‘Elitist celebrities' blasted for attending anti-Trump demonstrations
Former GOP Congressional candidate Alex Balekian discusses the 'rich elitist celebrities' such as Mark Ruffalo and Susan Sarandon who are participating in anti-Trump demonstrations.
'Their opinion matters not at all, because right now what matters to people is the cost of living,' Mr Balekian told Sky News Australia.
'All of these ... rich elitist celebrities who live in their bubbles, who are insulated from the problems that plague the everyday person – their opinions don't matter, people aren't listening to them.'
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Macron, on Greenland visit, berates Trump for threats against the territory
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday criticised US President Donald Trump's threats to annex Greenland, as he made a visit to the Danish autonomous territory. "That's not what allies do," Macron said as he arrived in Nuuk, Greenland's capital. Macron is the first foreign head of state to visit the vast territory -- located at the crossroads of the Atlantic and the Arctic -- since Trump's annexation threats. Trump, since returning to the White House in January, has repeatedly said America needs the strategically located, resource-rich island for security reasons, and has refused to rule out the use of force to secure it. Denmark has also repeatedly stressed that Greenland "is not for sale." Macron said his visit was aimed at conveying "France's and the European Union's solidarity" for "the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Greenland. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and dozens of Greenlanders waving their territory's red-and-white flags, were on hand to greet the French president. Macron kicked off his six-hour visit with talks on board a Danish frigate with Frederiksen and Nielsen. He was to later visit a glacier to see firsthand the effects of global warming. A visit to a hydroelectric plant was initially scheduled but was cancelled at the last minute. Macron's trip to Greenland was "a signal in itself, made at the request of Danish and Greenlandic authorities", his office said ahead of the trip. - 'Not for sale' - The Danish invitation to Macron contrasts sharply with the reception granted to US Vice President JD Vance, whose one-day trip to Greenland in March was seen as a provocation by both Nuuk and Copenhagen. During his visit to the US Pituffik military base, Vance castigated Denmark for not having "done a good job by the people of Greenland", alleging they had neglected security. The Pituffik base is an essential part of Washington's missile defence infrastructure, its location putting it on the shortest route for missiles fired from Russia at the United States. Polls indicate that the vast majority of Greenland's 57,000 inhabitants want to become independent from Denmark -- but do not wish to become part of the United States. Unlike Denmark, Greenland is not part of the European Union but is on the list of Overseas Territories associated with the bloc. The Arctic has gained geostrategic importance as the race for rare earths heats up and as melting ice caused by global warming opens up new shipping routes. Copenhagen in January announced a $2 billion plan to boost its military presence in the Arctic region. NATO also plans to set up a Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Norway above the Arctic Circle, as Russia aims to bolster its military presence in the region. During his visit, Macron plans to discuss Arctic security and how to include the territory in "European action" to contribute to its development, while "respecting its sovereignty", his office said. - Mount Nunatarsuaq - Macron scheduled glacier visit was to Mount Nunatarsuaq, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Nuuk, to see firsthand the effects of global warming on the frontlines in the Arctic. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, according to a 2022 study in scientific journal Nature, and Greenland's ice sheet melted 17 times faster than the historical average during a May 15-21 heatwave, a recent report showed. France intends to "massively reinvest in the knowledge of these ecosystems," following in the footsteps of famed French explorer Paul-Emile Victor who carried out multiple expeditions to Greenland, Macron's office said. Greenlandic authorities recently designated Victor's hut, built in 1950 in Quervain Bay in the north, as a historic structure.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Israel, Iran bombard each other as Trump flags easy end
Israel and Iran have launched fresh attacks on each other as US President Donald Trump says the conflict could be easily ended and warns Tehran not to strike any US targets. Israeli rescue teams and sniffer dogs combed the rubble of residential buildings destroyed in overnight strikes looking for survivors after at least 10 people, including children, were killed, authorities said. Iran said at least 138 people had been killed in Israel's onslaught since Friday including 60 on Saturday - half of them children - when a missile brought down a 14-storey apartment block in Tehran. The Israeli military warned Iranians living near weapons facilities to evacuate on Sunday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump said Israel's attacks would intensify. An official said Israel had a long list of targets in Iran and declined to say how long the offensive would continue. Sites attacked on Saturday evening included two "dual-use" fuel sites that supported military and nuclear operations, he said. Trump, who has lauded Israel's offensive and denied Iranian claims the US has taken part, warned Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include US interests. "If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before," he said on Truth Social. "However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict." The US had been negotiating with Iran to secure a commitment to severely restrict its nuclear program, which Iran says is civilian but Israel sees as an existential threat because of its weapons potential. Trump gave no details of any possible deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Israel's attacks had been aimed at sabotaging those talks, which were due to resume in Oman on Sunday before being cancelled. He said the offensive had the support of the US and Iran was acting in self-defence. Israel, which has not signed the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty and is thought to possess nuclear weapons, wants to stop Iran from developing atomic weapons and eliminate its ballistic missile capability. The International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday declared Iran in breach of its obligations under the treaty. Iran said Israel had attacked the Shahran oil depot in the capital but the situation was under control. The semi-official Tasnim news agency said Israel attacked an oil refinery near the capital on Sunday, and Iran's defence ministry was damaged. It also reported the arrest of two people accused of belonging to Israel's Mossad intelligence agency in Alborz province. The latest wave of Iranian attacks on Israel began late on Saturday night, when air raid sirens sent some one million people into bomb shelters in Jerusalem and Haifa. Residents in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were told to shelter early on Sunday amid another incoming missile barrage. The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control most of Yemen, said they had launched ballistic missiles towards Jaffa near Tel Aviv, the first time an ally of Iran has reportedly joined the fray. Conflict in the Middle East has decimated Tehran's strongest regional proxies - the Hamas militia in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon - reducing its options for retaliation. Israeli authorities said at least 10 people were killed in overnight missile strikes in northern and central Israel, including three children. At least six people were killed by an Iranian missile that hit a cluster of residential buildings in the town of Bat Yam. In the Arab town of Tamra in northern Israel, four women were killed, including a mother and her two daughters. Israel and Iran have launched fresh attacks on each other as US President Donald Trump says the conflict could be easily ended and warns Tehran not to strike any US targets. Israeli rescue teams and sniffer dogs combed the rubble of residential buildings destroyed in overnight strikes looking for survivors after at least 10 people, including children, were killed, authorities said. Iran said at least 138 people had been killed in Israel's onslaught since Friday including 60 on Saturday - half of them children - when a missile brought down a 14-storey apartment block in Tehran. The Israeli military warned Iranians living near weapons facilities to evacuate on Sunday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump said Israel's attacks would intensify. An official said Israel had a long list of targets in Iran and declined to say how long the offensive would continue. Sites attacked on Saturday evening included two "dual-use" fuel sites that supported military and nuclear operations, he said. Trump, who has lauded Israel's offensive and denied Iranian claims the US has taken part, warned Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include US interests. "If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before," he said on Truth Social. "However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict." The US had been negotiating with Iran to secure a commitment to severely restrict its nuclear program, which Iran says is civilian but Israel sees as an existential threat because of its weapons potential. Trump gave no details of any possible deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Israel's attacks had been aimed at sabotaging those talks, which were due to resume in Oman on Sunday before being cancelled. He said the offensive had the support of the US and Iran was acting in self-defence. Israel, which has not signed the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty and is thought to possess nuclear weapons, wants to stop Iran from developing atomic weapons and eliminate its ballistic missile capability. The International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday declared Iran in breach of its obligations under the treaty. Iran said Israel had attacked the Shahran oil depot in the capital but the situation was under control. The semi-official Tasnim news agency said Israel attacked an oil refinery near the capital on Sunday, and Iran's defence ministry was damaged. It also reported the arrest of two people accused of belonging to Israel's Mossad intelligence agency in Alborz province. The latest wave of Iranian attacks on Israel began late on Saturday night, when air raid sirens sent some one million people into bomb shelters in Jerusalem and Haifa. Residents in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were told to shelter early on Sunday amid another incoming missile barrage. The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control most of Yemen, said they had launched ballistic missiles towards Jaffa near Tel Aviv, the first time an ally of Iran has reportedly joined the fray. Conflict in the Middle East has decimated Tehran's strongest regional proxies - the Hamas militia in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon - reducing its options for retaliation. Israeli authorities said at least 10 people were killed in overnight missile strikes in northern and central Israel, including three children. At least six people were killed by an Iranian missile that hit a cluster of residential buildings in the town of Bat Yam. In the Arab town of Tamra in northern Israel, four women were killed, including a mother and her two daughters. Israel and Iran have launched fresh attacks on each other as US President Donald Trump says the conflict could be easily ended and warns Tehran not to strike any US targets. Israeli rescue teams and sniffer dogs combed the rubble of residential buildings destroyed in overnight strikes looking for survivors after at least 10 people, including children, were killed, authorities said. Iran said at least 138 people had been killed in Israel's onslaught since Friday including 60 on Saturday - half of them children - when a missile brought down a 14-storey apartment block in Tehran. The Israeli military warned Iranians living near weapons facilities to evacuate on Sunday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump said Israel's attacks would intensify. An official said Israel had a long list of targets in Iran and declined to say how long the offensive would continue. Sites attacked on Saturday evening included two "dual-use" fuel sites that supported military and nuclear operations, he said. Trump, who has lauded Israel's offensive and denied Iranian claims the US has taken part, warned Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include US interests. "If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before," he said on Truth Social. "However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict." The US had been negotiating with Iran to secure a commitment to severely restrict its nuclear program, which Iran says is civilian but Israel sees as an existential threat because of its weapons potential. Trump gave no details of any possible deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Israel's attacks had been aimed at sabotaging those talks, which were due to resume in Oman on Sunday before being cancelled. He said the offensive had the support of the US and Iran was acting in self-defence. Israel, which has not signed the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty and is thought to possess nuclear weapons, wants to stop Iran from developing atomic weapons and eliminate its ballistic missile capability. The International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday declared Iran in breach of its obligations under the treaty. Iran said Israel had attacked the Shahran oil depot in the capital but the situation was under control. The semi-official Tasnim news agency said Israel attacked an oil refinery near the capital on Sunday, and Iran's defence ministry was damaged. It also reported the arrest of two people accused of belonging to Israel's Mossad intelligence agency in Alborz province. The latest wave of Iranian attacks on Israel began late on Saturday night, when air raid sirens sent some one million people into bomb shelters in Jerusalem and Haifa. Residents in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were told to shelter early on Sunday amid another incoming missile barrage. The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control most of Yemen, said they had launched ballistic missiles towards Jaffa near Tel Aviv, the first time an ally of Iran has reportedly joined the fray. Conflict in the Middle East has decimated Tehran's strongest regional proxies - the Hamas militia in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon - reducing its options for retaliation. Israeli authorities said at least 10 people were killed in overnight missile strikes in northern and central Israel, including three children. At least six people were killed by an Iranian missile that hit a cluster of residential buildings in the town of Bat Yam. In the Arab town of Tamra in northern Israel, four women were killed, including a mother and her two daughters. Israel and Iran have launched fresh attacks on each other as US President Donald Trump says the conflict could be easily ended and warns Tehran not to strike any US targets. Israeli rescue teams and sniffer dogs combed the rubble of residential buildings destroyed in overnight strikes looking for survivors after at least 10 people, including children, were killed, authorities said. Iran said at least 138 people had been killed in Israel's onslaught since Friday including 60 on Saturday - half of them children - when a missile brought down a 14-storey apartment block in Tehran. The Israeli military warned Iranians living near weapons facilities to evacuate on Sunday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump said Israel's attacks would intensify. An official said Israel had a long list of targets in Iran and declined to say how long the offensive would continue. Sites attacked on Saturday evening included two "dual-use" fuel sites that supported military and nuclear operations, he said. Trump, who has lauded Israel's offensive and denied Iranian claims the US has taken part, warned Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include US interests. "If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before," he said on Truth Social. "However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict." The US had been negotiating with Iran to secure a commitment to severely restrict its nuclear program, which Iran says is civilian but Israel sees as an existential threat because of its weapons potential. Trump gave no details of any possible deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Israel's attacks had been aimed at sabotaging those talks, which were due to resume in Oman on Sunday before being cancelled. He said the offensive had the support of the US and Iran was acting in self-defence. Israel, which has not signed the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty and is thought to possess nuclear weapons, wants to stop Iran from developing atomic weapons and eliminate its ballistic missile capability. The International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday declared Iran in breach of its obligations under the treaty. Iran said Israel had attacked the Shahran oil depot in the capital but the situation was under control. The semi-official Tasnim news agency said Israel attacked an oil refinery near the capital on Sunday, and Iran's defence ministry was damaged. It also reported the arrest of two people accused of belonging to Israel's Mossad intelligence agency in Alborz province. The latest wave of Iranian attacks on Israel began late on Saturday night, when air raid sirens sent some one million people into bomb shelters in Jerusalem and Haifa. Residents in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were told to shelter early on Sunday amid another incoming missile barrage. The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control most of Yemen, said they had launched ballistic missiles towards Jaffa near Tel Aviv, the first time an ally of Iran has reportedly joined the fray. Conflict in the Middle East has decimated Tehran's strongest regional proxies - the Hamas militia in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon - reducing its options for retaliation. Israeli authorities said at least 10 people were killed in overnight missile strikes in northern and central Israel, including three children. At least six people were killed by an Iranian missile that hit a cluster of residential buildings in the town of Bat Yam. In the Arab town of Tamra in northern Israel, four women were killed, including a mother and her two daughters.
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Albo to talk Trump, war with Canadian PM
Anthony Albanese is set to discuss the impact of Donald Trump's increasingly aggressive trade war and conflict in the Middle East in his first bilateral meeting with newly-installed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Following a brief visit to Seattle on the United States' west coast - where it was confirmed Australia had secured a meeting with Mr Trump - the Prime Minister will depart for Calgary on Sunday afternoon local time (Monday morning AEST). He will then head to Kananaskis, Alberta to attend the G7 Leaders Summit. Mr Albanese is also expected to conduct bilateral meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. He has also confirmed an all-important face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, where Mr Albanese is set to make his case for a tariff exemption and spruik AUKUS. Mr Albanese's bilateral with Mr Carney - their formal talk after meeting at Pope Leo XIV's inauguration in Rome - will instead canvas how the two leaders can deepen existing co-operation, plus topics such as defence industry, climate change, and critical minerals. In the wake of the Trump administration's tariff onslaught, the OECD's June Economic Outlook said attempts to 'harmonise regulations' between peer countries such as Canada and Australia 'could support stronger trade and productivity growth'. The G7 Summit will occur in the tinderbox backdrop of brutal tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Iran. On Sunday, missile strikes near Israel's capital of Tel Aviv killed at least three people, including a 10-year-old boy, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning of further attacks and appealing to the US for support. Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine will be another focus area, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attending the talks. The global ramifications of America's increasingly isolationist trade policies will also dominate talks at the summit, with the event's key themes to focus on global economic stability and threats to international peace and security among other transnational issues. Speaking about his highly-anticipated meeting with Mr Trump, Mr Albanese said tariffs and the value of AUKUS would be key discussion points. While he would not 'make declarations' on negotiations, Mr Albanese said he would 'put forward Australia's interests respectfully'. 'It is also in the interests of the United States for Australia to be treated appropriately. Tariffs across the board, of course, impose an increased cost on the purchases of those goods and services,' Mr Albanese said. 'I will enter into those discussions constructively – the discussions that I've previously had with President Trump were constructive, but those 10 per cent tariff supports have been the minimum … that have been applied across the board.' Sussan Ley has welcomed the meeting wished the Labor leader 'success' in representing Australia's interest. 'It's in the interest of every Australian this meeting is a success and we want the Prime Minister to do well,' the Opposition Leader posted on social media. 'It's important the PM gains a reassurance on AUKUS and protects Australia from tariffs.'
