Four teen girls arrested after allegedly stolen car crashes
More than 600 Aussies have paddled out, calling on the Australian government to support a moratorium on deep sea mining at the International Seabed Authority meeting in Jamaica this week.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
19 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Trump puts world 'on notice' to lift beef bans
US President Donald Trump has issued a scorching demand for any global bans on US beef to be lifted, following the relaxation of importation rules in Australia. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Mr Trump said 'After many years Australia has agreed to accept American Beef'. 'For a long time, and even though we are great friends, they actually banned our Beef.' He insisted that the US would now sell 'so much to Australia'. 'This is undeniable and irrefutable Proof that U.S. Beef is the Safest and Best in the entire World. 'The other Countries that refuse our magnificent Beef are ON NOTICE. 'All of our Nation's Ranchers, who are some of the hardest working and most wonderful people, are smiling today, which means I am smiling too. He ended the post with a call to 'keep the Hot Streak going'. It comes after the Albanese government's decision to lift restrictions on US beef imports, which came after a lengthy science-based review. The relaxation of the rules has however faced criticism from the Coalition for its 'exquisite' timing as Labor enters trade negotiations with the US. The Trump Administration claimed credit for the change in a Department of Agriculture press release titled 'Make Agriculture Great Again Trade Wins: President Trump Secures Greater Ag Market Access to Australia for American Beef'. The US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the change removed 'non-scientific trade barriers'. 'Gone are the days of putting American farmers on the sidelines,' Ms Rollins said. 'This is yet another example of the kind of market access the President negotiates to bring America into a new golden age of prosperity, with American agriculture leading the way.' The change was also praised by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in a statement on Thursday that singled out US President Donald Trump's 'leadership' for the change. 'Yesterday's decision by Australia marks a major milestone in lowering trade barriers and securing market access for US farmers and ranchers,' he said. 'President Trump is taking decisive action to confront unfair trading practices, and Australia's decision to unlock market access for US beef is a direct result of his leadership.' US beef was first banned in Australia in 2003 following an outbreak of mad cow disease. It was a total ban until 2019, when it was lifted, albeit restrictions remained on US exports that originated in Canada or Mexico. Australia had maintained the ban under the banner of biosecurity, but Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said that the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry was 'satisfied' with the 'strengthened control measures' put in place by the US. Local Australian beef producers have said the expect the new import rules to have minimal effect, citing high demand in the US and Australian's preference for homegrown meat. 'The potential for US beef to be imported into Australia in large volumes is minimal, given the high demand for beef in the US, the low US cattle herd, the strength of the Australian dollar, our competitive domestic supply, and most importantly Australians' strong preference for high-quality, tasty and nutritious Australian beef,' Meat and Livestock Australia said in a statement.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
'They don't feel safe; it's scary': Hunter's Tibetan community living in fear
The Hunter's Tibetan community is living in fear after hearing that Chinese Consul General Wang Yu was inquiring about their whereabouts during a recent visit to Newcastle. Mr Yu and his delegation asked about the local members of the persecuted community during a meeting with lord mayor Ross Kerridge and at lunch with union representatives last Thursday. China does not recognise Tibet's sovereignty and considers its community members to be political separatists. Many members of the Hunter's 170-strong Tibetan community endured persecution, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese government before arriving in Australia as part of humanitarian programs. Most still have family members in Tibet. Lobsang Lungtok, who lives in Newcastle, was tortured for 18 months in a detention camp after writing a poem criticising China's one-child policy in 1995. He said the news that Mr Yu had been asking questions about the local community was extremely concerning. "I have spoken to a lot of Tibetans who are saying, 'What's going on? Why are the Chinese here? They don't feel safe; it's scary," Mr Lungtok, the former president of the Newcastle Tibetan Community, said. "A lot of them are worried about their families back home." He said he suspected the growth of the Hunter's Tibetan community in recent years was of concern to Chinese officials. "We have been growing very fast. They (the Chinese government) probably think we are going to start a guerilla movement or something," he said. "We are peaceful people who wish to live quiet lives in Australia." Mr Lungtok, 50, arrived in Australia in 2001 after fleeing to India following his release from prison. He is married with a young family. He said his community was grateful for the support of the wider community, which included having Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and lord mayor Ross Kerridge present at their celebration of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. However, he said the Australian government needed to be stronger in its defence of Tibet and its people. "We just saw the prime minister with the Chinese president walking on the Great Wall. He said 'this is a nice place, everyone is welcome'. Not everyone is welcome," he said. Mr Lungtok's most recent run-in with Chinese authorities was only last month when he was deported from China after attempting to visit his family. "They deported me back to Sydney Airport. If they wanted to kidnap someone it would be so easy to do it there," he said. Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton said his Newcastle counterpart Ross Kerridge had no business speaking on behalf of other councils during his now-infamous meeting with the Chinese consul general. The meeting minutes show that as part of a discussion about the Hunter Region, Cr Kerridge said that one of the Hunter Joint Organisation's priorities was to transition away from coal mining. "LM (Lord Mayor) provided an overview of the JO strategy for transition out of coal in the Hunter Valley," the minutes say. Cr Drayton, said he was shocked Cr Kerridge had not consulted him before he spoke about the transition away from coal mining. "Forget how nave it is - a meet and greet with the Chinese discussing things like our region's role in defence, the local Tibetan community. When I saw in the minutes that the discussion turned to the Hunter, I couldn't believe it," Cr Drayton said. "On what planet does a Newcastle Lord Mayor offer views to China about the Hunter Joint Organisation - without a word to the other nine councils? Let alone Muswellbrook. "On what planet would he tell China the Hunter councils share a priority to, quote, 'transition out of coal mining'?" Cr Drayton said it was factually wrong to say that Muswellbrook or any other mining community had voluntarily chosen to move away from coal. "Mine closures are a commercially-driven challenge that our communities are counting on us to respond to - and believe me, we are. We have 12,000 jobs riding on it, across the Hunter, from pit to port. "To trot this out across the table from our main trading partner - even if he believes it, I'm not sure why he's felt the need to weigh in." The Hunter's Tibetan community is living in fear after hearing that Chinese Consul General Wang Yu was inquiring about their whereabouts during a recent visit to Newcastle. Mr Yu and his delegation asked about the local members of the persecuted community during a meeting with lord mayor Ross Kerridge and at lunch with union representatives last Thursday. China does not recognise Tibet's sovereignty and considers its community members to be political separatists. Many members of the Hunter's 170-strong Tibetan community endured persecution, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese government before arriving in Australia as part of humanitarian programs. Most still have family members in Tibet. Lobsang Lungtok, who lives in Newcastle, was tortured for 18 months in a detention camp after writing a poem criticising China's one-child policy in 1995. He said the news that Mr Yu had been asking questions about the local community was extremely concerning. "I have spoken to a lot of Tibetans who are saying, 'What's going on? Why are the Chinese here? They don't feel safe; it's scary," Mr Lungtok, the former president of the Newcastle Tibetan Community, said. "A lot of them are worried about their families back home." He said he suspected the growth of the Hunter's Tibetan community in recent years was of concern to Chinese officials. "We have been growing very fast. They (the Chinese government) probably think we are going to start a guerilla movement or something," he said. "We are peaceful people who wish to live quiet lives in Australia." Mr Lungtok, 50, arrived in Australia in 2001 after fleeing to India following his release from prison. He is married with a young family. He said his community was grateful for the support of the wider community, which included having Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and lord mayor Ross Kerridge present at their celebration of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. However, he said the Australian government needed to be stronger in its defence of Tibet and its people. "We just saw the prime minister with the Chinese president walking on the Great Wall. He said 'this is a nice place, everyone is welcome'. Not everyone is welcome," he said. Mr Lungtok's most recent run-in with Chinese authorities was only last month when he was deported from China after attempting to visit his family. "They deported me back to Sydney Airport. If they wanted to kidnap someone it would be so easy to do it there," he said. Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton said his Newcastle counterpart Ross Kerridge had no business speaking on behalf of other councils during his now-infamous meeting with the Chinese consul general. The meeting minutes show that as part of a discussion about the Hunter Region, Cr Kerridge said that one of the Hunter Joint Organisation's priorities was to transition away from coal mining. "LM (Lord Mayor) provided an overview of the JO strategy for transition out of coal in the Hunter Valley," the minutes say. Cr Drayton, said he was shocked Cr Kerridge had not consulted him before he spoke about the transition away from coal mining. "Forget how nave it is - a meet and greet with the Chinese discussing things like our region's role in defence, the local Tibetan community. When I saw in the minutes that the discussion turned to the Hunter, I couldn't believe it," Cr Drayton said. "On what planet does a Newcastle Lord Mayor offer views to China about the Hunter Joint Organisation - without a word to the other nine councils? Let alone Muswellbrook. "On what planet would he tell China the Hunter councils share a priority to, quote, 'transition out of coal mining'?" Cr Drayton said it was factually wrong to say that Muswellbrook or any other mining community had voluntarily chosen to move away from coal. "Mine closures are a commercially-driven challenge that our communities are counting on us to respond to - and believe me, we are. We have 12,000 jobs riding on it, across the Hunter, from pit to port. "To trot this out across the table from our main trading partner - even if he believes it, I'm not sure why he's felt the need to weigh in." The Hunter's Tibetan community is living in fear after hearing that Chinese Consul General Wang Yu was inquiring about their whereabouts during a recent visit to Newcastle. Mr Yu and his delegation asked about the local members of the persecuted community during a meeting with lord mayor Ross Kerridge and at lunch with union representatives last Thursday. China does not recognise Tibet's sovereignty and considers its community members to be political separatists. Many members of the Hunter's 170-strong Tibetan community endured persecution, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese government before arriving in Australia as part of humanitarian programs. Most still have family members in Tibet. Lobsang Lungtok, who lives in Newcastle, was tortured for 18 months in a detention camp after writing a poem criticising China's one-child policy in 1995. He said the news that Mr Yu had been asking questions about the local community was extremely concerning. "I have spoken to a lot of Tibetans who are saying, 'What's going on? Why are the Chinese here? They don't feel safe; it's scary," Mr Lungtok, the former president of the Newcastle Tibetan Community, said. "A lot of them are worried about their families back home." He said he suspected the growth of the Hunter's Tibetan community in recent years was of concern to Chinese officials. "We have been growing very fast. They (the Chinese government) probably think we are going to start a guerilla movement or something," he said. "We are peaceful people who wish to live quiet lives in Australia." Mr Lungtok, 50, arrived in Australia in 2001 after fleeing to India following his release from prison. He is married with a young family. He said his community was grateful for the support of the wider community, which included having Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and lord mayor Ross Kerridge present at their celebration of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. However, he said the Australian government needed to be stronger in its defence of Tibet and its people. "We just saw the prime minister with the Chinese president walking on the Great Wall. He said 'this is a nice place, everyone is welcome'. Not everyone is welcome," he said. Mr Lungtok's most recent run-in with Chinese authorities was only last month when he was deported from China after attempting to visit his family. "They deported me back to Sydney Airport. If they wanted to kidnap someone it would be so easy to do it there," he said. Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton said his Newcastle counterpart Ross Kerridge had no business speaking on behalf of other councils during his now-infamous meeting with the Chinese consul general. The meeting minutes show that as part of a discussion about the Hunter Region, Cr Kerridge said that one of the Hunter Joint Organisation's priorities was to transition away from coal mining. "LM (Lord Mayor) provided an overview of the JO strategy for transition out of coal in the Hunter Valley," the minutes say. Cr Drayton, said he was shocked Cr Kerridge had not consulted him before he spoke about the transition away from coal mining. "Forget how nave it is - a meet and greet with the Chinese discussing things like our region's role in defence, the local Tibetan community. When I saw in the minutes that the discussion turned to the Hunter, I couldn't believe it," Cr Drayton said. "On what planet does a Newcastle Lord Mayor offer views to China about the Hunter Joint Organisation - without a word to the other nine councils? Let alone Muswellbrook. "On what planet would he tell China the Hunter councils share a priority to, quote, 'transition out of coal mining'?" Cr Drayton said it was factually wrong to say that Muswellbrook or any other mining community had voluntarily chosen to move away from coal. "Mine closures are a commercially-driven challenge that our communities are counting on us to respond to - and believe me, we are. We have 12,000 jobs riding on it, across the Hunter, from pit to port. "To trot this out across the table from our main trading partner - even if he believes it, I'm not sure why he's felt the need to weigh in." The Hunter's Tibetan community is living in fear after hearing that Chinese Consul General Wang Yu was inquiring about their whereabouts during a recent visit to Newcastle. Mr Yu and his delegation asked about the local members of the persecuted community during a meeting with lord mayor Ross Kerridge and at lunch with union representatives last Thursday. China does not recognise Tibet's sovereignty and considers its community members to be political separatists. Many members of the Hunter's 170-strong Tibetan community endured persecution, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese government before arriving in Australia as part of humanitarian programs. Most still have family members in Tibet. Lobsang Lungtok, who lives in Newcastle, was tortured for 18 months in a detention camp after writing a poem criticising China's one-child policy in 1995. He said the news that Mr Yu had been asking questions about the local community was extremely concerning. "I have spoken to a lot of Tibetans who are saying, 'What's going on? Why are the Chinese here? They don't feel safe; it's scary," Mr Lungtok, the former president of the Newcastle Tibetan Community, said. "A lot of them are worried about their families back home." He said he suspected the growth of the Hunter's Tibetan community in recent years was of concern to Chinese officials. "We have been growing very fast. They (the Chinese government) probably think we are going to start a guerilla movement or something," he said. "We are peaceful people who wish to live quiet lives in Australia." Mr Lungtok, 50, arrived in Australia in 2001 after fleeing to India following his release from prison. He is married with a young family. He said his community was grateful for the support of the wider community, which included having Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and lord mayor Ross Kerridge present at their celebration of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. However, he said the Australian government needed to be stronger in its defence of Tibet and its people. "We just saw the prime minister with the Chinese president walking on the Great Wall. He said 'this is a nice place, everyone is welcome'. Not everyone is welcome," he said. Mr Lungtok's most recent run-in with Chinese authorities was only last month when he was deported from China after attempting to visit his family. "They deported me back to Sydney Airport. If they wanted to kidnap someone it would be so easy to do it there," he said. Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton said his Newcastle counterpart Ross Kerridge had no business speaking on behalf of other councils during his now-infamous meeting with the Chinese consul general. The meeting minutes show that as part of a discussion about the Hunter Region, Cr Kerridge said that one of the Hunter Joint Organisation's priorities was to transition away from coal mining. "LM (Lord Mayor) provided an overview of the JO strategy for transition out of coal in the Hunter Valley," the minutes say. Cr Drayton, said he was shocked Cr Kerridge had not consulted him before he spoke about the transition away from coal mining. "Forget how nave it is - a meet and greet with the Chinese discussing things like our region's role in defence, the local Tibetan community. When I saw in the minutes that the discussion turned to the Hunter, I couldn't believe it," Cr Drayton said. "On what planet does a Newcastle Lord Mayor offer views to China about the Hunter Joint Organisation - without a word to the other nine councils? Let alone Muswellbrook. "On what planet would he tell China the Hunter councils share a priority to, quote, 'transition out of coal mining'?" Cr Drayton said it was factually wrong to say that Muswellbrook or any other mining community had voluntarily chosen to move away from coal. "Mine closures are a commercially-driven challenge that our communities are counting on us to respond to - and believe me, we are. We have 12,000 jobs riding on it, across the Hunter, from pit to port. "To trot this out across the table from our main trading partner - even if he believes it, I'm not sure why he's felt the need to weigh in."
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
Government ‘won't give up' on US tariff reprieve after Trump celebrates end of beef ban
Trade Minister Don Farrell has insisted the federal government could convince Donald Trump to remove all tariffs on Australian goods, as the US president said he would use the decision to allow North American beef into the country to pressure other countries to capitulate in trade talks. The Trump administration hailed the deal, announced on Thursday, as a win even as analysts said the step was unlikely to significantly boost US shipments because beef prices are much lower in Australia. 'The other Countries that refuse our magnificent Beef are ON NOTICE,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Thursday. 'All of our Nation's Ranchers, who are some of the hardest working and most wonderful people, are smiling today, which means I am smiling too. Let's keep the Hot Streak going. IT'S THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA!' Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has attempted to renegotiate trade deals with multiple countries that he asserts have taken advantage of the United States over the years. Many economists have disputed Trump's characterisation. Farrell said the beef decision was science-based and unconnected to trade negotiations. 'We haven't done this in order to entice the Americans into a trade agreement,' he said in an appearance at the Lowy Institute think tank on Friday. Loading 'We think they should do that anyway. We think the Americans should honour the terms of our free trade agreement.' Asked if it was fanciful to expect Australia could be given an exemption to Trump's baseline 10 per cent tariff when no other country has achieved this, Farrell said: 'I think eventually the Americans will come to the realisation that tariffs are an act of self harm that are actually pushing up inflation, pushing up unemployment and reduced their retirement benefits and economic growth. So I don't think we should give up on the ambition to get those tariffs removed.' Farrell said that because of the shift away from free trade under Trump 'what we risk seeing is a shift from a system based on shared prosperity and interdependence to one based solely on power and size'.
