China's 'political pressure' on Australian trade isn't working, treasurer says
CNN
Tensions between China and Australia have taken a $4 billion toll on the important trading partnership, but Canberra says its economy has proven "remarkably resilient" as other countries moved to fill in the gaps.
Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Monday claimed the Chinese government has failed to seriously impact the country's economy through a series of punitive measures on exports. The trade dispute has escalated since April 2020, when Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an international inquiry into the origins of Covid-19. "I am not downplaying the impact of China's actions. They have hurt specific industries and regions, significantly in some cases. Nevertheless, the overall impact on our economy has, to date, been relatively modest," Frydenberg said at the Australian National University. "This is perhaps surprising to many."Senate Democrats grilled Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his various controversial statements including his stance on vaccines during his confirmation hearing to be President Donald Trump’s health and human services secretary, and most left feeling overwhelmingly unsatisfied by the answers they received.
A Nigerian man has been extradited to the US to face charges in the “sextortion” of a South Carolina teen who died by suicide in 2022. Prosecutors allege the scammer posed as a young woman, persuaded 17-year-old Gavin Guffey to send him nude photos and then threatened to publicize them if Guffey didn’t send money.