Federal politics and COVID-19 dominated local headlines this morning.
Here’s the news abroad.
The United States
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has declared a state of emergency due to the monkey pox outbreak. Credit: AP
The mayor of San Francisco has declared a legal state of emergency due to the monkey pox outbreak in the city.
The decision means officials can cut red tape to more easily mobilize public resources. It comes after New York declared a public health emergency earlier this week.
Read more here from our global desk.
the united kingdom
Flag bearers Eddie Ockenden and Rachael Grinham lead Team Australia in the opening ceremony. Credit: Getty
This year’s Commonwealth Games have opened with a celebration of classic British cars, a defiant message against homophobia and an emotional speech from the world’s youngest Nobel laureate.
Europe correspondent Rob Harris was there and wrote this story.
New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern. Credit: Getty
Jacinda Ardern has cast doubt on her party’s plunging poll numbers as Labor adjusts to a tighter political contest in New Zealand.
For two years dominated by COVID, Labor has dominated politics, including the 2020 election, which gave the Prime Minister a second term with a historic parliamentary majority. But this year’s polls have been telling a different story.
From stratospheric heights, Labor has come crashing back down to earth to be in a close contest with the centre-right National Party.
Labor led Nationals in 52 consecutive published polls from February 2020.
The Nationals, under leader Chris Luxon, snapped that streak in January this year when Australian pollster Roy Morgan led them 35 per cent to 33.
The blue side of politics has led in most polls released since then, including a May poll that widened its lead to 8.5 points.
china
Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Community Party. Credit: AP
China’s financial deal makers are on a crash course in austerity with wage cuts and curbed benefits, as state-owned employers respond to Beijing’s “shared prosperity” push.
State-owned investment banks including China International Capital Corp and Citic Securities have implemented wage cuts this year as well as delayed bonus payments to their staff. The cuts, in some cases, reached 60 percent, according to various sources.
Others, such as state-owned China Merchants Securities, have cut travel and entertainment spending since the start of the year, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Pay cuts for investment bankers in China began last year in response to a business downturn as the economy slowed, but industry watchers say the trend has gained momentum this year.
with AP, AAP and Reuters