After eight years of talks, Australia and the European Union have finalized a wide-ranging free trade agreement in Canberra valued at roughly A$10 billion.The pact removes almost all customs duties between the two sides and also deepens cooperation on defence, supply-chain resilience and critical minerals — steps officials said are designed to withstand growing global uncertainty.Tariffs on...

A huge overnight attack by Russian forces has left at least five people dead and caused damage across 11 regions of Ukraine.Authorities said a drone strike on an electric train in Kharkiv killed a 61-year-old woman.Other fatalities were reported in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and the Poltava region, where residential buildings and a hotel were hit. Zaporizhzhia was severely affected, with six drones...

Mortgage borrowers, and first-time buyers in particular, are facing a sudden squeeze as lenders withdraw low-deposit deals and interest rates climb sharply.Industry data show more than 200 low-deposit mortgage products have been removed since 6 March, with one day seeing 52 deals pulled and another 30 taken off the market.Overall, over 20% of products available at the start of the month are no...