The Tasmanian Government says its new short stay levy will help ensure more tourism revenue remains in the state, while supporting housing initiatives and protecting local jobs and businesses. The Government argues the levy reflects major changes in Tasmania's accommodation sector, where international booking platforms now hold significant influence and collect substantial commissions from local operators.
The Tasmanian Government will invest almost $600 million in housing and homelessness initiatives over the next four years as part of the 2026-27 Budget. The funding package aims to strengthen frontline support services while continuing investment in new housing and infrastructure projects across the state.
Tasmanian food and beverage producers are being showcased on a dedicated state stand for the first time at one of Australia's largest supplier-to-retailer trade events. Around 10 Tasmanian businesses are taking part in the Co-operative Supermarkets Australia Direct2Store Expo, being held in Sydney from today until Friday, 8 May 2026.
NEW YORK (AP) – Communications giant Comcast is planning to split itself into two: one media-centered business that would include brands like NBCUniversal and Sky and a separate company focused on broadband and wireless services.
HONG KONG (AP) – In the race between the U.S. and China to develop artificial intelligence, the battle over hardware and computing power is heating up as Chinese companies like Huawei overtake global industry leaders like Nvidia in their home market.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) – China imposed new export controls Monday on 40 Japanese entities it says are contributing to the country’s “remilitarization,” as tensions with Tokyo rise.
President Donald Trump has won and lost some as the Supreme Court wraps its final week of a term focused on executive power. The justices said Monday that Trump can fire leaders of independent agencies with one exception, ruling that central banker Lisa Cook can keep her job at the Federal Reserve for now.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) – Israeli forces struck a tent sheltering displaced people in the central Gaza Strip on Monday, killing at least three Palestinians, including an 8-year-old boy and his grandfather, medical officials said. Health authorities in the coastal enclave said the drone strike hit a neighborhood in Deir al-Balah, one of the least damaged towns in central Gaza.
ABDIN, Syria (AP) – As Israeli troops and vehicles entered the town of Abdin in southern Syria, residents blocked the roads with rocks, and some young men and boys threw stones to push back the military patrol. Tensions in this part of the country created by a buffer zone occupied by Israeli forces have flared into violence in recent days, leaving residents anxious that more escalation is coming.
The 250th anniversary of America’s liberation from a king kicked off with a campaign-style rally on the National Mall by President Donald Trump, whose face already stares down from banners fluttering from federal buildings across the nation’s capital.























































































































































