News

UK, Australia strike new free trade agreement

Published

4 years ago

June 15, 2021

Australia and the United Kingdom have agreed to a new trade deal, a first major deal post-Brexit.

The Australian Prime Minister had a working dinner with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Downing Street last night, with a formal announcement expected on Tuesday.

According to the BBC, the meal served up to the pair on Monday evening included Welsh lamb and Scottish smoked salmon, and was washed down with Australian wine.

It is the first trade deal to be negotiated from scratch since the UK left the EU.

The new deal is expected to give UK and Australian food producers and other businesses easier access to each other’s markets.

However, the leaders were initially stuck on several issues, including a plan by the British to add tariffs to Australian farming imports for the next ten years.

Behind the scenes, bureaucrats have been working frantically to reach a deal, and now both leaders are believed to have made concessions.

The new trade deal is expected to give UK and Australian food producers and other businesses easier access to each other’s markets.

According to the National Farmers Union (NFU), Australian farmers are able to produce beef at a lower cost of production, and could undercut farmers in the UK.

Australia’s top 10 export markets

Australia still leads the world when it comes to exporting iron, coal and petroleum gases.

Australia’s biggest export products by value in 2020 were iron, coal, petroleum gases, gold and aluminium. In aggregate, those major exports account for 63.1% of overall exports sales from Australia.

The following export product groups categorize the highest dollar value in Australian global shipments during 2020. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Australia.

Ores, slag, ash: US$91.3 billion (35.9% of total exports)
Mineral fuels including oil: $65.4 billion (25.7%)
Gems, precious metals: $19.6 billion (7.7%)
Meat: $10.4 billion (4.1%)
Inorganic chemicals: $5.2 billion (2%)
Machinery including computers: $4.4 billion (1.7%)
Cereals: $3.8 billion (1.5%)
Pharmaceuticals: $3.4 billion (1.4%)
Electrical machinery, equipment: $3.1 billion (1.2%)
Aluminum: $3.1 billion (1.2%)

News

SpaceX IPO could make Elon Musk’s Mars dream a trillion-dollar reality

SpaceX’s upcoming IPO could raise $25 billion and value the company over $1 trillion, igniting investor excitement for Mars missions.

Published

15 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Harvey Vargas

SpaceX’s upcoming IPO could raise $25 billion and value the company over $1 trillion, igniting investor excitement for Mars missions.

Investors are buzzing as SpaceX gears up for a potential IPO, aiming to raise more than $25 billion, possibly as soon as June. The offering could value the company at over $1 trillion, fueling Musk’s ambitious plans for Mars and beyond.

Despite the high-risk nature of space ventures, demand from retail investors is expected to be strong. Experts predict this IPO could become historic, with the company’s market value potentially soaring past $2 trillion once it launches.

Musk’s unconventional management style hasn’t slowed investor enthusiasm, even amidst regulatory hurdles. The funds raised could also support groundbreaking innovations, including energy-efficient space data centers.

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#SpaceX #ElonMusk #IPO #MarsMission #Investing #StockMarket #TrillionDollar #SpaceTech

News

Russia shoots down 280+ Ukrainian drones as Zelenskyy pushes new peace plan

Russia claims 280 Ukrainian drones shot down; Zelenskyy finalizes a new peace proposal amid rising tensions and military clashes.

Published

15 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Harvey Vargas

Russia claims 280 Ukrainian drones shot down; Zelenskyy finalizes a new peace proposal amid rising tensions and military clashes.

Russia’s Defence Ministry claims it has shot down over 280 Ukrainian drones, with 40 intercepted near Moscow, some targeting the city directly. Emergency services responded to debris, and temporary flight restrictions were enforced at Moscow’s airports amid the attacks.

Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy revealed his team is finalizing a revised 20-point peace proposal, introducing new ideas on territorial control. Ukrainian and American officials are set to consult online, focusing on security guarantees rather than the detailed points of the plan.

As tensions rise, both military clashes and diplomatic efforts continue to shape the future of the conflict. Keep up with the latest updates and expert analysis on these unfolding events.

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#UkraineConflict #RussiaUkraine #Zelenskyy #DroneAttack #PeacePlan #Moscow #WorldNews #TickerUpdates

News

Disney invests $1B in OpenAI to generate Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar videos

Disney invests $1 billion in OpenAI for AI-generated videos featuring iconic characters, enhancing fan interactions and launching in 2026.

Published

16 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Harvey Vargas

Disney invests $1 billion in OpenAI for AI-generated videos featuring iconic characters, enhancing fan interactions and launching in 2026.

Disney is taking AI to the next level, investing $1 billion in OpenAI to create a licensing deal that allows users to generate videos featuring more than 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar. This partnership could redefine how fans interact with their favorite characters.

The deal will let users stream short AI-generated videos directly on Disney+, and ChatGPT will also produce images of Disney’s licensed characters. However, the agreement excludes talent likenesses or voices, keeping human performances separate.

Set to launch in 2026, the collaboration also gives Disney warrants to purchase additional OpenAI equity and use AI tools for product development, opening doors to new creative opportunities.

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