Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Today's episode was made possible by our friends over at CommBank. From The Daily Oz, I'm Emma Gillespie. I'm Lucy Tassel. It's Tuesday the 2nd of June. Here's what's making headlines this evening.
Australia has recorded its first trade deficit in almost nine years, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. A trade deficit is when a country is paying more to import products than it's making on products it exports. The deficit was recorded in the first three months of this year, the first time it's happened since the end of 2017.
The ABS said the fall was driven by a decrease in exports of iron and coal and an increase in importing technology to run AI data centres. Iron and coal are typically two of Australia's main exports, but their sale was disrupted by tropical cyclones in Queensland, the NT and WA over the summer.
Over that same period, there was an increase in imports of AI server racks, that's literally just picture the racks that have computers on them, to support data centres in New South Wales and Victoria.
Lebanon has announced a partial ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel. According to Lebanon's embassy in Washington, the agreement, which doesn't end the conflict, calls for Israel to refrain from strikes on Beirut and its suburbs controlled by Hezbollah, while the Iran-aligned group would halt its attacks on Israel.
US President Donald Trump said Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon agreed to halt their attacks on each other for the time being. Trump also said Israel would not send troops into Beirut despite earlier threats to do so. Trump also said he'd had a productive call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who Trump said had agreed to pull back any troops preparing to attack Lebanon.
US outlet Axios reported that on the call, Trump called Netanyahu effing crazy, adding, quote, everybody hates you now, everybody hates Israel because of this.
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Chapter 2: What does Australia's first trade deficit since 2017 mean?
It comes as US and Iranian officials continue negotiations to extend their ceasefire and open the Strait of Hormuz.
Victoria's youth minister has apologised for providing character references for two men who had been convicted of domestic violence and sexual assault while they were appealing decisions about their ability to stay in Australia. Luba Gregorovic has been in state parliament since the 2022 election and was promoted to the cabinet in April.
The Age was the first to report Grigorovich had provided a character reference to a Geelong-based taxi driver who was appealing a tribunal ruling that he didn't meet the standards for Australian citizenship because he had been convicted of indecent assault and did not seem remorseful.
Speaking in state parliament this week, Grigorovich admitted she had provided 33 character references since she was elected four years ago and said she had taken people, quote, on face value when they asked her to do so in her capacity as an MP.
And today's good news, and what good news it is, the GOAT Serena Williams is returning to tennis. Williams has announced she'll make her return to professional tennis almost four years after, quote, evolving away from the sport, whatever that meant.
Williams will make her first appearance at the Queen's Club tournament next Monday after accepting a doubles wildcard for the UK event, which is considered successful. a precursor to Wimbledon. It's not yet known who her partner will be. Speculation about a return had been building for months.
Back in December, Williams re-entered the sports drug testing pool, which is a required step for any athlete planning to compete again. Chatter is now growing that the 23-time Grand Slam winner could appear at Wimbledon, which begins later this month. And, like the Queen's Club, is a grass court tournament. Wimbledon officials have hinted Williams could be offered a wild card for that Grand Slam.
And if she's looking for a doubles partner, I've got a pretty good idea. Someone that she has known her entire life? Venus.
Yes, that's right.
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