Hot on the heels of the UK regulator’s decision to block the merger between Microsoft and gaming giant Activision Blizzard on dubious grounds, the European Union gave the deal the green light: “The European Commission said the transaction was pro-competitive due to Microsoft’s agreement to licence popular Activision games such as ‘Call of Duty’ to rival game streaming platforms, confirming a Reuters report in March.

The recent federal Budget included $2 billion worth of funding for a ‘Hydrogen Headstart’ program. Tim Ayres, Assistant Minister for Trade and Assistant Minister for Manufacturing, provided some details on the government’s reasoning for the program: “This Budget was a great budget for Australian manufacturing. Two billion dollars in the Hydrogen Headstart program, which will be there to create a market for hydrogen production in Australia to make sure hydrogen production is onshore in Australia with Australian technology and an Australian workforce.

The United States is a quirky place, and its mortgage industry is no exception. Instead of borrowing at variable rates like we do Down Under, when you take out a mortgage in the good ol' US of A you’re generally locking in the rate for 15 or 30 years. Now banks borrow short and lend long – how on Earth do they manage the enormous risk of maturity mismatch that this model entails?

Tuesday night’s federal Budget forecast a “surge in net overseas migration” over the next couple of years, as fewer people leave and many overseas students, skilled temporary visa holders and working holidaymakers return following the pandemic. The “surge” is expected to be temporary – a rebound from the huge decline in net migration during the pandemic – but never one to miss out on a headline, opposition leader Peter Dutton went on the attack:

Today is federal Budget day, which means I’d be remiss if I didn’t write something about it; after all, everything from the $14 billion in ‘cost of living relief’ to the first surplus in 15 years has already been leaked to the media. The surplus # Don’t let the word ‘surplus’ lead you astray; this Budget will be as big spending as any of the previous 15 years' worth of debt-building deficits.