Latest news with #TerminationDay
Scoop
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Tom Woodward Releases The Video For His Latest Single 'Termination Day'
has been writing and releasing his unique brand of baroque folk-rock, cosmic country psychedelia, and fuzzed-out lo-fi gems on numerous albums and EPs for the last two decades. With an enviable cache of songs that document his thoughts and experiences, he's already lived a fascinating life. Tom honed his craft in the thriving arts & music scene of Canberra and Melbourne in the mid-2000s before taking his original songs to audiences around Australia, Japan, and the USA. In 2023, Tom put down the guitar and embarked on a two month walk up the east coast of Australia, ending with a hospital stay and a hard-earned respect for the fragility of life. A year and a half later, he got deported as an illegal alien from the USA. Tom's new single ' Termination Day ', which premiered with Sunburnt Country Music and Stuart Coupe's Dirt Music on 2SER, is a raised middle finger to the forces of tech feudalism and economic totalitarianism as they attempt to imprison our souls. " It is an ironically upbeat rock & roll banger," says Tom. " As Jean-Paul Satre said, 'you always have a choice, even if that choice is to get shot in the head.' It was written after listening to 'Tops' by The Rolling Stones when I was bored one evening. I thought, 'I could write something like that..,' picked up my guitar and out came the riff." The lively rhythmic bounce and Tom's melodic, Dylan-esque delivery give the song an infectious and positively euphoric sonic quality. The line "let it slide" is echoed by Katie Walsh's backing vocal and Tom's liquid electric guitar line as the chooglin' groove heads into the sunset like a lost classic from The Band. The video clip finds Tom in his natural environment, live on stage in a room full of music lovers. Tom has a run of VIC, NSW, and ACT shows happening through June (see poster below), celebrating the current single, ahead of the release of another new song in July. Tom's mid-2010s album Beautiful Shadows received critical acclaim in publications such as For Folk's Sake and The Huffington Post and earned him a Canberra Critics Circle award. He has performed at the National Folk Festival, The Multicultural Fringe Festival, and racked up for supports for such luminaries as Abbe May, The Drones, Mikelangelo & the Black Sea Gentlemen, Cash Savage & the Last Drinks, Machine Translations, Steve Poltz, and many more. Tom's eclectic musicality and creative work ethic are proof he's in it for the long haul. Having been sentenced to a wandering life by a sardonic and hilarious God, Tom's been laughing, crying, and singing about it ever since.
The National
13-04-2025
- Business
- The National
US-Iran nuclear talks hit the sweet spot in Oman
"Welcome to the land of beauty and opportunity". These are the words that give passengers hurriedly pause when leaving their aircraft at Muscat's International Airport. More than just a phrase projected on a grey wall, the statement rang true on Saturday when a meeting between long-term foes turned into an opportunity for peace in the region. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led a delegation while US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff headed another. It could have been a recipe for grave disappointment. Still, the meeting presented room for hope after the two sides agreed, following indirect talks and an unexpected brief encounter, to continue negotiations on a new nuclear agreement. Both sides got what they wanted. Iran insisted that talks would be done indirectly with Oman as the mediator. This after US President Donald Trump, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sitting by his side, announced that the US would hold direct meetings with Iran. "So the Iranians got their indirect opening. The Americans got the direct engagement. And the scoping exercise appears to have given both just enough to return to capitals with a scheduled resumption," said Crisis Group's Iran Project Director Ali Vaez. Signs of openness, but also threats, have preceded the negotiations, the first between a Trump administration eager for a quick deal and an Iranian leadership determined to show the country is not yet at its weakest point, despite the heavy blows it and its proxies have endured in the past year and a half. With only a few months to go before Termination Day comes in October for the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that was agreed on by former US president Barack Obama, the pressure is on for Iran to comply with an agreement before more sanctions hit a struggling economy. This time, the faces were new, the atmosphere different, and the stakes for the region are higher than ever if de-escalation and containment are not made immediate priorities. The good news, experts say, is that in today's climate, the chances of reaching at least a preliminary agreement are higher than before. Amid this shifting atmosphere, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a notably different tone on Wednesday, extending a welcome to US investors, marking a departure from the combative rhetoric typically directed at Tehran's chief adversaries. On the other side, US deputy special envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus told The National in an interview that the Trump administration is packed with officials focused on 'deliverables' and 'outcomes'. Before heading to Oman, Mr Witkoff told The Wall Street Journal there would be room for "compromise" even though the US's ultimate goal is for the complete dismantlement of Iran's nuclear programme. And in just under three hours - the atmosphere in Oman was already brighter. "I would like to thank my two colleagues for this engagement which took place in a friendly atmosphere conducive to bridging viewpoints and ultimately achieving regional and global peace, security and stability," Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi wrote in a statement on X, just after the talks concluded. The positive indications by both parties were seen even by observers like senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Holly Dagres, who also noted that so far, it had been Iran who had been on top of the messaging. "Both sides appeared, at least via their rhetoric, interested in getting to a deal in recent weeks." Oman, known for its delicious delicacies and track record for being a place of choice for difficult conversations, may have hit the sweet spot for the US and Iran, giving both sides just enough to feel optimistic about a future agreement. It remains to be seen whether the talks, announced by Iran to resume a week later, will yield the same positive outcomes.
The National
11-04-2025
- Business
- The National
US and Iran set for landmark talks with nuclear and regional stability at stake
US and Iranian delegations are meeting in Muscat on Saturday for landmark talks that could either pave the way for a new nuclear agreement and broader regional understandings, or risk fuelling further conflict in an already volatile Middle East. Signs of openness, but also threats, have preceded the negotiations, the first between a Donald Trump administration eager to secure a quick deal and an Iranian leadership determined to show the country is not yet at its weakest point, despite the heavy blows it and its proxies have endured in the past year and a half. With only a few months to go before Termination Day comes in October for the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was agreed on by former US president Barack Obama, the pressure is on for Iran to comply with an agreement before more sanctions hit an already struggling economy. This time, the faces are new, the atmosphere markedly different, and the stakes for the region are higher than ever if de-escalation and containment are not made immediate priorities. The good news, experts say, is that in today's climate, the chances of reaching at least a preliminary agreement are higher than before. "When the JCPOA was signed, Iran was in the position of the foe for the region. Today, it's not. The sectarian conflict between the two crescents [Sunnis and Shiites] is not there any more and this is a major enabler for success," said Mohammed Baharoon, director general of the Dubai Public Policy Research Centre (B'huth). Amid this shifting atmosphere, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a notably different tone on Wednesday, extending a welcome to US investors, marking a stark departure from the combative rhetoric typically directed at Tehran's chief adversaries. On the other side, US deputy special envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus told The National in an interview that the Trump administration is packed with officials focused on 'deliverables' and 'outcomes". Promising signs Despite the promising signs, challenges remain on the horizon. In 2015, Israel's regional interests were not a significant part of the deal. Today, however, the dynamic has shifted. Israel and the US, particularly under Mr Trump, appear more closely aligned, with Washington showing greater willingness to involve Israel in major regional decisions. Any solid deal would undoubtedly bring some de-escalation to the region, which has been a flashpoint of violence for more than 18 months and is in dire need of containment. But for many, the question is whether the US is willing to settle for an agreement that would bring a win for Mr Trump as a negotiator of peace, even if Israel is not entirely on board. "Israel's involvement would add a difficult layer to the talks," said Francesco Schiavi, a non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute of Switzerland. "Israel will have a very important role from Washington's perspective regarding the final composition of the deal but, at the same time, I'm quite also equally sure that Trump's approach will lead him to get that achievement even if it's not 100 per cent in the interests of [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu." Still, the onus remains on Iran and whether it is willing to place its potential gains as a regional team player ahead of its decades-long legacy as the face of the "resistance". Undoubtedly, however, Saturday's talks are historic and will mark the first time Mr Trump has negotiated with Iran. A breakthrough, no matter how small, could be the beginning of the end of nearly 50 years of distrust between the two nations. "Tehran knows how to speak to the Trump administration," said Holly Dagres, senior fellow at the Washington Institute, referring to an opinion piece written by Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in The Washington Post. There, he highlighted issues that are known to matter to Mr Trump, including incentives for trade and the need to avoid war. It remains to be seen, however, whether the current faces of Iran's government will be the hope the country needs to break the stalemate and breathe new life into US-Iran relations, its economy and its future.
CBC
02-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ontario braces for impact of Trump tariff announcement coming Wednesday
Ford speaks to U.S. media as Canada braces for Trump's tariffs 38 minutes ago Duration 3:57 Social Sharing Ontario, like much of the globe, is holding its breath and waiting for details to emerge from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff plan Wednesday. Trump has dubbed it Liberation Day and is scheduled to reveal the full scope of his protectionist trade policy at 4 p.m. ET in the White House Rose Garden. But while Trump will almost certainly strike a celebratory tone for the announcement, trepidation reigns for others — like Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who continued appearing on U.S. news shows Wednesday, warning of negative impacts on both sides of the border. "He calls it Liberation Day. I call it Termination Day, because people are going to be losing their jobs across the U.S.," Ford said on CNBC. "You can't just all of a sudden put tariffs on every part and every widget that comes across the border. "[Trump] believes he is supporting Americans. He said he was going to create jobs, create wealth, reduce inflation — it's worked the total opposite." WATCH | Experts examine auto tariff plan: Why experts think Trump's new auto tariff plan 'defies logic' | About That 2 days ago Duration 25:38 Trade war putting relations at risk: Chow The White House insists these tariffs will achieve several simultaneous goals: raise revenues, pay for tax cuts and force companies to build in the U.S. The stock market doesn't appear to be convinced however — it has lost all its gains since the American election. Speaking at a virtual gathering of several U.S. and Canadian mayors from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Wednesday, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said that Toronto does $123 billion in trade with the U.S. each year. "Unfortunately, President Trump's trade war is putting it all at risk," Chow said. "People on both sides of the border … are feeling anxious — they're worried about their jobs and the impact this trade war will have on their cost of groceries, gas, homes, cars, and it really doesn't have to be that way." Chow called on on Trump to "end these threats once and for all." "Let us not hurt each other," she said. "We have a shared commitment to look out for each other, to make sure our communities stay connected, to work together despite these challenges." Questions abound Many questions remain about exactly what measures will be revealed Wednesday, such as whether Trump will announce one flat global tariff or multiple so-called reciprocal measures. The White House isn't saying. Media reports suggest it's still being debated internally, despite Trump having spent two years campaigning on this idea. "Are they imposed on countries? Are they imposed on commodities?" asked Thomas Schaller, professor of political science at University of Maryland while speaking on CBC Radio's Metro Morning Wednesday. "And if it's commodities, is it the entire commodity or are the parts included?" WATCH | 'Rebirth' of a nation, Trump says: Trump says April 2 tariffs will be 'rebirth' of a country | Hanomansing Tonight 2 days ago Duration 5:13 In just a few days, Donald Trump is promising to use tariffs to, in his view, liberate his country from foreign goods by imposing tariffs that will target all countries. CBC News correspondent Richard Madan has the latest from Washington, shortly after Trump spoke to reporters Monday. And yet another question, Schaller said: "How long before he starts clawing them back?" Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, told CBC News the duties announced Wednesday could include a broad 20 per cent retaliatory tariff, or they might target specific countries — and some countries might get off easier than others. But Volpe stressed that "when those things go through, people will lose jobs. Regular people who don't have a voice in Washington or in Ottawa are going to lose their jobs."
