And now pulling out of #Nanjing South. #China

View from train pulling out of #Suzhou, #China just now before picking up speed…

An old tower being propped up with supports in #Shanghai, #China…

Manila, Beijing resume talks on South China Sea, energy security The Philippines and China have resumed high-level talks this week over the disputed South China Sea, exploring preliminary steps toward oil and gas ​cooperation while addressing energy and fertilizer ...

Reuters: Manila and Beijing resume talks on South China Sea and energy security – ‘The 11th round of talks under a bilateral consultation mechanism established in 2017 was the first such meeting since January 2025.’

Midnight Oil - 5 - Surfing With A Spoon (1978) YouTube video by Strip Cycle Christian Music

World sucks, Friday Music, guitars from #Australia 1977 & 78
Part FIVE…
This one starts beautifully then builds and builds.
“Well you knew from the start that a one-way lovin’ wouldn’t last…”
m.youtube.com/watch?v=cIDw...

Cheers!

Midnight Oil - Run by Night YouTube video by The Making of Midnight Oil

World sucks, Friday Music, guitars from #Australia 1977 & 78
Part FOUR…
(Push through the poor video quality at the start of this one)
Such an awesome track: “I’m on the whisky flyin…”

m.youtube.com/watch?v=SFl8...

The Angels - Take A Long Line (1978) YouTube video by nzoz1978

World sucks, Friday Music, guitars from #Australia 1977 & 78
Part THREE…
“This is it folks! Over the top!”

m.youtube.com/watch?v=mkzN...

The Saints - Nights In Venice YouTube video by Skarhead_

World sucks, Friday Music, guitars from #Australia 1977 & 78
Part TWO…
So awesome at the 4 minute mark: “Yeeeeaaaaahhhh!”

m.youtube.com/watch?v=wCSS...

𝐀𝐂/𝐃𝐂 - 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤 - 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟕 YouTube video by Austech

Because the world sucks at the moment we need some Friday music. Today’s theme: Australian guitars 1977 & 78.
These are all to be cranked up!
#Australia
Starting with…

m.youtube.com/watch?v=q3D1...

The Saints are one of the most underrated Aussie bands.

Such a great tune!

Midnight Oil - 5 - Surfing With A Spoon (1978) YouTube video by Strip Cycle Christian Music

World sucks, Friday Music, guitars from #Australia 1977 & 78
Part FIVE…
This one starts beautifully then builds and builds.
“Well you knew from the start that a one-way lovin’ wouldn’t last…”
m.youtube.com/watch?v=cIDw...

Midnight Oil - Run by Night YouTube video by The Making of Midnight Oil

World sucks, Friday Music, guitars from #Australia 1977 & 78
Part FOUR…
(Push through the poor video quality at the start of this one)
Such an awesome track: “I’m on the whisky flyin…”

m.youtube.com/watch?v=SFl8...

🙌

The Angels - Take A Long Line (1978) YouTube video by nzoz1978

World sucks, Friday Music, guitars from #Australia 1977 & 78
Part THREE…
“This is it folks! Over the top!”

m.youtube.com/watch?v=mkzN...

The Saints - Nights In Venice YouTube video by Skarhead_

World sucks, Friday Music, guitars from #Australia 1977 & 78
Part TWO…
So awesome at the 4 minute mark: “Yeeeeaaaaahhhh!”

m.youtube.com/watch?v=wCSS...

𝐀𝐂/𝐃𝐂 - 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤 - 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟕 YouTube video by Austech

Because the world sucks at the moment we need some Friday music. Today’s theme: Australian guitars 1977 & 78.
These are all to be cranked up!
#Australia
Starting with…

m.youtube.com/watch?v=q3D1...

This is incredible! #US #USA #Trump #Iran war profits...

Just to be very clear: The Trump DOJ is stealing $1.2 million of your money to gift one of Trump’s cronies, who pled guilty to the crimes he was charged with, and whose suit against the government had already been tossed by a judge.

Merz said Wednesday's he can "envision" a trade deal with China, per wires & some German reports

Reuters: ​Merz "​could envision EU signing further trade ⁠deals after ‌its latest deal with Aus, ‌including one with ⁠China"

Can't see original - not sure what he said directly

“Indeed, new ratings data obtained by Status isn’t just bad for Weiss. It is catastrophic…”

Weiss’ Ratings Wipeout Six months into Bari Weiss’ overhaul of CBS News, new ratings data obtained by Status shows its flagship programs are shedding viewers at an alarming rate, collapsing to historic lows and accelerating the network’s decline.

lol

Loving the passive voice of "after it was delayed after the Iran war began", because there is no agency here.

And the summary blurb shows how unnecessary that is.

Trump to Travel to China on May 14-15 for Summit With Xi President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will hold their highly anticipated summit in Beijing on May 14-15, following a delay that brought fresh uncertainty to relations between the world’s largest economies.

President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will hold their highly anticipated summit in Beijing on May 14-15, following a delay that brought fresh uncertainty to relations between the world’s largest economies.

A bar chart showing a shift since 2005: fewer people live in democracies, while autocracies and autocratising countries now account for a much larger share of the world’s population.

A line chart comparing democratic decline across countries. The US shows a faster early drop in democratic standards than peers, outpacing countries like India and Serbia, though Hungary and Turkey see deeper long-term declines.

Democracy is on the brink of a worldwide depression — with the US leading the decline. Civil rights and equality in the land of the free have fallen to the levels of the mid-1960s and freedom of expression is at its lowest since the 1950s.

Read Martin Wolf on #FTEdit 👉 ft.trib.al/ylR5qXv

I’ll try to photograph something over the coming days and post it. ;-)

Australia backs Lebanon’s sovereignty and opposes occupation, Penny Wong tells Israel Foreign minister reiterates condemnation of Iran over the strait of Hormuz, and says Australia does not want to see occupation of southern Lebanon by Israel Penny Wong has told her Israeli counterpart that Australia supports Lebanon’s sovereignty and does not want to see the southern part of the country occupied by Israel, after the Netanyahu government revealed plans to pursue a “defensive buffer” against Iran-backed armed group, Hezbollah. It comes as Israel vowed to continue striking Iran, dimming hopes of de-escalation even as US president Donald Trump talked up the prospects of a deal to end the conflict. Continue reading...

Australia backs Lebanon’s sovereignty and opposes occupation, Penny Wong tells Israel

Iranian military mocks Trump's claim of US-Iran negotiations An Iranian military spokesperson mocked U.S. attempts at a ceasefire deal Wednesday, insisting that the Americans were only negotiating with themselves. Lt. Col.

BREAKING: Iranian military spokesperson mocks U.S. attempts at a ceasefire deal, insisting that the Americans are only negotiating with themselves. The comments come shortly after the Trump administration sent a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran through Pakistan.