Is Tim Wilson an ‘inflation nutter’? Why the new shadow treasurer’s RBA comments are making waves

There was good news on Thursday.Another solid month of jobs growth left the unemployment rate steady at 4.1% in January.The impressive resilience of Australia’s jobs market has been the positive story of the post-pandemic economy.We have come out the other side of the global health crisis and a once-in-a-generation inflationary event with a jobless rate that has tracked consistently one percentage point below where it was through the dog days of the late 2010s

Airbus suggests split solution for Europe’s faltering fighter jet programme

Airbus has suggested splitting Europe’s faltering future fighter jet programme into two separate warplanes, amid a dispute between manufacturers over who leads the €100bn (£87bn) project.The company’s defence arm – which represents Germany and Spain – and the French partner, Dassault Aviation, are locked in a battle over the jet part of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a wide-ranging project that will also include autonomous drones and a futuristic “combat communications cloud”.Guillaume Faury, Airbus’s chief executive, said on Thursday that the deadlock over the planned next-generation jet “should not jeopardise the entire future of this hi-tech European capability, which will bolster our collective defence.“If mandated by our customers, we would support a two-fighter solution and are committed to playing a leading role in such a reorganised FCAS delivered through European cooperation.”Earlier this week, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, signalled that the planned warplane did not suit Germany’s needs, in the latest blow to the project

Accenture ‘links staff promotions to use of AI tools’

Accenture has reportedly started tracking staff use of its AI tools and will take this into consideration when deciding on top promotions, as the consulting company tries to increase uptake of the technology by its workforce.The company told senior managers and associate directors that being promoted to leadership roles would require “regular adoption” of artificial intelligence, according to an internal email seen by the Financial Times.The consultancy has also begun collecting data on weekly log-ins to its AI tools by some senior staff members, the FT reports.Accenture has previously said it has trained 550,000 of its 780,000-strong workforce in generative AI, up from only 30 people in 2022, and has announced it is rolling out training to all of its employees as part of its annual $1bn (£740m) annual spend on learning.Among the tools whose use will reportedly be monitored is Accenture’s AI Refinery

Ebay buys Depop for $1.2bn in effort to lure younger shoppers

The online retailer eBay has agreed to buy the British secondhand fashion resale app Depop from Etsy for about $1.2bn (£890m) in cash, as eBay targets younger fashion-loving consumers.The deal comes at a time when secondhand marketplaces continue to soar in popularity, especially among gen Z shoppers – born between 1997 and 2012 – amid a squeeze on household incomes and concerns about sustainability in fashion.However, the sale to eBay marks a $400m loss for Etsy, an online market that focuses on craft and handmade items, which bought Depop for $1.6bn less than five years ago

Australia beat India by 19 runs in second women’s T20 international – as it happened

After a disappointing loss in Sydney and the frustration of not being able to finish the game due to the rain, Australia came into this match with a lot of determination. Their batting score appeared under par and India’s start made it look like it was certain to be that way, but a strong bowling performance through the middle and late overs of the game secured the win for the home team.Voll was a well-deserved player of the match – her determination set the standard for her teammates and ensured her team had a strong platform to build from. While the batting innings finished in a disappointing manner for Australia, it was a good enough score to give the bowlers something to defend and they gave their all to defending it.For India, Shafali and Smriti put on a great opening stand, but after Shafali was out, the scoring rate stalled

I went back to my alma mater and saw how women’s sports have changed

I’ve been going to Columbia basketball games since I was an undergraduate in the 1960s. As a junior, I did some play-by-play for WKCR, the student-run radio station. There was a time long ago when I went to almost every Lions home game. I’m talking about the men. There wasn’t a women’s basketball team until 1984