Politics

Political news that affects economic policies and markets.

Politics
ASIO calls for vigilance against digital radicalisation
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's (ASIO) director general of security Mike Burgess has painted a grim picture of multiple credible - and yet unknown - threats to Australia's national security at the spy organisation's sixth Annual Threat Assessment this week. In his annual threat assessment to the public, Burgess called for a “collective response” in a multi-faceted threat landscape where social media, misinformation, conspiracy theories and radicalisation of our youths are today's concerns for Australia's national security. “Our 2030 Outlook notes we will see a generation of digital natives – people who have spent all their formative years online – enter a vulnerable age for radicalisation,” Burgess said. "For some, their sense of normality, identity and community will be more influenced by the online world than the real world. “If technology continues its current trajectory, it will be easier to find extremist material, and AI-fuelled algorithms will make it easier for extremist material to find vulnerable adolescent minds that are searching for meaning and connection. “Australia has never faced so many different threats at scale, at once. In this environment, national security is truly national s
Politics
Trump's FBI pick under fire for connections to Shein
United States President Donald Trump’s pick for the Federal Bureau of Investigation lead, Kash Patel, is facing fresh criticism over his financial connections to Chinese fast fashion brand Shien. Patel faced criticism from the Senate for his lack of experience and supposed “enemies list”. He is now coming under fire as, according to financial disclosures submitted as part of his confirmation process, Patel was compensated anywhere from US$1-$5 million after consulting for Shein’s parent company Elite Depot. Critics from the national security sphere have told the Wall Street Journal that they are concerned about Patel maintaining ties to the company “This is not a U.S. company and it’s a conflict of interest financially,” Charles Kupperman, a former deputy national security advisor in Trump’s first term, said. According to a spokesperson, Patel has no interest in participating in anything that has a “direct and predictable effect on financial interests” while serving as director of the FBI and has already agreed to sell shares in companies like Meta and Apple if confirmed. “He looks forward to a swift confirmation that will allow him to start his endeavour to refocus the bureau on making our country safer for all Ame
Politics
Americans think Trump has exceeded his power: new poll
Over half of Americans believe President Donald Trump has exceeded his power since stepping into office for his second term, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll. Since entering office, Donald Trump has taken numerous actions to disrupt and shrink the federal bureaucracy, garnering mixed reviews from the American public. The poll found that 43% of respondents supported what the president had done during his first month in office and 48% opposed it. However, those who strongly oppose (37%) far outnumber those who strongly support (27%).Credit: Washington PostWhen it comes to political affiliation, Trump unsurprisingly garners the most support from Republicans, with nine in 10 supporting his actions compared to nine in 10 Democrats opposing his actions. For independents, one in three supports his plan, while half oppose, with the remainder undecided. As for Trump’s right-hand man, billionaire Elon Musk, reviews are more negative with the poll finding that 34% approve of the way Musk is handling his job, 49% disapprove and 14% undecided. However, Americans disapprove of Musk's two-to-one margin for shrinking federal agencies he deems unnecessary. “Elon Musk may be a brilliant man, but he is not good working with p
Politics
PM, SA Govt pledge billions to Whyalla Steelworks
Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese has pledged to go "dollar for dollar" with the State Government as he unveils a $2.4 billion rescue package for the Whyalla steelworks. This follows yesterdays announcement that the South Australian government had passed legislation to force the plant into administration with plans for both the federal and state governments to invest $2.4 billion as a lifeline. The steelworks, owned by GFG Alliance has failed to pay tens of millions of dollars in royalty payments to the state government, as well as unpaid bills to creditors. Premier Peter Malinauskas said his government had spent months “carefully planning a strategy to address the challenges unfolding” and that the decision to act now and push the plant to administration was a "necessary one to secure the long-term future of Whyalla.” Now today, the PM visited the plant and speaking to workers promised to match the state government “dollar for dollar” during this new administration period. "Between our two governments, we have $2.4 billion to make sure that this transition occurs," Albanese said. “We don't regard it as a cost, because when you invest in the nation, you get a return, a return in jobs, a return in econo
Politics
Zelenskyy pushes back against Trump's accusations
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has responded to claims from United States President Donald Trump who suggested Ukraine was responsible for starting the war with Russia. The US president said from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida that a “half-baked” negotiator could have secured a settlement years ago “without the loss of much land.” “Today I heard, ‘Oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years ... You should have never started it. You could have made a deal,” Trump said to reporters on Tuesday evening. This came as Zelenskyy had earlier criticised ongoing discussions between Russia and the US which have allegedly been excluding Kyiv. President Zelenskyy said efforts to end the war must be “fair” and involve European countries. Talks “are taking place between representatives of Russia and representatives of the United States of America. About Ukraine – about Ukraine again – and without Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. He also postponed his own trip to Saudi Arabia, where the US-Russia talks took place. In response to Trump’s accusations, Zelenskyy said he seems to be trapped in a “disinformation bubble” and added that Ukraine was not for sale. “We have a situation where we haven’t

Politics
US Airforce shows nuclear force deterrent with launch
The United States Air Force has launched a hypersonic missile in a demonstration of its nuclear capabilities. The test was carried out early on Wednesday, local time, to prove that the U.S. nuclear deterrent remains “safe, secure, reliable and effective”. The launch of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile took place at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, just a hours after Russia deployed its own “Yars” ICBM for combat training. However, the Air Force denied their own launch was in retaliation, citing 300 similar missile tests being conducted over the years and that this particular one was “not a response to current world events”. "Facilitating test launches from the Western Range at Vandenberg Space Force Base is a critical component of our mission and the national defence strategy," said U.S. Space Force Col. Dorian Hatcher, deputy commander the host unit overseeing all Spaceport and Western Range operations at Vandenberg. “Our Guardians and Airmen are dedicated to enabling Minuteman III tests to ensure a credible and effective deterrent for the nation.”
Politics
Talks: US, Russian officials discuss peace in Ukraine
United States and Russian officials held their first formal meeting in years for talks on how to end the war in Ukraine. Present at the meeting were U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. There were no Ukrainian officials at the meeting in Riyadh, and European allies were currently frozen out of the discussion. The U.S. and Russia said they would appoint high-level teams to end the war in Ukraine and are working to re-establish diplomatic channels. During the meeting, Rubio said they agreed upon four important principles to end the conflict. U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who was also present at the meeting, said they are looking forward to the best way to ensure ongoing peace in the two countries. “This needs to be a permanent end to the war and not a temporary end, as we’ve seen in the past,” he said. “We know just the practical reality is that there is going to be some discussion of territory, and there is going to be a discussion of security guarantees.” In the past, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously stated that he wouldn’t agree to any deals made over his head. Both Zelensky and other European officials have discussed the possibility
Politics
US government denies plans to buy $400m of Tesla EVs
The United States government has denied that it planned to buy electric armoured vehicles from Tesla, amid conflict of interest concerns as Tesla CEO Elon Musk demands major layoffs of federal employees. A State Department procurement forecast, last revised in December, said the department would buy US$400 million in vehicles from Tesla over five years. The document was edited to remove references to Tesla on Wednesday, after reports first emerged. “I’m pretty sure Tesla isn’t getting $400 million. No one mentioned it to me, at least,” Elon Musk said on X. Musk is both the CEO of Tesla and the head of the Donald Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative aiming to dismantle government agencies and lay off large numbers of employees. “No government contract has been awarded to Tesla or any other vehicle manufacturer to produce armored electric vehicles for the Department of State,” said a State Department official. According to the State Department, the previous administration had explored interest from companies willing to produced armoured vehicles, with Tesla being the only company to reply. The department said it had no plans to fulfill the contract at this stage. Tesla and S
Politics
Starmer says Ukraine peace requires US 'backstop'
British prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said that peace in Ukraine would require the United States delivering a “backstop” to prevent further Russian attacks. The statements were made during an emergency meeting of Russian leaders at Élysée Palace, where they discussed concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is heading to Saudi Arabia to initiate peace talks with Russia alone. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the talks by saying that Kyiv had no knowledge of them and would not be recognising any potential peace deal made without Ukrainian involvement. This follows recent comments from the U.S. defence secretary saying Europe would need handle the majority of its own defence from here on out, saying the States would no longer "tolerate an imbalanced relationship". Starmer seemed to agree that Europe would "have to do more" to defend against any possible security challenges Russia poses but he remained firm that peace in Ukraine would not be possible without the “backstop” from the U.S and that this “security guarantee was the only way to effectively deter Russia”. Starmer and Trump are due to meet in Washington DC next week where the British PM has promised to discuss “key elem