In the search for a dream home, Australians are competing with foreign cash. Real estate agent Nicole Qui meets with international buyers daily, showing them the best of our property market. Most buyers, she says, are from China, with many coming from Singapore and Malaysia. Our excellent schools are a big drawcard. Jeffrey Yuen has just moved his family to Melbourne from …

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will end unless Hamas returns more hostages by noon on Saturday. “The military will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated,” he said in a video statement. The ceasefire has been called into question amid Hamas claims Israel violated key provisions, prompting it to cancel the …

There is a marked immaturity in the reporting of opinion polls and other political developments in Australia at the moment. I see problems in two main categories. First is the seemingly endless pursuit of uniquely Australian explanations for what are obviously global trends. The second is the tendency to ignore the historical reality that polls three months out from an …

The cash rate target — a figure that influences how high people’s mortgage repayments are set — hasn’t changed for more than a year. It’s been set at 4.35 per cent since November 2023. But it’s possible that will change when the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) meets next week. When is the next RBA meeting? The RBA Board’s first …

For the first time in a decade, Australia has moved into the top 10 of the international corruption index for transparency. But experts warn more work is still needed to stay there. Australia scored 77 out of 100 in Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index. It was an improvement on its previous ranking in 2023, which saw Australia with a …

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed he would be willing to swap land in negotiations with Russia to bring the ongoing conflict between the two countries to an end. Mr Zelenskyy has in the past refused to relinquish any territory, after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In an interview with The Guardian that was published on Tuesday, he said …

A ceasefire deal has been reached in Gaza. The US and Qatar confirmed an agreement had been made between Israel and Hamas to pause the 15-month-long war in Gaza, and release dozens of Israeli hostages. Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails will also be freed. The deal will take effect on Sunday, January 19, and include three phases. This is what we …

Amanda Rishworth will become the new NDIS minister, Katy Gallagher will pick up another portfolio and Anne Aly will assist the new NDIS minister in a cabinet reshuffle following Bill Shorten’s retirement. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten will leave parliament on Monday, just before the federal election, vacating the National Disability Insurance Scheme portfolio and providing an opportunity for the …

The federal government has launched an investigation into the appointment of a principal at a private school in southern New South Wales, following “anti-Semitic” comments on social media. Principal of New Madinah College in Young, Sheikh Abdulghani Albaf, has been condemned by the federal and NSW governments and the Australian Jewish Association over Facebook comments spanning several years. A post …

Struggling Australians need leadership with heart, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says, as both major parties kick off their unofficial election campaigns. With voters hitting the polls in a matter of months, the Liberals have pledged to get the nation “back on track” while Labor promises to “build Australia’s future”. But Opposition Leader Peter Dutton lashed the government’s campaign mantra, pointing …