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The Advertiser
7 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
'Respect never cost anything': PM defends China outcome
Anthony Albanese has hit back at the coalition over claims of "indulgence" during his China trip, saying his rivals don't understand the importance of respect in diplomacy. The prime minister's itinerary has included retracing the steps of Gough Whitlam on the Great Wall of China and a panda research centre in the southwestern city of Chengdu as his visit nears the end. Back home, the optics of visiting popular tourist sites attracted sniping from the opposition. Coalition frontbencher James Paterson suggested the prime minister was enjoying himself too much. "I do wonder whether a Gough Whitlam history tour on the Great Wall of China, whether a visit to Chengdu to pose with some pandas, and whether a hit of tennis is strictly necessary as part of a six-day visit to China, when there is so much else at stake in our other international relationships around the world," he told Sky News on Thursday. "And frankly, I have to say that some of this is starting to look a little bit indulgent." Mr Albanese has himself been eager to draw links between his tour and those of former Labor prime ministers Whitlam and Bob Hawke, who also visited the giant pandas in 1986. What those and his visits achieved was building respect between Australia and China, which would in turn result in better economic and diplomatic outcomes, he said. "Those pictures go to 27 million people, potentially, in Australia. They go to over a billion people in China," Mr Albanese told reporters in Chengdu. "And those billion people represent people who are increasingly rising up the income ladder and are potential tourists and therefore job creators in Australia. "If James Patterson doesn't understand that, then he doesn't understand much. "The Great Wall of China symbolises the extraordinary history and culture here in China, and showing a bit of respect to people never cost anything. You know what it does, it gives you a reward." Mr Albanese's trip has been shorter on concrete outcomes than in previous years, when his resumption of dialogue with China saw $20 billion worth of Chinese trade sanctions lifted from Australian exports. But the welcome has been warmer and coverage from Chinese state media more effusive than at any time since before the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020. A few agreements to boost trade and tourism links have been reached. But the increased dialogue and co-operation in areas from green steel to medical technology were part of a gradual improvement in relations that would advance Australia's national interests, Mr Albanese said. "You don't go from a position of where we were into absolute agreement on everything. That's not the goal." Despite the improving mood, China and Australia still have many issues they disagree on. In meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, Mr Albanese raised concerns over China not providing advance notice of naval live-fire drills off Australia that forced commercial flights to divert. Meanwhile, Mr Li has voiced his dismay over Australia's stringent restrictions on foreign investment from China, imploring the Australian government not to treat Chinese firms unfairly. "We have different political systems, but it has been constructive and has been an important step in the developing of our relationship," Mr Albanese said. Anthony Albanese has hit back at the coalition over claims of "indulgence" during his China trip, saying his rivals don't understand the importance of respect in diplomacy. The prime minister's itinerary has included retracing the steps of Gough Whitlam on the Great Wall of China and a panda research centre in the southwestern city of Chengdu as his visit nears the end. Back home, the optics of visiting popular tourist sites attracted sniping from the opposition. Coalition frontbencher James Paterson suggested the prime minister was enjoying himself too much. "I do wonder whether a Gough Whitlam history tour on the Great Wall of China, whether a visit to Chengdu to pose with some pandas, and whether a hit of tennis is strictly necessary as part of a six-day visit to China, when there is so much else at stake in our other international relationships around the world," he told Sky News on Thursday. "And frankly, I have to say that some of this is starting to look a little bit indulgent." Mr Albanese has himself been eager to draw links between his tour and those of former Labor prime ministers Whitlam and Bob Hawke, who also visited the giant pandas in 1986. What those and his visits achieved was building respect between Australia and China, which would in turn result in better economic and diplomatic outcomes, he said. "Those pictures go to 27 million people, potentially, in Australia. They go to over a billion people in China," Mr Albanese told reporters in Chengdu. "And those billion people represent people who are increasingly rising up the income ladder and are potential tourists and therefore job creators in Australia. "If James Patterson doesn't understand that, then he doesn't understand much. "The Great Wall of China symbolises the extraordinary history and culture here in China, and showing a bit of respect to people never cost anything. You know what it does, it gives you a reward." Mr Albanese's trip has been shorter on concrete outcomes than in previous years, when his resumption of dialogue with China saw $20 billion worth of Chinese trade sanctions lifted from Australian exports. But the welcome has been warmer and coverage from Chinese state media more effusive than at any time since before the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020. A few agreements to boost trade and tourism links have been reached. But the increased dialogue and co-operation in areas from green steel to medical technology were part of a gradual improvement in relations that would advance Australia's national interests, Mr Albanese said. "You don't go from a position of where we were into absolute agreement on everything. That's not the goal." Despite the improving mood, China and Australia still have many issues they disagree on. In meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, Mr Albanese raised concerns over China not providing advance notice of naval live-fire drills off Australia that forced commercial flights to divert. Meanwhile, Mr Li has voiced his dismay over Australia's stringent restrictions on foreign investment from China, imploring the Australian government not to treat Chinese firms unfairly. "We have different political systems, but it has been constructive and has been an important step in the developing of our relationship," Mr Albanese said. Anthony Albanese has hit back at the coalition over claims of "indulgence" during his China trip, saying his rivals don't understand the importance of respect in diplomacy. The prime minister's itinerary has included retracing the steps of Gough Whitlam on the Great Wall of China and a panda research centre in the southwestern city of Chengdu as his visit nears the end. Back home, the optics of visiting popular tourist sites attracted sniping from the opposition. Coalition frontbencher James Paterson suggested the prime minister was enjoying himself too much. "I do wonder whether a Gough Whitlam history tour on the Great Wall of China, whether a visit to Chengdu to pose with some pandas, and whether a hit of tennis is strictly necessary as part of a six-day visit to China, when there is so much else at stake in our other international relationships around the world," he told Sky News on Thursday. "And frankly, I have to say that some of this is starting to look a little bit indulgent." Mr Albanese has himself been eager to draw links between his tour and those of former Labor prime ministers Whitlam and Bob Hawke, who also visited the giant pandas in 1986. What those and his visits achieved was building respect between Australia and China, which would in turn result in better economic and diplomatic outcomes, he said. "Those pictures go to 27 million people, potentially, in Australia. They go to over a billion people in China," Mr Albanese told reporters in Chengdu. "And those billion people represent people who are increasingly rising up the income ladder and are potential tourists and therefore job creators in Australia. "If James Patterson doesn't understand that, then he doesn't understand much. "The Great Wall of China symbolises the extraordinary history and culture here in China, and showing a bit of respect to people never cost anything. You know what it does, it gives you a reward." Mr Albanese's trip has been shorter on concrete outcomes than in previous years, when his resumption of dialogue with China saw $20 billion worth of Chinese trade sanctions lifted from Australian exports. But the welcome has been warmer and coverage from Chinese state media more effusive than at any time since before the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020. A few agreements to boost trade and tourism links have been reached. But the increased dialogue and co-operation in areas from green steel to medical technology were part of a gradual improvement in relations that would advance Australia's national interests, Mr Albanese said. "You don't go from a position of where we were into absolute agreement on everything. That's not the goal." Despite the improving mood, China and Australia still have many issues they disagree on. In meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, Mr Albanese raised concerns over China not providing advance notice of naval live-fire drills off Australia that forced commercial flights to divert. Meanwhile, Mr Li has voiced his dismay over Australia's stringent restrictions on foreign investment from China, imploring the Australian government not to treat Chinese firms unfairly. "We have different political systems, but it has been constructive and has been an important step in the developing of our relationship," Mr Albanese said. Anthony Albanese has hit back at the coalition over claims of "indulgence" during his China trip, saying his rivals don't understand the importance of respect in diplomacy. The prime minister's itinerary has included retracing the steps of Gough Whitlam on the Great Wall of China and a panda research centre in the southwestern city of Chengdu as his visit nears the end. Back home, the optics of visiting popular tourist sites attracted sniping from the opposition. Coalition frontbencher James Paterson suggested the prime minister was enjoying himself too much. "I do wonder whether a Gough Whitlam history tour on the Great Wall of China, whether a visit to Chengdu to pose with some pandas, and whether a hit of tennis is strictly necessary as part of a six-day visit to China, when there is so much else at stake in our other international relationships around the world," he told Sky News on Thursday. "And frankly, I have to say that some of this is starting to look a little bit indulgent." Mr Albanese has himself been eager to draw links between his tour and those of former Labor prime ministers Whitlam and Bob Hawke, who also visited the giant pandas in 1986. What those and his visits achieved was building respect between Australia and China, which would in turn result in better economic and diplomatic outcomes, he said. "Those pictures go to 27 million people, potentially, in Australia. They go to over a billion people in China," Mr Albanese told reporters in Chengdu. "And those billion people represent people who are increasingly rising up the income ladder and are potential tourists and therefore job creators in Australia. "If James Patterson doesn't understand that, then he doesn't understand much. "The Great Wall of China symbolises the extraordinary history and culture here in China, and showing a bit of respect to people never cost anything. You know what it does, it gives you a reward." Mr Albanese's trip has been shorter on concrete outcomes than in previous years, when his resumption of dialogue with China saw $20 billion worth of Chinese trade sanctions lifted from Australian exports. But the welcome has been warmer and coverage from Chinese state media more effusive than at any time since before the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020. A few agreements to boost trade and tourism links have been reached. But the increased dialogue and co-operation in areas from green steel to medical technology were part of a gradual improvement in relations that would advance Australia's national interests, Mr Albanese said. "You don't go from a position of where we were into absolute agreement on everything. That's not the goal." Despite the improving mood, China and Australia still have many issues they disagree on. In meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, Mr Albanese raised concerns over China not providing advance notice of naval live-fire drills off Australia that forced commercial flights to divert. Meanwhile, Mr Li has voiced his dismay over Australia's stringent restrictions on foreign investment from China, imploring the Australian government not to treat Chinese firms unfairly. "We have different political systems, but it has been constructive and has been an important step in the developing of our relationship," Mr Albanese said.
The Advertiser
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Panda-mania: PM gushes over 'great friend of Australia'
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been schooled in soft diplomacy at a panda breeding research centre on the final day of his China visit. In Chengdu, capital of the southwest province of Sichuan, the prime minister was reacquainted with an old "friend of Australia", Fu Ni. The 18-year-old female panda returned to China in 2024 after spending 15 years as one of the star attractions at Adelaide Zoo. "A great ambassador for China and a great friend of Australia," Mr Albanese said as he watched her chew a stick of bamboo. Fu Ni and her former partner Wang Wang were loaned to Australia by China in an example of "panda diplomacy". The practice dates back centuries but in recent decades has been used by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to exert soft power across the globe. When Beijing is happy with you, you get pandas. But if relations sour, they always have the option to take them back, as Canada and the UK have learned to their detriment in recent years. In 2024, when Fu Ni and Wang Wang's time was up, Premier Li Qiang loaned two new pandas to Australia - Li Yan and Xing Qiu. Mr Albanese hailed Mr Li's "gracious" decision to extend the panda relationship. "They are absolutely wonderful animals. Our Adelaide Zoo pandas are a sign of friendship between Australia and China," he told reporters on Thursday. The prime minister's "very positive and warm" reception on his six-day trip shows how far the mood has recovered since the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020. Chinese state media has covered Mr Albanese's visit in glowing terms, with the Global Times describing the relationship as "a plane flying in the 'stratosphere' after passing through the storm zone". His visit to Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million people is best known as the home of giant pandas, is the first by an Australian prime minister since Bob Hawke in 1986. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been schooled in soft diplomacy at a panda breeding research centre on the final day of his China visit. In Chengdu, capital of the southwest province of Sichuan, the prime minister was reacquainted with an old "friend of Australia", Fu Ni. The 18-year-old female panda returned to China in 2024 after spending 15 years as one of the star attractions at Adelaide Zoo. "A great ambassador for China and a great friend of Australia," Mr Albanese said as he watched her chew a stick of bamboo. Fu Ni and her former partner Wang Wang were loaned to Australia by China in an example of "panda diplomacy". The practice dates back centuries but in recent decades has been used by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to exert soft power across the globe. When Beijing is happy with you, you get pandas. But if relations sour, they always have the option to take them back, as Canada and the UK have learned to their detriment in recent years. In 2024, when Fu Ni and Wang Wang's time was up, Premier Li Qiang loaned two new pandas to Australia - Li Yan and Xing Qiu. Mr Albanese hailed Mr Li's "gracious" decision to extend the panda relationship. "They are absolutely wonderful animals. Our Adelaide Zoo pandas are a sign of friendship between Australia and China," he told reporters on Thursday. The prime minister's "very positive and warm" reception on his six-day trip shows how far the mood has recovered since the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020. Chinese state media has covered Mr Albanese's visit in glowing terms, with the Global Times describing the relationship as "a plane flying in the 'stratosphere' after passing through the storm zone". His visit to Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million people is best known as the home of giant pandas, is the first by an Australian prime minister since Bob Hawke in 1986. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been schooled in soft diplomacy at a panda breeding research centre on the final day of his China visit. In Chengdu, capital of the southwest province of Sichuan, the prime minister was reacquainted with an old "friend of Australia", Fu Ni. The 18-year-old female panda returned to China in 2024 after spending 15 years as one of the star attractions at Adelaide Zoo. "A great ambassador for China and a great friend of Australia," Mr Albanese said as he watched her chew a stick of bamboo. Fu Ni and her former partner Wang Wang were loaned to Australia by China in an example of "panda diplomacy". The practice dates back centuries but in recent decades has been used by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to exert soft power across the globe. When Beijing is happy with you, you get pandas. But if relations sour, they always have the option to take them back, as Canada and the UK have learned to their detriment in recent years. In 2024, when Fu Ni and Wang Wang's time was up, Premier Li Qiang loaned two new pandas to Australia - Li Yan and Xing Qiu. Mr Albanese hailed Mr Li's "gracious" decision to extend the panda relationship. "They are absolutely wonderful animals. Our Adelaide Zoo pandas are a sign of friendship between Australia and China," he told reporters on Thursday. The prime minister's "very positive and warm" reception on his six-day trip shows how far the mood has recovered since the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020. Chinese state media has covered Mr Albanese's visit in glowing terms, with the Global Times describing the relationship as "a plane flying in the 'stratosphere' after passing through the storm zone". His visit to Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million people is best known as the home of giant pandas, is the first by an Australian prime minister since Bob Hawke in 1986. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been schooled in soft diplomacy at a panda breeding research centre on the final day of his China visit. In Chengdu, capital of the southwest province of Sichuan, the prime minister was reacquainted with an old "friend of Australia", Fu Ni. The 18-year-old female panda returned to China in 2024 after spending 15 years as one of the star attractions at Adelaide Zoo. "A great ambassador for China and a great friend of Australia," Mr Albanese said as he watched her chew a stick of bamboo. Fu Ni and her former partner Wang Wang were loaned to Australia by China in an example of "panda diplomacy". The practice dates back centuries but in recent decades has been used by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to exert soft power across the globe. When Beijing is happy with you, you get pandas. But if relations sour, they always have the option to take them back, as Canada and the UK have learned to their detriment in recent years. In 2024, when Fu Ni and Wang Wang's time was up, Premier Li Qiang loaned two new pandas to Australia - Li Yan and Xing Qiu. Mr Albanese hailed Mr Li's "gracious" decision to extend the panda relationship. "They are absolutely wonderful animals. Our Adelaide Zoo pandas are a sign of friendship between Australia and China," he told reporters on Thursday. The prime minister's "very positive and warm" reception on his six-day trip shows how far the mood has recovered since the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020. Chinese state media has covered Mr Albanese's visit in glowing terms, with the Global Times describing the relationship as "a plane flying in the 'stratosphere' after passing through the storm zone". His visit to Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million people is best known as the home of giant pandas, is the first by an Australian prime minister since Bob Hawke in 1986.
Perth Now
17-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Panda-mania: PM gushes over 'great friend of Australia'
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been schooled in soft diplomacy at a panda breeding research centre on the final day of his China visit. In Chengdu, capital of the southwest province of Sichuan, the prime minister was reacquainted with an old "friend of Australia", Fu Ni. The 18-year-old female panda returned to China in 2024 after spending 15 years as one of the star attractions at Adelaide Zoo. "A great ambassador for China and a great friend of Australia," Mr Albanese said as he watched her chew a stick of bamboo. Fu Ni and her former partner Wang Wang were loaned to Australia by China in an example of "panda diplomacy". The practice dates back centuries but in recent decades has been used by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to exert soft power across the globe. When Beijing is happy with you, you get pandas. But if relations sour, they always have the option to take them back, as Canada and the UK have learned to their detriment in recent years. In 2024, when Fu Ni and Wang Wang's time was up, Premier Li Qiang loaned two new pandas to Australia - Li Yan and Xing Qiu. Mr Albanese hailed Mr Li's "gracious" decision to extend the panda relationship. "They are absolutely wonderful animals. Our Adelaide Zoo pandas are a sign of friendship between Australia and China," he told reporters on Thursday. The prime minister's "very positive and warm" reception on his six-day trip shows how far the mood has recovered since the breakdown in Sino-Australian relations in 2020. Chinese state media has covered Mr Albanese's visit in glowing terms, with the Global Times describing the relationship as "a plane flying in the 'stratosphere' after passing through the storm zone". His visit to Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million people is best known as the home of giant pandas, is the first by an Australian prime minister since Bob Hawke in 1986.
The Age
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Qantas faces fleaquent flyer accusations after couple's journey ends with bite-covered ankles
Qantas told us that it had looked into the concerns and was not able to find any evidence of fleas on its aircraft. Nor had other customers complained. 'The 5000 frequent flyer points was provided to the customer as a gesture of goodwill, not compensation,' Qantas said. 'On average, aircraft are sprayed with pest control treatments every 45 days.' The last word then goes to Gibson, who's now done quite a bit of research on these fleas and has serious doubts the airline's actions would have addressed the issue. 'The fact is, Kathy got onto the plane without bites and got off with them,' he said. I dreamed a PMO dream On Tuesday, CBD brought word about Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's chief of staff, Tim Gartrell, taking a somewhat dim view of political staffers posting about their jobs on social media. Gartrell's friendly reminder in an all-hands meeting last week came after a flurry of posts from departing PMO staffers toasting their heroic work in the Labor government, which he clearly must not have enjoyed. But those leaving Albanese's employ aren't guided by any directive from above. In fact, hours after our item ran, former strategic communications director Katie Connolly produced her own LinkedIn farewell dump, including a picture of her hugging the PM. A coincidence, we are sure. 'Some kids dream of being famous or going to space. I dreamed of working for a Labor Prime Minister. And I'll be forever grateful that dream came true,' was the glowing caption. As for just how many staff have departed the prime minister's office right after securing a landslide victory and immense second-term mandate, CBD hears the number is close to 20, although the exact figure is in dispute. And while most of those leaving are women, a PMO source reminded us that most of Albanese's staff are female, so it tracks. The same probably can't be said about the other side of politics, who tend to do everything in their power to discourage women from getting involved. Wine and dine Before Anthony Albanese's all-important meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the prime minister attended a business lunch in Shanghai on Monday. The PM was accompanied by a smattering of Australian corporate titans during the Shanghai leg of the trip, including billionaire mining magnate turned clean-energy evangelist Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest, Rio Tinto's Kellie Parker, Macquarie Bank's Shemara Wikramanayake and BHP's Geraldine Slattery. Before the meetings, Chinese state media praised Albo for taking a more co-operative approach to Sino-Australian relations than the Morrison government, which presided over a diplomatic deep freeze with Beijing. The biggest sign of the thaw was on the lunch table. Last year, China removed a series of tariffs it placed on Australian produce in 2020 in retaliation towards then-prime minister Scott Morrison's call for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. China's wine tariffs (Penfolds was hit with a 175 per cent tariff) crippled the $1.2 billion export industry for Aussie wineries. On Monday, it was Australian beef and seafood for lunch in Shanghai. There was also wine by Penfolds (a brand with an oversized footprint in the Australian political landscape), including a $150 a bottle of cabernet sauvignon from grapes grown in the Shangri-La region of China's Yunnan province. Talk about teaming with the theme. It was a situation unthinkable five years ago, when Canberra's National Press Club served up Australian beef and barley to a top Chinese diplomat in an act of culinary trolling. Rupert and the Don Where there is sport, money and politics can't help but stick their noses in. A few months after from his infamous sofa-sitting appearance in the Oval Office, billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch joined US President Donald Trump in his box at MetLife stadium in New Jersey to continue what we term their 'frenemy bromance' and watch the pride of London, Chelsea FC, stun Paris Saint-Germain in the final of FIFA's inaugural Club World Cup, its latest fake tournament to further bloat the international football calendar. For Trump, it marked one year since an assassin's bullet grazed his ear and changed the course of American politics. He spent the occasion hanging out with Murdoch, former NFL star Tom Brady and FIFA's ghoulish president-cum-Dr Evil lookalike Gianni Infantino. Expect a repeat experience next year when the United States co-hosts the FIFA World Cup with trade war enemies Canada and Mexico. Murdoch, meanwhile, knows better than anyone how to use sport to expand power and influence. News Corp built its fortune in Britain thanks to the UK government handing it exclusivity on the Premier League, which turned it into an irrepressible, multibillion-dollar global juggernaut.
Sydney Morning Herald
15-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Flea in the ointment as Qantas passenger alleges flight bites, airline offers points
Before Anthony Albanese's all-important meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, the prime minister attended a business lunch in Shanghai on Monday. The PM was accompanied by a smattering of Australian corporate titans during the Shanghai leg of the trip, including billionaire mining magnate turned clean energy evangelist Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest, Rio Tinto's Kellie Parker, Macquarie Bank's Shemara Wikramanayake and BHP's Geraldine Slattery. Before the meetings, Chinese state media praised Albo for taking a more co-operative approach to Sino-Australian relations than the Morrison government, which presided over a diplomatic deep freeze with Beijing. The biggest sign of the thaw was on the lunch table. Last year, China removed a series of tariffs it placed on Australian produce in 2020 in retaliation toward then prime minister Scott Morrison's calls for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. China's wine tariffs (Penfolds was hit with a 175 per cent tariff) crippled the $1.2 billion export industry for Aussie wineries. On Monday, it was Australian beef and seafood for lunch in Shanghai. There was also wine by Penfolds (a brand with an oversized footprint in the Australian political landscape), including a $150 cabernet sauvignon from grapes grown in the Shangri-La region of China's Yunnan province. Talk about team with the theme. It was a situation unthinkable five years ago, when Canberra's National Press Club served up Australian beef and barley to a top Chinese diplomat in an act of culinary trolling. Departure lounge CBD brought word on Tuesday about Anthony Albanese's chief of staff Tim Gartrell taking a somewhat dim view of political staffers posting about their jobs on social media. Gartrell's friendly reminder in an all-hands meeting last week came after a flurry of posts from departing PMO staffers toasting their heroic work in the Labor government, which he clearly must not have enjoyed. But those leaving Albanese's employ aren't guided by any directive from above. Coincidentally, hours after our item ran, former strategic communications director Katie Connolly produced her own LinkedIn farewell dump, including a picture hugging the PM. 'I dreamed of working for a Labor prime minister. And I'll be forever grateful that dream came true,' was the glowing caption. As for just how many staff have departed the prime minister's office right after securing a landslide victory and immense second-term mandate, CBD hears the number is close to 20, out of a 60-ish person team, although the exact figure is in dispute. While most of those leaving are women, a PMO source reminded us Albanese's staff are majority female, so it tracks. The same probably can't be said about the other side of politics, who tend to do everything in their power to discourage women from getting involved. Best of frenemies Where there is sport, politicians and business leaders can't help but stick their noses in. A few months after his infamous sofa-sitting appearance in the Oval Office, billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch joined US president Donald Trump in his box at MetLife stadium in New Jersey to continue what we term their 'frenemy bromance' and watch Chelsea FC stun Paris Saint-Germain in the final of FIFA's inaugural Club World Cup, the latest fake tournament to further bloat the international football calendar. For Trump, it marked one year since an assassin's bullet grazed his ear and changed the course of American politics. He spent the occasion hanging out with Murdoch, former NFL star Tom Brady and FIFA's ghoulish president-cum-Dr Evil lookalike Gianni Infantino. Expect a repeat experience next year when the United States co-hosts the FIFA World Cup with trade war enemies Canada and Mexico.
