In this bulletin;
- U-K Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with Donald Trump to discuss the war in Ukraine;
- Unions welcome approval of Qatar-Virgin deal;
- And in sport, Melbourne United wins the first match of their NBL semi-final series.
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U-K Prime Minister Keir Starmer has arrived in Washington to meet with Donald Trump, for talks expected to focus on the war in Ukraine.
His visit reflects mounting concern among European leaders that Mr Trump is conceding too much, as he moves to end the U-S policy of isolating Russia.
Despite these differences, Mr Starmer says the best days of the so-called "special relationship" between the two nations still lie ahead.
“And my message is really simple, that there is no more important relationship for the United Kingdom - in defence, in security, in trade, in tech, in finance, and so much more.
Mr Starmer has previously said he believes there should be a U-S "backstop" to guarantee any peace deal in Ukraine, and increased defence spending in recent days.
His visit follows similar talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, and comes one day before Donald Trump meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The pair will discuss a possible economic agreement centred on resource extraction and linked to Ukraine's hope of securing much-needed military aid.
U-S President Donald Trump has announced China will be hit with an additional 10 per cent tariff, doubling up on the universal 10 per cent tariff already imposed on Chinese imports.
He says Canada and Mexico will also face tariffs from Tuesday, as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum requests a meeting to try and reach an agreement aimed at protecting free trade.
The U-S, Mexico and Canada have a longstanding free trade agreement, and Ms Sheinbaum says this benefits all three economies.
“The goal is to protect the trade treaty between Mexico, the U.S. and Canada and within this frame see what actions to take to strengthen the three economies. So, (Mexican ministers in Washington, D.C.) have studied the issues thoroughly and there have been previous discussions. So I hope we can reach an agreement, and on March 4 we can announce another thing.”
In a Truth Social post Thursday, Mr Trump said illicit drugs such as fentanyl are being smuggled into the United States at "unacceptable levels" and that import taxes would force other countries to crack down on the trafficking.
Unions and consumer experts have welcomed the approval of a deal for Qatar Airlines to buy a 25 per cent stake in Virgin Australia.
The deal will see more flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Perth to Qatar's capital Doha from June, and flights from Melbourne to start in December.
Aviation analyst Geoffrey Thomas says the move is a win for consumers.
"This will have a very positive impact and reduce fares because there's more competition automatically. 28 flights a week is a big increase in capacity."
The Transport Workers Union also welcomed the move as providing opportunities for Austalia's aviation workers.
A similar application by Qatar Airlines was previously rejected by the federal government, prompting scrutiny of its relationship with market share-leader Qantas.
Yesterday, Qantas posted a $1.39 billion half year profit.
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have arrived in Florida after Romania lifted a travel ban on the controversial influencers.
The pair have been charged with human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
A Romanian official told Reuters the travel ban was lifted at the discretion of prosecutors, on the condition they return when summoned by law enforcement.
The brothers are keen supporters of President Trump and millions follow their online content, which has been widely criticised as misogynistic.
The pair were arrested near Romania's capital in late 2022, along with two Romanian women.
All four deny all of the allegations.
Melbourne United's captain Chris Goulding has steered the team to a one-game lead over the Perth Wildcats in the first match of their NBL semi-final series.
The home team claimed victory 105 to 93 at John Cain Arena in Melbourne last night.
Goulding scored 41 points including 10 three-pointers - the first coming within just 12 seconds of the starting whistle.
Game two is in Perth on Saturday night.
Illawarra and South East Melbourne will square off in the other semi-final.
