Albanese plays down US ‘disgust' over Palestine recognition
Huckabee, a former Republican presidential candidate and major supporter of Israel, said he had spoken to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and both men were unhappy with the decision Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday.
'There is an enormous level of disappointment, and some disgust,' Huckabee said on the ABC's 7.30 on Thursday. He did not confirm the exact words used by Rubio or Trump, saying he would not reveal private conversations.
'I think it does express, though, the emotional sentiment, a sense of: 'you've got to be kidding. Why would they be doing this? And why would they be doing it now?''
The comments build pressure on Albanese, who has already faced a storm of criticism this week after Hamas officials praised Australia's decision to recognise a State of Palestine at a United Nations meeting in September.
Albanese played down Huckabee's comments, saying the former governor represented the United States in Israel, not Australia.
The prime minister told ABC radio on Friday that his role was to represent Australia's interests.
'Australians have been disgusted by what they see on their TV every night,' Albanese said. 'They were disgusted by the terrorist actions of Hamas on October 7, the slaughter of innocent Israelis, the taking of hostages and the ongoing holding of those hostages have outraged Australians, but Australians have also seen the death of tens of thousands of people.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
16 minutes ago
- Perth Now
‘Burning cash': Treasurer flags big shake-up
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says Australians are 'burning cash' waiting for approvals as he takes aim at Australia's sluggish productivity rate ahead of a three-day talkfest in Canberra. Chalmers will next week host an economic reform roundtable in Canberra where boosting productivity and building resilience in Australia's economy and budget will take centre-stage. Speaking with The Guardian, Mr Chalmers said slow approval times by governments and councils had stymied productivity. 'It will be one of the main ways that people think through our regulatory challenges and our challenges around the time it takes to get projects approved,' Chalmers told the Guardian. 'In all the consultation I've been doing – in housing, renewable energy projects – there are too many instances where people are burning cash waiting for approvals to build things that we desperately want people to build.' The treasurer's remarks signal reform to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act is a high priority for the re-elected government. The Albanese government failed to deliver on its promise of reform the country's complex environmental laws its first term. Treasurer Jim Chalmers told The Guardian reform to the country's environmental laws, including the permitting process, could boost productivity. NewsWire/Martin Ollman. Credit: News Corp Australia Separately, Mr Chalmers told NewsWire on Friday that Australia's sluggish birthrate meant the country would have to lift productivity to maintain living standards. 'It's not surprising that the birthrate has slowed given the pressures on people, including financial pressures,' he said. 'We want to make it easier for them to make that choice. If they want to have more kids, we want to make it easier for them to do that, and that's what motivates a lot of our changes.' As Australia struggles to boost the economy, and in turn raise wages and living standards, it's contending with a sluggish birthrate of 1.5 births per woman, which is under the 2.1 figure needed to sustain population growth. Boosting productivity will be essential to ensuring that Australia's ageing population can weather economic headwinds, the Treasurer said. 'Now, the reason why the productivity challenge is important to this is because our society is ageing, and over time, there will be fewer workers for every person who's retired,' he said. 'We need to make sure that our economy is as productive as it can be, as strong as it can be to withstand that demographic change, which is going to be big and consequential.'
The Advertiser
28 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Trump leaves Alaska summit with Putin empty-handed
Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. "There's no deal until there's a deal," the US president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an "understanding" on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskiy in the Oval Office and staunching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The US president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trump's preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskiy "to get it done", but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskiy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The US president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. "We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," Trump said while standing next to Putin. "And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there." He continued: "We didn't get there." Putin says Trump 'shows understanding' that Russia has its own interests. For Putin, just being on US soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after being ostracised following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall economic sanctions the US presiden promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the US should "turn the page and go back to co-operation". He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests". "I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, "we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon". When Putin smiled and offered, "next time in Moscow", Trump said "that's an interesting one" and said he might face criticism but "I could see it possibly happening". When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead. The two then shared the US presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskiy and European leaders, who fear Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine's. Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. "There's no deal until there's a deal," the US president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an "understanding" on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskiy in the Oval Office and staunching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The US president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trump's preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskiy "to get it done", but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskiy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The US president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. "We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," Trump said while standing next to Putin. "And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there." He continued: "We didn't get there." Putin says Trump 'shows understanding' that Russia has its own interests. For Putin, just being on US soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after being ostracised following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall economic sanctions the US presiden promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the US should "turn the page and go back to co-operation". He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests". "I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, "we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon". When Putin smiled and offered, "next time in Moscow", Trump said "that's an interesting one" and said he might face criticism but "I could see it possibly happening". When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead. The two then shared the US presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskiy and European leaders, who fear Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine's. Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. "There's no deal until there's a deal," the US president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an "understanding" on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskiy in the Oval Office and staunching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The US president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trump's preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskiy "to get it done", but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskiy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The US president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. "We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," Trump said while standing next to Putin. "And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there." He continued: "We didn't get there." Putin says Trump 'shows understanding' that Russia has its own interests. For Putin, just being on US soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after being ostracised following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall economic sanctions the US presiden promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the US should "turn the page and go back to co-operation". He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests". "I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, "we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon". When Putin smiled and offered, "next time in Moscow", Trump said "that's an interesting one" and said he might face criticism but "I could see it possibly happening". When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead. The two then shared the US presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskiy and European leaders, who fear Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine's. Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. "There's no deal until there's a deal," the US president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an "understanding" on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskiy in the Oval Office and staunching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The US president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trump's preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskiy "to get it done", but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskiy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The US president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. "We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," Trump said while standing next to Putin. "And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there." He continued: "We didn't get there." Putin says Trump 'shows understanding' that Russia has its own interests. For Putin, just being on US soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after being ostracised following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall economic sanctions the US presiden promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the US should "turn the page and go back to co-operation". He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests". "I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, "we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon". When Putin smiled and offered, "next time in Moscow", Trump said "that's an interesting one" and said he might face criticism but "I could see it possibly happening". When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead. The two then shared the US presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskiy and European leaders, who fear Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine's.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Texas redistricting debate intensifies
The ongoing dispute in the US over Texas redistricting could potentially be coming to an end. Democrats have been going to unusual lengths to block a Republican plan to redraw the state's districts, which analysts say would give the GOP an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections.
