Ah December: The season of mall Santas, crowded supermarkets, and having your life savings alchemy into $20.00 gift vouchers. It’s truly a magical time of the year.
However, just because Christmas is around the corner doesn’t mean that the news takes a holiday. Here are some of this Thursday’s biggest headlines.
Australia Has Defeated Denmark
In a historic win that slaps, the Socceroos have defeated Denmark in this year’s FIFA World Cup. That’s right, we’ve defied the odds, winning one — nil.
This win is thanks to the work of forward Mathew Leckie. In the 59th minute, Leckie took a cheeky pass from Riley McGree while most of the Danish team was up our end of the field. In a blinding run, he dodged two defenders and slotted a kick with his left foot that went past Denmark’s goalie, Kasper Schmeichel.
“Low and hard, it’s difficult for a keeper to save, and as soon as I saw it was going in, I was so excited and so happy,” said Leckie.
“I think by the celebration, you can see how much emotion there was. I’m just so proud, you know, we’ve worked so hard… My first World Cup is probably one of the most important goals for me and for the team.”
The Socceroos now enter the knockout rounds of this year’s FIFA World Cup. This is the first time that this has happened since 2006 and the second time ever. The team’s next game is against Argentina at 06:00am AEDT on December 4.
It’s also worth noting that this year’s FIFA World Cup is taking place in the country of Qatar. The Socceroos have previously criticised this country for criminalising same-sex relationships and also mistreating its migrant workers.
Why the Whole Quad Is Heading to Sydney Next Year
The US President, Joe Biden. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida. All of these dudes will be heading to Sydney next year to meet with our own Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.
These world leaders will be catching up for a leaders-level meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, otherwise known as the Quad. This group will most likely discuss China’s expanding influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
As Michael Green, the CEO of the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre, said, “The combined power of these four maritime democracies is a reminder to China it could face a united front if it pushes too hard.”
It’s believed that this meeting will happen in either late May or early June after Japan’s G7 summit.
Related: Why Albanese Jetsetted Around the World
Related: How Albanese and Jinping’s G20 Meeting Could Alter Australia
Teen Writes Kids Book in the Wirangu Language
For proud Wirangu woman, Mia Speed, there were no books written in her traditional language that she could share with her nieces and nephews. So, instead of doing nothing, she decided to learn some more Wirangu, talk with the children’s author Mem Fox, and create her own.
“I feel gaining that knowledge at my age is really good because most of my family, and mother, they don’t really know much of their language,” said Speed.
“I’m hoping that it can be one day published, so it will be given out to the further community, and I hope to create more children’s books in the Wirangu language.”
The Director of the University of Melbourne’s Research Unit for Indigenous Language, Rachel Nordlinger, was stoked that Speed did this.
“To have a young student off her own back go and research her language and create material that brings the language back to life in story books is a really fabulous way to do that,” said Nordlinger.
“The more that children have access to their language and hear their language then the more it becomes a part of their lives and that’s how language is continued across the generations. It’s so emotional to hear the languages and to know that that knowledge is not only still with the community but is also being passed on to children: It’s incredibly powerful.”
Speed’s story centres on a mother kangaroo, named Malu, trying to locate her lost joey.
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