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Treasurer says carve-outs to capital gains tax discount came after ‘getting the consultation right’. Follow today’s news live• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThere were two small earthquakes in New South Wales this morning, according to Geoscience Australia.A 3.4 magnitude quake hit near Orange around 5.45am this morning, with at least 108 people reporting they felt the shakes. And a 3.2 magnitude temblor hit near Wilcannia two hours earlier. Just two people reported feeling that quake.If we’re given the choice between taking the easier path politically or doing the more difficult thing, but the right thing in the interests of particularly first home buyers, young people, workers in the tax system, then it will be worth it.Obviously, there’s a big partisan political campaign against these changes. We understand that. We anticipated that. We expected that. But it’s worth it because our job isn’t just to take the easy political options.The more important thing than the politics of this is to get the policy right, to get the substance right. Because at the end of the day, what matters most is the tax system and the housing market are broken. We are acting to fix it. Continue reading...

Former presidents, heads of state and celebrities converged on a lakefront park in Chicago’s South Side to dedicate the Obama Presidential CenterSign up for the Breaking News US emailHe calls the situation a “win-win” for the US.Vance is here, and he starts by claiming that Trump’s peace deal with Iran “is already bearing real fruits for the American people”, with 12.5m barrels going through the strait of Hormuz last night and gas prices dropping below $4 today for the first time since the conflict began. Continue reading...

Result expected around 3am as Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor hopes a win over Reform UK will help force the prime minister to step asidePolls close in Makerfield byelection as Andy Burnham eyes No 10Burnham brings in top economists before possible leadership runDavid Blunkett, the former Labour cabinet minister, has suggested that Keir Starmer should stand down after the Makerfield byelection.In an interview on the BBC’s Newsnight, Blunkett suggested that Starmer standing aside would be the best option for the party regardless of whether Andy Burnham wins tonight or loses. Continue reading...

Officers arrest man on suspicion of attempted murder as child is treated in hospital for serious injuries A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy ended up in a crocodile enclosure, Cambridgeshire police said.The force said officers were called to Johnsons of Old Hurst zoo in Huntingdonshire at 1.24pm on Thursday over “reports of an incident involving a three-year-old boy, during which he ended up in the crocodile enclosure”. Continue reading...

Musicians and production team understood to be facing same punishment after livestream of patriotic songThe Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight members of a production team, including musicians, have been reportedly sentenced to 74 lashes for performing in a concert livestreamed on Ahmadi’s YouTube channel in 2024.According to court documents, the criminal court of Qom province sentenced the artists to flogging, a two-year ban on leaving the country and a two-year ban on engaging in artistic activities on charges that include offending public decency through the production and publication of “vulgar and immoral content” online. Continue reading...

On Wednesday, the US and Iran signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a 14-point framework aimed at ending a conflict in the Middle East that had stretched to around 110 days.

US president says he encourages Middle East countries to ‘maintain commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold’Reaction: Donald Trump’s Iran deal met with anger, relief and incredulityAnalysis: Trump’s Iran deal is result of unrealistic ambitions for an untenable warDonald Trump had urged Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “stop blowing up buildings” during a phone call about Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.The newspaper cited sources who overheard the phone conversation between the two leaders, whose relationship has grown increasingly hostile as the war raged on. Continue reading...

Set to release on November 19, 2026, GTA 6 arrives more than 13 years after Grand Theft Auto V, the second best-selling video game of all time, and expectations could hardly be higher.