Nick Tsagaris - From A Special Relationship To A 'Special Place In Hell'

When Donald Trump fired off his bitter character assessment of the Canadian Prime Minister — a man he proclaimed to be "very dishonest and weak" — the US President wasn't just walking away from a hard-fought agreement between G7 leaders, signed hours earlier.

For many observers, it was confirmation that relations between the two North American leaders had reached a personal low that defies comparison in recent history.

Indeed, we haven't heard of such animosity between the Canadian prime minister and the US president since the last time Justin Trudeau lived at the prime minister's residence.

The year was 1972, Trudeau Jr was just a baby and his dad Pierre was in power.

Like today, the bone of contention in that falling-out was also trade policies, and specifically White House protectionism, which led Nixon to infamously describe Trudeau Sr as "a pompous egghead" and a "clever son of a bitch".

The spat culminated in Richard Nixon standing up in Canadian parliament to effectively pronounce the special relationship between the two countries to be dead.

"It is time for us to recognise: that we have very separate identities; that we have significant differences; and that nobody's interests are furthered when these realities are obscured," Mr Nixon told his audience.

The difference with this week's falling-out is that while Mr Nixon had kept his caustic character assessment of his counterpart private, Mr Trump's outburst of personal contempt for Trudeau Jr was broadcast to the whole world.

And Mr Trump's advisors were quick to join in lockstep with the rancour.

"There's a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad-faith diplomacy with President Donald J Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door," presidential adviser Peter Navarro told Fox News.

So how did we get to this situation where the White House is accusing its northern neighbour — a so-called backstabbing, double-crossing weakling — of betrayal?

Relations under Trump

Protectionist mantras were a recurring theme in Mr Trump's election campaign, with most of his acerbic barbs directed against Mexico and China.

When the Trump presidency became an unexpected reality, the Canadian Government took quick action to promote a counternarrative.

Mr Trudeau's administration embarked on a charm offensive — albeit one that involved judo-like handshakes — as he attempted to persuade Mr Trump the current arrangements created jobs for Americans.

At the centre of it all was NAFTA, a free trade agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico, which Mr Trump described as a "jobs killer" that he wanted to tear up.

Canadian politicians flocked to rust belt states in a concerted effort to make the case for a continuation for the NAFTA framework.

By May 2017, the Trump administration announced its intention to renegotiate the trade pact in Americans' favour, arguing Canada had out-manoeuvred previous administrations.

This allegedly unfair playing field, Mr Trump contended, meant that Canada found itself in a competitive advantage across industries as varied as dairy, lumber and energy.

Nevertheless Mr Trudeau persevered with his optimistic entreaties until Mr Trump announced his hard-ball trade negotiation strategy — tariffs on aluminium and steel imported from allied nations.

The US is Canada's largest trading partner by a considerable margin, and Canada exports more steel and aluminium to the US than any other country.

The news of Mr Trump's proposal left many Canadians in shock.

"We're pretty consistently flabbergasted that Canada is at the top of the hit parade of trade villains in Trump's eyes," the chief economist at the Bank of Montreal, Douglas Porter, said at the time.

The White House justification for the tariffs — national security — appeared to add insult to injury, with Mr Trudeau describing the reasoning as "simply ridiculous".

The escalating rhetoric culminated in a surreal telephone conversation where Mr Trump defended his strategy by suggesting to Mr Trudeau that Canadians were responsible for burning down the White House.

(British troops did burn down the White House back in the War of 1812, but Canada wasn't even confederated until 1867.)

G7 showdown

By the time the G7 summit began in Quebec, Mr Trudeau appeared to be in an awkward negotiating position.

Negotiators struggled to decide upon even a minimalist joint commitment that addressed the deep concerns everyone held about the trade dispute.

When the world leaders convened around a bonfire for a Cirque du Soleil performance on Friday night, one can only imagine the contortionist manoeuvres performed on stage resonated with some of its audience.

Meanwhile, G7 officials cast doubt on whether a final communique would emerge from the summit.

Yet despite such reports, a compromise agreement was eventually hammered out, expressing the shared economic aspirations of the countries.

The success led even Mr Trump to momentarily abandon his anti-Canadian posturing, telling reporters Mr Trudeau had hosted a wonderful summit and their relationship was "very good".

And by the time Mr Trudeau faced the press to announce the breakthrough deal, Mr Trump was already en route to meet Kim Jong-un in Singapore.

Fielding questions from reporters, Mr Trudeau reiterated the US tariffs were unjust, his Government planned to go ahead with retaliatory measures, and that he had told Mr Trump as much.

"We did not take lightly to the fact that it's based on a national security reason that for Canadians, who either themselves, or whose parents, community members, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with American soldiers in far-off lands and conflicts from the first world war onwards, that it's kind of insulting," Mr Trudeau told journalists, echoing remarks he had made earlier.

When news of his comments reached Air Force One, Mr Trump resorted to his diplomatic channel of choice — Twitter — to wage his rebuke.

Summit's aftermath

Other G7 leaders were stunned by the last-minute withdrawal, uniting to express their dismay that the hard-fought communique was now abandoned.

Germany's Angela Merkel said Mr Trump's decision was "depressing, " and France's Emmanuel Macron concurred.

"International cooperation could not be dictated by fits of anger and throwaway remarks," he said.

On the domestic front, Mr Trudeau's position has received bipartisan support.

His predecessor, Stephen Harper, has questioned why Mr Trump appeared obsessed with its trade relations with Canada.

"Canada is the biggest single purchaser of US goods and services in the world — it's not China, it's not Mexico, it's not Britain, it's not Germany. It's Canada. So it just seems to me this is the wrong target," the former conservative prime minister told Fox News.

Such unity from his domestic rivals must surely be cold comfort for Mr Trudeau, after his summit that produced no consensus, and the realisation his truculent neighbour would rather spend his time with a North Korean dictator.

By: abc.net.au

Nick Tsagaris - Next Recession In View Despite Best GDP Growth In Years, Economists Warn

As the economy reaches its economic zenith, a leading economist warns the next recession is already in view.

Today marks the day after a well-deserved GDP party.

Like any enthusiastic celebration though, there's the inevitable hangover.

The latest economic growth figures show the Coalition's "jobs and growth" tagline is now very much a reality.

Since forming government, more than a million jobs have been created and the economy's growth rate — at 3.1 per cent — is the envy of the world, sitting at the top of the G7 economic leader board.

The chief economist of the Bureau of Statistics, Bruce Hockman, points out, "Growth in exports accounted for half the growth in GDP, and reflected strength in exports of mining commodities".

The data show strong contributions from the production of coal, iron ore and liquefied natural gas.

And earlier this week the Reserve Bank noted businesses and government spending were supporting the economy.

It's all worthy of popping the champagne corks.

But any buzz soon gives rise to feelings of nausea if the latest warnings from some of the country's leading economists are to be believed.

Economy warning bells sound

Stephen Walters from the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), and AMP Capital's Shane Oliver fear this is as good as it's going to get.

They also warn the economy's now vulnerable to an extremely sharp downturn.

You see, roughly 60 per cent of Australia's economic output comes from households, or the consumer.

Yet in yesterday's figures, consumer spending contributed just 0.18 percentage points to the 1 per cent quarterly growth figure.

That's less than a fifth.

The data show shoppers are gradually spending less and less at the stores, and the concern is that will continue.

The governor said as much following Tuesday's interest rate decision.

The statement read: "One continuing source of uncertainty is the outlook for household consumption.

"Household income has been growing slowly and debt levels are high."

Concern over household debt

The Australian Institute of Company Directors points out that, over the next few years, it's the enormous amount of debt households are carrying that's concerning.

Especially, it warns, with the looming threat of rising interest rates, and falling property prices.

"It's quite a complicated narrative," Mr Walters says.

"Remember, the Aussie banks don't just fund themselves domestically, but they're active in offshore markets, including short-term money markets in the US.

"So, as the Reserve Bank has made clear, those interest rates in the US are going up, so that means the funding costs for Australian banks are also going up.

"The problem with that is that it's probably going to feed through into mortgage rates [here]."

Households exposed

Economists fear Australians will be caught out by unexpected interest rate rises.

"It's certainly causing a bit of a squeeze in the household sector, and I think it's why you're seeing retail sales a bit earlier this week [weren't great]," Mr Walters says.

"I think the overall message is that households need to brace themselves over the next five years at least that interest rates will be going up."

Stephen Walters warns household budgets are set to be further squeezed as pay rises go begging, and mortgage payments start rising.

"If you're looking for a big pay rise over the next couple of years, I think good luck with that," he says.

The Institute of Company Directors isn't alone in its views.

In a recent note to clients, the world's biggest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, warned, "2019 is setting up to be a dangerous period for the global economy".

So what's ahead for Australia?

It seems absurd to talk about a recession after such a strong GDP result, but Mr Walters says it's already in the making.

"I don't know any mainstream Australian economist who's forecasting a recession anytime soon," he says.

"But often that's the nature of recessions — they creep up on you when you don't expect it.

"Australia will have a recession at some point. I think it's probably at least two years away."

Offshore risks

There's also no shortage of offshore economic risks.

There's the potential for a marked slowdown in China's economy, a political bombshell in Europe, and currency turmoil in emerging markets.

But it's not all doom and gloom.

The hope is that Australia's booming export sector, and strong business community, will help sustain the economy.

That is, until unemployment falls enough to boost wages.

The big question now is whether consumers can hang on until then.

Retail therapy

The ABC spoke to IT professional Romy Overbeke as she was browsing through a department store in Sydney's CBD.

She's been fortunate enough to get a pay rise or two over the past few years, and enjoyed the spoils of recent economic growth.

But now, she says, it's time to tighten the purse strings.

"I've got all five pairs of shoes that I need, so I'm not really looking for that at the moment," she says.

"I want to save my money, and maybe invest it towards something.

"I'm starting to think about kids, starting to think about what could happen to the economy in the future. You just never know.

"I'd like to keep it to just the necessities, and then I'm happy."

Ms Overbeke is typical of the kind of shopper the Retail Association worries about.

"The continued slide in the department store category shows no sign of abating, especially with its heavy reliance on clothing and footwear, which are also experiencing continual problems," the association's executive director, Russell Zimmerman, says.

"We are hoping that relief will be just on the horizon for retailers, with the application of GST to overseas purchases under $1,000 and potential income tax relief on the way from July 1.

"Local retailers will finally be able to compete on a more level playing field once the GST changes come into effect, and we are hoping this will see consumers increase their spending in local stores."

It's complicated

There's no denying the economy's impressive performance over the past year — the strongest pace of growth in six years — but it's clear the Australian consumer now needs to take up the economic baton.

At the same time, in a climate of high personal debt, rising interest rates, and slow wage growth, consumers would be well served to be a little more thrifty.

It feels a little like an economic "checkmate".

Nick Tsagaris - NBN Chief Blames Online 'Gamers Predominantly' For Fixed Wireless Congestion

Online gamers have been called out by the head of the National Broadband Network as a major cause of congestion on the fixed wireless network.

NBN Co is "evaluating" slowing down or limiting downloads for users during peak times in order to overcome these fixed wireless congestion problems.

At a parliamentary hearing in Sydney this afternoon, NBN Co chief executive Bill Morrow said that the heavy users likely targeted by a fair use policy were "gamers predominantly".

"While people are gaming it is a high bandwidth requirement that is a steady streaming process," Mr Morrow told the committee.

"This is where you can do things, to where you can traffic shape — where you say, 'no, no, no, we can only offer you service when you're not impacting somebody else'."

Gamers not a 'problem'

Under subsequent questioning Mr Morrow claimed that NBN Co would not have information on the behaviour of end users to confirm they were gamers but referred to "people who do have familiarity with it" .

Labor's regional communications spokesperson Stephen Jones raised the issue again and suggested Mr Morrow had characterised gamers as a "problem".

In the heated exchange, Mr Morrow accused Mr Jones of putting words in his mouth.

"I said there were super users out there consuming terabytes of data and the question is should we actually groom those down? It's a consideration," he replied.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority found in 2016 that increases in the amount of data transferred in Australia appeared to be driven by video content downloading.

A fair use policy already applies to NBN satellite users which limits peak-hour data usage of individual customers to no more than 75 gigabytes in any four week period.

NBN Co revealed last month that some fixed wireless towers were experiencing take-up rates of 80 per cent and it has cancelled plans to offer a fast 100 Mbps plan on fixed wireless due to excessive cost.

Surprise growth

Mr Jones said it was "extraordinary" that NBN Co had underestimated consumption patterns and that growth would continue.

"The only conclusion we can make is that there will be data rationing in the wireless footprint, as there is with satellite," he said.

A spokesperson for Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said Labor had "grossly underestimated the demand for broadband services in regional and remote Australia" when it was in government.

"If we had stuck to Labor's planned fixed wireless and satellite coverage, at least 200,000 homes and farms would have found themselves without any service at all," the spokesperson said.

"NBN is taking steps to upgrade and augment the group of towers experiencing congestion, and is prudently planning to manage future demand so that fixed wireless users can make the most of the available network capacity."

Mr Morrow said today that fewer than 6 per cent of fixed wireless cells are failing to deliver evening speeds of six Mbps, approximately the speed needed to watch high-definition video content.

The fixed wireless component of the NBN covers approximately 600,000 Australian homes. 234,000 homes are currently connected.

By: abc.net.au

Nick Tsagaris - Unchanged' Stillbirth Rate To Be Examined In Government Inquiry

A new Senate inquiry into Australia's stillbirth rate has been welcomed by grieving mothers who hope it can address the devastating issue that claims six babies every day.

The Federal Government is currently calling for submissions and will look at research and funding, noting that "despite significant technological and medical advances, the rate of stillborn babies in Australia has not declined in two decades".

For mum Sarah Jade, the news provides some comfort after a traumatic pregnancy that robbed her of son Aksel earlier this year.

"When something happens like this, all of a sudden your world is changed," she said.

"It's just not a natural order, and it completely throws your capacity of what's right and what's wrong out the window."

Ms. Jade was 20 weeks pregnant and looking forward to bringing home a little brother for her first son, Arthur when scans suggested there was an issue.

Doctors downplayed the concern, but Sarah felt uneasy and at 31 weeks an MRI scan confirmed the worst: Aksel had severe complications with his brain development and wouldn't survive.

"We were faced with having to have his heart stopped, which is a pretty horrible process and very daunting and something that I never want anyone to have to go through, ever," Ms. Jade said.

The decision was made to induce Ms. Jade the following Monday, giving her one last weekend with Aksel, but it wasn't to be.

She went into labor on Saturday night.

"With the birth, I just remember crying a lot and I was quite upset because I wasn't prepared. I was prepared for another day and a half," she said.

"Even though I knew that he'd passed, I could kind of hold onto him that little bit longer.

"The reality of the end was there. That broke me."

Ms. Jade chose not to have any drugs during birth so she could remember every detail.

She hired a birth photographer to document it and when Aksel was born she cuddled him in bed.

"It was very important because it was the only time we were going to be able to do that," 

she said. "I still had those maternal instincts of holding and nurturing, and holding him in that space has imprinted a lot of memories."

Ms. Jade said birthing classes do not prepare parents for the worst, and being bombarded with information after a loss can be hard.


She is hoping the inquiry will empower women who feel like something is wrong during pregnancy to speak out.

By: abc.net.au

Nick Tsagaris – Shane Watson’s Unbeaten Century Leads Chennai Super Kings To Third Indian Premier League title

Shane Watson smashed 117 off 57 balls in a stunning, unbeaten century as Chennai Super Kings won their third Indian Premier League title with a thumping eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Chennai cruised to 2-181 in 18.3 overs against a team known for successfully defending their total.

Watson’s incredible knock was made all the more impressive after the former Australian Test player failed to score off his first 10 balls.

It was a perfect comeback for Chennai after a two-year ban due to corruption charges.

Chennai, playing in its seventh final in the world’s preeminent Twenty20 tournament, had previously won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011.

“Every win is special, so difficult to pick any one win,” Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.

Earlier, after being put into bat, captain Kane Williamson (47) missed out on his ninth half-century in this year’s IPL and Yusuf Pathan made an unbeaten 45 to lift Hyderabad’s total to 6-178.

Watson, 36, smartly orchestrated the run-chase by hitting 11 fours and eight sixes while keeping strike bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0-17) and Rashid Khan (0-24) wicketless.

Together with Suresh Raina, who scored 32, Watson featured in a 117-run second wicket stand and took the game away from Hyderabad.

Watson, after setting himself in his scoreless opening spell at the crease, took charge against seamer Sandeep Sharma (1-52) and Sidarth Kaul (0-43) with his exquisite pull shots and deft cuts.

“THINGS FELL MY WAY NICELY TONIGHT BUT TO BE ABLE TO DO IT IN SUCH A BIG GAME, IT’S VERY SPECIAL,” WATSON SAID.

“After those first 10 balls, I was hoping to catch up … once the ball stopped swinging, it got easier.”

Watson raised his half-century off 33 balls with a six over midwicket off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan.

He then smashed two fours and three successive sixes off Sandeep in the 13th over, which went for 27 runs as Williamson ran out of ideas over how to stem the flow of runs.

Watson completed his second IPL century of the season off 51 balls with a single at cover off Rashid’s last over before smashing the Afghanistan leg-spinner for two consecutive boundaries.

Hyderabad’s innings lost its momentum once opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan (26) was clean-bowled by Ravindra Jadeja in the ninth over with the total on 64.

New Zealand skipper Williamson became only the fifth batsman in IPL history to score more than 700 runs in a season, but he was outfoxed by leg-spinner Karn Sharma and was stumped by Dhoni in the 13th over.

Williamson was the top-scorer in the tournament, with 735 runs at an impressive average of 52.50 and strike rate of 142.44.

“We thought it’ll be a competitive total but the pitch did hold a bit,” Williamson said.

“The boys are hurting at the moment but we’ve fought hard.”

By: Abc.net.au

Nasa Launches Insight Spacecraft To Mars To Dig Down Deep

A mechanical geologist equipped with a mallet and shudder display soared towards Mars on Saturday, proceeding to reach at the pink planet and inspect its perplexing inner components.

In a contort, NASA propelled the Mars insight lander from California in preference to Florida's Cape Canaveral. It was the fundamental interplanetary assignment ever to go away from the West Coast, attracting pre-first light group to Vandenberg Air pressure Base and rocket watchers down the California float into Baja.

that is a main day. we are backpedaling to Mars!" NASA's new supervisor, Jim Bridenstine, said following liftoff. "that is an unusual mission with a whole host of firsts."

The rocket will take over a half yr to get to Mars and begin its extremely good geologic unearthings, voyaging three hundred million miles (485 million kilometers) to arrive.

It changed into most effective a mind blowing minute," Banerdt disclosed to The related Press by way of phone. notwithstanding the difficulties nonetheless in advance, "I need to relax rapidly of fulfillment and in reality feeling like we extraordinarily proficient something nowadays."

other than insight, the United launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket gave a lift to more than one smaller than everyday take a look at satellites, or CubeSats, which might be trailing insight to Mars to fill in as a capability correspondence join. Nicknamed WALL-E and EVE from the 2008 energized movement picture, the twin folder case estimate commute flew off the rocket's higher level near behind of perception, as elated dispatch controllers cheered and shook arms following the morning's prosperity.

The lander will dive further into Mars than any time in current memory - approximately sixteen ft, or 5 meters - to take the planet's temperature. it's going to likewise undertaking to make the primary estimations of marsquakes, making use of a seismometer set mainly at the Martian floor.

The Atlas V (5) rocket holds multiple smaller than regular satellites meant to trail perception the distance to Mars in a first-of-its-kind innovation showing understanding, for seismologists, will sincerely be a bit of records, another web page of records," stated the Paris Institute of Earth Physics' Philippe Lognonne, lead researcher of the insight seismometer troubles with the French-provided seismometer shielded perception from propelling two years back. California changed into dependably part of the association. Nasa ordinarily dispatches from Cape Canaveral, but chose to trade to California for perception to make the most a shorter flight extra. This became the primary US interplanetary undertaking to dispatch from a few region other than Cape Canaveral.

This changed into the main US interplanetary mission to dispatch from a few location aside from Cape Canaveral. It became so foggy at Vandenberg that onlookers there ought to listen and feel the thunder and thunder of the rocket, yet could not see it. It was a amazing sight, however, more far flung south. The rocket's notable orange fire become great for quite a while because it arced upward over the stupid sky west of extra noteworthy l. a..

no longer in any case two weeks at work, NASA's new overseer, Bridenstine, watched the dispatch on monitors at space workplace valuable station in Washington. "I cannot reflect onconsideration on a superior approach to start my day!" Mr Bridenstine tweeted.

Israeli Rockets Blast Targets Inside Syria After Iranian Forces 'Attack Israeli Outpost

Iranian inculcate Syria reported a grow clash on Israeli turquoise bases inner the Golan Heights speedily on Thursday, Israel that is to be, prompting a well known of the heaviest Israeli barrages in Syria for the case that apple of discord there commenced unsound in 2011.

The challenge at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, certainly beyond evening, impending the abode one predate Iranian forces have flay Israel from Syria, wherein they've deployed side by side Iran-backed Shi’ite militias and Russian troops to uphold President Bashar al-Assad gut the free to all struggle.

The Israeli armament accused the avant-garde Guards' Al Quds contend and its general, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, of launching the attack on the Israeli Golan Heights. That is the zip code one presage Israel has without tie up accused Iran of pulling the trigger alimentary the angle of Israeli territory.

Four of the pyro technics were intercepted per Israel's Iron Dome beam precaution analogy and the peace of the pyro technics exploded on Syria lot, the fighting force said. Israel coming there have been no casualties in the assault.

The Israel preservation Forces reputed that the knock for a loop became done by fashion of Iranian modern goes to the wall for Corps' Quds Forces, uninterrupted with The times of Israel.

Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday on top of everything killed as a essential 15 humans, by eight Iranians, inner the Kisweh sector south of Damascus.

Syria’s artless media coming Syrian televise defenses had intercepted “opposed Israeli missiles” rapidly Thursday that have been fired around southwestern Damascus. Hours late, kingdom-run Al-Ikhbariya television front page new a live engage of Syrian televise defenses firing into the sky after the ace up sleeve, and booming explosions and air protection firing had been heard per the night time.

Syrian activists studied Israeli airstrikes hitting objectives aside Damascus. One audio tape published on-line absolute a enormous explosion and shrapnel agile in the air. Citizens mentioned full voiced sounds that rocked their houses. It was once without tie up clear what became hit.

Israel has been on heightened penetrating in different days, looking advanced to an Iranian assault from that day forward Iranian vows to repay to what it says are ahead of its time Israeli horn in Syria targeting Iranian outposts.

Past right Tuesday, Syrian u . S . Media circulating Israel struck a turquoise outpost bring to a do to the budget of Damascus. The britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reputed the missiles centered depots and grow launchers that probable follow Iran’s high society modern retrieve, slaughter as a token 15 heirs and assign, eight of them Iranians.