Trump says Putin is ready to make a deal on Ukraine
'The US is disappointed that nations like Australia, the UK and others have decided to pick this particular time to unilaterally recognise a second state,' Huckabee told the ABC's 7.30 on Thursday night.
'I think it's the timing has been very hurtful to any prospects of negotiating some settlement in Gaza with Hamas. They basically walked away. This is a gift to them.'
Huckabee said he had spoken about it with both US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He said that within the state department, there is an 'enormous level of disappointment, and some disgust.'
Huckabee would not disclose any details of his discussion with Trump, but characterised the tone of Trump's reaction as 'disappointing and frustrating'.
He said the timing of the announcement endangered hostages held by Gaza, and jeopardised US efforts to broker peace with Hamas.
'For this to come at a time like this, further endangering them and endangering any hopes of some peaceful resolution of dealing with Hamas and getting them to lay down their arms.'
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Sydney Morning Herald
9 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Recognising Palestine won't stop the killing, on either side
Reality is reflected in the mirror of the response issued by the Palestine Action Group, who organised last weekend's Sydney Harbour Bridge march and the Sydney Opera House hate fest in October 2023: 'We must be clear: recognition of a Palestinian state has never been a demand of this movement ... we will take to the streets again … until the Australian government takes real, decisive action to end its complicity.' Hamas has 'applauded' the announcement. Both of these should give the government pause. Loading Australia's white-saviour act at the UN next month won't stop the killing or the associated conflict on our streets. It won't release from hell the Israeli, Thai and Nepalese hostages starved and tortured by Hamas for almost two years now. No pronouncement by any foreign leader will have the slightest impact on peace, security or co-existence for Israelis or Palestinians. Israelis are screaming and IDF generals threatening to resign because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest plan for Gaza will prolong both the horror of war for all, and the longevity of his coalition. West Bank Palestinians despise the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has no ability to implement any of the 'commitments' it has made to the international community. I remember a Palestinian academic sneering to our 2023 tour group that the only thing PA leader Mahmoud Abbas could organise was a parade for himself. Hamas still has a stranglehold on Gaza's population, whom it's terrorised for 18 years, using civilians as human shields, stealing food from them, beating and murdering dissenters. Loading Let Palestine be recognised as a state, and held accountable as a state actor, finally. Let the corrupt and complicit UNRWA be shut down because Palestinians won't be refugees any more; they'll have a state to return to. Let there be elections where the PA losers don't get thrown to their deaths off roofs by the Hamas winners, as in 2007. Let them reconcile their contradictory commitments to 'statehood' (the PA) and a global caliphate (Hamas Charter). May our government's great faith not be misplaced. I wish Wong and Albanese had been on the tour I led this May, meeting Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze and Palestinian women who graciously shared with us their intertwined lived experiences. One was the very first non-Jewish person to reach out to me after October 7: a Palestinian friend who lives in East Jerusalem. The sisterhood, mutual empathy and pragmatism of these women in the middle of a war zone stood in stark contrast with the performative sloganeering that fills our social media feeds and shamefully, our Hansards, too. The women we met in May were focused on the future. They look into the faces of their children every day. After WWII, the defeated Germany needed to rebuild its economy and deprogram its people after years of antisemitic indoctrination and warmongering had crippled them. The international community helped them with both, and the result was a spectacular success. Why don't we offer a similar, strength-based approach to Palestine? Let's put people ahead of political posturing and give the faces of both Palestinian and Israeli children something to turn to with hope in their eyes.
The Age
9 minutes ago
- The Age
Recognising Palestine won't stop the killing, on either side
Reality is reflected in the mirror of the response issued by the Palestine Action Group, who organised last weekend's Sydney Harbour Bridge march and the Sydney Opera House hate fest in October 2023: 'We must be clear: recognition of a Palestinian state has never been a demand of this movement ... we will take to the streets again … until the Australian government takes real, decisive action to end its complicity.' Hamas has 'applauded' the announcement. Both of these should give the government pause. Loading Australia's white-saviour act at the UN next month won't stop the killing or the associated conflict on our streets. It won't release from hell the Israeli, Thai and Nepalese hostages starved and tortured by Hamas for almost two years now. No pronouncement by any foreign leader will have the slightest impact on peace, security or co-existence for Israelis or Palestinians. Israelis are screaming and IDF generals threatening to resign because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest plan for Gaza will prolong both the horror of war for all, and the longevity of his coalition. West Bank Palestinians despise the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has no ability to implement any of the 'commitments' it has made to the international community. I remember a Palestinian academic sneering to our 2023 tour group that the only thing PA leader Mahmoud Abbas could organise was a parade for himself. Hamas still has a stranglehold on Gaza's population, whom it's terrorised for 18 years, using civilians as human shields, stealing food from them, beating and murdering dissenters. Loading Let Palestine be recognised as a state, and held accountable as a state actor, finally. Let the corrupt and complicit UNRWA be shut down because Palestinians won't be refugees any more; they'll have a state to return to. Let there be elections where the PA losers don't get thrown to their deaths off roofs by the Hamas winners, as in 2007. Let them reconcile their contradictory commitments to 'statehood' (the PA) and a global caliphate (Hamas Charter). May our government's great faith not be misplaced. I wish Wong and Albanese had been on the tour I led this May, meeting Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze and Palestinian women who graciously shared with us their intertwined lived experiences. One was the very first non-Jewish person to reach out to me after October 7: a Palestinian friend who lives in East Jerusalem. The sisterhood, mutual empathy and pragmatism of these women in the middle of a war zone stood in stark contrast with the performative sloganeering that fills our social media feeds and shamefully, our Hansards, too. The women we met in May were focused on the future. They look into the faces of their children every day. After WWII, the defeated Germany needed to rebuild its economy and deprogram its people after years of antisemitic indoctrination and warmongering had crippled them. The international community helped them with both, and the result was a spectacular success. Why don't we offer a similar, strength-based approach to Palestine? Let's put people ahead of political posturing and give the faces of both Palestinian and Israeli children something to turn to with hope in their eyes.
ABC News
9 minutes ago
- ABC News
Rice nearly sank US tariff talks until Japan finally agreed to take more American grain
For decades, Japan's tight protection of its rice market — a symbol of cultural pride, postwar resilience and self-sufficiency — blocked broader trade deals. Last month, rice was once again a sticking point during negotiations over the US "reciprocal tariffs" with President Donald Trump calling Japan a "spoiled" country that "won't take our rice". However, this time Mr Trump forged what he framed as a tariffs breakthrough: Japan importing more US rice. Rice prices have nearly doubled since last year across Japan. A perfect storm of supply miscalculations and a bad harvest left supermarket shelves bare and sparked rare street protests, triggering the government to release emergency stockpiles. But still the question remains: Are the Japanese public able to stomach foreign rice? Rice is integral to history and political power in Japan. Rice planting festivals remain an important ritual in rural areas, alongside offerings to ancestors during ceremonies to gods or weddings. "It's a delicate tightrope between price and protecting our identity," said Yusuke Yokoyama, a Tokyo resident, who noticed many local restaurants had stopped offering free "refill" rice. "People in Japan are generally happy to have lower prices for rice, but they also don't want to import it," he said. In the late 19th century, as Japan faced geopolitical tensions while opening up to the West, rice was even woven into the military transformation. Mr Yokoyama explained that many Japanese were aware of the historical connection of rice as a symbol of Japanese identity and sovereignty. For example, a "rice wage" was an incentive to recruit soldiers, expanding from the previous exclusive samurai class. In a nation where rice farming has been politically protected since the 1970s, the crisis is exposing the structural fragility of its agricultural sector. Rice emerged as a top-three issue for voters in polling ahead of recent municipal elections, as customers and restaurants struggled with inflation and the far-right Sanseito party capitalised on the outrage. CoCo ICHIBANYA, Japan's largest curry rice restaurant chain, raised its menu prices and saw a 5.2 per cent drop in customers between September last year and this year. Retailers are resorting to marketing gimmicks. Convenience store chain Lawson began selling rice balls made from the older grain, labelling them as "2023 Vintage" onigiri. The attempt at humour — or damage control — was mocked online. For decades, Tokyo maintained one of the most rigid agricultural systems in the developed world. Under the now-defunct "gentan" policy, farmers were paid not to grow rice, and strict production targets were set to manage supply. "Japan previously paid farmers to leave their fields fallow," said Jeffrey Kingston, professor of History and Asian Studies at Temple University Japan. "The idea was to keep prices stable. But now we see how this entire system — combined with high tariffs and climate shocks — has become untenable." Instead, it has contributed to what he describes as a "Byzantine" distribution network and mindset. "The youngest farmer I know is 65," Mr Kingston said. "The aging population will have adverse effects on the sector whether Tokyo likes it or not." Nicole Freiner, author of Rice and Agricultural Policies in Japan, said the government's program to subsidise farmers to limit rice production because of declining demand was short-sighted. "Even if Japan utilised most of its usable land, it still would not be self-sufficient," she said. Instead, she encouraged the government to react more to consumers switching to wheat-based food. "This policy created a lack of incentive for rice-growing that left rice paddies abandoned, with no opportunities for young farmers," Ms Freiner said. Japan's protectionist stance has long frustrated international trade partners. The United States, in particular, has pushed for greater access to Japan's rice market and the Trump administration made it their mission during the recent tariff negotiations. Some netizens pushed back, sharing clips of an anime film where a Japanese character tells a pushy US politician that Japanese consumers prefer home-grown rice over California rice. Japan imports 770,000 tonnes of foreign rice annually — but much of it has traditionally been used for processing or animal feed, not table rice. Tokyo reached a deal with Washington in the latest tariff deal, increasing the proportion of US rice allocated for household consumption. Mr Trump claimed that Japan had "caved" to US demands. Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pushed back. "We made absolutely no sacrifice in the agricultural sector," he told local media. Marcel Thieliant, Asia Pacific analyst at Capital Economics, said Japan had negotiated cautiously, keeping the overall import quota unchanged, but a larger share of that quota would now come from the US, rather than other countries. He rejected the narrative from Washington of a sweeping victory. "I'm not aware of any plans to actually liberalise the market by lifting the import quota," he told the ABC. Other analysts said the proportion change of staple rice imports — even within existing frameworks — may have signalled a gradual shift away from hardline protectionism. "The [US] side deal is significant in symbolic terms; it may be an indication that Tokyo is becoming more willing to open its rice market — at least, when it needs help," Ms Freigner said. "Whether or not these changes take hold and become more entrenched is not clear yet," she added. For ordinary citizens, many remain uneasy and some local broadcasters have directed the blame at the rise in foreign tourists — including Australians — as Japan records an all-time high for international tourism figures. "As the yen falls, locals have started to become angry," said Mr Kingston. "They watch foreigners swaggering about, buying up real estate and eating cheap, while local households feel the pinch of inflation — even in their daily meal of rice." The situation, he added, had created "a sense of malaise gripping people here". Japan is struggling with low wages and inflation. Since the July agreement, Japanese supermarket prices have fallen following the government's release of stockpiled rice. But prices are still nearly double the same time last year. Industry analysts note that the increase in imports of rice for human consumption has been modest so far relative to the scale of the domestic supply shortfall, and distribution has yet to catch up with rising consumer demand. Last year's harvest was devastated by record-breaking heat. And with meteorological extremes becoming more common, experts say Japan's model of matching production to slowly declining demand is no longer sufficient. "Climate is affecting harvesting rice and other products," said Mr Yokoyama. "The policy may have to change. Our food security is not high, and people are starting to understand that now." A sense of frustration has grown among farmers, angry at the regulations limiting how much rice they can grow, which spilled over into protests earlier this year. Japan's food self-sufficiency rate has languished around 30–40 per cent for decades. Despite pledges to raise it, little has changed. One approach could be to subsidise farmers' production of rice instead of paying them not to, and export the surplus. "What the government should do now is stop subsidising crop conversion," said Yusaku Yoshikawa, an agricultural aid consultant with Japanese Official Development Assistance Projects. Already, the government has dipped into emergency stockpiles to manage supply, but analysts warn that short-term fixes can't resolve long-term instability. They must also be careful not to overcorrect, as producing too much rice now could lead to a glut and cause prices to crash. "We're in a delicate moment," Mr Yoshikawa said. "We've gone from rice scarcity last year to needing policy imagination. What's needed now is not just price control."
