A personal view of Australian and International Politics
Contemporary politics,local and international current affairs, science, music and extracts from the Queensland Newspaper "THE WORKER" documenting the proud history of the Labour Movement.
MAHATMA GANDHI ~ Truth never damages a cause that is just.
Pope Leo has warned the UN and other multilateral groups are in crisis during his visit to Paris. (Reuters: Remo Casilli)
In short:
Pope Leo has made a wide-ranging speech during a major visit to Paris.
The pontiff warned that multi-lateral organisations, such as the UN, were in crisis, and sounded the alarm over "losing our humanity" to AI.
Without naming individuals, he also criticised world leaders who "disregard" the law.
Pope Leo says that the United Nations and other multilateral groups are in crisis, warning in a speech at the Paris headquarters of the UN culture and education body, UNESCO, that international dialogue risk becoming a "charade".
The first US pope, speaking on a weekend visit to France as a tense UN General Assembly unfolded in New York, also decried world leaders who disrespected the rule of law, without naming individuals.
Thousands listened to Pope Leo's speech from outside the Notre-Dame Cathedral. (AP: Aurelien Morissard)
"Instead of respecting the law, those in power invoke it when it serves their interests and disregard it when it restrains them, treating even justice itself as though it were a commodity to be bought and sold," said the pontiff.
The UN and other multilateral groups "are experiencing a crisis of effectiveness", he said.
"Dialogue is seen as an obstacle to action rather than a resource for peace, a charade rather than an opportunity to seek the common good together."
Leo, who became pope in May 2025, drew the ire of US President Donald Trump earlier in the year after criticising the Iran war.
This year's UN General Assembly, ending on Monday, has been the scene of heated arguments. In a speech on Tuesday, Mr Trump threatened to annihilate Iran if it did not agree terms to end the war. On Thursday, dozens of delegates left the assembly hall as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke.
Nuns listen to Pope Leo's speech from outside the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. (AP: Aurelien Morissard)
Mr Trump announced in 2025 that the US would withdraw from UNESCO.
Leo is on a whirlwind three-city visit to France, where he is seeking to repair the Church's standing there after abuse scandals sparked nationwide shock.
Pope warns about AI risks
The pope, who has made sounding the alarm about the risks of AI a central part of his 16-month papacy, put the issue at the heart of his visit to France, the first by a pope in nearly 20 years.
Earlier on Friday, he urged the world to reconsider the development of artificial intelligence, warning in a speech to French leaders that AI could create a future where "a paradise of machines" takes control of the Earth.
"If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a 'paradise of machines' invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment," he said, speaking under the gilded ceilings of the Elysee Palace.
Leo was greeted at the Paris Orly airport, under a clear blue sky, by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, and by children who sang for him and asked for autographs. During his four-day visit, he will travel to the famed Catholic shrine at Lourdes, in the southwest, and to Metz, on the German border.
Pope Leo is on a four-day apostolic journey to France. (Reuters: Benoit Tessier)
Telling reporters on the plane to Paris that he was coming to convey a message of peace, Leo added: "It is a message which at this time, as we all may know, is particularly important."
The pope was due to lead a prayer service later on Friday at the restored Notre-Dame cathedral, in the first visit by a pope since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the Gothic masterpiece in 2019.
Meanwhile, local church leaders hope the pope's visit will repair the Church's standing after a crushing 2021 report found that some 330,000 French children had been abused by Catholic clergy and lay leaders over seven decades.
French bishops have since introduced compensation and safeguarding measures, but survivors have continued to press church leaders to demonstrate accountability.
"Leo bears the immense responsibility of 'declaring enough is enough'," Alain Esquerre, 66, a spokesperson for victims at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram Catholic institution, told Reuters.
The pope will meet seven French victims of abuse by Catholic clergy on Sunday, local time, in Lourdes.
Sudath Wijeratne has a hobby observatory at his home in Brisbane. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
In short:
Astronomy photographers say Brisbane's night sky offers plenty to see despite light pollution.
New technologies, like smart telescopes, are making it easier to stargaze from home.
Although high-quality telescopes can cost thousands of dollars, amateur astronomers say the hobby can still be done on a budget.
Densely populated and polluted with light, major cities like Brisbane may not be the most obvious places to see the stars.
But amateur astronomers and astrophotographers say there is still plenty to look at, especially with modern telescope technology.
Astrophotography involves taking photos of the night sky and celestial objects.
Sudath Wijeratne began the hobby five years ago, starting with a simple telescope and camera to snap pictures of the Moon.
Sudath Wijeratne began pursuing astrophotography about five years ago. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
He now has a small observatory on the roof of his Brisbane home and a telescope capable of taking award-winning pictures.
While Brisbane's light pollution can make things more challenging, Mr Wijeratne said it was not a barrier to getting into stargazing or astrophotography.
Mr Wijeratne started by taking photos of the Moon. (Supplied: Sudath Wijeratne)
"There are lots of things above our heads in the sky," he said. "The city doesn't discriminate; they are still there."
"You start with the moon and your planets, they are the brightest things in the sky, then you have the stars.
"The Southern Cross constellation and sometimes meteor showers that we actually can see from the city without specialised equipment."
The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy is located approximately 15 million light-years from Earth. (Supplied: Sudath Wijeratne)
For his deep-sky photography, Mr Wijeratne uses long exposure techniques to capture nebulae and stars light-years away.
"[It shows] how small we are compared to the universe that's out there," Mr Wijeratne said.
"It's actually encouraged me to see we are part of a much bigger picture."
The Rim Nebula, also known as the Firebird Nebula. (Supplied: Sudath Wijeratne)
Damian Fletcher is the president of the South East Queensland Astronomical Society. (Supplied: Damian Fletcher)
Damian Fletcher is the president of the South East Queensland Astronomical Society (SEQAS), which runs monthly telescope nights for the public.
He said people are often surprised by what is visible even from inner parts of Brisbane.
"One of my favourite things is when people look through [a telescope] for the first time, it doesn't matter if they're adults or kids, it's the gasp when they first look through and realise what they can see," Mr Fletcher said.
"We all see the beautiful photos from NASA and Hubble, but when you're actually seeing it for the first time, everyone goes 'I didn't realise I could see it like that with my own eyes.'"
The South East Queensland Astronomical Society runs monthly telescope nights for the public. (Supplied: Damian Fletcher)
Smart telescopes making astronomy easier
Mr Fletcher said more people were getting into astrophotography thanks to new technology like smart telescopes.
Unlike traditional telescopes, smart telescopes are an all-in-one system controlled by an app on a smartphone or tablet.
Users can tell the app to navigate to specific constellations or celestial bodies, and the telescope will take a series of short-exposure photos, stacking them together until the image displays clearly on the screen.
Smart telescopes can take photos of nebulae and gas clouds in deep space. (Supplied: Sudath Wijeratne )
Mr Fletcher said they are often much cheaper than a full telescope rig.
"People can plonk them out in their backyards or take them away camping and set them up and then capture all these photos on their tablets, not realising what's out there."
Dr Michael Cowley is an astrophysicist and senior lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology. (Supplied: Michael Cowley)
Astrophysicist and senior lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology, Dr Michael Cowley, said students were also testing out smart telescopes for research.
"Even in the cities, they can get some pretty decent imagery," Dr Cowley said.
"We've managed to pick up some very nice features that otherwise we wouldn't be able to see, such as nebulae."
Stargazing on a budget
High-quality telescopes can cost tens of thousands of dollars, but Mr Wijeratne and Mr Fletcher said beginners do not have to invest much to give astronomy a go.
The Keyhole Nebula. (Supplied: Sudath Wijeratne)
"To start, you don't need any equipment," Mr Wijeratne said.
"You need a comfortable chair, get out and have a look."
The State of Liberty Nebula is a star-forming region in the Carina arm of the Milky Way. (Supplied: Sudath Wijeratne)
"From there, if you want to go further, you have options now."
Mr Fletcher said going to free community events were a good place to start.
"Don't just go in and buy the first thing you think you're seeing, or read a review on or listen to some influencer who's just trying to flog a product," he said.
"Just come along, you don't need to spend any money, and you can have all the views in the world."
Polish President Donald Tusk said there was a "real risk" Moscow's drones could fall in NATO territory.
One after the other they lined up to speak: national leaders warning of increasing imminent danger to their countries.
World leaders spent this week bemoaning the big challenges facing the world in speeches to the United Nations General Assembly.
But the more extraordinary line up of warnings has been coming from Europe over the past week.
Last weekend, France, the Netherlands, Finland, Lithuania, and Switzerland all individually warned their citizens of increased threats from Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned of Russian threats to European infrastructure. (Reuters/Mike Segar)
'No one is safe'
This followed Polish prime minister Donald Tusk, citing intelligence assessments, telling the Polish parliament last week that Russia could launch "hybrid drone and missile strikes" against Poland and other NATO countries supporting Ukraine, while portraying them as accidental.
Such attacks could form part of a Russian effort to test NATO's resolve, he said, and cast doubt on whether the alliance would invoke Article 5, under which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all.
"These possibilities have been discussed for some time, but the information is now highly consistent and, unfortunately, convincing," he added.
"I want to present the public with the most likely scenario for the next few months, because it is one that envisages serious events and requires focus, seriousness and the mental readiness to face difficult tests," he said.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, followed by calling the leaders of France's political parties — and 2027 presidential candidates — to an emergency briefing at the Elysee Palace to discuss Ukraine, Iran and the growing energy crisis.
He called Tusk's warnings "sound and well-documented" as he announced a new critical infrastructure protection plan.
Guillaume Lacroix, leader of the Radical Party of the Left, left the meeting saying: "At the age of 50, I have rarely felt such vertigo".
"No one is safe," Macron said.
The concern is that Russia may be planning to target critical infrastructure, as well as greater cyber interference, and drones over NATO airspace.
(AP: Darko Vojinovic)
Then, on Thursday, the Danish government's defence intelligence service released an assessment that concluded that Russia would increase its threats to NATO nations, "with greater consequences for the targeted countries than in the past" of hybrid war and sabotage.
Underlying all these assessments of changing threats are not just warnings of greater cyber interference, or the occasional drone over NATO airspace.
The concern is that Russia may be planning to target critical infrastructure as it concentrates more on civilian targets in countries supporting Ukraine.
Several railway lines in the Netherlands and France have recently been sabotaged, for example, with at least one causing many injuries. There have been suspicious fires near explosive manufacturing plants.
Le Monde reported this week that ''more and more experts argue that it is time to abandon the term 'hybrid warfare' and simply call it war".
It is not that European leaders are worried about the threat of an imminent land invasion. It's more the spectre of finding themselves in the same situation as the Gulf countries that have been enduring months of Iranian missile and drone attacks on military and civilian targets as the stalemate between Iran and the US continues.
Germany's lame duck
The European warnings came as the far right, pro-Russian Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) party made more gains in state elections in Germany last weekend and the support for the centre right party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz collapsed.
Merz's leadership of the country was left on life support amid agonising over how he could be removed (apparently not as easy as it is in Australia).
In the meantime, there is a sense of lame duck around German politics which is just what Europe doesn't need from its biggest economy just now.
The AfD is pushing for Germany to buy more oil and gas from Russia ahead of an expected cold winter — and generally become more friendly.
Given the German industrial base is undergoing its biggest transformations in a century — from car manufacturing to weapons and defence material — it's hardly surprising that some of its neighbours are watching developments with alarm.
However, it turns out that the AfD is not the only group wanting to buy Russian oil.
The Financial Times reported this week that the US government and Gulf power brokers with ties to the Trump family are backing a bid for the international assets of the Russian oil company Lukoil — put up for sale after it was hit with US sanctions last year.
It turns out that the AfD is not the only group wanting to buy Russian oil. (Reuters/Ramil Sitdikov)
Lukoil's international assets were originally due to be sold to the US private equity group Carlyle. But that deal "has stalled in Washington awaiting final US approval".
"Lukoil's overseas assets, valued at $US20 billion ($28 billion) when they were written off in March, include oil and gas fields from central Asia to Mexico, thousands of petrol stations and a large European refining portfolio," the Financial Times reported.
"The sale of the assets presents a rare opportunity to snap up more than 3 billion barrels of proven and probable reserves, as well as some of Bulgaria and Romania's biggest refineries."
The proposal "would put the US government in the unusual position of simultaneously bidding for the assets while another part of the administration decides their fate," the Financial Times noted with some understatement.
"The proposal raises the question of whether Carlyle would be disadvantaged if pitted against a consortium involving the US government and investors with ties to the administration, in a decision made by the White House. One person familiar with the process said: 'Yes, there is that concern'."rom global policeman to global disruptor, middle power countries are having to write their own rules rather than just hiding behind America in this new world.
No action on Gaza at UN
The Trump family's business interests continue to plough on apace, it seems, even as President Donald Trump's power base seemed to be diminishing in inverse proportion to his boasts at the UN General Assembly.
"I have a big decision to make,″ Trump had told the UN on Tuesday.
To make a deal with Iran, or "annihilate the Islamic republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again".
If only the threat was unique enough to be truly, truly shocking.
Yet few other world leaders gave it much credence. It was striking that in the addresses of others, the US/Israeli war on Iran seemed to feature relatively little in speeches, except perhaps from the Gulf states, with more (rhetorical) focus notably on Israel and its actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
Trump's speech seemed particularly directed at his ebbing political support in the US, ahead of mid-term elections.
If only Trump's threat during his UN speech to "annihilate" Iran was unique enough to be truly, truly shocking. (Reuters: Mike Segar)
He boasted he was "reasserting American power" and the country's "unmatched military might": boasts that sounded particularly hollow after a weekend in which he had been building up to join the attack on the Houthis in Yemen, only to pull out at the last moment, reportedly among concerns from military advisers about the perilous state of US weapons stocks.
Despite almost criminal overuse of the words "pomp, and pageantry and red carpet", the media coverage of the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping was all framed in terms of the Chinese leader's better tactical hand on AI and other issues.
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was also using the platform of the UN to appeal to a domestic audience back home ahead of an imminent election, attacking the many detractors who had used the same podium this week to accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza.
For the second year in a row, he faced a walkout of delegates from more than 70 countries.
Delegates walk out at the UN General Assembly as Benjamin Netanyahu gives his address.
"Shame on you," he declared to all those he said were spreading lies about Israel.
Earlier in the week, Macron had used notably similar language about the world's failure to act on Gaza, after a dozen countries — including France and Australia — last year used the same forum to formally recognise Palestine.
"What credibility do we have if we continue to remain inactive in the face of Gaza?" he said
"Must we stand by and watch this spectacle that shames us all? Never!"
Netanyahu attended the meeting despite an International Criminal Court warrant calling for his arrest, while the Trump administration denied a visa for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Despite leader after leader stepping forward to speak about Gaza this week, there was no more action from the UN on the issue.
Mahmoud Abbas sent a video message after being denied a visa to attend the UN in New York. (Reuters: Caitlin Ochs)
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has called on the US to stop blocking him from attending the UN, in a video-message beamed into the annual summit a day after Iran's president was allowed to address it in person.
Mr Abbas also called on US President Donald Trump to uphold his previous pledge to stop Israel annexing Palestinian land, telling the UN Israel had been stepping up a campaign to "completely erase Palestinian presence" in the region and kill off any prospect of a two-state solution.
For the second consecutive year, Mr Abbas was denied a US visa to attend the UN General Assembly's annual summit — a decision he said was punitive and unlawful. It was particularly notable given Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was allowed into New York under US Secret Service protection while leading a country at war with the US.
"We call upon the American administration to lift these sanctions and restrictions … rather than punishing the side that has chosen the path of international law and political and diplomatic action in order to guarantee its rights," Mr Abbas said.
The State Department denied the visa on grounds including that the Palestinian Authority, which Mr Abbas leads, had taken "actions to internationalise the Israeli-Palestinian conflict", including by actions in international courts.
'Do not allow another Nakba'
This year's UN General Assembly summit marks a year since a bloc of countries, including Australia, the UK and Canada, recognised Palestinian statehood in defiance of American opposition.
The UN also last year adopted the New York Declaration, which gave "unwavering support" to establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Mr Abbas said the Palestinian Authority had fulfilled its obligations under the declaration — including by implementing a national reform program.
But he said the international community needed to now act to stop Israel from undermining the two-state solution and carrying out a "malicious colonial scheme aimed at making the lives of Palestinians more difficult in their homeland and forcing them to leave it".
Mahmoud Abbas said Israel was carrying out a "malicious colonial scheme" aimed at forcing Palestinians from their homeland. (Reuters: Caitlin Ochs)
"Our people are being subjected at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces to killing, destruction, starvation and attempts at displacement, as well as a genocidal war that has created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe," he said.
"We warn you today: do not allow another Nakba to occur," he said, referring to the mass displacement suffered by hundreds of thousands of Palestinians when Israel was created in 1948.
"Do not allow terrorist gangs protected by the Israeli occupation forces to burn Palestinian homes while their occupants are sleeping inside them."
Rising violence
After declaring Israel's war in Gaza a genocide — which Israel denies — multiple human rights groups have documented increasing levels of violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. They include killings, beatings and intimidation of Palestinians, damage to homes, and cuts to communities' power and water.
The UN has reported an increase in Palestinians attacked by Israeli settlers — up from one Palestinian injured every three days in 2020, to more than three per day in 2026.
The settlements are deemed illegal under international law, and many world leaders have condemned them during speeches across the week. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said they were "bulldozing the path to peace and raising the spectre of ethnic cleansing".
Many critics of Israel say its occupation of the West Bank and settlement expansion amount to de facto annexation of the territory. Mr Trump has previously said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.
Israel has not formally declared an intention to annex the West Bank and denies the illegality of the settlements. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed some recent violence on "juvenile delinquents" and a "handful of rioters", though independent observers have documented repeated instances of Israeli authorities supporting and enabling settler attacks.
Earlier this week, Mr Netanyahu's office mocked the series of criticisms directed towards Israel at the UN, posting an apparently AI-generated video on X showing parrots in the UN assembly hall repeating the words "blame Israel".
The video posted to X by the Israeli Prime Minister's account showed birds addressing the UN. (X: Prime Minister of Israel)
Native wattle, also known as Acacia brachybotrya, is flowering all over the Riverland in South Australia at the moment. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
Belinda Hansen lives on a remote 1922 homestead by the River Murray, on the border of New South Wales and Victoria.
It is situated around 50 kilometres from Lake Victoria, surrounded by ancient red cliffs, gum trees and wildlife.
According to Ms Hansen, this year's abundance of flora is reminiscent of sights she saw more than 50 years ago, in 1974, with the return of plants she has not seen in decades.
Dense fields of poached egg daisies are being found in lots of regional places. (Supplied: Belinda Hansen)
Belinda Hansen's home at Kulcurna Station is usually dry and dusty. (ABC Riverland: Sophie Landau)
"That was an amazing year for rain, plants and budgies — there were thousands of them," she said.
"Normally plants are isolated, taking advantage of a patch of ground which is sheltered [or] containing more moisture than surrounding areas.
"[But] with the consistent rainfall, plants are profuse, with some of the flowering plants growing up through a mat of ground cover."
She described the landscape as "very unusual and wonderful" with a carpet of "varying shades of green" and "swathes of colour from some wildflowers".
Purple swainsonas at Kulcurna Station. (Supplied: Belinda Hansen)
Poached egg daisies, common stork's bill, statice "sea lavender" and Olearia pimeleoides, also known as showy daisies, are some of the plants she has come across.
Ms Hansen said her area had received around 240 millimetres of rain this year, just shy of its average yearly total of around 250mm, and brought the countryside to life.
But the burst in colour is not just in her corner of the country, with blooms being seen across regional Australia.
Patches of pig face flowers on floodplains in the Riverland. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
South Australia's Riverland has experienced an outstanding level of rain this year, following three years of record-breaking drought.
Falls have already exceeded the region's yearly average of between 200mm and 300mm by 150 per cent in some places, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Andrew Walladge describes the bush as an explosion of colour. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
Local plant expert and Berri Native Plants owner Andrew Walladge said it had transformed the arid landscape.
"We've had exceptional rainfall events pretty much starting from March and have occurred right through," Mr Walladge said.
"For somewhere that doesn't get a lot of rain this is really, really exciting, because we're seeing plants we haven't seen before."
While flowers normally bloom in spring, what has excited nature lovers is the abundance of flowers. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
Even the weeds are pretty
While native plants have experts and visitors excited, they are not the only plants bringing colour to the region.
Invasive weeds are known to displace native plants and cause problems in the ecosystem, but they are also booming with the spring weather wherever they can find space.
They might be weeds, but even the roadsides are bursting with colour. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
Murray River Trails operations manager and guide Sophie Hoffman said it is disappointing to see them, but they do add to the beauty of the landscape.
"They are really pretty, and I think we can give them credit for that," she said.
"We're only really seeing them in their boom period right now, and during the heat of the Australian summer they recede a little bit."
Sophie Hoffman says people who visit are amazed at the fields of flowers. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
Ms Hoffman said wildlife have also followed suit.
"We're seeing small insects; we're seeing birds come out with the flowering event that we're seeing," she said.
Echium plantagineum, also known as salvation jane, is a declared weed. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
The Australasian Fire Authorities Council's seasonal outlook for the season said South Australia will have a drier-than-average spring.
With the extra growth around the state, the added foliage is likely to add to the fuel load this fire season and has the potential to increase fire risk in many places this summer.
Andrew Walladge says people should go for a walk and see what flowers they can spot. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
But as far as plant enthusiasts are concerned, now is the time to get outside and see what might be blooming.
"For a lot of people, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience of seeing our bushland so vibrant, so full and so incredibly exciting,"
Mr Walladge said.
Native wattle is budding in bushland across the regions. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
