Australia news LIVE: Gaza ceasefire talks collapse; Marles and Wong to meet UK counterparts in Sydney; Hulk Hogan dead at 71

The Age

4 days ago

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Latest posts
6.58am
Trump rejects wanting to destroy Musk's companies as Tesla shares plunge
Donald Trump denied he was seeking to ruin the business empire of his onetime ally Elon Musk as retribution for their dispute over the US president's signature tax law.
'I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE,' Trump posted Thursday on social media, though it was unclear exactly what comments he was responding to.
'The better they do, the better the USA does, and that's good for all of us. We are setting records every day, and I want to keep it that way!' the president added.
Shares of Tesla lost more than 8 per cent in New York during the first trading session since the company reported a steep decline in revenue and Musk warned of difficult times ahead for his electric vehicle maker. The stock had declined 18 per cent this year through Wednesday's close.
6.54am
Ghislaine Maxwell meets DOJ amid Epstein saga
Deputy US Attorney-General Todd Blanche held a meeting with sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein's imprisoned associate Ghislaine Maxwell at the US attorney's office in Tallahassee, Florida, ABC News reported on Friday AEST.
The meeting was widely anticipated, after Blanche announced earlier in the week that he had reached out to Maxwell's lawyers to see if she might have 'information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims.'
Maxwell is serving a 20-year term at a federal prison in Tallahassee, after a jury convicted her of helping Epstein to abuse underage girls. She is appealing her sentence.
The meeting is part of an ongoing Justice Department effort to cast itself as transparent following fierce backlash from parts of President Donald Trump's base over an earlier refusal to release additional records in the Epstein investigation.
AP, Reuters
6.50am
What's making news today
By Daniel Lo Surdo
Hello and welcome to the national news live blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning.
Here's what is making news today:
Gaza ceasefire negotiations have collapsed in Qatar, with United States mediators returning home after blaming Hamas for the breakdown in talks. The departure of American negotiators follows the same move from Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu hours earlier, with US special envoy Steve Witkoff saying his team would 'now consider alternative options' to secure stability in the region.
Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong will meet their United Kingdom counterparts in Sydney, two days after this masthead confirmed Australia had paid the United States another $800 million towards the AUKUS submarine deal under review by the Trump administration. It comes as the Albanese government lifts its import ban on US beef, a key restriction raised by Trump for his proposed sweeping tariffs on Australian goods.
Professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71. Hogan was pronounced dead at a Florida hospital after authorities responded to a call about a cardiac arrest on Thursday morning (local time), with local police saying there were 'no signs of foul play or suspicious activity' associated with Hogan's death. US President Donald Trump was among those paying tribute to Hogan, saying his cultural impact was 'massive'.
The Australian sharemarket is expected to retreat on Friday, as Wall Street hangs near its records in afternoon trading. The ASX fell on Thursday, with Macquarie shares among the biggest laggards on the bourse. It comes as Trump visited US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on Thursday afternoon (local time), two days after Trump labelled Powell a 'numbskull' who will be 'out pretty soon'.