The federal budget's wartime windfall hopes were dashed, as the UK held interest rates amid war impact, while South Korea and Australia strengthened energy cooperation and Aussie shares slipped due to wartime high crude prices, underscoring Australia's unintended involvement in the Iran war and the humanitarian crisis of stranded seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Australians are ditching eating out as cost of living pressures mount, coinciding with a housing downturn in major capitals, while a consumer watchdog accused Woolworths of 'fanciful' price drops and a media piece highlighted a satirical take on Woolies documents.
Apple reported strong earnings with iPhone momentum, as Elon Musk testified about not reading fine print regarding OpenAI, while Microsoft's earnings surged on cloud revenue growth.
A man was arrested after a girl's body was found, a rallying call for gender equality was issued, the interim report on the Bondi massacre was released, and Australia's feline crackdown faced criticism for failing wildlife protection efforts.
The US economy grew by two percent in the first quarter, legal action against a troubled smelter was dropped, and Rebel Wilson's film feud testimony continued for a third day.