Australia news as it happened: Morrison says AUKUS critics ‘delusional’ amid US review; Monash IVF CEO resigns after second embryo bungle

Singapore: Donald Trump has declared that a deal with China has been done, with Beijing agreeing to supply rare earths and magnets, and the US committing to rolling back restrictions on technology sales and visa curbs on Chinese students.

But it remains unclear whether this agreement – hashed out over two days of negotiations in London – represents a final deal between the two sides, or a de-escalation measure with a broader pact still to be pursued.

“We made a great deal with China. We’re very happy with it,” Trump said.

“We have everything we need, and we’re going to do very well with it. And hopefully they are too.”

The full details of the agreement have not been released, but it appears to be limited to winding back the recent punitive measures that the two sides had slapped on each other’s economies since Trump kicked off his global trade war in April.

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Critical worker shortages and inflationary pressure on high-volume materials are among the causes driving the unprecedented cost of building a house in Australia, as experts warn that snowballing expenses could doom ambitious housing reform to failure.

The costs of materials and labour essential to the construction of a new house have undergone record  growth in the past 12 months, as suppliers lift prices to grapple with inflationary and supply chain challenges, resulting in higher costs being passed on to buyers.

The price of enough concrete to build a standard three-bedroom, two-bathroom, single-storey house rose 20 per cent in the year to May, data from Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) shows, with builders coughing up some $4500 extra to underpin and fortify a new build.

The cost of timber, which is also required in abundance, rose 5 per cent ($1500 more) in the past 12 months, while plumbing (15 per cent) and electrical materials (10 per cent) also increased at sizable levels.

Read more on this exclusive story here.

Northern Territory Opposition Leader Selena Uibo says the NT government’s announcement of a 12-month capsicum spray trial will risk community safety.

“Our Labor opposition would like to ensure the government fully explores the risks that would be if the OC spray falls in the wrong hands, which unfortunately we anticipate it will do,” she said.

“The government has not explained how they are going to reduce the risks of having OC, or pepper, spray in the hands of the public.”

The UN General Assembly is to vote on Thursday on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza after the US vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week.

The 193-member General Assembly is likely to adopt the text with overwhelming support, diplomats say, despite Israel lobbying countries this week against taking part in what it called a “politically motivated, counter-productive charade”.

General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war. Previous demands by the body for an end to the war between Israel and Hamas have been ignored. Unlike the UN Security Council, no country has a veto in the General Assembly.

Thursday’s vote also comes ahead of a UN conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The US has urged countries not to attend.

Reuters