business 
Good morning. On Tuesday, Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, announced a major expansion of attacks on Gaza and the “capture of large areas that will be added to the security zones of the state of Israel”. The announcement followed a night of airstrikes on Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza, which officials said had … Read more
The Coalition will not repeal Labor’s landmark “same job, same pay” reforms, with Peter Dutton staring down calls from mining companies to overturn the wage protections even as he conceded they meant “difficulties” for some firms. Big mining companies have campaigned strongly against the Labor legislation, which had been passed as part of their “closing … Read more
Labor will provide $1bn in zero interest loans to help export-focused companies tap alternative markets, as Australia seeks to loosen trade ties with the US in response to Donald Trump’s new tariffs. The lending facility would complement a separate initiative by the government to fund representative bodies of affected sectors “to secure and grow new … Read more
Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to begin a four-day official visit to Hungary on Thursday, marking the first time the Israeli prime minister has stepped foot on European soil since the international criminal court issued an arrest warrant for him over allegations of war crimes in Gaza. Hours after the ICC announced the warrants in November, … Read more
The share of mortgage holders spending more than they earn has fallen to its lowest level since 2022, but the Reserve Bank of Australia has urged banks to keep lending cautiously to protect the housing market from vulnerabilities. One in 20 owner-occupiers on variable-rate mortgages spent more than they earned in mid-2024 but that figure … Read more
Stocks dived and investors scrambled to the safety of bonds, gold and the yen on Thursday as Donald Trump unveiled a bigger-than-expected wall of tariffs around the world’s largest economy, upending trade and supply chains. The technology sector was pummelled as manufacturing hubs in China and Taiwan faced new tariffs above 30%. In total, China … Read more
Australia has experienced its hottest 12-month period on record, ending with its hottest March on record, with last month seeing temperatures 2.41C above average, the Bureau of Meteorology has confirmed. The bureau said its data going back to 1910 showed the 12 months ending in March 2025 averaged 1.61C above average – the hottest of … Read more
Developing nations in South-east Asia, including war-torn and earthquake-hit Myanmar, and several African nations are among the trading partners facing the highest tariffs set by US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Upending decades of US trade policy and threatening to unleash a global trade war, Trump on Wednesday announced a raft of tariffs he said … Read more
Australian elections have many proud traditions: democracy sausages, Akubra hats, and of course, salt of the earth “tradies” in campaign ads. The tradition continues down in Victoria, where a young man in an orange hi-vis vest, complete with a hard hat, makes an appearance in a campaign video for the former Liberal MP Tim Wilson. … Read more
Donald Trump’s tariff “day of liberation” arrived with the US president imposing markups on imports while accusing other nations, including allies, of “looting, pillaging, raping and plundering” the US. The UK got off relatively lightly with the basic 10%. Here is how major British newspapers see it. Guardian front page, Thursday 3 April 2024 Photograph: … Read more