Federal election night: a Labor win, a teal wash and a 'greenwave' - in pictures [_link]

— The Guardian (@guardian) May 21, 2022

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Who are the independents likely headed to parliament after election night's 'teal bath'?

These candidates were backed by a well-funded campaigning machine called Climate 200, which raised about $12 million from more than 11,000 donors.

To my dear twits in the UK, hang on there. It's possible. Has Australia moved to the 'left'? No. It's a silly concept anyway. We just got rid of a tired, corrupt, irrelevant, useless government. There is hope after all. #auspol #ausvotes #AusVotes2022

— Humble B (the modest rapper)💉 (@bradboyqld) May 21, 2022

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Uluru Statement from Our Heart to be implemented [_link] #auspol #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/YPD7WKxvbu

— Studio2615 (@Studio26151) May 21, 2022

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France's outgoing foreign minister welcomes defeat of Scott Morrison [_link]

— The Guardian (@guardian) May 21, 2022

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New Zealand's promised action on climate is nothing more than a tottering baby's first steps | Sue Bradford [_link]

— The Guardian (@guardian) May 21, 2022

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Green wave in #Brisbane gives party influence over Labor government @smh #Australia [_link]

— Global News Australia 🇦🇺 (@GlobalNewsAUS) May 21, 2022

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Scott Morrison rejects claims the Biden Administration expected Labor to be briefed on AUKUS deal months in advance | Sky News Aus - 5 days ago |

[_link]

When the #QUAD leaders meet in the Japanese capital Tokyo on May 24, who will represent #Australia to interact with US President #JoeBiden, Indian PM @narendramodi and Japanese Premier Kishida @JPN_PMO? #AustraliaVotes #australiavotes2022

— EurAsian Times (@THEEURASIATIMES) May 21, 2022

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Six weeks election campaign to convince Labour will be just as tough on on China as the Conservatives of outgoing PM Scott Morrison.

Pacific leaders congratulate Albanese

Albanese will be sworn in as the 31s prime minister on Monday along with four senior party members, even as vote counting continues, before heading to Tokyo to attend a Quad summit on Tuesday with US President Joe Biden and the prime ministers of Japan and India.

The Solomon Islands' recent signing of a security pact with China was a major election issue for outgoing prime minister Scott Morrison, with Western allies concerned it could provide a gateway for a Chinese military presence in the Pacific.

China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, is expected to visit the Solomon Islands this week, local media have reported, although Reuters could not confirm that with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's office.

In a statement on Sunday, Sogavare said his nation "remains Australia's steadfast friend and development partner of choice".

Australia's new Foreign Minister Penny Wong says climate change policy will be key to fostering stronger relations with Pacific island countries

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QUAD Summit 2022: US President Biden lays out new Asia-Pacific trade pact during QUAD meet | WION |

🤣 not kidding ... just rhetoric ...

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Talk of PRC military bases in the Pacific got me thinking, "what is a military base anyway?" #solomonislands [_link]

— CANZPS (@CANZPS) May 22, 2022

U.S. and Australia Act Badly Over Solomon Islands: Lose PR Battle by Mimicking Chinese "Wolf Warrior" Diplomacy

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Solomon Islands distance 2000 km in Australia's sphere of influence ... we'll intervene militarily.

China hits back at Australia over Solomon Islands 'red line', saying 'the Pacific is not someone's backyard'

#China eyes more security pacts with pacific nations like #Solomonislands : Report [ #English.alarabiya.net ] China has had #Kiribati, which switched its diplomatic allegiance to #Beijing from #Taiwan in 2019, in its sights for years, it said.Chin [_link]

— Tian_A1 (@Tian_A1) May 21, 2022

Joe Biden better hurry as #kiribati is nominated to sink under sea level before the century ends ..

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Biden arrives and voices a military threat to one China policy ... or did nothing change according to the home crowd at the White House, State and Pentagon ... similar to the Ukrainian frontline.

The White House walked back comments by U.S. President Joe Biden that the United States would come to Taiwan's defense if China were to invade. pic.twitter.com/X6FsCkgUcf

— TaiwanPlus (@taiwanplusnews) May 23, 2022

Chip production and electronic manufacturing should return to the US ... MAGA.

THE FUTURE OF US POLICY TOWARD CHINA Recommendations for the Biden administration | Brookings Institution - Nov. 2020 |

• "Evolving the US base structure in the Indo-Pacific"
• "Competing with China in Southeast Asia: The economic imperative"

Views, opinions and strategic options ... Biden takes the hard line and confrontation. The war hawk he has been since half a century from the Cold War era.

As America's policy choices narrow to two extremes, a new proposal for a middle path | Lowy Institute - May 20, 2021 |

There is a growing bipartisan consensus in Washington on a tighter embrace of Taiwan, which may soon become a stronger implied US commitment to go to war in the event of a Chinese invasion.

Taiwan matters to US security and the regional order, and the United States should continue to make clear that aggression is unacceptable. But those advocating a stronger US security commitment exaggerate the strategic consequences of a successful Chinese invasion. The stakes are not so high as to warrant an unqualified US pledge to go to war. American decision-makers, like their forebears confronting the seeming threat of communism in Indochina, may be trapping themselves.

The old man has little time left, he wants to make the most of it ... life to the fullest. 😡🔥

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Quad Summit: World faces 'dark hour' with Ukraine war, says Biden | BBC News |

In his opening remarks at Tuesday's summit, Mr Biden said their meeting was about "democracies versus autocracies, and we have to make sure that we deliver".

The Ukraine war, he said, "is going to affect all parts of the world" as Russia's blockade of Ukraine grain exports worsens a global food crisis.

Mr Biden promised the US would work with allies to lead the global response, reiterating their commitment to defend international order and sovereignty "regardless of where they were violated in the world" and remaining a "strong and enduring partner" in the Indo-Pacific region.

After their meeting, Mr Kishida told reporters that all four countries "including India" agreed on the importance of the rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity; and that "unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force will never be tolerated".
India is the only Quad member so far that has refused to directly criticise Russia for the invasion.

Democracy at home, Georgia flipped by Democrats in 2020 ...

How Voting Laws Suppress the 'New South'

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Mr. @POTUS , he represents our 1.4 billion people, some of us may have differences with him at home, but you got no business to insult & ignore him repeatedly. We expect respect & dignity. pic.twitter.com/YZPeA9xpjA

— Rofl Gandhi 2.0 🏹 (@RoflGandhi_) May 24, 2022

What's Next for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)? | CFR - Sept 2021 |

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#WATCH | #Tokyo #Japan

Japanese PM #FumioKishida and US President #JoeBiden speak on what could happen if China invaded Taiwan

(Video: ANI) pic.twitter.com/RIooIcv1XF

— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) May 23, 2022

Japan Not Planning To Join AUKUS: PM Fumio Kishida

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Talking about NZ or Australia, often reminds me of blogger canberra boy at BT and ET ...

Saying Sorry, Howard Style | by canberra boy - Aug 2006 |

Wave Hill Walk Off

...

Russia's Putin to PM Abbott: 'Bring It On!' @G20 Summit | Nov. 2014 |

I love it! Recently Australia's PM Abbott declared he would "shirtfront" Putin personally when he shows up at the G20. Putin didn't come alone ...

Abbott's macho challenge to Putin immature | Global Post |

"I am inviting you to my house, but when you arrive I will meet you at the door and knock you flat over on your face." This in essence is what Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott had to say on the subject of Russian President Vladimir Putin being invited to this year's G20 Summit in Brisbane in November. By contrast, at last year's meeting in St. Petersburg, the Australian delegation was treated with every courtesy.

True, a lot has happened since 2013, with Abbott incensed by the loss of 38 Australian lives when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed over disputed Ukrainian territory.

Abbott said initially that he would "shirtfront" Putin on arrival for the G20 meeting. A "shirtfront" is an especially brutal form of tackle in the Australian version of football, with the victim left broken and prostrate. Later the feisty Abbott amended his remarks to say he would engage in a "very, very robust discussion" with Putin. In response, the Russian embassy in Canberra noted that Abbott's remarks were not only "immature," but also that shirt-fronting had now been declared illegal in the Australian sport.

Cameron mocks Putin for his naval show of strength | The Times - video |

Malcolm Turnbull will become Australia's 29th prime minister after beating Tony Abbott in a dramatic leadership ballot in Canberra | SMH - Sept 15, 2015 |

A long running feud between Washington and Moscow ... causing so many innocent deaths, wounded, suffering and destruction.

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Diplomacy is vital. The U.S. stands ready to increase direct communication with Beijing across a range of issues, but we can't rely on Beijing to change its trajectory. So we'll shape the strategic environment to advance our vision for an open and inclusive international system. pic.twitter.com/tVX8LbPYXp

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 27, 2022

The Administration's Approach to the People's Republic of China

The bullying acts continues unabated ... is the US running scared and refuses any form of diplomacy ... won't hold open talks with so-called adversaries ... building large military alliances will only lead to a most devastating confrontation ... losing global leadership. One cannot ignore a vast nation with such 1,5 billion population. Already the US has lost the Muslim community across the globe thanks to the years of Republican and Democratic leadership failures.

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"To revive US alliances with Europe and Asia, Biden has framed the US rivalry with Russia and China as a global clash between democracy and autocracy, all the while enlisting the support of various autocrats."

-- #AJOpinion by @marwanbishara ⤵️ [_link]

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 27, 2022

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10 years of inaction, and the climate crisis has left Australia exposed to some of its harshest effects so far.

But on this Environment Day, Australia has a new federal government with a new mandate for change pic.twitter.com/IqFq065Uee

— TRT World (@trtworld) June 5, 2022

Too hot for humans? First Nations people fear becoming Australia's first climate refugees | The Guardian - Dec 17, 2919 |

IPCC report 2022: Australia threatened with more flood, fire and drought  UN Climate Report sketches vulnerability

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A breath of fresh air ...

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledges stronger cooperation on trade, security and climate crisis during his first bilateral visit to Indonesia[_link]

— TRT World (@trtworld) June 6, 2022

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US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin @SecDef may continue to peddle "China-threat theory" at Shangri-La Dialogue and underline "Indo-Pacific Strategy" aimed at mobilizing regional actors to take sides and form an anti-China clique. [_link]

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) June 8, 2022

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