The important conversation that Anthony Albanese is preparing to have with Donald Trump as the pair come face to face for the first time
The prime minister has confirmed he will meet Donald Trump face-to-face as millions of Americans take to the streets to protest against the US president.
Anthony Albanese is preparing for one of the most important diplomatic discussions of his career when he holds talks with Mr Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada on Tuesday, local time.
The prime minister will be trying to negotiate an exemption from controversial US tariffs.
But he faces an uphill battle to cut through with his message as Mr Trump stares down domestic unrest and renewed conflict in the Middle East.
Mr Albanese was unperturbed as he confirmed the much-anticipated meeting to reporters in Seattle on Saturday, local time.
'Obviously, there are issues that the US president is dealing with at the moment, but I expect that we will be able to have a constructive engagement,' he said.
'We'll have a discussion as two friends should.'
Mr Albanese said he would raise tariffs and emphasise the importance of the AUKUS security pact, under which Australia is due to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the US.
Both men have already spoken on three occasions but Tuesday's arrangement is the first time they will meet in person.
Australia is facing 10 per cent tariffs on goods exported to the US and - like all US trading partners except the UK - 50 per cent tariffs on aluminium and steel sent to America.
Supplies of critical minerals and access to the Australian market for US beef could be used as bargaining chips during the talks.
Mr Albanese did not want to make 'grand declarations' prior to the meeting, but he reiterated he would put forward Australia's interests.
'It is also in the interests of the United States for Australia to be treated appropriately,' he said.
Tensions between two countries have ebbed and flowed in recent days after Australia, alongside several other countries, was criticised by the US for sanctioning two Israeli government ministers.
Australia has also pushed back against US calls to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP, while Washington has launched a review into the AUKUS agreement to ensure it aligns with Mr Trump's 'America first' agenda.
The prime minister arrived in Seattle after holding bilateral talks in Fiji and he is expected to leave for the G7 on Sunday.
He used an event involving US business and technology leaders to sing the praises of 'free and fair trade' ahead of the tariff talks, hailing a $20 billion commitment from Amazon to expand its Australia data centre operations.
Mr Albanese is also expected to hold talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other world leaders during the summit.
He landed in America on the same day a controversial military parade commemorating the US army's 250th birthday took place on the other side of the country, in Washington DC.
The event coincided with Mr Trump's 79th birthday and represents the first such military parade in more than three decades.
Millions of Americans across the nation gathered to protest the US president as part of 'No Kings' rallies held in major cities, while hordes also attended the parade in support of armed forces.
Protest organisers accused Mr Trump of staging a 'made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday' with the military parade, which falls on Flag Day - the date when the US flag was adopted by congress.
Tens of thousands marched to Seattle's towering Space Needle as they chanted, 'no Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA'.
For Stephany Simonelli, who donned a fake crown with a cross and a sash that read 'no kings', it was her first time taking part in a march or rally.
'This just felt absolutely imperative for democracy,' she told AAP.
'I'm really afraid for our country. We, in America, really need to step up and take a stand.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
14 minutes ago
- Sky News
Leonard Lauder: Estee Lauder's son, who built make-up company into global brand, dies
Estee Lauder's son - a "cosmetics industry icon" who built the make-up brand into a global powerhouse - has died aged 92. Leonard Lauder joined his parents' business in 1958 following a stint in the US Navy, working his way up the ranks to become president and chief executive. "For more than six decades, Mr Lauder was a visionary and an innovator - helping transform the business," the company said in a statement. The entrepreneur had a key role in helping Estee Lauder shift from selling a small number of products in US stores to owning a plethora of brands internationally. As well as launching the likes of Clinique and Aramis, Mr Lauder was described as a canny dealmaker involved in acquiring Bobbi Brown and Jo Malone London. His son William, who remains involved in the family business, said: "Throughout his life, my father worked tirelessly to build and transform the beauty industry - pioneering many of the innovations, trends and best practices that are foundational to the industry today." William Lauder, who now chairs the board of directors, added: "His impact was enormous. He believed that employees were the heart and soul of our company, and they adored him and moments spent with him." Leonard Lauder created the company's first research and development laboratory - and was the "driving force" behind its expansion into Europe and Asia. Born in New York City in 1933, estimates from Forbes suggest his net worth peaked at $25.5bn (£18.8bn) in 2021. He served as Estee Lauder's chief executive from 1982 to 1999 and chairman from 1995 to 2009, serving as chairman emeritus until his death. Stephane de la Faverie, the brand's current CEO, said: "Leonard Lauder was beloved by many and will be missed tremendously. "To our employees at The Estee Lauder Companies, he was an inspiration and a champion. To the industry, he was an icon and pioneer, earning respect worldwide. "His energy and vision helped shape our company and will continue to do so for generations to come." Leonard Lauder was married to Evelyn - a fellow executive who founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation - from 1959 until her death in 2011. He is survived by his second wife Judy, a renowned photographer, as well as his two sons, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. "Mr Lauder considered himself lucky in love and believed that lightning really could strike twice," a statement added.
The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
China gets boost in retail sales as export goods stay home, while tariffs hit factory output
China 's economy managed a mixed economic performance in May, as retail sales jumped while factory output slowed in the face of higher U.S. tariffs. Data released Monday showed retail sales rose 6.4% from a year earlier, helped partly by promotions of products stranded as shipments were suspended due to higher tariffs. A major online shopping festival also helped entice consumers to spend more. The June 18 shopping extravaganza started last month, with online sellers offering discounts on many products. But factory output and exports still took a hit from the tariffs, even though many of the increases in import duties have been delayed as Beijing and Washington negotiate a trade deal. Manufacturing output rose 5.8% in May year-on-year, the National Bureau of Statistics said, compared with 6.1% in April and 7.7% in March. Factory activity surged earlier in the year but has slowed as U.S. President Donald Trump 's tariffs took effect. China earlier reported its exports to the United States fell 35% in May from a year earlier, while total exports rose 4.8% in May from a year earlier, much lower than economists' forecasts and down sharply from an 8.1% jump in April. Overall, economists said the world's second largest economy had weathered the threat of hikes in tariffs relatively well. But signs of weakness persist as a slump in the property market has yet to reverse. Deflation remains an issue, with consumer prices slipping 0.1% in May from a year earlier and 0.2% from the month before. Investment in real estate fell 10.7% in January-May compared to a year earlier, with housing prices in most cities falling slightly, the report showed. Spending on factory equipment and other fixed assets rose at a relatively slow 3.7% annual pace, it said. Apart from the '618' online shopping festival timed to celebrate the June 18, 1998, founding of e-commerce giant China's program to subsidize trade-ins of household appliances, autos and other goods helped boost retail sales. But while retail sales rose 5% in January-May from a year earlier, consumers remain wary given weakness in the property sector, a vital repository of wealth for most families, Lynn Song of ING Economics said in a report. May's data was encouraging, she said, 'However, a more sustainable consumption recovery will likely require a turnaround of consumer confidence, which remains much closer to historical lows than historical averages.' The threat of higher tariffs that could further disrupt trade between the two biggest economies, remains, with an Aug. 10 deadline for reaching an agreement following talks last week in London. 'With tariffs set to stay elevated and exporters facing broader constraints, export growth is likely to slow further by year-end,' Zichun Huang of Capital Economics wrote in a commentary.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
The hillside memorial which sparked misinformation about South Africa's farm killings
In a seemingly desolate landscape near a farm, rows of white crosses stand starkly against the earth, each representing a life lost. These crosses, numbering nearly 3,000, form the Witkruis Monument, a memorial dedicated exclusively to white individuals killed on South African farms over the past three decades. Erected by the Afrikaner minority, the monument has become a focal point in a contentious narrative surrounding farm killings in South Africa. While intended as a tribute, the memorial has been seized upon by some to propagate the idea that white farmers are victims of a systematic, racially motivated persecution in the country. This narrative, amplified by figures such as Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump, has drawn criticism for its inaccuracy, with Trump even using the term "genocide" to describe the violence against white farmers. The South African government and experts who have studied farm killings have publicly denounced the misinformation spread by Trump and others. Even the caretaker of Witkruis says the monument — which makes no reference to the hundreds of Black South African farmers and farmworkers who have been killed — does not tell the complete story. The killings of farmers and farmworkers, regardless of race, are a tiny percentage of the country's high level of crime, and they typically occur during armed robberies, according to available statistics and two studies carried out over the last 25 years. Yet because wealthier white people own 72 per cent of South Africa 's privately owned farms, according to census data, they are disproportionately affected by these often brutal crimes. Black people own just 4 per cent of the country's privately owned farmland, and the rest is owned by people who are mixed race or of Indian heritage. Misinformation about farm killings has been fueled by right-wing political groups in South Africa and others outside the country, said Gareth Newman, a crime expert at the Institute for Security Studies think tank in Pretoria. Some of the fringe South African groups, which hold no official power, boycotted the country's first democratic elections in 1994, when South Africa's apartheid system of white minority rule officially ended. They have espoused a debunked theory of persecution — in a country where whites make up about 7 per cent of the population — ever since. 'They held on to these beliefs as a way of maintaining social cohesion in their groups, making sure that they can obtain funding and support," Newman said. "And they were getting support from right-wing groups abroad because it fit their narrative." A monument to white victims The Witkruis Monument was started in 2004 but recognises victims going back to 1994. Each year, more crosses are planted to memorialise white farmers and their family members who were killed, organisers say. Recently, they've planted around 50 crosses a year. Kobus de Lange, a local Afrikaner farmer, has taken on the role of caretaker of Witkruis. He gave The Associated Press access to see the memorial, bringing along his wife and children to help tidy up the monument in the country's north, near the town of Mokopane. De Lange expressed the fear and frustration of a white farming community that feels authorities have not done enough to protect them. One of his sons wore a T-shirt with the slogan 'enough is enough' — written in their Afrikaans language — in reference to the killings. But de Lange acknowledged that the memorial does not capture the full scope of farm killings. 'It's across the board, there are Black farmers who are also attacked,' de Lange said. He said in some farm attacks, Black farmworkers are tortured by criminals for information on how to break into the main farmhouse. The Witkruis Monument would be willing to put up crosses to Black farmers and farmworkers who have been killed, but their relatives haven't requested it, he said. The monument includes memorabilia bearing the flags of conservative Afrikaner movements, symbols that are generally frowned upon because Afrikaners were at the heart of the apartheid government. Black farmworkers are also vulnerable From April 2023 through March 2024, there were 49 farm killings recorded by AfriForum, a white Afrikaner lobby group. That's about 0.2 per cent of overall murders tallied by the government over the same period. The group recorded 296 farm robberies in that timeframe, or about 0.7 per cent of all robberies. AfriForum's numbers don't include killings of Black farmers and workers, and the country's official crime statistics are not broken down by race. Black people make up more than 80 per cent of South Africa's population of 62 million, and most victims of violent crime across South Africa are Black. But there is no public relations campaign to raise awareness about the killing of Black farmers. Across racial lines, most public outcry about crime in South Africa is over the high rates of rape and murder of women and children, which mostly takes place in cities and townships. To tamp down misinformation, South African police last month took the unprecedented step of providing a racial breakdown of farm killings during the first three months of the year. Between January and March, there were six murders on farms, down from 12 during the same period last year. One of the victims was white, the rest were Black. 'What Donald Trump is saying about whites being targeted does not exist," said MmaNtuli Buthelezi, who lives on a farm in Normandien, a rural area in KwaZulu-Natal province. Black farmworkers also feel vulnerable, Buthelezi said. "We don't even have small firearms. Our weapons are just a spear and a shield, and sticks we get from the woods.' Nomandien is an area where the farming community planted white crosses to raise awareness about farm killings in 2020. During a White House visit last month by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump showed a video in which he incorrectly referred to the location as a 'burial site' of slain white farmers. Also, and without evidence, Trump has accused South Africa's Black-led government of 'fueling' what he said was racially motivated violence against whites. In February, Trump issued an executive order punishing the country by banning all US aid and assistance to South Africa. What is the motive for South Africa's farm killings? The Trump administration has cited a chant used by a minority Black-led political party in South Africa that has the lyrics 'shoot the farmer' as contributing to what it claims is the racially motivated killings of white farmers. Violent crimes against farmers were a problem for years before the apartheid-era chant was revived. The South African government investigated farm killings in 2003. It interviewed dozens of police detectives and other experts and concluded that robbery was the most common motive for violent crimes, including murders, that occurred on farms. A study by the South African Human Rights Commission in 2015 reached a similar conclusion. 'It is criminal individuals and groups that are targeting them because they are considered vulnerable,' said Newham, who has researched the subject for more than 15 years. 'They have things like cars, guns and laptops.' In some cases, perpetrators are former laborers who return to attack, kill and rob farm owners to settle disputes over money. In others, disgruntled former employees had returned simply for revenge, according to historical records of the National Prosecuting Authority.
