NationAUKUS is a response to the arms race, not fuel for itThe Indo-Pacific region is in the midst of a substantial arms race that Australia is responding to, not fuelling, with its planned acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said. “The arms race is the greatest it’s been since 1945, and that is why I reject assertions… that Australia is somehow fuelling that arms race. In the latest poll, 47 per cent of respondents disapprove of Mr Albanese’s performance and 42 per cent approve. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/28/most-voters-now-disapprove-of-anthony-albaneses-performance-as-pm-guardian-essential-poll-findsEconomyMonthly retail sales drop 0.2 per cent in OctoberAustralia’s Retail Sales, a measure of the country’s consumer spending, dropped by 0.2 per cent month-on-month in October from the previous reading of a 0.9 per cent rise, according to the official data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The figure came in worse than the market expectation for an increase of 0.1 per cent, FXStreet.com reported.

Source: The Hindu November 29, 2023 09:57 UTC