Afternoon Update: Australia’s China reset, new Covid vaccine, New Zealand’s suitcase murders
All eyes will be on Anthony Albanese’s highly anticipated meeting with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, scheduled for 7pm AEDT. Canberra is hoping for a “stabilising” reset after years of heightened tensions that saw China slap $20bn worth of sanctions on Australian goods. We’ll be live blogging the meeting and the following press conference, so do check in for updates.
In some welcome cost-of-living news, the Reserve Bank has signalled it may pause rate rises for the time being. The banks have certainly been cashing in on the higher rates, with the Commonwealth Bank reporting a $2.5bn profit last quarter – 13% more than it made in the same period last year.
Top news
Biden-Xi meet | It was all smiles and handshakes as the world’s two most powerful leaders sought to reduce tensions over Taiwan and trade at the G20 summit in Bali. In an attempt to calm waters, the US president, Joe Biden, reassured his Chinese counterpart that Washington remained committed to the “One China” policy. The pair also shared concerns over Vladimir Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Arizona governor race| Kari Lake, a Trump-endorsed election denier, has lost the race to Democrat Katie Hobbs. The victory is seen as a boost to voting rights in the state, given Lake had vowed to further dismantle them.
Floods and cyclones| About 1,000 people have been told to evacuate in Forbes, a town in the central west region of New South Wales. One of the largest ever flood responses in the state’s history was under way today, with 17 flood warnings in place and eight major warnings affecting 25 locations. And cyclone season is about to start in the tropics, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a 73% chance that more than the expected 11 tropical tempests will hit this season.
Police racism | The Queensland police commissioner’s future is under scrutiny after shocking revelations of racism, sexism and misogyny in the ranks. The commissioner, Katarina Carroll, said she is “hoping to survive”, days after the Guardian revealed “sickening” recordings of racist slurs being used by officers.
WA refuses prison inquiry | The Western Australian premier, Mark McGowan, has rejected calls to hold an inquiry into the state’s notorious youth prison after the ABC’s Four Corners program showed disturbing footage of a dangerous restraining technique used on a child. Aboriginal leaders have led calls for an independent inquiry into Banksia Hill, the state’s only dedicated juvenile prison. Despite the footage showing a child screaming that he couldn’t breathe as officers tried to restrain him, McGowan said he believed the system is “working incredibly well”.
New Covid vaccine | An Omicrontargeting vaccine from Pfizer has been approved and will be available for people aged 18 and over from 12 December. A fifth vaccine is not recommended, but this advice may change ahead of winter. Covid hospitalisations increased 11% in the last week as a fourth wave hits the eastern states.
AGL shake-up | Billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes has succeeded in having all four of his proposed directors added to the board of Australia’s biggest electricity producer and carbon emitter. Dr Kerry Elizabeth Schott, one of the new board members, said in recorded comments that AGL needed to cut carbon emissions “as much as they can, as fast as they can”.
New Zealand suitcase murders |A woman arrested in connection with the death of two children who were found dead in suitcases in Auckland will be extradited from South Korea within 30 days. The remains of the two young children, who were aged about five to 10 years old, were hidden in suitcases for a number of years before an Auckland family unsuspectingly bought the luggage in a storage facility’s online auction.
Israel FBI investigation | Israel says it won’t cooperate with an FBI investigation into the killing of the Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by the Israeli army, calling it an “interference in Israel’s internal affairs”. The FBI investigation comes after months of pressure from the highly respected Al Jazeera journalist’s family and dozens of members of Congress.
Full Story
Iran’s protest generation on why they won’t be silenced
There have been arrests, violence and a rising death toll during more than seven weeks of protests in Iran. What do the protesters want and why are they willing to risk everything to get it? Listen to this 30-minute episode.
What they said …
***
“The first step is to recognise that the Australia trade deal is not actually a very good deal for the UK.” – George Eustice, former UK environment secretary
It’s always interesting to listen to the chatter on the other side regarding the UK-Australia free trade deal, which was signed last year. Eustice, a proBrexit Tory minister who left the job in September, says the UK “gave away far too much for far too little in return”.
In numbers
Here are some more shameful numbers Qatar doesn’t want the world to see. The World Cup kicks off next week.
Before bed read
India is set to overtake China as the world’s most populous country next year. The legacy of China’s onechild policy is a looming population crisis. On top of a gender gap, analysts predict that by 2050 one in four people will be retired and the working population will have shrunk by 10%, with huge economic implications. Improving the birthrate, as China’s leaders have vowed, is no easy fix.
“How can the country now shore up birthrates, with millions of missing women?” one analyst asks.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here. And start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know. Sign up for our Morning Mail newsletter here.