Australian shares shoot up after Trump walks back tariff threat

Australian shares shot higher on Thursday to recoup part of their recent losses, after Donald Trump dropped a tariff threat used against European allies amid his pressure campaign to gain control of Greenland.The de-escalation fuelled a rally in global share markets that flowed into Australia, sending the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 briefly above the 8,860 point mark, before a slight easing.The US president’s retreat once again rewarded dip buyers, who have ridden the “Trump Always Chickens Out” (Taco) trade strategy that relies on the American leader backing down from tariff threats after declaring victory.Trump has said he has a “framework of a future deal” on Greenland, without elaborating.But, in an interview with Sky News on Wednesday, a member of Denmark’s parliament, Sascha Faxe, has suggested that the deal Donald Trump claims to have struck with Nato over Greenland is “not real”

OECD calls on Australia to raise GST and increase affordable housing amid budget deficit

The OECD has called on the government to broaden the GST, do more to reduce greenhouse emissions and adopt ambitious social housing targets as part of its annual economic survey of Australia.Ahead of Jim Chalmers’ fifth federal budget in May, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said Australia’s economy was “now normalising”, after struggling through a lengthy period of weak growth following the pandemic.Interest rate cuts and a rebound in households’ real disposable incomes would drive average economic growth up to “a little more than 2% over the coming years”, it said in the report.Sign up: AU Breaking News email“But longstanding challenges of slower productivity growth, high housing costs and high carbon emissions need to be addressed.”The OECD called out the damage from Australia’s increasingly unaffordable housing market and backed federal and state-level efforts to boost home supply by easing land restrictions and increasing density

Elon Musk floats idea of buying Ryanair after calling CEO ‘an idiot’

Elon Musk has floated the idea of buying the budget airline Ryanair, escalating his public spat with the Irish carrier’s boss, Michael O’Leary.The two outspoken businessmen have locked horns since last week, when O’Leary was asked whether he would follow Lufthansa and British Airways in installing Musk’s Starlink satellite internet technology on his fleet of 650 aircraft.The Ryanair chief executive rejected the idea, saying that adding antennas to the jets would result in “2% fuel drag”, adding an extra $200m-$250m to its $5bn (£3.71bn) annual kerosene bill.Musk said that interpretation was “misinformed” in a post on his X platform, prompting a tit-for-tat exchange of insults, with each calling the other an “idiot” and then the Tesla and SpaceX CEO saying O’Leary should be fired

Tell us: has a chatbot helped you out of a difficult time in your life?

AI Chatbots are now a part of everyday life. ChatGPT surpassed 800 million weekly active users in late 2025. Some people are forming relationships with these chatbots, using them for companionship, mental health support, and even as therapists. Has a chatbot helped you get through a difficult period in life? If so, we’d like to hear about it.You can tell us how an AI chatbot has helped you get through a difficult period in life using this form

Australian Open 2026: Novak Djokovic eases to clinical win over Francesco Maestrelli – as it happened

Thank you for joining me again this afternoon to witness Novak Djokovic joining the other leading men in the third round of the Australian Open. The veteran didn’t push himself, but he never needed to, saving as much energy as possible for battles ahead.Those battles become considerably tougher for all the leading singles contenders in the third round, especially those in action on Saturday when temperatures are going to hit 40C. A pair of brisk straight-sets victories will stand the ten-time champion in good stead as the mercury rises.Stay tuned for more from Melbourne Park this evening when Jannik Sinner, Naomi Osaka, and Taylor Fritz are all in action

Barbecues, ballboys and oranges: Australia tennis greats pass ‘strong tradition’ to next generation | Simon Cambers

Each year on the first Friday of Wimbledon, an increasingly large crowd flocks to a house near the All England Club for a very special party. Hosted by Tennis Australia, the “Aussie Barbecue” has become a fixture in the calendar, a celebration of tennis for current players, former stars, coaches, administrators and journalists.The food and drinks are outstanding and even when the weather doesn’t play ball, a huge marquee protects the guests. But in addition to the fun, the evening also plays an important role, maintaining a link between generations of Australian tennis.Australia is, of course, blessed with a rich heritage of champions