A potential meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese may occur next week, according to Trump. This announcement comes as Albanese prepares to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

During a recent exchange at the White House, Trump criticized an ABC journalist, John Lyons, for his questions regarding Trump's business dealings. Lyons asked, "Is it appropriate, President Trump, that a president in office should be engaged in so much business activity?" Trump responded, "Well, I'm really not. My kids are running the business." When Lyons identified himself as a reporter from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Trump remarked, "Oh, the Australian — you're hurting Australia. In my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now, and they want to get along with me. You know, your leader is coming over to see me very soon. I'm going to tell him about you. You set a very bad tone."

Albanese and Trump have not met since both leaders took office. The Prime Minister's upcoming trip to New York could provide an opportunity for their first face-to-face meeting.

In other news, the Australian government is investing $1.1 billion in grants to promote the production of low-carbon liquid fuels. This funding aims to support the development of sustainable fuels, which are essential for reducing carbon emissions in sectors like aviation, mining, and construction. These fuels can be produced from various feedstocks, including sugarcane and canola, as well as non-biomass resources like captured carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

Shahana McKenzie, CEO of Bioenergy Australia, stated that while the funding is a positive step, more investment will be necessary in the future to expand the sector. She noted, "Additional funding will be needed over the decades in order for us to be able to grow this sector to the size that it needs to be."

Australia currently exports nearly $4 billion worth of suitable feedstocks, but McKenzie emphasized that the country is not fully utilizing its potential. Tony Wood from the Grattan Institute highlighted logistical challenges in collecting agricultural waste materials, which are often located far from urban centers and refineries. He questioned how to efficiently transport these materials for conversion into biodiesel and aviation fuel.