At U2 concerts in the early 90's, a regular part of the show featured criticism of George H.W. Bush.  In fact, frontman Bono used to call the White House in the middle of the concert to try to get a chance to speak to the 41st President.

When George H.W. Bush's son George W. Bush became President in 2001, Bono was also a critic of his politics.  

George W. Bush didn't go to war with the critic of himself and his father.  Instead, he invited him to talk about something they had a common passion for, saving lives in Africa.  They had lunch together in the White House Mess Hall, then Bush took him to the oval office.  For 40 minutes they discussed A.I.D.S., malaria, and debt relief.

After the meeting, In 2003, Bush started a program in Africa known as PEPFAR, which 14 years later is credited with saving over 11 million lives.

Yesterday, Bono was in Texas as part of the current U2 tour and paid a visit to his old friend.

It is amazing what can be accomplished when mature people find common ground for the good of all.

'British settlement was undeniably very good for Australia': Ex-PM John Howard slams campaign to change date of Australian Day and re-write the history of Captain Cook's discovery of Australia

Former Liberal prime minister John Howard has dismissed calls to change the date of Australia Day in favour of retaining British values brought to Australia during settlement. 

Barnaby Joyce is running SECOND in nominations for New Zealander of the year

Embattled Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is the second-most nominated person for 2018's New Zealander of Year award.

This guy really wants to play war comes don't you feel?

Kim Jong-un was there in person to oversee launch of North Korea's latest long-range ballistic missile test which flew 1,700 miles over Japan

Kim (pictured overseeing the test) expressed great satisfaction over what the North described as successful testing and said the country will continue to watch 'US demeanors'.

© AAP Malcolm Turnbull

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's call for China to cut off its oil pipeline to North Korea has prompted a fierce rebuke from a high-circulating Chinese newspaper, which accused him of going beyond even Donald Trump.

The Global Times, which sells more than one million copies, devoted an editorial toMr Turnbull's "indiscreet" and "absurd" comments, and saying Australia was a "second class citizen of the West".

"Although President Trump has complained about China in contradictory statements, he has so far never publicly asked China to cut North Korea's oil supply," the Global Times wrote.

The editorial said Australia had become America's loudspeaker in the Asia Pacific.

"This speaker works very hard, and very proud, but more and more it becomes local noise, self-righteously blah blah blahing."

MrTurnbull said on Thursday that "China really has to step up now and bring this regime to its senses," and "they can cut off their oil supply for example".

© AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on TV in South Korea this week It has been reported elsewhere that the US,Japan and Britain are pushing for a UN Security Council resolution to cut oil supplies to North Korea as a sanction for its latest missile launch over Japan.

In the past, Chinese analysts have suggested cutting its main oil pipeline to North Korea wasa lastresort for Beijing, to be used to sanction a sixth nuclear test.

South Korean intelligence has reported North Korea appears to be preparing for a nuclear test.

The Global Times said: "Australia does not have to pay or bear the loss for sanctions against North Korea. Even if war breaks out in [the] peninsula, refugees would not run to Australia. How can people not hate such a country who plays high-profile from a far distance and tries to instruct China what to do."

China's foreign ministry has this week stepped up its criticism of US allies who are calling for China to do more to curb North Korea's missile launches – but not by name.

The Global Times is part of the official People's Daily newspaper group, and its editor is known to be close to China's foreign ministry.

MrTurnbull's demand that China cutoilto North Korea was "more excessive" than British prime minister Theresa May's call on Tuesday for China to "do its best" to control North Korea, the editorial said.

© South Korea Defence Ministry via AP South Korean F-15 fighter jets drop bombs over the Korean Peninsula, South Korea. In the same radio interview,Mr Turnbull acknowledged China's support for new UN sanctions that would cut $1.5 billion intrade with North Korea from next week.

The Global Times attack onMr Turnbull comes as the University of Melbourne's Asialink Centre said in a report on Friday that Australia risked becoming the "lonely country", increasingly out of step with its region, particularly in attitudes to China.

Professor Anthony Milner and Jennifer Fang wrote: "When it comes to China's regional and international leadership, the gap between our views and those of ourneighboursis troubling ...

"Australians are increasingly focussed on China. But our preoccupations seem narrow, limited and consistently negative – a surprising thing, given we are more economically entangled with China than any other regional country."

Harvey Norman billionaire Gerry Harvey predicts Australia will become an 'Asian country' with a population of 100 MILLION in the next century as 'immigration spirals out of control' 

Gerry Harvey predicts Australia will be 'Asian country'" 

NEW Australia will be an 'Asian country' with a population of 100 million by next century and there's 'not a chance in hell' we can stop it. That is the dramatic prediction of Harvey Norman executive chairman Gerald Harvey (top), saying population growth driven by record immigration was impossible to control. The 77-year-old said efforts by people like businessman Dick Smith, who launched a gloomy $1 million ad calling to limit immigration, to halt this were doomed to fail. Chinese investors (bottom, at a house sale) and immigrants have been blamed for rising home prices.

Attila 1 day ago

Yes Brocky.

I lost my 12 year old cousin to  Novartis's Kymriah, also known as tisagenlecleucel, a treatment for pediatric acute lymphoblastic lymphoblastic leukemia.

She was diagnosed late in the English summer and passed away on 5th November the same year.

She would be 64 if she had lived.

Report

WoW!  Wish hubby could make this giving talks about his profession!

Obama is America's most expensive ex-president: Former POTUS wants $1.1 million for next year including a half-million dollars for office space

Former President Barack Obama's D.C. office space has pushed him past all of his predecessors when it comes to his post-presidential office space paid for by the government.

Malcolm Turnbull has seized Labor energy spokesman Mark Butler’s admission that Labor was warned that customers would be hit with higher energy prices from the gas exports it authorised in government five years ago, blaming the Gillard government for the spike in gas prices which has seen energy bills rise dramatically.

Mr Butler last night declared “everyone knew” there would be an impact on prices from the surge in gas shipments overseas, contradicting claims he made in April that there was no advice about the problem.

The Prime Minister said that if Australians wanted to know why electricity prices had spiked, it was because of the shortage of gas on the east coast, which was caused by Labor failing to protect the domestic market when it allowed exports.

Mr Turnbull said Labor was warned the exports ran the risk of putting upward pressure on gas prices.

“Now, they denied that,” he said

“Only in April, Mark Butler went on Insiders and he said, ‘Oh, we were given assurances. No, no-one thought it would put prices up.’

“Well, he was not telling the truth on Insiders, and he has finally had to admit that Labor knew, when they made that decision, that that was going to cause gas prices to rise.”

Mr Turnbull said the Gillard government had made a “reckless” decision in allowing gas to be exported from the east coast of Australia without putting in any protection for Australian families, households and businesses.

“This is a mess, a shocking mess, that Labor created, one of many in the energy space,” he said.

“It is due to their complacency, their combination of left-wing ideology and idiocy has led us to one decision after another by Labor that has put upward pressure on prices.”

Mr Turnbull said his government had limited gas exports to address the problem.

“Obviously we did that with a heavy heart. We don’t like to limit any exports, we want lots of exports, but we’ve had to take those strong steps to protect Australian jobs,” he said.

Shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh said Labor had gone to the last election calling for a national interest test for new gas developments, but did not address repeated questions about Labor’s actions in government.

“There’s big challenges in the gas market. There’s no doubt about

Aus

Malcolm Turnbull has seized Labor energy spokesman Mark Butler’s admission that Labor was warned that customers would be hit with higher energy prices from the gas exports it authorised in government five years ago, blaming the Gillard government for the spike in gas prices which has seen energy bills rise dramatically.

Mr Butler last night declared “everyone knew” there would be an impact on prices from the surge in gas shipments overseas, contradicting claims he made in April that there was no advice about the problem.

The Prime Minister said that if Australians wanted to know why electricity prices had spiked, it was because of the shortage of gas on the east coast, which was caused by Labor failing to protect the domestic market when it allowed exports.

Mr Turnbull said Labor was warned the exports ran the risk of putting upward pressure on gas prices.

“Now, they denied that,” he said

“Only in April, Mark Butler went on Insiders and he said, ‘Oh, we were given assurances. No, no-one thought it would put prices up.’

“Well, he was not telling the truth on Insiders, and he has finally had to admit that Labor knew, when they made that decision, that that was going to cause gas prices to rise.”

Mr Turnbull said the Gillard government had made a “reckless” decision in allowing gas to be exported from the east coast of Australia without putting in any protection for Australian families, households and businesses.

“This is a mess, a shocking mess, that Labor created, one of many in the energy space,” he said.

“It is due to their complacency, their combination of left-wing ideology and idiocy has led us to one decision after another by Labor that has put upward pressure on prices.”

Mr Turnbull said his government had limited gas exports to address the problem.

“Obviously we did that with a heavy heart. We don’t like to limit any exports, we want lots of exports, but we’ve had to take those strong steps to protect Australian jobs,” he said.

Shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh said Labor had gone to the last election calling for a national interest test for new gas developments, but did not address repeated questions about Labor’s actions in government.

“There’s big challenges in the gas market. There’s no doubt about

Aus

I thought you would be interested in this story I found on MSN: Take away Aung San Suu Kyiâ's Nobel peace prize. She no longer deserves it http://a.msn.com/01/en-au/AArlT0G?ocid=se

Perth Politics

DEFIANT Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi has lodged an appeal and court application to put a halt on her 18-month disqualification from public office for repeatedly failing to disclose accommodation and travel gifts.

The State Administrative Tribunal ruled Ms Scaffidi had breached the Local Government Act 45 times by not disclosing the gifts, and handed down the disqualification penalty on Monday, to take effect at midnight on Thursday.

The Court of Appeal on Wednesday received an application for a stay of the penalty, as well as an application for an expedited appeal hearing.

The applications will be heard in the WA Court of Appeal on Thursday.

A separate appeal was previously lodged against the SAT findings.

Ms Scaffidi has admitted five breaches, including accepting a BHP Billiton-funded $US24,000 package to the Beijing Olympics that she didn't reveal in her annual return.

The SAT found Ms Scaffidi has been grossly careless and her apologies appeared to be "simply empty words".

The tribunal also criticised Ms Scaffidi for blaming others and said both general and personal deterrence were important considerations in handing down the penalty.

Ms Scaffidi did not attend the hearing on Monday but said in a statement that she would continue the legal fight to keep her job. 

Both the premier and opposition leader have repeatedly called for Ms Scaffidi to quit, while potential candidates are already lining up to take over.

CHINESE President Xi Jinping has called for tougher sanctions against North Korea after he spoke by phone with and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Her spokesman, Steffen Seibert, says both leaders advocated tougher sanctions against North Korea, but agreed that dialogue must continue to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.

China’s state broadcaster, China Central Television, said Xi told Merkel that China remains committed to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and to the region’s peace and stability.

Xi said: “Facts have repeatedly proven that the Korean Peninsula issue can only be resolved through peaceful means, including dialogue and consultation.

media_cameraChina's President Xi Jinping backs sanctions. Picture: AP

This requires the international community to work together.” North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China hopes North Korea will “see the situation clearly and come to the right judgment and choice,” Mr Wang said.

He said the UN should take “necessary measures,” but added that sanctions and pressure should spur dialogue and negotiation between the sides toward the goal of a peaceful solution on the Korean Peninsula.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-d8QZarp5U [from an email from Senator Jaquie Lambie just now] Have a look also, at how many senators are working!!  G'Day,   Senator Ian McDonald says that 98% of veterans are happy with the service they receive from the Department of Veterans' Affairs. 
But veterans are telling me a different story. 
Instead of voting down every attempt to improve veterans' lot in life, maybe the Government should start listening to what our veterans have to say.
Here is a snippet of my response to Senator McDonald in the Chamber yesterday: