Australia politics live: Anthony Albanese to address nation tonight to outline Australia’s response to Middle East crisis; Chalmers announces support package for businesses

Prime minister’s address to the nation will be broadcast across all TV and radio networks simultaneously at 7pm. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe makers of Claude.ai will become the first company to sign on to Australia’s national AI plan after a meeting with Anthony Albanese this morning.Anthropic, one of the world’s largest AI companies, will meet with the prime minister, science minister, Tim Ayres, and assistant science minister, Andrew Charlton, to sign a memorandum of understanding.The Australian government and Anthropic are working together to harness AI responsibly – securing investment into Australia’s energy grid, driving economic resilience and safety for all Australians.What we’re announcing today will make our systems more flexible, our supply chains more responsive, and also businesses more supportive as well.Obviously, there is a threshold for where this kind of concessional treatment will be provided, but the ATO is prepared to provide that kind of support in circumstances which are obviously because of what we’re seeing in the Middle East. Continue reading...