Key posts
- WHO says COVID end ‘in sight’, deaths at lowest since March 2020
- PM tight-lipped on whether racing identities will pay own way to Queen’s funeral
- Ukrainian president visits liberated city
- Surging US inflation sparks fears of a global recession
- Onlookers in tears as Queen’s crown-topped coffin leaves Buckingham Palace
- This morning’s headlines at a glance
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WHO says COVID end ‘in sight’, deaths at lowest since March 2020
Returning to international news for a moment, and the head of the World Health Organisation says the number of coronavirus deaths worldwide last week was the lowest reported in the pandemic since March 2020 – marking what could be a turning point in the years-long global outbreak.
During a recent press briefing in Geneva, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the world has never been in a better position to stop COVID-19.
World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.Credit:AP
“We are not there yet, but the end is in sight,” he said, comparing the effort to that made by a marathon runner nearing the finish line.
“Now is the worst time to stop running. Now is the time to run harder and make sure we cross the line and reap all the rewards of our hard work.”
More on what the WHO has to say here.
AP
PM tight-lipped on whether racing identities will pay own way to Queen’s funeral
To the first major political interview of the day, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has appeared on ABC Radio Sydney to say he essentially didn’t sleep last Thursday night after being told the Queen’s health was declining.
As regular readers of this blog will know, the PM is travelling to London this evening so that he can attend the Queen’s funeral.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaking to the media yesterday.Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
Travelling with the PM will be people like the governor-general as well as current and former Australians of the Year.
During the interview, Albanese was asked if it’s true that racing identities Robbie and Gai Waterhouse will be travelling on the same plane.
Here was the PM’s response:
They received separate invitations. They were having a difficulty yesterday afternoon … booking commercial flights. As you can understand, it’s a bit full at the moment. So, yes, we extended an invitation [to them].
He declined to say whether the Waterhouses are paying their own way. But he did say that Australians will understand why the Queen would have wanted racing identities at her funeral given her love for horses.
Ukrainian president visits liberated city
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has visited Izium, the biggest city recaptured during last week’s counteroffensive, to mark Kyiv’s most significant battlefield victory in months.
It comes as criticism within Russia of the retreat in Ukraine’s northeast Kharkiv region has spread from nationalist bloggers to mainstream political figures.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sings the Ukrainian national anthem during his visit to the city of Izium.Credit:AP
But Russia’s forces are still holding key positions in Ukraine’s Donbas region and putting up a fight near Kherson in the south. There are signs the Kremlin may also be redeploying forces to protect Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, in the event Ukraine is able to break through its lines.
Meanwhile, Ursula von der Leyen – the head of the European Union’s executive – has pledged to work to guarantee “seamless” access for Ukraine to the bloc’s massive single market to help its economy recover from the war.
The United States is preparing another package of aid to Ukraine, according to John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, who cited a “shift in momentum” after the government in Kyiv said it recaptured more than 2300 square miles of occupied territory.
Russia invaded Ukraine back in February of this year.
Bloomberg
Surging US inflation sparks fears of a global recession
Surging inflation in the world’s largest economy could lead to steeper interest rate increases in Australia, financial experts have warned, after the local sharemarket tumbled to its worst day in almost three months on renewed fears of a global recession.
About $60 billion was wiped off the bourse yesterday as the benchmark ASX 200 index plunged 2.6 per cent. The fall came after a shock jump in US inflation sparked warnings of aggressive interest rate hikes from the US Federal Reserve, a move that may pressure the Reserve Bank of Australia to follow suit.
The ASX 200 had its worst day in almost three months on Wednesday.Credit:iStock
US consumer prices rose by a higher than expected 8.3 per cent in the year to August, sending shockwaves through global markets as investors fretted over the risk that more interest rate rises could spark a recession in the country.
Locally, fund managers have warned Australia’s inflation could also be more difficult to tame. One major investment bank has raised its forecast for further RBA interest rate rises.
More on these issues here.
Onlookers in tears as Queen’s crown-topped coffin leaves Buckingham Palace
The body of the late Queen has left Buckingham Palace, her home for the past eight decades, for the final time before lying in state at Westminster where hundreds of thousands of mourners will pay their respects over the next four days.
Thousands of people have already begun filing past the late Queen’s coffin, with the first members of the public paying their respects to the monarch shortly after 5pm London time (2am AEST).
The Imperial State Crown rests on the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II.Credit:Getty
Ceremonial viewing areas along the procession route were full an hour before the coffin began its journey, with mourners being turned away and told to head to the large screens in nearby Hyde Park.
Tens of thousands more people lined The Mall in near-silence as King Charles III and his siblings walked behind the oak casket during a 38-minute procession from the palace to Westminster Hall.
Read the full story here.
This morning’s headlines at a glance
Good morning and thanks for your company.
It’s Thursday, September 15. I’m Broede Carmody and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day.
Here’s what you need to know before we get started.
- The Queen’s coffin has left Buckingham Palace and is now lying in state at Westminster. Hundreds of thousands of mourners will pay their respects over the next four days. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to London this evening.
- Surging inflation in the United States has sparked fears of a global recession. Yesterday, about $60 billion was wiped off the ASX 200 after Wall Street was sent tumbling.
- The Albanese government has extended pandemic leave payments beyond this month. However, the PM insists his government is cracking down on those rorting the system.
- People’s appetite for fuel-guzzling utes and SUVs is all but wiping out the benefits of electric vehicle sales, according to a new report.
- And the Reserve Bank of Australia continues to face questions over its interest rate policies.
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