Key Trump administration member presses Australia over Taiwan position
Under Secretary of Defence Elbridge Colby, who is leading the review of AUKUS, is demanding Australia and Japan clarify what roles they would play should conflict erupt.
This request comes as the prime minister attempts to promote trade and tourism on a week-long visit to mainland China.
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The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
Why Elon Musk may have reached the end of the road at Tesla
'In real life he would be sacked from Tesla and somebody would actually run the company,' says Ross Gerber, an early investor who has called for Musk to go. 'If he's going to do politics, then he shouldn't be the chief executive. There's a lot of work that needs to be done at Tesla.' Political distractions Most investors have said they want Musk to stay in charge of the company, but they want him to commit to the job full time. Despite his frequent controversies, he is recognised as a uniquely talented executive who has repeatedly defied his doubters. Sales may be in decline, but the company is pressing ahead with the launch of driverless taxi rides in the US, a business that Musk has said is Tesla's future. In May, a group of shareholders wrote to Tesla's board asking that Musk commit to working 40 hours a week at the company. 'The current crisis at Tesla puts into sharp focus the long-term problems at the company stemming from the CEO's absence, which is amplified by a board that appears largely uninterested and unwilling to act,' it said. At the time, Musk acknowledged the concerns, promising to pare back his work at the White House's department of government efficiency and return '24/7″ to his businesses, which also include rocket company SpaceX and social network X. But his spat with Trump and promises to end America's two-party system indicated that he had once again become distracted. Loading On Monday, Tesla's shares fell 8 per cent as Musk's launch of the America Party reignited questions about his commitment to Tesla. James Fishback, a Trump-supporting investment manager, has written to Tesla's board asking it to force Musk to clarify his political ambitions. 'This [running a party] is a full-time job, and the question is whether this full-time job is compatible with his full-time job as Tesla chief executive,' he says. 'When Elon deviates from its core competency and does things that are self-destructive, the share price rightfully responds.' Individual shareholders, however disgruntled, have little influence over Musk. The company's board, which would be formally responsible for firing him if it came to it, contains several Musk allies. In May, Robyn Denholm, the company's chairman, swiftly denied a Wall Street Journal report that the company had started looking for a successor. And the majority of shareholders last year backed a $US56 billion pay package for its chief executive. Who could replace Musk? There would also be the tricky task of replacing Musk, who, as the company's largest shareholder, would continue to be actively involved. Last week X's chief executive Linda Yaccarino resigned after two years in which she had regularly been undermined by Musk's behaviour. The most likely candidate would be an insider such as JB Straubel, the company's former technology chief, or Tesla's chief designer Franz von Holzhausen. Musk would bristle at any attempt to replace him. He has said he wants to run Tesla for another five years, predicting that it will be the most valuable company in the world. When Wall Street analyst Dan Ives last week called on the board to rein him in, Musk tweeted back: 'Shut up, Dan'.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why Elon Musk may have reached the end of the road at Tesla
'In real life he would be sacked from Tesla and somebody would actually run the company,' says Ross Gerber, an early investor who has called for Musk to go. 'If he's going to do politics, then he shouldn't be the chief executive. There's a lot of work that needs to be done at Tesla.' Political distractions Most investors have said they want Musk to stay in charge of the company, but they want him to commit to the job full time. Despite his frequent controversies, he is recognised as a uniquely talented executive who has repeatedly defied his doubters. Sales may be in decline, but the company is pressing ahead with the launch of driverless taxi rides in the US, a business that Musk has said is Tesla's future. In May, a group of shareholders wrote to Tesla's board asking that Musk commit to working 40 hours a week at the company. 'The current crisis at Tesla puts into sharp focus the long-term problems at the company stemming from the CEO's absence, which is amplified by a board that appears largely uninterested and unwilling to act,' it said. At the time, Musk acknowledged the concerns, promising to pare back his work at the White House's department of government efficiency and return '24/7″ to his businesses, which also include rocket company SpaceX and social network X. But his spat with Trump and promises to end America's two-party system indicated that he had once again become distracted. Loading On Monday, Tesla's shares fell 8 per cent as Musk's launch of the America Party reignited questions about his commitment to Tesla. James Fishback, a Trump-supporting investment manager, has written to Tesla's board asking it to force Musk to clarify his political ambitions. 'This [running a party] is a full-time job, and the question is whether this full-time job is compatible with his full-time job as Tesla chief executive,' he says. 'When Elon deviates from its core competency and does things that are self-destructive, the share price rightfully responds.' Individual shareholders, however disgruntled, have little influence over Musk. The company's board, which would be formally responsible for firing him if it came to it, contains several Musk allies. In May, Robyn Denholm, the company's chairman, swiftly denied a Wall Street Journal report that the company had started looking for a successor. And the majority of shareholders last year backed a $US56 billion pay package for its chief executive. Who could replace Musk? There would also be the tricky task of replacing Musk, who, as the company's largest shareholder, would continue to be actively involved. Last week X's chief executive Linda Yaccarino resigned after two years in which she had regularly been undermined by Musk's behaviour. The most likely candidate would be an insider such as JB Straubel, the company's former technology chief, or Tesla's chief designer Franz von Holzhausen. Musk would bristle at any attempt to replace him. He has said he wants to run Tesla for another five years, predicting that it will be the most valuable company in the world. When Wall Street analyst Dan Ives last week called on the board to rein him in, Musk tweeted back: 'Shut up, Dan'.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Envoy meets Zelenskiy as US pledges missiles to Ukraine
US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia has met Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv as anticipation grows over a possible shift in the Trump administration's policy on the three-year war. Zelenskiy said he and retired general Keith Kellogg had "a productive conversation" about strengthening Ukrainian air defences, joint arms production and purchasing US weapons in conjunction with European countries, as well as the possibility of tighter international sanctions on the Kremlin. "We hope for the leadership of the United States, because it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its ... ambitions are stopped by force," Zelenskiy said on Telegram. Trump last week said he would make a "major statement" on Russia on Monday. Trump made quickly stopping the war one of his diplomatic priorities, and he has increasingly expressed frustration about Russian President Vladimir Putin's unbudging stance on US-led peace efforts. Trump has long boasted of his friendly relationship with Putin, and after taking office in January repeatedly said that Russia was more willing than Ukraine to reach a peace deal. At the same time, Trump accused Zelenskiy of prolonging the war and called him a "dictator without elections". But Russia's relentless onslaught against civilian areas of Ukraine wore down Trump's patience. "I am very disappointed with President Putin, I thought he was somebody that meant what he said," Trump said late on Sunday. "He'll talk so beautifully and then he'll bomb people at night. We don't like that." Russia has pounded Ukrainian cities with hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles that Ukraine's air defences are struggling to counter. June brought the highest monthly civilian casualties of the past three years, with 232 people killed and 1343 wounded, the UN human rights mission in Ukraine said. Russia launched 10 times more drones and missiles in June than in the same month in 2024, it said. At the same time, Russia's bigger army is making a new effort to drive back Ukrainian defenders on parts of the 1000km front line. Trump confirmed the US was sending Ukraine more badly needed Patriot air defence missiles and the European Union would pay the US for the "various pieces of very sophisticated" weaponry. While the EU is not allowed under its treaties to buy weapons, EU member countries can and are, just as NATO member countries are buying and sending weapons. A top ally of Trump, Republican senator Lindsey Graham, said Sunday that the conflict was nearing an inflection point as Trump shows growing interest in helping Ukraine fight back against Russia's full-scale invasion. It's a cause that Trump had previously dismissed as being a waste of US taxpayer money. "In the coming days, you'll see weapons flowing at a record level to help Ukraine defend themselves," Graham said on CBS's Face the Nation. He added: "And you just watch, in the coming days and weeks, there's going to be a massive effort to get Putin to the table." Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's envoy for international investment, dismissed what he said were efforts to drive a wedge between Moscow and Washington, adding attempts at pressure were "doomed to fail". NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was due in Washington on Monday and Tuesday for talks with Trump, Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The visits came as Russian troops conducted a combined aerial strike at Shostka, in the northern Sumy region of Ukraine, using glide bombs and drones early Monday morning, killing two people, the regional prosecutor's office said. The Russian defence ministry, meanwhile, said its air defences downed 11 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions on the border with Ukraine, as well as over the annexed Crimea and the Black Sea. US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia has met Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv as anticipation grows over a possible shift in the Trump administration's policy on the three-year war. Zelenskiy said he and retired general Keith Kellogg had "a productive conversation" about strengthening Ukrainian air defences, joint arms production and purchasing US weapons in conjunction with European countries, as well as the possibility of tighter international sanctions on the Kremlin. "We hope for the leadership of the United States, because it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its ... ambitions are stopped by force," Zelenskiy said on Telegram. Trump last week said he would make a "major statement" on Russia on Monday. Trump made quickly stopping the war one of his diplomatic priorities, and he has increasingly expressed frustration about Russian President Vladimir Putin's unbudging stance on US-led peace efforts. Trump has long boasted of his friendly relationship with Putin, and after taking office in January repeatedly said that Russia was more willing than Ukraine to reach a peace deal. At the same time, Trump accused Zelenskiy of prolonging the war and called him a "dictator without elections". But Russia's relentless onslaught against civilian areas of Ukraine wore down Trump's patience. "I am very disappointed with President Putin, I thought he was somebody that meant what he said," Trump said late on Sunday. "He'll talk so beautifully and then he'll bomb people at night. We don't like that." Russia has pounded Ukrainian cities with hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles that Ukraine's air defences are struggling to counter. June brought the highest monthly civilian casualties of the past three years, with 232 people killed and 1343 wounded, the UN human rights mission in Ukraine said. Russia launched 10 times more drones and missiles in June than in the same month in 2024, it said. At the same time, Russia's bigger army is making a new effort to drive back Ukrainian defenders on parts of the 1000km front line. Trump confirmed the US was sending Ukraine more badly needed Patriot air defence missiles and the European Union would pay the US for the "various pieces of very sophisticated" weaponry. While the EU is not allowed under its treaties to buy weapons, EU member countries can and are, just as NATO member countries are buying and sending weapons. A top ally of Trump, Republican senator Lindsey Graham, said Sunday that the conflict was nearing an inflection point as Trump shows growing interest in helping Ukraine fight back against Russia's full-scale invasion. It's a cause that Trump had previously dismissed as being a waste of US taxpayer money. "In the coming days, you'll see weapons flowing at a record level to help Ukraine defend themselves," Graham said on CBS's Face the Nation. He added: "And you just watch, in the coming days and weeks, there's going to be a massive effort to get Putin to the table." Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's envoy for international investment, dismissed what he said were efforts to drive a wedge between Moscow and Washington, adding attempts at pressure were "doomed to fail". NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was due in Washington on Monday and Tuesday for talks with Trump, Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The visits came as Russian troops conducted a combined aerial strike at Shostka, in the northern Sumy region of Ukraine, using glide bombs and drones early Monday morning, killing two people, the regional prosecutor's office said. The Russian defence ministry, meanwhile, said its air defences downed 11 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions on the border with Ukraine, as well as over the annexed Crimea and the Black Sea. US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia has met Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv as anticipation grows over a possible shift in the Trump administration's policy on the three-year war. Zelenskiy said he and retired general Keith Kellogg had "a productive conversation" about strengthening Ukrainian air defences, joint arms production and purchasing US weapons in conjunction with European countries, as well as the possibility of tighter international sanctions on the Kremlin. "We hope for the leadership of the United States, because it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its ... ambitions are stopped by force," Zelenskiy said on Telegram. Trump last week said he would make a "major statement" on Russia on Monday. Trump made quickly stopping the war one of his diplomatic priorities, and he has increasingly expressed frustration about Russian President Vladimir Putin's unbudging stance on US-led peace efforts. Trump has long boasted of his friendly relationship with Putin, and after taking office in January repeatedly said that Russia was more willing than Ukraine to reach a peace deal. At the same time, Trump accused Zelenskiy of prolonging the war and called him a "dictator without elections". But Russia's relentless onslaught against civilian areas of Ukraine wore down Trump's patience. "I am very disappointed with President Putin, I thought he was somebody that meant what he said," Trump said late on Sunday. "He'll talk so beautifully and then he'll bomb people at night. We don't like that." Russia has pounded Ukrainian cities with hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles that Ukraine's air defences are struggling to counter. June brought the highest monthly civilian casualties of the past three years, with 232 people killed and 1343 wounded, the UN human rights mission in Ukraine said. Russia launched 10 times more drones and missiles in June than in the same month in 2024, it said. At the same time, Russia's bigger army is making a new effort to drive back Ukrainian defenders on parts of the 1000km front line. Trump confirmed the US was sending Ukraine more badly needed Patriot air defence missiles and the European Union would pay the US for the "various pieces of very sophisticated" weaponry. While the EU is not allowed under its treaties to buy weapons, EU member countries can and are, just as NATO member countries are buying and sending weapons. A top ally of Trump, Republican senator Lindsey Graham, said Sunday that the conflict was nearing an inflection point as Trump shows growing interest in helping Ukraine fight back against Russia's full-scale invasion. It's a cause that Trump had previously dismissed as being a waste of US taxpayer money. "In the coming days, you'll see weapons flowing at a record level to help Ukraine defend themselves," Graham said on CBS's Face the Nation. He added: "And you just watch, in the coming days and weeks, there's going to be a massive effort to get Putin to the table." Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's envoy for international investment, dismissed what he said were efforts to drive a wedge between Moscow and Washington, adding attempts at pressure were "doomed to fail". NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was due in Washington on Monday and Tuesday for talks with Trump, Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The visits came as Russian troops conducted a combined aerial strike at Shostka, in the northern Sumy region of Ukraine, using glide bombs and drones early Monday morning, killing two people, the regional prosecutor's office said. The Russian defence ministry, meanwhile, said its air defences downed 11 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions on the border with Ukraine, as well as over the annexed Crimea and the Black Sea. US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia has met Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv as anticipation grows over a possible shift in the Trump administration's policy on the three-year war. Zelenskiy said he and retired general Keith Kellogg had "a productive conversation" about strengthening Ukrainian air defences, joint arms production and purchasing US weapons in conjunction with European countries, as well as the possibility of tighter international sanctions on the Kremlin. "We hope for the leadership of the United States, because it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its ... ambitions are stopped by force," Zelenskiy said on Telegram. Trump last week said he would make a "major statement" on Russia on Monday. Trump made quickly stopping the war one of his diplomatic priorities, and he has increasingly expressed frustration about Russian President Vladimir Putin's unbudging stance on US-led peace efforts. Trump has long boasted of his friendly relationship with Putin, and after taking office in January repeatedly said that Russia was more willing than Ukraine to reach a peace deal. At the same time, Trump accused Zelenskiy of prolonging the war and called him a "dictator without elections". But Russia's relentless onslaught against civilian areas of Ukraine wore down Trump's patience. "I am very disappointed with President Putin, I thought he was somebody that meant what he said," Trump said late on Sunday. "He'll talk so beautifully and then he'll bomb people at night. We don't like that." Russia has pounded Ukrainian cities with hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles that Ukraine's air defences are struggling to counter. June brought the highest monthly civilian casualties of the past three years, with 232 people killed and 1343 wounded, the UN human rights mission in Ukraine said. Russia launched 10 times more drones and missiles in June than in the same month in 2024, it said. At the same time, Russia's bigger army is making a new effort to drive back Ukrainian defenders on parts of the 1000km front line. Trump confirmed the US was sending Ukraine more badly needed Patriot air defence missiles and the European Union would pay the US for the "various pieces of very sophisticated" weaponry. While the EU is not allowed under its treaties to buy weapons, EU member countries can and are, just as NATO member countries are buying and sending weapons. A top ally of Trump, Republican senator Lindsey Graham, said Sunday that the conflict was nearing an inflection point as Trump shows growing interest in helping Ukraine fight back against Russia's full-scale invasion. It's a cause that Trump had previously dismissed as being a waste of US taxpayer money. "In the coming days, you'll see weapons flowing at a record level to help Ukraine defend themselves," Graham said on CBS's Face the Nation. He added: "And you just watch, in the coming days and weeks, there's going to be a massive effort to get Putin to the table." Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's envoy for international investment, dismissed what he said were efforts to drive a wedge between Moscow and Washington, adding attempts at pressure were "doomed to fail". NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was due in Washington on Monday and Tuesday for talks with Trump, Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The visits came as Russian troops conducted a combined aerial strike at Shostka, in the northern Sumy region of Ukraine, using glide bombs and drones early Monday morning, killing two people, the regional prosecutor's office said. The Russian defence ministry, meanwhile, said its air defences downed 11 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions on the border with Ukraine, as well as over the annexed Crimea and the Black Sea.
