Frankie is passionate about finance and world politics. Melbourne-based, Frankie holds a Bachelor of Communications with RMIT University and is an award-winning journalist who has worked with NEMBC Media and other major publications.

Frankie Reid

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Outgoing President Joe Biden has delivered his final interview of his term, sitting down in the Oval Office with MSNBC‘s Lawrence O’Donnell.

Biden reflected on his accomplishments during his time in office, including this week’s Gaza ceasefire deal.

He also acknowledged his political failings in light of low approval ratings as he leaves the top job on Monday.

“Ironically, I almost spent too much time on the policy and not enough time on the politics”, the 82-year-old said.



Expressing regrets about not putting his name on COVID

stimulus checks that were issued in the early months of his term, while Donald Trump did, Biden said that while it did cross his mind he was “not a very good huckster."

“It helped him [Trump] a lot…and it undermined our ability to convince people that we were the ones that were getting this to them,' Biden added.



Earlier in the week Biden also warned of an “oligarchy is taking shape in America,” during his farewell speech and reiterated his concern for “how fragile democracy is.”

Speaking to O’Donnell he elaborated, saying he was concerned Americans would be left without a champion fighting for them.

“Look if the decision is made that the multibillionaires, the super, supe

Democracy is 'fragile': Biden gives final interview

The Human Rights Watch has lambasted Australia for jailing children in their latest annual report, saying the government had “increasingly violated the rights of children in the criminal justice system in 2024”.

The report pointed to facilities designed for adults in Queensland and Western Australia where authorities had detained and the Northern Territory government lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 12 years to 10.

This comes as Queensland Premier, David Crisafulli, this week

promised he would be making “many more” changes to strengthen the state’s already tough youth justice laws.

"It's gone from bad to worse. What we do know as well in Australia is that there's no Human Rights Act,” said Daniela Gavshon, the Australian Director of Human Rights Watch.

“So there's no overarching piece of legislation that puts all the human rights regulations and rules and responsibilities into one place. Australia is the only liberal democracy that doesn't have a Human Rights Act."



Human Rights Watch slams Australia for jailing children

Mark Carney has announced his run for leader of Canada's governing Liberal Party.

On Thursday local time, Carney, a former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor,

 formally launched his bid in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta.

Standing against a large Canadian flag as a backdrop Carney said he was making his bid "because Canada is the best country in the world, but it could still be even better".

If successful, he will take over from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ahead of the next general election, set to take place later this year.

Earlier this month, Trudeau announced his intent to resign after nine years in office but only once a new Liberal leader was selected.

While he has recently served as an economic advisor to Trudeau, Mr Carney is the only candidate in the Liberal Party's leadership race who is not an elected member of Trudeau's government.

Mark Carney makes bid for Canada's Liberal leadership

The United States Food and Drug Administration has authorised Zyn nicotine pouches to be sold to as a tool to quit smoking.

The agency says that even though this decision gives the products permission to be legally marketed in the U.S., it “does not mean these tobacco products are safe, nor are they ‘FDA approved’”.

In a statement the FDA said that Zyn supplied data from a study that demonstrated "a substantial proportion of adults who use cigarette and/or smokeless tobacco products completely switched to the newly authorized nicotine pouch products".

The pouches, made by tobacco company Phillip Morris, have been on the U.S. market for over decade as the FDA reviewed whether to formally allow them and the latest decision allows 10 Zyn flavours, including mint, coffee, cinnamon and menthol, to remain.

Nicotine pouches do not contain any actual tobacco and is placed between the gum and the lips where it slowly emits nicotine, much like nicotine patches or chewing gum.

While E-cigarettes were also authorised as a device for quitting smoking before seeing a huge spike in use by children, but there has been no evidence that teens are migrating nicotine pouches in the same manner, with less than 2% of American students re

Zyn gets FDA greenlight as tool for quitting smoking

The official portraits United States President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have been released, just days before their inauguration.

Both of the strongly lit portraits depict the duo wearing blue suits over white collared shirts and blue ties, with Trump displaying an American flag pin on his lapel.

The new images were taken by Mr Trump’s chief photographer Daniel Torok and shared by his transition team, with Torok writing on X: “We are entering the GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA!”.

The pose and framing of Trump's portrait hails back to his 2023 mugshot, with multiple news outlets reporting the similarities between the two photos.Credit: Fulton County Sheriffs OfficeThis seemingly play off of the image when he was indicted for election racketeering in Georgia is a sharp contrast to his 2017 official portrait which was all broad smiles.



White House: Official portraits of Trump, Vance released

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed the Gaza ceasefire, pushing back a critical vote from his cabinet.

The ceasefire agreement was reached earlier this week after ongoing talks between Israeli officials and Hamas, to end 15 months of war and bloodshed.

The multi-stage deal was announced by Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, where the talks took place.

However, less than one day later, Netanyahu announced a cabinet vote to officially approve the agreement, originally scheduled for Thursday afternoon, had been delayed.

Netanyahu has accused Hamas of walking back its commitment to the deal as his reasoning while Hamas officials have insisted they still support the agreement.

In a statement released on Thursday (Friday AEDT), he said that

“Hamas reneges on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last minute concessions”.



Later the same day his National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said he would resign if the ceasefire was ratified, doubling down on his strong public opposition of the deal.

The ceasefire deal is due to come into effect on Sunday, just one day before United States President-elect Donal

Middle East: Netanyahu delays Gaza ceasfire with Hamas

New data shows Australia’s job market is strengthening, with the employment-to-population ratio reaching a record high.

The numbers, released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics,

 emphasised the strength in the jobs market, with the

unemployment rate remaining steady at 4% and the

employment to population ratio reaching 64%.

Participation -

measuring the percentage of those aged 15 and above either in work or actively looking for it - rose to 67% and the underemployment rate decreased to 6%.

Speaking to ABC News, chief economist for HSBC Australia, Paul Bloxham, said this strength in the jobs market would make it more difficult for the Reserve Bank to cut rates in February.

The RBA board next meets on 17-18 February, with traders still reporting a 70% chance it will cut rates.

Australia's job market staying strong; rates hold likely

The United Kingdom’s competition watchdog has launched an investigation into whether Google has the monopoly on online searches.

With Google accounting for 90% of UK web searches, the Competition and Markets Authority is looking at whether it is using that dominant position to harm competition or choice for users.

This is the Authority's first investigation since gaining additional powers allowing them to investigate and enforce changes on firms with a "strategic market status" in digital markets.

It will have nine months to carry out its investigation and two options at its disposal if it finds Google to have strategic market status - imposing rules on how it behaves, or making interventions designed to boost competition.

The CMA said it wants to ensure the tech giant is "delivering good outcomes for people and businesses" and that there is a "level playing field".

In a statement, Google said that they would "continue to engage constructively with the CMA to ensure that new rules benefit all types of websites, and still allow people in the UK to benefit from helpful and cutting edge services."

It is the latest in a series of investigations Google faces worldwide, with the United States calling for the sale of it

UK to determine whether Google has search 'monopoly'

United States President Joe Biden has delivered his

farewell address today, as he wraps up his time in the White House.

The speech was used as an opportunity to issue serious warnings and concerns about the future of the nation and call for constitutional changes.

His term ends Monday, when he'll be replaced by president-elect Donald Trump, a man he has previously called an “existential threat” to the U.S.

In his speech Biden stated that “an oligarchy is taking shape in America” as he criticised the “tech industrial complex" and social media, where “the truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit.”



He then called for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution “to make clear that no president is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office.”

Four criminal indictments against President Elect Donald Trump were dropped following the November election results due to a long-standing Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president.



He also urged the nation to continue facing climate change, and not to be “bullied into sacrificing the future."

Biden chose to speak from the Oval Office, while first lady Dr Jill Biden, son Hunter and other family members sat in the offic

Biden makes farewell address, issues warnings on Trump

Drake has filed a lawsuit against his own record label over the song “Not Like Us”, released by fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar.

The song was released in 2024 as part of an ongoing feud between the two, being fought via diss-tracks, but Lamar’s chart-topping single “Not Like Us” was ultimately the deciding song.



The song’s punchlines included references to Drake, born Aubrey Graham, as a pedophile, and in response Drake is suing his own label, Universal Music Group, the record company behind both rappers.

Filed Wednesday local time in a United States federal court, the suit alleges defamation and harassment, calling the release and promotion of

“Not Like Us” an example of valuing “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”

Noting that the cover art for “Not Like Us” features a photo of Drake’s Toronto home dotted with markers meant to represent the presence of registered sex offenders, the suit also stated that this and the lyrics were intended to "convey the specific, unmistakable, and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal pedophile.”

In a statement back in November, when Drake first broached legal proceedings, a spokesman for Universal Music said: “The suggestion that UMG would

'Defamation, harassment': Drake sues label over track

Frankie is passionate about finance and world politics. Melbourne-based, Frankie holds a Bachelor of Communications with RMIT University and is an award-winning journalist who has worked with NEMBC Media and other major publications. | Azzet™

Frankie Reid

Democracy is 'fragile': Biden gives final interview

Human Rights Watch slams Australia for jailing children

Mark Carney makes bid for Canada's Liberal leadership

Zyn gets FDA greenlight as tool for quitting smoking

White House: Official portraits of Trump, Vance released

Middle East: Netanyahu delays Gaza ceasfire with Hamas

Australia's job market staying strong; rates hold likely

UK to determine whether Google has search 'monopoly'

Biden makes farewell address, issues warnings on Trump

'Defamation, harassment': Drake sues label over track

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