Good Evening ! It's Tuesday November 17 . Welcome to The Front Cover, your gateway to the world of Mencari News and we're covering the pro-palestine protest in Sydney.
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Today's reading time is 5 minutes. - Miko Santos
Australia, Indonesia Seal Major Security Pact as Regional Powers Jostle for Influence
Australia and Indonesia wrapped up negotiations on a sweeping security treaty Wednesday, committing the Pacific neighbors to regular consultations and potential joint military responses amid rising tensions between the United States and China.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced the deal at the Royal Australian Naval Base in Sydney, calling it the most significant defense partnership between the two countries in three decades. The treaty requires both nations to consult when either faces security threats and to consider coordinated action.
Japanese Ambassador Warns of Regional 'Storm' as Defense Partnership with Australia Deepens
Japan’s top diplomat in Australia delivered a stark assessment of Indo-Pacific security threats Wednesday, cataloging escalating dangers from Taiwan to Ukraine while positioning the Japan-Australia defense partnership as critical to maintaining regional stability through what he described as unprecedented turbulence.
Ambassador Kazuhiro Suzuki told the National Press Club that geopolitical tensions “are higher than ever,” citing unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas, North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile programs, Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine and instability across the Middle East.
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Liberals Set to Unveil Energy Policy After Contentious Party Meeting
Liberal Party lawmakers will announce a new energy and emissions reduction policy by midday Thursday after reaching what Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan called “pretty much unanimity” on guiding principles during a heated party room debate.
Tehan said he will present a submission to the Shadow Ministry at 9 a.m. Thursday, followed by a formal policy announcement with Deputy Leader Susan Ley. The move ends weeks of internal wrangling over whether to abandon or modify the party’s climate commitments ahead of the next federal election.
Big Four Banks Poured $43 Billion Into Fossil Fuels Since Paris Climate Deal
Australia’s big four banks have funneled AU$43.4 billion to the world’s largest coal, oil and gas companies in the decade since the Paris Agreement committed nations to limiting climate change, according to new research that calls into question the banks’ climate pledges.
The analysis by Market Forces, released Wednesday, identifies 23 fossil fuel companies that should be cut off from further financing under the banks’ own policies requiring credible emissions reduction plans. The list includes Australia’s biggest oil and gas producers Woodside Energy and Santos, mining giant BHP, and international energy firms BP, Siemens Energy and GE Vernova.
Australia Hits Sabotage Threshold as Chinese Hackers Probe Critical Infrastructure, Spy Chief Warns
Australia has reached the threshold for high-impact sabotage as Chinese government hackers actively probe the nation’s telecommunications networks and critical infrastructure, the country’s top spy chief warned Wednesday in a stark assessment of mounting security threats.
Director-General of Security Mike Burgess told corporate leaders that foreign regimes are now more willing to disrupt or destroy critical systems to damage the economy, undermine decision-making and sow social discord, marking a dangerous shift from traditional espionage to potential attacks on essential services.
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IN PICTURES
CHECK THIS OUT
Black artists music wouldn’t be the same without
There is no American music without Black roots. From country-western, which draws upon banjo music from Africa, to rock ‘n’ roll—first electrified by a Black woman in 1938—every major American genre traces its lineage to Black innovation and creativity. American music, at its core, is inseparable from a history defined by reinvention and resilience.
Every artist reshapes their medium by participating in it, but some redefine it entirely. Throughout American history, Black musicians have pioneered sounds that changed the course of popular music, like Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat—which continues to inspire contemporary stars such as Burna Boy and Wizkid, as well as genre-bending groups like Ezra Collective and Kokoroko. Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s early electric guitar work helped birth rock ‘n’ roll and directly influenced legends including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and contemporary artists championing genre fluidity. Motown’s Mary Wells inspired generations of soul singers, from The Supremes and Stevie Wonder to modern acts reviving classic sounds.
WATCH THIS
A year on from the deadly 7 October Hamas attack on Israel, Sky News looks at the controversial career of Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
PICK OF THE DAY
What to eat to save the planet
It’s impossible to solve climate change without fixing the food system. Between deforestation for farmland, the methane in cow burps, and nitrous oxide fuming from fertilizer and animal waste, the food system is nearly tied with electricity as the most climate-polluting sector in the world.
That shouldn’t be surprising given the scale at which food has shaped our planet. Half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture—most of that for livestock—and 34% of all greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed, directly or indirectly, to food. Mitigating food’s climate impact should be near the top of any package of climate solutions, yet it rarely receives the limelight that other issues, such as renewable energy, are awarded.
The Front Page is edited by Mencari’s Miko Santos
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