‘Xi is watching’: How Trump’s aid cuts have left Australia ‘holding the bag’ It was the end of January, just a week after Donald Trump returned to office, when the email arrived in the inboxes of FHI 360.

Imp. piece from @michaelkoziol.bsky.social - For all its faults & complexity, the intersection of soft diplomacy, global health development, & GH research was working to deliver a healthier, more secure region. But the system has been completely upended. BAU is over.

www.smh.com.au/world/north-...

US President Donald Trump inducting Gloria Gaynor as a Kennedy Centre honoree: "I Will Survive is an unbelievable song. I've heard it, like everyone else here, thousands of times. It's one of those few that get better every time you hear it. And nobody can sing it like her.”

Trump taunts Murdoch as he files $15 billion lawsuit over Epstein story The US president is suing over a story published by The Wall Street Journal that said he signed a birthday letter to now-disgraced financier back in 2003.

Trump taunts Murdoch as he files defamation lawsuit seeking $US10 billion in damages over Epstein story www.theage.com.au/world/north-...

‘I’m going to sue his ass off’: Trump turns on Murdoch over Epstein story The US president says he will sue The Wall Street Journal over a story claiming he wrote a cryptic letter – with an “outline of a naked woman” – to now-convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.

“I’m going to sue his ass off”: Trump turns on Murdoch over Epstein story www.smh.com.au/world/north-...

You’ve got to dance with the ones that brung ya – even the ‘bad, boring weaklings’ The US president is dealing with a revolt from the more rabid elements of his MAGA movement over the administration’s decision to draw a line under the Jeffrey Epstein saga.

Sorry Donald, but you’ve got to dance with the ones that brung ya, even if they’re “bad, boring weaklings” www.theage.com.au/world/north-...

Trump handed ‘giant win’ as Supreme Court curbs judges’ power to block his orders Donald Trump said a handful of “radical left judges” could no longer overrule the rightful powers of the president and “dictate the law for the entire nation”, which he called a grave threat to democr...

Trump handed a “giant win” by the Supreme Court, which has ruled against lower court judges granting universal injunctions to halt government policies www.theage.com.au/world/north-...

No one should be surprised by Trump’s love-in with Middle East monarchs With his face everywhere, Trump is becoming an American version of the Gulf’s absolute rulers. Of course, he seems to like it that way.

While Donald Trump shook hands with sheikhs, his face went up on the side of a DC government building www.smh.com.au/world/north-...

The day the Carney came to town and trampled Trump’s ‘artistic’ vision “I’m a very artistic person,” Donald Trump told Canada’s new PM as he outlined why he believes his country should join the United States.

“I’m a very artistic person,” Donald Trump told Mark Carney as he explained why he believes Canada should become the 51st state www.smh.com.au/world/north-...

‘Uncharted waters’: US edges closer to constitutional crisis over deportee Veteran Democrat Nancy Pelosi is among those accusing the Trump administration of defying the courts by refusing to return a man from a notorious Salvadorian jail.

The US is edging closer to constitutional crisis with the Trump administration resisting a court order to return a man who was mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador www.smh.com.au/world/north-...

‘Uncharted waters’: US edges closer to constitutional crisis over deportee Veteran Democrat Nancy Pelosi is among those accusing the Trump administration of defying the courts by refusing to return a man from a notorious Salvadorian jail.

The US is edging closer to constitutional crisis with the Trump administration resisting a court order to return a man who was mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador www.smh.com.au/world/north-...

Damn that Laurie “I’m just happy to be at the table” speech is one of the best scenes in TV history

Trump’s ‘reciprocal tariffs’ look to be a hoax. Here’s how you can tell For weeks, the US president has insisted it would be a matter of “whatever they charge us, we charge them”. But it has become clear that isn’t what’s going on.

The so-called “tariffs charged to the USA” turn out to be nothing more than a reflection of the US trade deficit with that country www.theage.com.au/world/north-...

US adds to list of trade grievances against Australia before Trump’s big tariff move The American update also highlighted the Albanese government’s December 2024 announcement about big tech firms.

New: US adds to list of official trade grievances with Australia on the eve of Donald Trump’s next round of tariffs www.theage.com.au/world/north-...

Joe Hockey goes in to bat for US investors in Trump trade dispute with Australia A group of disgruntled Americans are pushing for millions of dollars in compensation from Australia, as part of US trade negotiations. Now they have a former ambassador on their side.

Exclusive: Former ambassador turned lobbyist Joe Hockey is helping a coal company and its disgruntled US investors pursue millions in compensation from Australia in a case that has become a key issue in trade talks with the Trump administration www.smh.com.au/world/north-...

Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff: “This [Signal-gate] was a huge mistake, wasn’t it?”
CIA director John Ratcliffe: “No.”

Senior Trump officials accidentally texted secret war plans to journalist Washington is in shock after the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic revealed he had been included in a highly sensitive Signal group chat that planned strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

Washington has been stunned by revelations the editor of The Atlantic magazine was “inadvertently” copied into a Signal group chat where top Trump administration officials and cabinet secretaries debated and detailed a top-secret military operation www.theage.com.au/world/north-...

‘One heck of a stretch’: White House argues judge’s verbal orders don’t count In the latest and arguably most significant legal challenge to Trump’s sweeping agenda, his administration has been accused of defying a federal judge.

“I don’t care what the judges think”: White House digs in against court order on deportations www.smh.com.au/world/north-...

Trump ‘floods the zone’ with bizarre AI video of future Gaza where he is king The short video depicted Gaza as a glittery skyscraper riviera and contained a clip of Donald Trump lying shirtless by a pool sipping cocktails with Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump “floods the zone” with bizarre AI video of a future Gaza where he is king (and there are bearded androgynous belly-dancers) www.theage.com.au/world/north-...

Trump on Ukraine/Russia: "That’s what I do, I do deals. My whole life is deals. That’s all I know is deals. I know when somebody wants to make [one] and when somebody doesn’t."

Inside the Trump-loving gathering that wants to save ‘Austrailia’ It is the world’s largest conservative event, and having succeeded in returning Donald Trump to the presidency, some are setting their sights on Down Under.

Inside the hard right conservative conference that loves Trump and wants to take on Australia next www.smh.com.au/world/north-...

Gamblers now losing more than $1m an hour on NSW poker machines The government has introduced various gambling reforms, but harm minimisation advocates say they will not make an impact.

It’s an absolute shame and scandal that the people of NSW have lost $8.6 billion on the pokies in just one year. Blow them up www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...

Former Trump aide and felon Steve Bannon at CPAC in Washington: "We ain’t worried about 2028. The future of America is MAGA, okay? And the future of MAGA is Donald J. Trump. We want Trump in ‘28. A man like Trump comes along only once or twice in a nation’s history."

It’s not your imagination, Trump siding with Putin on Ukraine is scary Trump’s personal attack on Volodymyr Zelensky and his adoption of Putin’s talking points raise the question of who will stand up for truth and decency?

Donald Trump’s vindictive and personal attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shows us the US president has now fully adopted the propaganda of Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin – a significant and scary moment in world affairs www.theage.com.au/world/north-...

Common sense? More like a lack of common decency as Trump stoops to new low When the US president uses the death of 67 people to push his political agenda, traduce his enemies and demonise minorities, it’s important to stop and remember this is not normal.

Trump. Not normal. Not ok. Just as @michaelkoziol.bsky.social writes.
www.smh.com.au/world/north-...

America, why do your bedrooms have no ceiling lights and why aren’t your cans pull-tops?

Los Angeles prepares for return of strong winds as fire death toll rises to 16 Authorities unleashed a “relentless air attack” on the Palisades fire after changes in wind direction set it burning towards homes in Mandeville Canyon, Encino and Brentwood.

Los Angeles on alert for strong Santa Ana winds as firefighters make progress against the two biggest blazes threatening city www.smh.com.au/world/north-...

NSW government reaches secret deal with north shore council over housing plan Planning Minister Paul Scully accused the council of wasting ratepayers’ money to stop development in the middle of a housing crisis.

🚨🏙️ Ku-ring-gai Council has reached a confidential agreement with the state government over its legal challenge to housing density plans

www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...

Overheard on Bondi Beach: “All my bosses are in Peru doing ayahuasca.”

I’m directing a pantomime at the Factory Theatre in Marrickville this December! Come take a look back at the year in politics … told as a Christmas story. Tickets: www.factorytheatre.com.au/event/a-canb...

Thanks!