TRANSCRIPT
- Anthony Albanese heads to ASEAN and APEC summits for week of quiet diplomacy
- Ceremonies mark 40 years since Uluru and Kata Tjuta returned to Anangu Traditional Owners
- Sam Kerr eager to lead Matildas again as she eyes Asian Cup glory
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set for a week of quiet diplomacy at the ASEAN and APEC summits in South Korea and Malaysia, where Donald Trump’s tariffs and China’s growing Pacific influence will dominate talks.
Mr Albanese will meet several counterparts, including an informal chat with Mr Trump following their recent White House meeting and critical minerals deal.
The US president is expected to sign a trade pact with Malaysia, broker peace between Cambodia and Thailand, and hold talks with China’s Xi Jinping.
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Ceremonies across Australia’s outback are marking 40 years since Uluru and Kata Tjuta were handed back to their Traditional Owners, the Anangu people.
The 1985 handback recognised the sites’ deep spiritual significance and became a milestone in Aboriginal land rights.
The anniversary was commemorated in London on the 16th of October by King Charles and Anangu representatives.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend celebrations at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park today - the first prime minister to do so.
He’ll reflect on what he calls the deep honour of joining the event, saying it marks the moment the Anangu’s rightful relationship with this place was finally recognised.
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The 45th anniversary of the historic sister city relationship between Sydney and Nagoya is being marked at Sydney Town Hall during the Japan Expo today.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa will speak to the significance of this relationship and the milestone.
Ms Moore tells SBS Japanese that Sister City relationships are more important today than ever before.
"There is much trouble in the world and people to people, diplomacy can provide the help. It’s during turbulent times that we place greater importance on building friendships and strengthening ties between nations. It is through our interactions with other people that we gain a greater understanding and respect between cultures."
Nagoya and Sydney established their sister city relationship on the 16th of September 1980.
The two cities have since actively engaged in exchanges across various fields such as culture, education, sports, and the economy.
Notably, there is an active exchange of animals between Higashiyama Zoo and Taronga Zoo.
In 1984, the former chair of the Sister Cities Committee and then Taronga Zoo vet, David Butcher, facilitated the delivery of Japan's first koalas, with one going to Higashiyama Zoo.
Since then, the zoos have collaborated, breeding several koalas.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says any international force deployed in Gaza under the ceasefire deal must be made up of countries deemed acceptable to Israel.
Speaking in Kiryat Gat, south of Tel Aviv, Mr Rubio says several nations are offering to take part but final decisions were still being worked through.
Türkiye has said it would like to play a role, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vetoed its participation in the international force.
The US Secretary also confirmed that Hamas will have no role in Gaza’s future governance.
"Suffice is to say that everyone that signed on to this plan, all of these other countries agreed and everyone agreed that Hamas cannot govern and cannot be involved in governing the future of Gaza. Everyone's agreed to that."
Discussions are ongoing about whether the Palestinian Authority might play any part in Gaza's future.
Mr Rubio's visit comes as the Trump administration seeks to advance the Gaza peace plan, following Vice President JD Vance’s trip to the region.
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Sam Kerr is dreaming of winning a second Asian Cup.
But first, the superstar Matilda just wants to get back to having all eyes critiquing her on-field performances.
The 32-year-old will make her long-awaited return for Australia against Wales at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday, her first match in green and gold since November 2023.
After enduring months of rehab following an ACL tear in January 2024, Kerr says she’s simply relieved to be back on the pitch.
And she says she is eager to be captain once again.
"Some people are just born natural leaders, and I feel I put myself in that. I think you need to be quite confident. You need to be open to everyone's different thoughts, everyone's different different opinions, and then you need to be able to work closely with the team. And obviously my experience being in this team for so long, I feel like I have those, and I feel like my leadership has come through learning of the leaders before me, and it's been really easy to step into the role."
