Saturday Night Live (also known as SNL) — as explained by Wikipedia — is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol. The show premiere was hosted by George Carlin on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title “NBC's Saturday Night”. The show's comedy sketches, which often parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. The first sketch ends usually with someone breaking character and proclaiming, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!”

China has ended a block on communicating officially with Australia after Premier Li Keqiang – second to President Xi Jinping – congratulated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hours after he took office, state media reported.

The olive branch came as Mr Albanese was flying to his first major foreign policy engagement, a regional security summit formed to be a counterweight to China’s influence in the region.

State news agency Xinhua quoted Premier Li as saying he hoped that this year’s 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties would be an occasion to review relations between the two countries.

“In the 1970s, the Australian Labor Party made the correct choice in establishing diplomatic ties with China, making important contributions to the development of bilateral relations,” Xinhua reported, in comments attributed to the Premier.

The stand-off between Russia and the Western nations, which has been developing since 2014, escalated into an active confrontation with the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, back in late February. In other words, the Great Game has ceased to be a game. It has become total war, though a hybrid one so far, since the armed conflict in Ukraine is not of a full-scale nature at present.

However, the danger of it intensifying towards a direct collision not only exists, but is increasing.

McKinsey & Co. worked with Russian weapons maker even as it advised Pentagon

The consulting giant had previously come under scrutiny for its work with state-owned companies in China and with opioid manufacturers.

https://www.yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/28950

As the government of ScoMo bites the dust and there is a rise in the ranks of caring independents in our system of government, will we manage a bit more care, compassion and justice? 

Of all the people in the world, one would think that the Irish would understand the desire of the Donbass region for independence... But alas no. The Irish revolutionary spirit has been diluted by the American hamburgers and the Brussel sprouts cooking smells... The irish "are with Ukraine", which is a stupid idea... a bit like the "polar bears are with the seal pups killers"....

So the Irish government is in a bit of a pickle:

The Government has been secretly warned that the arrival of tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees into towns and cities across the country poses a risk to social cohesion and integration, particularly among deprived communities.

Russian forces have bombarded areas of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region from land and air, destroying houses in residential districts and killing civilians.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says the assaults have turned the Donbas into “hell”.

“The Donbas is completely destroyed,” Mr Zelenskiy said in an address on Thursday night. “It is hell there – and that is not an exaggeration.”

As the war nears its three-month mark, the Ukrainian general staff say massive artillery barrages, including multiple rocket-launchers, have hit civilian infrastructure.

Russian aircraft have also struck at targets, the general staff said in a statement on Friday.

The meaning of war in the 21st century

by Thierry Meyssan

Interrupting his series of articles on the war in Ukraine, Thierry Meyssan delivers some thoughts on the evolution of the human dimension of war. The end of industrial capitalism and the globalization of exchanges do not only transform our societies and our ways of thinking, but the meaning of all our activities, including wars.

Teary Tim Wilson concedes defeat to Zoe Daniel

By Latika Bourke

Tim Wilson is conceding the Melbourne seat of Goldstein to teal independent Zoe Daniel.

He began to cry as he talked about the support from his husband, Ryan.

“Nobody pretends you’re not shattered after something like this,” he said.

“My contribution at this point appears to be ending. It’s challenging to face the fact. It is what it is.”

He said that looking at himself in the mirror, he could unequivocally say he did everything he could.

In the fray of the Australian federal elections, the climate seems to have taken a front seat with the winning “teal” independents and most of Labor members…

One has to acknowledge that coal is still the main driver of world energy supply as well as the worst culprit for inducing global warming. Not coal's fault but our burning it....

According to analysis of the logistics map (in French) of the present Russian intervention in Ukraine, Putin has achieved his main objectives… Bear with us, this map is already a few days old.

All Russia has to do now is be patient until Zelenskyyyy-y gives up his delusion of a “victory”. By this stage many Ukrainians would have seen through the stage-managed hubris of this fascist puppet of Washington. Some Ukrainians would have died for “nothing” more, than the US sponsored self-interest of Pinocchio Volodymyr.

French celebrate Morrison’s defeat

By Latika Bourke

France’s foreign minster Jean-Yves Le Drian has barely concealed his delight with Scott Morrison’s defeat. 

“I can’t stop myself from saying that the defeat of Morrison suits me fine,” Le Drian told reporters on Sunday morning AEST, as he handed over to his successor Catherine Colonna. 

Read more from our Europe correspondent Rob Harris: The only way is up for French relations after Le Drian takes final swipe at Morrison....

Ukraine has “broken the backbone” of the Russian army and will gain victory in bloody battle, but the end of the war will be achieved through diplomacy, says Volodymyr Zelensky.

In a TV interview to mark his third year as president, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine’s military had inflicted enough damage on Russia to ensure “they will not be able to get back on their feet for the next few years”.

His comments came as Russia claimed control of Mariupol after the last 2400 Ukrainian forces, who been defending the city’s Azovstal steelworks, surrendered and were taken captive.

Australian politics has experienced a seismic and profound shift.

Scott Morrison's prime ministership is over on the back of a female independent climate revolt. It's the women, stupid.

The Liberal Party has been smashed by a sea of teal women.

Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham told the ABC that gender was "clearly a factor" in the election result. Former Liberal minister Julie Bishop said independents appealed to people who felt that the moderates within the Liberal Party were not being heard in a government that was led by "Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce".

The Coalition's own tracking polls said Morrison was unpopular with women. In fact, it was lethal.

We cry for Argentina,

We cry for Ukraine,

But we don’t cry for Russians

Killed by neo-nazi Ukrainians,

Nor accept Russia’s Crimea.

Our windbag against war is vain

And does not feel real pain.

This is not very odd,

It’s in our Western blood

To hate all that is Russian

Far more than what was Prussian —

And now we love neo-nazi Ukrainians,

Under American rules-biased disorders.

Our windbag against war is vain

And does not feel real pain.

In this new cold war of anti-Russian

Affray,