeling of loneliness, the loss of peers rushed through my mind when I shut my eyes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This was not just insomnia. It was trauma.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hilton appeared on October 20 alongside other teen survivors to announce the Accountability for Congregate Care Act. They were joined by lawmakers representative Ro Khanna and Senator Jeff Merkley, who are co-sponsors of the legislation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 40-year-old star called on Biden to support the legislation, which would establish a bill of rights for children in youth facilities and act as oversight for the “troubled teens industry”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Ensuring children are safe from institutional abuse isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s a basic human rights issue that requires immediate attention.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVQrDczvaPA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVQrDczvaPA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Paris Hilton (@parishilton)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In her speech, Hilton also shared her experiences and the trauma she endured as a teenager.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“One night when I was 16 years old,  I woke up to two large men in my bedroom asking if I wanted to go the easy way or the hard way,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Thinking I was being kidnapped, I screamed for my parents. As I was being physically dragged out of my house, I saw them crying in the hallway. They didn’t come to my rescue that night.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This was my introduction to the troubled teen industry.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My parents were promised that tough love would fix me and that sending me across the country was the only way.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hilton went on to share details about her treatment at the facility she was taken to.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I was strangled, slapped across the face, watched in the shower by male staff, called vulgar names, forced to take medication without a diagnosis, not given a proper education, thrown into solitary confinement in a room covered in scratch marks and smeared in blood,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I was forced to stay indoors for 11 months straight - no sunlight, no fresh air.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845046/paris-hilton2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b08c4c74198f46a29f4b7cbdf2203326" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I wish I could tell you what I experienced or witnessed was unique or even rare, but sadly,it’s not,” she continued.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Every day in America, children in congregate care settings are being physically, emotionally and sexually abused.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the past, Hilton has also called on Biden to support another bill which would require youth residential treatment centres to be under additional government oversight and document when they use restraints.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Testifying at a February state Senate committee hearing in favour of the bill, Hilton told the committee that talking about such a personal subject “was and is still terrifying”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But I cannot go to sleep at night knowing that there are children that are experiencing the same abuse that I and so many others went through, and neither should you.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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“That fellow Down Under”: Biden’s blunder in historic announcement

<p>United States President Joe Biden has seemingly forgotten Scott Morrison's name in an historic press conference. </p> <p>The joint announcement with the UK, US and Australia saw the three politicians come together for a virtual press conference to discuss their new <span>trilateral security partnership.</span></p> <p><span>Amid the President's </span>speech, Biden thanked "that fellow down under" for bringing the three countries together. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">🇦🇺 'I want to thank that fella down under.'<br /><br />🇺🇸 President Biden appears to forget the name of Australian PM Scott Morrison 😬 <a href="https://t.co/2aCUbUBjdz">pic.twitter.com/2aCUbUBjdz</a></p> — GB News (@GBNEWS) <a href="https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1438250398033326087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>"Thank you Boris, and I want to thank that fellow down under,” he said.</p> <p>“Thank you very much, pal! Appreciate it, Mr Prime Minister."</p> <p>Biden quick backtracked and address Scott Morrison by name as he thanked him for the partnership, but the blunder was not missed by those on Twitter. </p> <p>Social media users criticised Biden's fumble and said the announcement would have been "more significant" <span>if Mr Biden hadn’t forgotten Mr Morrison’s name.</span></p> <p><span>One person tweeted, "Surely 'that fella Down Under' is the </span>equivalent of running into someone in a pub whose name you can't remember and can only come up with 'Maaaaate'."</p> <p>Another wrote, "Well. AUKUS is off to a good start..."</p> <p>The announcement shadowed a statement of Scott Morrison's on Thursday, as he confirmed that Australia would be utilising British and American technology to build its next fleet, <span>replacing the existing Collins class submarines.</span></p> <p>The Prime Minister made it clear that Australia was not planning to create any nuclear weapons or a civil nuclear capability, and will abide by all non-proliferation obligations.</p> <p>The news comes with the official forming of a security partnership between the three powerful country, called AUKUS, with a focus on new technologies. </p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty Images</em></p>

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“I miss her”: Joe Biden reveals effect of presidency on marriage

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a new joint interview, Joe and Jill Biden share just how their 44-year marriage has changed since Joe entered the White House for the second time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a cover story for </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.vogue.com/article/first-lady-dr-jill-biden-profile" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vogue</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> profiling the first lady, the US president admits the couple have spent more time apart since his presidency began.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I miss her,” Joe said of his wife.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m really proud of her. But it’s not like we can just go off like we used to.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When we were living in Delaware and married, once a month we’d just go up to a local bed-and-breakfast by ourselves, to make sure we had a romantic time to just get away and hang out with each other.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After spending eight years as Vice-President under the Obama administration, Joe said the couple had to adapt now that he’s president, with political duties often taking priority.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ll find that I’m working on a hell of an important speech and I’m distracted, and then I may not be working on one and I want to go and hang out with her, and she’s working on an important speech!” he told </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vogue</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We have to figure out a way - and I mean this sincerely - to be able to steal time for one another. I think that’s the deal.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jill confirmed that the couple’s busy schedules has proved to be a challenge, revealing they’re “both so busy” and have to “try a little harder to make time for one another”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Even the thing about having dinner together: Sometimes we eat on the balcony; last night we ate in the yellow Oval, upstairs,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s just part of the day that we set apart, and we still light candles, still have conversations, still put the phones away.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQtCZKBg65g/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQtCZKBg65g/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jill has previously revealed how the couple has committed to dining together during her first solo interview as first lady on </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Kelly Clarkson Show</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She told Clarkson about how she tries to keep regular “Sunday night dinners” in their schedules, despite being “a little busy lately”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But the kids look forward to [Sunday dinners] and I think traditions really ground kids,” Jill added.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the couple’s latest interview with the famed fashion magazine, Jill also opened up about her work as a teacher.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When I became second lady - and there was so much I wanted to do - I always said, ‘I will never waste this platform’,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jill continues to teach English at Northern Virginia Community College, where she said her students refer to her as “Dr. B”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With an even bigger platform now as first lady, Jill said she has no intention of giving up teaching.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There’s so much to do. There is… so. Much. To. Do.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Vogue Magazine / Instagram</span></em></p>

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Unexpected Prince Harry cameo in Biden's inauguration leaves fans stunned

<p>While people around the world tuned in to watch Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' historic inauguration, eagle-eyed royal fans spotted a sneaky appearance by Prince Harry.</p> <p>A large portrait of Prince Harry was spotted in the background of photos taken during President Biden's official visit to Arlington Cemetery.</p> <p>Royal reporter Omid Scobie shared the photo.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo by a royal at President Biden’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InaugurationDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InaugurationDay</a> visit to Arlington Cemetery. Well, kinda.<br /><br />Eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot a giant photo from Prince Harry’s 2013 visit hanging in the background while <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeBiden</a> caught up with the Clintons. <a href="https://t.co/qWtJrFwRrL">pic.twitter.com/qWtJrFwRrL</a></p> — Omid Scobie (@scobie) <a href="https://twitter.com/scobie/status/1352023086263132163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>"A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo by a royal at President Biden’s #InaugurationDay visit to Arlington Cemetery. Well, kinda. Eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot a giant photo from Prince Harry’s 2013 visit hanging in the background while @JoeBiden caught up with the Clintons," he joked.</p> <p>Prince Harry has close ties to the Biden family after working closely with Dr Jill Biden after the pair met during a reception for wounded soldiers at the British Ambassador's Residence in Washington.</p> <p>Jill then travelled to London to attend Prince Harry's Invictus Games in 2014 and was joined by her husband at the 2016 games in Orlando.</p> <p>Biden has joked that he was a "little worried" about the pair's friendship, stating: "Jill went to London for the last Games. She spent too much damn time with Prince Harry."</p> <p>An insider close to Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://hollywoodlife.com/2021/01/20/meghan-markle-prince-harry-inauguration-emotional-joe-biden-kamala-harris/" target="_blank"><em>HollywoodLife</em></a><span> </span>that the inauguration was "very personal" for the couple.</p> <p>"Harry's been friends with Joe and [wife] Jill [Biden] for years and Meghan has a huge amount of respect and admiration for them and for Kamala Harris," the source claimed.</p> <p>"It's just a monumental moment in history — watching the first female VP being sworn in will for sure be emotional for Meghan."</p>

Beauty & Style

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Dylan Alcott's perfect backhand at Sam Newman

<p>Australian Paralympians Dylan Alcott and Jodi Willis-Roberts have shot back at media figure Sam Newman after he called US President-elect Joe Biden “retarded”.</p> <p>Newman was sacked from his media gig earlier this year over comments he made about George Floyd.</p> <p>Now he has been swiftly called out for his words he wrote on Twitter on Sunday after Biden was declared the winner of the US election.</p> <p>“Great day for inclusion and diversity,” Newman wrote.</p> <p>“Shows someone who is mentally retarded and has special needs, can attain high office. Congratulations, Joe Biden.”</p> <p>The comments were blasted by hundreds of people, with many calling his words “vile” and others calling on Twitter to permanently remove his account.</p> <p>Newman sarcastically thanked his audience in his response and refused to apologise for his slur against disabled people.</p> <p>“Thank you for the outpouring of advice, and your interest in what I do/say. Very much appreciated,” Newman wrote.</p> <p>“There is a reason I deleted the tweet about Joey Biden - but probably not the one you think.”</p> <p>Jodi Willis-Roberts, a visually impaired Australian Paralympic athlete, took aim at the former TV star on Twitter.</p> <p>She told him to take caution before he tweeted next time.</p> <p>However, wheelchair tennis champion Dylan Alcott did not go so easy on him and labelled the 74-year-old as the “lowest of the low”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Also, to the people forwarding me the Sam Newman tweet, please don’t. He is the lowest of the low. His disgusting hate speech doesn’t deserve my or anyone else’s time</p> — Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanAlcott/status/1325374977500012544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>“Also, to the people forwarding me the Sam Newman tweet, please don’t,” Alcott wrote.</p> <p>“He is the lowest of the low. His disgusting hate speech doesn’t deserve my or anyone else’s time.”</p>

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Stunning picture captures moment Joe Biden won US election

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>A fast-thinking member of the Biden household captured the moment Joe Biden learned he had won the 2020 election.</p> <p>Biden was with family members in his home in Delaware where he learned he would be the 46th President of the United States.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">11.07.20 <a href="https://t.co/HHVJMmIoAW">pic.twitter.com/HHVJMmIoAW</a></p> — Naomi Biden (@NaomiBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/NaomiBiden/status/1325190941058113536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>His grandchildren were the ones who broke the good news to Biden, as he was relaxing with his wife Jill on their veranda.</p> <p>“Pop, Pop! We won!” they told the now-president-elect, according to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/live-blog/2020-11-07-trump-biden-election-results-n1246882/ncrd1246979#liveBlogHeader" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink"><em>NBC News</em></a>.</p> <p>Despite Biden being in a "cautious mood" before his victory was announced, he's celebrating now and has pushed forward with his plans for office.</p> <p>In the first steps in his transition plans, there would be more COVID-19 testing and Americans would be asked to wear masks.</p> <p>He also announced that there will be a focus on the economy, with plans to tackle racism and climate change.</p> <p>In his first speech as president-elect on Saturday, Mr Biden said it was "time to heal" the US and vowed "not to divide but to unify" the country. Addressing Trump supporters directly, he said: "We have to stop treating our opponents as enemies."</p> <p>However, current US President Donald Trump is yet to concede, despite Biden congratulating him on a hard-fought campaign.</p> <p>Trump has vowed to contest the election results on several fronts, with a recount being held in Georgia and plans for the same outcome in Wisconsin.</p> <p>Trump has also vowed to take legal action to the Supreme Court, alleging voting fraud without evidence.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Sam Newman slated for “vile” Joe Biden tweet

<p><span>Sam Newman has been crucified on social media after he called US President-elect Joe Biden “mentally retarded” in a tweet that was swiftly deleted moments later.</span><br /><br /><span>Newman was let go from his media gig earlier this year when he made offensive comments about George Floyd.</span><br /><br /><span>This time, the Australian media personality has possibly topped the cake with his latest controversy.</span><br /><br /><span>The 74-year-old went berserk on Twitter on Sunday after Biden was declared the winner of the US election.</span><br /><br /><span>“Great day for inclusion and diversity,” Newman said.</span><br /><br /><span>“Shows someone who is mentally retarded and has special needs, can attain high office. Congratulations, Joe Biden.”</span></p> <p><span>The comments were blasted by hundreds of people, with several labelling him “vile” and others calling for his account to be shut down.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838668/sam-newman-joe-biden-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bed2c9e0862d45dfa3e6c968e13ad8ef" /></p> <p><em>Sam Newman's now delete tweet about Joe Biden</em><br /><br /><span>Newman was slammed in June for calling Floyd “a piece of s***” in a scathing attack after AFL players supported the Black Lives Matter movement by kneeling before games.</span><br /><br /><span>That crude comment got him sacked and his latest controversy follows just days after comedian Dave Hughes copped a lashing for accidentally mocking Biden’s stutter.</span><br /><br /><span>“Joe Biden just had a mad struggle stringing sentences together. Is it the autocue?” Hughes wrote on Twitter.</span><br /><br /><span>He deleted the tweet and quickly apologised.</span><br /><br /><span>“I genuinely didn’t know Biden has always had a speech impediment. Good on him. Thanks for the heads up,” Hughes said.</span><br /><br /><span>“I was commenting on Joe’s struggle to read the autocue.</span><br /><br /><span>“I didn’t think it had anything to do with a stutter.</span><br /><br /><span>Sorry for my ignorance.”</span></p>

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Donald Trump sues as Biden takes the lead

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden are confident of their victory in the US Presidential Election, with vote counting still going on in crucial states.</p> <p>As Biden is predicted to win in key states such as Michigan and Wisconsin, Trump has challenged vote counts in key states.</p> <p>He made unfounded assertions of victory as well as allegations of voter fraud and accused Democrats of trying to "steal" the election.</p> <p>The Trump campaign has also launched a number of lawsuits demanding a halt to the counts, but in states such as Arizona and Nevada, his supporters are demanding that counting continues as Trump is behind in these states.</p> <p>There was a lawsuit in Michigan to stop counting there as the campaign said it had been denied "meaningful access" to observe the opening of the ballots and tally. This was dismissed by a state court judge on Thursday.</p> <p>Police were also called to Michigan to guard the door to a vote-counting policy as Trump supporters demanded access to monitor the process despite there being 200 people already observing the vote in the building.</p> <p>Trump also filed another lawsuit in Pennsylvania for closer scrutiny of the ballot counting process, which was swiftly rejected by the Supreme Court on Thursday.</p> <p>There was also legal action against Georgie to halt the vote count, with Trump saying that a Republican poll observer in the southern state had witnessed 53 late absentee ballots being illegally added to a pile of votes. This was dismissed by a state court on Thursday.</p> <p>If these lawsuits weren't enough, Trump launched another legal bid against Nevada with the Trump campaign alleging that around 10,000 votes were cast by people who no longer lived in the state.</p> <p>Last but not least, Trump's campaign said that in Wisconsin it would formally request a recount as there were "irregularities in several Wisconsin counties".</p> <p>These lawsuits could be due to Biden being ahead by more than 20,000 votes with election experts saying that recounts typically change tallies by only a few hundred.</p> <p>Bob Bauer, a Biden campaign lawyer said that the lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign "don't have merit".</p> <p>"It is to create an opportunity for them to message falsely about what's taking place in the electoral process," Mr Bauer said.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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What would a Biden presidency mean for Australia?

<p>American presidential elections do not, as a rule, change the calculus much for Australian foreign policy. Elections come and go, American presidents complete their terms and business continues more or less as normal.</p> <p>Even Richard Nixon’s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/watergate/articles/080974-3.htm">resignation in 1974</a> due to Watergate caused not much more than a ripple in what had been a difficult relationship between Washington and Canberra during the Whitlam era.</p> <p>Gough Whitlam and his ministers had criticised US <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/gough-whitlams-incendiary-letter-to-richard-nixon-on-vietnam/news-story/b59ad3a4e87d8c758c7cd708ca4656f3">bombing campaigns</a> in Hanoi and the North Vietnamese port city of Haiphong.</p> <p>Importantly from Australia’s perspective, Gerald Ford continued Nixon’s engagement with China. This led to the <a href="https://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/p/china/president-carter-on-normalizing-relations-with-china.html">normalisation of relations</a> under Jimmy Carter in 1978.</p> <p>While it would be foolish to predict the outcome of presidential elections whose results have <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/09/why-2016-election-polls-missed-their-mark/">confounded pollsters in the recent past</a>, odds favour a change of an administration.</p> <p>President Donald Trump’s blunders in the management of a pandemic are <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/">weighing heavily</a> on both his electoral prospects and those of the Republican Party.</p> <p>So, with all the caveats attached, it is reasonable to speculate about implications for Australia of a change of administration.</p> <p>An end to Trump’s “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trumps-foreign-policy-puts-america-first/">America First</a>” era and its replacement by a traditionalist American foreign policy under Joe Biden, which emphasises friendships and alliances, will create new opportunities.</p> <p>Importantly, a less abrasive international environment, in which America seeks to rebuild confidence in its global leadership, should be to Australia’s advantage.</p> <p>Not least of the benefits would be an opportunity for Canberra to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/beijing-changes-tactics-on-australia-looks-to-reset-diplomacy-20201005-p5624f.html">reset its relations with Beijing</a>. This is a long-overdue project whose fulfilment has been complicated by Australia’s identification with Washington’s erratic policies coupled with Sinophobic attitudes in Canberra.</p> <p>None of this is to suggest Australia should drop its legitimate criticisms of China: its human rights abuses; its <a href="https://theconversation.com/morrisons-1-3-billion-for-more-cyber-spies-is-an-incremental-response-to-a-radical-problem-141692">cyber intrusions</a>; its <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-26/china-is-after-intellectual-property-not-always-illegally/10302424">intellectual property theft</a>; its <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-17/australia-needs-foreign-interference-commissioner-china-tensions/12670516">attempts to interfere</a> in Australian domestic politics; its flagrant disregard for <a href="https://theconversation.com/naval-exercises-in-south-china-sea-add-to-growing-fractiousness-between-us-and-china-142168">criticisms of its activities</a> in the South China Sea; its unprincipled reneging on its “<a href="https://theconversation.com/china-is-taking-a-risk-by-getting-tough-on-hong-kong-now-the-us-must-decide-how-to-respond-139294">one country two systems</a>” agreements on Hong Kong, and a host of other issues.</p> <p>Indeed, you could argue Canberra needs to be more forthright in its dealings with China in pursuit of a more distinctive foreign policy.</p> <p>Early in his tenure, Prime Minister Scott Morrison showed glimmers of promise in this regard. But this proved short-lived.</p> <p>In an <a href="https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/stories/australia-and-the-indo-pacific-an-address-by-prime-minister-scott-morrison">Asialink speech</a> in the lead-up to the 2019 Osaka G20 summit, Morrison sketched out a role for Australia in seeking to defuse tensions in the region and provide some space for itself in its foreign policy. He said:</p> <p><em>We should not just sit back and passively await our fate in the wake of a major power contest.</em></p> <p>The speech was regarded at the time as promising a nuanced Morrison foreign policy. But since then the Australia has not ventured far from America’s coattails.</p> <p>Indeed, it might be said to have cleaved even more closely to the US alliance as China’s rise has unsettled the region.</p> <p>This returns us to implications of a potential <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/18/us/politics/joe-biden-foreign-policy.html">Biden administration</a> for Australia.</p> <p>It would be naive to assume tensions between Washington and Beijing will dissipate under a Biden presidency. Such is the range of issues bedevilling Sino-US relations that some rancour will persist.</p> <p>Much has changed in the four years since Biden served as vice president under Barack Obama. China is richer, bigger, stronger, more assertive and seemingly more ideological. It is certainly more nationalistic.</p> <p>In Xi Jinping, it has a leader who is more conspicuously and ruthlessly committed to restoring China’s greatness than his predecessors.</p> <p>Gone are the days when discussion about China revolved around hopes it would become a <a href="https://www.ncuscr.org/content/robert-zoellicks-responsible-stakeholder-speech">responsible international stakeholder</a> willing to accommodate itself to an America-dominated global order. Now the issue is whether China’s assertiveness can be hedged to avoid open conflict.</p> <p>If elected, Biden will need to settle on a new formula for dealing with China that provides certainty for an anxious global community. Whether this proves possible remains to be seen.</p> <p>It should also be noted that Biden’s <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/feature/just-how-good-joe-biden%E2%80%99s-foreign-policy-team-170216">foreign policy advisory team</a> includes hawkish elements that will resist yielding ground to China. Biden himself has referred to China’s leader Xi as a “<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/10/23/debate-transcript-trump-biden-final-presidential-debate-nashville/3740152001/">thug</a>”, along with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.</p> <p>On the other hand, Biden’s foreign policy realists are not burdened by an “America First” mindset. His team can be expected to take an expansive view of American foreign policy on issues like climate change, arms control and rebuilding a global trading system battered by years of neglect.</p> <p>A Democrat administration would <a href="https://theconversation.com/president-trump-could-kill-the-paris-agreement-but-climate-action-will-survive-68596">re-enter the Paris Agreement</a> on climate change. It could also be expected to review Trump’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-24/trump-withdraws-from-tpp/8206356">decision to disengage</a> from the Trans Pacific Partnership trading bloc and it might seek to renegotiate a <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-another-october-surprise-may-yet-take-place-this-time-in-the-persian-gulf-147354">nuclear deal with Iran</a>.</p> <p>These would be positive developments from an Australian standpoint.</p> <p>Unquestionably, re-ordering China policy will be at the top of Biden’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/politics/joe-biden-foreign-policy.html">foreign policy priorities</a>, and separate from the absolute domestic imperative of bringing a COVID-19 pandemic under control.</p> <p>Australia should take advantage of the opportunity to explore possibilities of a less counterproductive relationship with its principal trading partner.</p> <p><em>Written by <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tony-walker-313396">Tony Walker</a>, La Trobe University. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-would-a-biden-presidency-mean-for-australia-148516">The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

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