A positive result from a meeting with Donald Trump is more important than how soon a one-on-one with the US president can be arranged, the prime minister says.

Anthony Albanese says Australia will press the case for a total removal of US tariffs when he meets with Mr Trump.

The pair were due to come face-to-face at the G7 summit in Canada earlier in June but that opportunity was lost at the eleventh hour when the US president left early due to the Middle East conflict.

Mr Albanese has faced criticism for a lack of urgency in lining up the meeting,but he said the final result of the discussion mattered more than timing or location.

“Where the meeting takes place is less important than what comes out of the meeting, frankly, and I know there is a laser-like focus on this,” he told ABC TV on Monday.

“I’d be prepared, of course, to meet with President Trump when a suitable time can be organised.”

An in-person meeting could take place at the next Quad summit, the annual conference involving leaders from Australia, the US, Japan and India.

The possibility has also been floated of Mr Albanese stopping by the US in September during the next meeting of the UN General Assembly.

Mr Albanese said he would continue to press the case for a removal of all tariffs on Australian exports to the US.

“In supporting Australia’s national interest, I’ll continue to advocate for the best outcome possible,” he said.

“I look forward to having a meeting and continuing the constructive dialogue that I have had with President Trump up to now.”

Nationals deputy leader Kevin Hogan said it was “frankly embarrassing” the prime minister was yet to secure a meeting with Mr Trump.

“Resolving trade tensions – particularly tariffs affecting Australian agricultural and manufactured exports – must be a top priority,” he said.

Tariffs of 10 per cent on all Australian exports, as well as 50 per cent for aluminium and steel products, are due to come into effect on July 9.

The UK was able to strike a deal to ensure steel and aluminium exported to the US are subject to 25 per cent levies but the federal government has called for tariffs on Australian goods to be removed altogether.

Penny Wong has flown out for Washington DC for a meeting of Quad foreign ministers, which will include talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The one-on-one with Mr Rubio will be a key opportunity to argue for tariff removal to members of the Trump administration.

The Quad summit coincides with calls from the US for Australia to lift its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP.

Australia is on track to lift its defence budget to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34, with the federal government holding firm on its spending commitments.

The prime minister said he would make the case to the US that Australia was bolstering its defence budget.

“We’ll invest in whatever capability Australia needs to defend ourselves, and that is the way that you make sure that you maximise the defence of this country,” he said.

“We’ve got significant upgrades in our defence capacity coming on board.”

Britain’s prime minister has led criticism of chants at Glastonbury for “death” to the Israeli military as the BBC faces pressure to explain why it kept broadcasting.

Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival’s West Holts Stage in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)”.

A member of Belfast rap trio Kneecap suggested fans “start a riot” at his bandmate’s forthcoming court appearance related to a terrorism charge.

Responding to the chants from Bob Vylan, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was “no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech”.

“I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence.

“The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.”

A member of Kneecap said “f*** Keir Starmer” during their performance after the prime minister called for the band not to play at the festival.

Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence from the performances would be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.

Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan’s chants “very much crossed a line”.

“We are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence,” she said in Instagram.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Bob Vylan was “inciting violence and hatred” and should be arrested and prosecuted.

“By broadcasting his vile hatred, the BBC appear to have also broken the law,” he said.

“I call on the Police to urgently investigate and prosecute the BBC as well for broadcasting this. Our national broadcaster should not be transmitting hateful material designed to incite violence and conflict,” he posted on X.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a “pretty shameless publicity stunt” and said the BBC and Glastonbury have “questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens”.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes “grotesque”.

“Glorifying violence against Jews isn’t edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked,” she wrote on X.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan’s performance, a government spokesperson said.

The BBC said it showed a warning during the performance and that viewers would not be able to access it on demand.

A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: “Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive.

“During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language.

“We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.”

The Israeli embassy said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival”.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its “outrageous decision” to broadcast Bob Vylan.

“Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions,” a spokesperson said.

with PA

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says trade talks with US have resumed after Canada rescinded its plan to tax US technology firms. 

US President Donald Trump abruptly cut off trade talks with Canada on Friday over its tax targeting US technology firms, saying that it was a “blatant attack” and that he would set a new tariff rate on Canadian goods within the next week.

The tax was three per cent of the digital services revenue a firm takes in from Canadian users above $US20 million ($A31 million) in a calendar year, and payments will be retroactive to 2022.

Carney’s office said Carney and Trump have agreed to resume negotiations.

“Today’s announcement will support a resumption of negotiations toward the July 21, 2025, timeline set out at this month’s G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis,” Carney said in a statement.

Carney visited Trump in May at the White House, where he was polite but firm. 

Trump travelled to Canada for the G7 summit in Alberta, where Carney said that Canada and the US had set a 30-day deadline for trade talks.

Canada is the second-largest US trading partner after Mexico and the largest buyer of US exports.

It bought $US349.4 billion ($A534.7 billion) of US goods last year and exported $US412.7 billion ($A631.6 billion) to the US, according to US Census Bureau data.

The Canadian government says “in anticipation” of a trade deal “Canada would rescind” the Digital Serves Tax. 

Trump, in a post on his social media network last Friday, said Canada had just informed the US that it was sticking to its plan to impose the digital services tax, which applies to Canadian and foreign businesses that engage with online users in Canada. 

The tax was set to go into effect on Monday.

The digital services tax was due to hit companies including Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb with a three per cent levy on revenue from Canadian users.

It would have applied retroactively, leaving US companies with a $US2 billion ($A3.1 billion) US bill due at the end of the month.

Trump’s announcement on Friday was the latest swerve in the trade war he’s launched since taking office for a second term in January. 

Progress with Canada has been a roller coaster, starting with the US president poking at the nation’s northern neighbour and repeatedly suggesting it would be absorbed as a US state.

with reuters

Australia will leave no stone unturned in its push for a full tariff exemption as the foreign affairs minister heads to the US capital for crucial talks.

Penny Wong will fly out to Washington on Monday ahead of a meeting of Quad foreign ministers, which includes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with ministers from India and Japan.

Her visit, which will also include a one-on-one talk with Mr Rubio, represents a prime opportunity for Australia as all of America’s trading partners make their cases for exemptions from President Donald Trump’s tariffs regime.

The UK was able to strike a deal to ensure steel and aluminium exported to the US are subject to 25 per cent levies, rather than the 50 per cent tariff rate applied to the same goods from other US trading partners.

But Australia is aiming higher and will put forward its case for a total tariff exemption.

“It shouldn’t be 10 (per cent), it should be zero,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

“We engage with everyone in the United States.

“We’ve put forward, very clearly, our arguments and will continue to do so.”

During Mr Trump’s first term, Australia – alongside other nations – managed to secure a full exemption on metals tariffs, but the Republican has been far less liberal with his exemptions this time around.

The meeting with senior US officials comes after Mr Albanese was due to meet Mr Trump at the G7 summit in Canada earlier in June.

However, the talks were cancelled at the eleventh hour due to the situation in the Middle East.

Australia has been trying to get the US economic sanctions removed, both the 10 per cent tariff applied to all exports and the 50 per cent tariff for steel and aluminium.

But the prime minister could soon get another chance to make his case with the US president, as cabinet minister Tanya Plibersek said the government was awaiting confirmation of a “suitable time” for their meeting.

The Quad summit coincides with calls from the US for Australia to lift its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP.

Australia is currently on track to grow its defence budget to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34, with the federal government holding firm on its spending commitments.

The debate on defence spending comes as a report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute released on Monday called for security for sovereign research to be increased.

The report urged for research security to be given the same level for defence priorities as dealing with foreign interference and espionage.

“Foreign states have actively targeted Australia’s research ecosystem, seeking to influence research agendas, extract sensitive information and exploit institutional vulnerabilities,” the report said.

“However, the threat landscape hasn’t remained static, it has evolved, and rapidly.”

The report said research security would become even more important as the AUKUS partnership between Australia, the US and the UK developed.

Meanwhile, as Mr Albanese prepares to travel to China, its ambassador Xiao Qian has penned an opinion piece arguing that “dramatically increasing military spending places a heavy fiscal burden on the countries involved”.

“Some countries are ailing yet demand their allies and partners foot the bill for medicine, which seems to be an almost laughable notion,” he said, in what appeared to be a reference to the US, in the article published in The Australian on Monday.

“China unwaveringly adheres to a defensive national defence policy, with military spending accounting for just 1.5 per cent of its GDP,” he said.

“It is far below the global average and paling in comparison to certain hegemons or their allies and partners.”

The foreign minister is set to meet with her US counterpart for crucial talks as America ramps up pressure on Australia to increase defence spending.

Penny Wong will fly out to Washington on Monday ahead of a meeting of Quad foreign ministers, which includes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with ministers from India and Japan.

The trip to the US will also see Senator Wong hold one-on-one talks with Mr Rubio, as Australia tries to carve out an exemption to tariffs imposed on exports to America.

“This will be the second Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting within six months, reflecting the importance of our partnership and the strategic circumstances confronting our region and the world,” Senator Wong said.

“The United States is our closest ally and principal strategic partner. Our alliance contributes to the peace, prosperity and stability of our countries and the region we share.

“We will continue to work together to further our important economic and security partnership and advance our mutual interests.”

The meeting with senior US officials comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was due to meet President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Canada earlier in June.

However, the talks were cancelled at the eleventh hour due to the situation in the Middle East.

Australia has been trying to get the US economic sanctions removed, both the 10 per cent tariff applied to all exports and the 50 per cent tariff for steel and aluminium.

The Quad summit coincides with calls from the US for Australia to lift its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP.

Australia is currently on track to grow its defence budget to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34, with the federal government holding firm on its spending commitments.

The debate on defence spending comes as a report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute released on Monday called for security for sovereign research to be increased.

The report called for research security to be given the same level for defence priorities as dealing with foreign interference and espionage.

“Foreign states have actively targeted Australia’s research ecosystem, seeking to influence research agendas, extract sensitive information and exploit institutional vulnerabilities,” the report said.

“However, the threat landscape hasn’t remained static, it has evolved, and rapidly.”

The report said research security would become even more important as the AUKUS partnership between Australia, the US and the UK developed.

By plane, motorbike, camper van and even on bicycles, tourists are beginning to discover Afghanistan, with solo travellers and tour groups gradually venturing into a country that until recently was wracked by war. 

And the country’s Taliban government, which seized power more than three years ago but has yet to be formally recognised by any other country, is more than happy to welcome them.

“The Afghan people are warm and welcoming and wish to host tourists from other countries and engage with them,” Deputy Minister of Tourism Qudratullah Jamal told the Associated Press in an interview. 

“Tourism brings many benefits to a country. We have considered those benefits and aim for our nation to take full advantage of them.”

Afghanistan’s isolation on the international stage, largely because of the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls, has left much of its 41 million people mired in poverty. 

As it struggles to attract foreign investment, the lucrative potential of tourism is far from lost on the government.

“We are currently earning a considerable amount of revenue from this industry, and we are hopeful it will grow even more in the future,” Jamal said, noting money spent by visitors can reach more layers of society than revenue from other industries.

“We are optimistic this sector will evolve into a large economy, bringing significant benefits. It plays an important role in strengthening our national economy.”

Tourist visas are quick and easy to obtain and flights from major transit hubs such as Dubai and Istanbul operate several times a week. 

The government has even set up a training institute for men – and it is only for men – seeking jobs in the hospitality and tourism sector.

While visitor numbers are still very much a trickle rather than a flood, they are increasing. 

Nearly 9000 foreign tourists visited Afghanistan last year while nearly 3000 people visited in the first three months of this year, Jamal said.

Four decades of near-continuous conflict kept nearly all holiday-makers away from this landlocked country of towering mountains, deep gorges and millennia of history.

The Taliban’s takeover from a US-backed government in August 2021 stunned the world and sent thousands of Afghans fleeing. 

But with the insurgency over, the bloodshed from frequent bombings and suicide attacks all but ended too.

Attacks still occur, however. 

An Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan remains active and gunmen killed six people, including three Spanish tourists, in a May 2024 attack in Bamiyan, one of the country’s main tourist attractions where centuries-old giant Buddhas carved into the cliffs were blown up by the Taliban in 2001.

While most countries still advise against travel to Afghanistan, a drop in violence from the two decades of US-led military presence is indisputable, as the government is keen to point out.

“Afghanistan has gone through many years of war and hardship. Now, we want tourists to come and see the true traditions and customs of Afghans, to understand Afghan life, creativity and resilience,” Jamal said, noting there was “comprehensive security across Afghanistan”.

Critics question the ethics of foreigners visiting Afghanistan for pleasure when its government discriminates so heavily against half the country’s population.

Education beyond primary school level is banned for girls and women and few professions are open to them.

Women cannot enter parks, gardens or gyms.

Beauty salons are forbidden. 

Authorities dictate how women dress and have demanded they cover their faces in public, a decree still flouted by many, particularly in Kabul.

Some visitors say they contemplated the ethics but ultimately wanted to see the situation for themselves.

French-Peruvian Illary Gomez said she and her partner James Liddiard debated for about a year whether to drive through Afghanistan as part of their UK-to-Japan camper van journey. 

“Some things didn’t feel morally right,” she said. 

But once here, they said they found a warm, hospitable and welcoming people and beautiful landscapes. 

They did not feel their presence was any form of support for the Taliban.

By travelling, “you put money in the hands of the people, not the government,” Liddiard said.

The treatment of women is particularly sensitive for government officials. 

Jamal declined to comment on the subject beyond saying male and female visitors were welcome. 

“Those who respect our laws and traditions have already come and can continue to come,” he said.

While most restrictions are strictly enforced on Afghan women, they are far more relaxed for foreigners. 

Although they must still wear a headscarf in public, foreign women are more likely to gain entry into some restricted areas such as parks and are rarely asked to cover their faces in public.

Workers on the minimum wage will get more money in a matter of days, as the employment minister pledges to enshrine workplace conditions.

From the start of the financial year on Tuesday, workers on the minimum wage will get a 3.5 per cent pay lift, which will mean they take home $24.95 per hour, or $948 per week.

The 3.5 per cent rise will also apply to award wages.

The increase, which came in above inflation, would help workers keep up with the cost of living, Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth said.

“For someone on ordinary hours on the minimum wage, that will be an extra $1700. This is ensuring that these workers get the pay that they deserve,” she told reporters in Adelaide on Sunday.

“We made it very clear that we thought that these workers deserved a real wage increase, particularly to ensure that they don’t fall behind, but they can also actually get ahead.”

Changes from Tuesday mean the amount of superannuation paid into workers’ accounts will increase from 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent and be expanded to include parents taking leave to care for their newborns.

A mother-of-two’s retirement savings will get a boost of about $14,800, with about 200,000 mums benefiting from the change annually.

Parents will gain an additional 10 days, totalling 120 days, of parental leave for babies born after Tuesday.

Ms Rishworth said the rise in the minimum wage would complement upcoming laws to federal parliament that would protect penalty rates for workers.

But she did not say whether the Albanese government would legislate working from home in the upcoming parliamentary term.

“We plan to legislate penalty rates in awards to protect them from being eroded,” she said.

“Our focus is legislating on what we took to the election. Any other ideas … we will consider that in the normal course of events.”

For 2.4 million people on social security payments, the new financial year brings a 2.4 per cent increase to some payments because of indexation.

Families on the Family Tax Benefit Part A, will receive $227.36 a fortnight for children aged under 13 and $295.82 for children aged 13 or over.

Those on Family Tax Benefit Part B have their payments increase to $193.34 and those with a youngest child aged five or over, the rate will increase to $134.96 a fortnight.

While aged pension rates aren’t increasing, the threshold for the income and assets a pensioner must earn under to receive a full pension will lift by 2.4 per cent.

Four new Medicare items will support longer consultation times and higher rebates for specialised gynaecological care from Tuesday.

They apply to initial and follow-up consultations which last a minimum of 45 minutes, either in person or via video, while new menopause and perimenopause health assessments will also be made available.

Energy bill support will continue from the government, bringing down pressure on households and small businesses with a $150 rebate automatically applied to bills in two quarterly instalments.

But some households could be in for a power bill shock as new benchmark prices take effect, with NSW customers on standing offers facing increases of between 8.3 per cent to 9.7 per cent.

Southeast Queensland customers on default plans can expect hikes of between 0.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent, while people in South Australia face rises of 2.3 per cent to 3.2 per cent.

Victorian households can expect an average one per cent bump, with some distribution zones actually set for small price drops.

Retail sales figures are expected to bounce back slightly after unseasonably warm weather put Australian consumers off buying winter clothes.

Following a 0.1 per cent fall in retail spending in April, ANZ Bank economist Aaron Luk expects to see a 0.2 per cent rise in May figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday.

“We expect a modest recovery in clothing sales this month and food-related spending is expected to continue its upward trajectory,” Mr Luk said.

Even accounting for the weather-impacted 2.5 per cent drop in clothing sales in April, the Australian consumer has experienced a subdued start to 2025, despite falling inflation and interest rates boosting disposable income.

Consumer sentiment was hit by global uncertainty stemming from Donald Trump’s threatened trade war and although tensions are now easing, confidence remains muted.

Elsewhere, Australia’s never-ending wealth-creation engine powers on, with home prices likely to show further growth in Cotality’s home value index report on Tuesday.

The housing analytics firm formerly known as CoreLogic has tracked a rebound in property values since the start of the year, following a brief late 2024 downturn.

Median dwelling prices hit a record high in June, with the median home in Australia now worth more than $830,000.

AMP chief economist Shane Oliver expects another 0.6 per cent increase in July, up from 0.5 per cent growth the month prior.

Slower-than-expected inflation figures released last week bolstered the case for the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates again in July, which would further fuel housing demand and price down the track.

That’s bad news for Australians hoping to clamber onto the property ladder, who can at least be consoled that dwelling approvals are tipped to recover from two consecutive months of falls.

A 4.9 per cent jump in housing consents is expected to be revealed by the ABS on Wednesday.

New supply is desperately needed to meet growing demand, but the pipeline is still well short of the levels needed to meet the national housing accord target of 1.2 million new homes by 2029.

To meet that figure, Australia would need to build 20,000 new homes a month and the industry is already behind.

In April, only 14,633 new homes were approved.

Meanwhile, appetite for risk among Wall Street investors is being fuelled by data solidifying expectations of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.

Despite President Donald Trump terminating trade negotiations with Canada in response to its digital tax on technology companies, all three major US indexes posted weekly gains.

The Dow Jones rose 432.43 points, or 1.00 per cent, to finish Friday at 43,819.27, the S&P 500 gained 32.05 points, or 0.52 per cent, to 6,173.07 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 105.55 points, or 0.52 per cent, to 20,273.46.

Australian share futures crept up 5 points, or 0.05 per cent, to 9,316.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 gave up modest morning gains on Friday to finish on the lows of the day, losing 36.6 points, or 0.43 per cent, at 8,514.2. 

The broader All Ordinaries fell 29.9 points, or 0.34 per cent, to 8,743.7.

The conflict in Gaza should end following the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, a senior minister says.

Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek says the situation between Iran and Israel should not draw attention from that in Gaza.

“We want to see a return of Israeli hostages, absolutely we do,” she told ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday.

“But when you look at the catastrophic consequences of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the humanitarian aid being prevented from entering Gaza and being distributed, the number of deaths we continue to see, I think it’s important.

“Most people see that these two conflicts are related and we need to make sure that we are urging peace in both circumstances.”

Israel’s violence in Gaza restarted after Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation, invaded the nation and killed about 1200 people and abducted 250 others on October 7, 2023.

Israel’s bombardment, aid blockages and military action in Gaza has killed more than 40,000 people and left many more on the brink of starvation.

The situation comes just days after Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire in military strikes between the two countries.

The 12-day conflict saw the US bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.

But concern still remains for more than 3000 Australians  stranded in Iran.

While thousands have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for assistance to leave the country, border restrictions and flight path closures have hampered efforts.

Ms Plibersek said work was under way to bring Australians home.

“Australia’s interest in this is predominantly in making sure that Australians who are caught up in this conflict are able to get safely out of Iran,” she said.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said it was important for a ceasefire to hold in the region.

“It is time to be able to shift back towards diplomacy … it’s in the interests of peace for Iran to not have a nuclear weapons capability,” he told Sky News.

“Iran has been in breach of international obligations (on nuclear weapons) and the US strikes were targeted very specifically at the potential of nuclear weapons from Iran, and we are glad that those setbacks have occurred.”

Lifting the federal defence budget will be based on what Australia’s military can achieve, rather an arbitrary dollar figure, a senior minister says.

Pressure has mounted on the Albanese government to lift defence spending, after NATO allies agreed to boost theirs to five per cent of GDP.

While Australia has pledged to increase its spend to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34, the US has called for a rise to 3.5 per cent.

But Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Australia was already lifting its spending on the military, which would also centre on the ability of the armed forces to protect the country.

“We start with the capability, we don’t start with the dollars, and that’s how we work with every financial decision that the government makes,” Mr Burke told Sky News on Sunday.

“With those capability decisions, we are already spending more than was spent before we came to office.”

Despite the push from the US, Mr Burke said Australia’s relationship with America was not at risk.

“The relationship with the United States is really important,” he said.

“We have mature, decent, respectful conversations with the United States, but as I say, the conversation doesn’t start with the dollars at our end.”

Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said the instability seen around the world reinforced the need for countries like Australia to spend more on defence.

“We are seeing authoritarian regimes across the globe flexing their muscles, and open, democratic societies like ours need to stand up for what we believe in, and need to make sure we achieve peace through deterrence,” he told Sky News.

“There’s a range of things that are very clear that we need to spend on … and there’s a whole series of areas which we’re seeing are underfunded right now.”

Before the federal election, the opposition had pledged to increase the defence budget to three per cent of GDP.

However, there was uncertainty about where the extra money would come from.

Mr Taylor said the budget for the military should be increased, regardless if there was pressure from the US.

“If a government is not in a position to keep its people safe, then it has failed as a government,” he said.

“This is a disaster for Australians and for Australia, we need to get serious about it, and I’m going to continue to hold the government to account on this, because this is a failure from our government.”