Anthony Albanese will travel to Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand during a busy week of diplomacy.

11/11/2022

Albanese aims for China talks, big tech face crackdown, Trump told to delay run

Martin Farrer

Morning everyone. It is three years since any meeting between an Australian prime minister and the Chinese leadership, in which time trade wars and the pandemic have poisoned the well. But that could be about to change as Anthony Albanese embarks on a hectic week of summitry taking him from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, with a G20 in Bali sandwiched in between. A head-to-head with China’s premier, Li Keqiang, or possibly even the big boss himself, Xi Jinping, is the main prize as he attempts to hit the reset button on relations with Australia’s biggest trading partner.

Regulators are calling for more measures to crack down on anti-competitive behaviour by big tech companies such as Google and Facebook, and in the US Donald Trump is under pressure to delay his announcement about running for president in 2024.

Australia

Competition crackdown | Australia’s competition watchdog has called for legislation to crackdown on “widespread, entrenched and systematic” consumer and competition “harms” by tech giants such as Google and Facebook. The ACCC also wants firms to provide user-friendly processes for alerting to scams.

Diplomatic dates | Anthony Albanese leaves for Cambodia today where he will kick off a series of diplomatic manoeuvres with the East Asia and Australia-Asean summits in Phnom Penh, followed by the G20 in Bali and completing his trip at the Apec summit in Bangkok towards the end of next week.In addition to possible China talks, he will meet Britain’s new PM, Rishi Sunak, as well as US president Joe Biden.

Wet, wet, wet | Sydney rain bursts – extreme downpours that occur for a period of about 10 minutes – have intensified by at least 40% over the last two decades, new research suggests, confirming what most drenched residents already know.

Crash cost | Investigations into a crash in Britain linked to a car carrying Australia’s former UK high commissioner George Brandis have cost taxpayers more than $250,000.

‘Trivialising’ | The Australian Financial Review has removed references to two female journalists from an article after complaints by the ABC and the Seven Network about the newspaper’s “trivialising” portrayal of their employees.

World

Former President Trump Holds Rally In Support Of Ohio Senate Candidate JD VanceVANDALIA, OHIO - NOVEMBER 07: Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives onstage to cheering supporters at a rally for Ohio Republicans at the Dayton International Airport on November 7, 2022 in Vandalia, Ohio. Trump is campaigning for Republican candidates, including U.S. Senate candidate JD Vance, who faces U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) in tomorrow’s general election. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Trump ‘should delay’ | Donald Trump has been told by an adviserto wait until after next month’s Georgia Senate runoff to announce his run for president in 2024 as the Republican party’s blame game continues after their midterm flop. And while Democrats have breathed a sigh of relief, their troubles are far from over. Follow all our coverage here.

Kherson-bound | Ukrainian forces were closing in on the outskirts of Kherson city as Russia said on Thursday it had begun the retreat from the southern city that it announced the previous day.

Britain on strike | The UK is braced for a series of strikes by key workers in the coming weeks which could affect trains, government services and Scottish schools. The army is on standby to handle calls if ambulance workers walk out.

Home rule | Elon Musk has scrapped Twitter’s working from home policy and ordered its staff back to the office, days after firing 3,700 employees. He will personally vet any employees who claim exceptions to the new rule.

Exclusive | David Walliams, the British actor and bestselling author, made derogatory and sexually explicit remarks about contestants on a talent show he was judging, according to a leaked transcript seen by the Guardian.

Full Story

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews exits the campaign bus ahead of a tour and press conference at the Gordon Institute of TAFE during the 2022 Victorian state election campaign in Geelong,Victoria, Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Victorians go to the polls on Saturday, November 26. (AAP Image/James Ross) NO ARCHIVING

Has the Herald Sun turned the news into a distraction?

Lenore Taylor and Mike Ticherdiscuss whether the Herald Sun’s relentless attacks on Victorian premier Daniel Andrews have news value, or whether they are meant to muddy the waters ahead of the state election.

In-depth

Group portrait of Captain Lionel Gordon Short and Captain Louis Noedl with a large lamp they have removed from a German tower

Raucous rejoicing, relief and regret are etched into diaries and letters written by Australian soldiers 104 years ago on Armistice Day in 1918, and now newly digitised online for public viewing. In a fascinating read, Natasha May picks through some of the entries including one by Gunner Alexander Sutherland Mackay that it was “almost impossible to realise the war is over”.

Not the news

Louis Vuitton New Bond Street Maison Re-Opening After Party at AnnabelsLONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 23: Kylie Minogue attends an after party celebrating the re-opening of the Louis Vuitton New Bond Street Maison at Annabel’s on October 23, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Louis Vuitton)

Kylie Minogue is the subject our reader interviews this week and the singer reveals, among other things, which of her videos she’d like to spend the rest of her life trapped inside, what she remembers about her famous Glastonbury gig, and whether her gold hotpants are really in a museum.

The world of sport

India v England - T20 World Cup - Semi Final - Adelaide OvalEngland’s Jos Buttler (right) and Alex Hales celebrate following victory over India in the T20 World Cup semi-final match at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. Picture date: Thursday November 10, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story CRICKET England. Photo credit should read: PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Use subject to restrictions. Editorial use only, no commercial use without prior consent from rights holder.

Cricket | England hammered India by 10 wickets in Adelaide last night to take their place in the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan on Sunday thanks to brilliant knocks by openers Jos Buttler and Alex Hales.

Socceroos | Midfielder Jackson Irvine has urged footballers heading to the Qatar World Cup to speak up on human rights amid mounting criticism of the country’s record on the issue.

Rugby league | Australia and New Zealand face off in the World Cup semi-final in around 24 hours time in what is one of the most mouthwatering clashes in the tournament’s history.

Media roundup

The Medibank hack was a “dog act” but that doesn’t mean a ransom shouldn’t be paid, a cybersecurity expert says in the ABC’s lead online story. The Sydney Morning Herald leads its print edition this morning with a special report from Ukraine, and also says that first-time home buyers can opt to pay land tax rather than stamp duty from this weekend. The Australian reports that“Labor risks new row with miners over coal, gas tax”. The Courier Mail splashes with plans for a 5km “walkable spine” to be built through Brisbane ahead of the 2032 Olympics. NT News says that businesses are benefiting from $2.9bn defence spending on projects throughout the territory.

What’s happening today

Train action | Rail unions in Sydney begin an indefinite ban on controllers training new staff, followed from tomorrow by a ban on changed working patterns for eight days.

Competition case | Judgment is expected in the ACCC case against Telstra, Optus and TPG regarding NBN plans.

Armistice memorials | Remembrance Day ceremonies will be staged across the country.

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Brain teaser

And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.

Quick crossword

Cryptic crossword

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