>But the IMF says all levels of government must go further, arguing eradication of state stamp duties and a shift to land taxes, lifting the number of workers in the sector and easing zoning rules had to be on the agenda.
>“A comprehensive policy package is essential to tackle Australia’s housing affordability crisis, focusing on increasing the construction workforce, relaxing zoning regulations, advancing initiatives to boost new housing supply, and re-evaluating property taxes and stamp duty,” it said.
>NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump will attend the reopening celebration for Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this weekend, his first foreign trip since the election.
>The cathedral is set to reopen Saturday after more than five years of reconstruction following a devastating fire in 2019 that engulfed and nearly destroyed the soaring Paris landmark. The ceremonies being held Saturday and Sunday will be high-security affairs, with about 50 heads of state and government expected to attend.
>Trump announced that he will be among them in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening.
>“It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago,” he wrote. “President Emmanuel Macron has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!”
>The trip will be Trump’s first abroad since he won November’s presidential election. He traveled to Scotland and Ireland in May 2023, as a candidate, to visit his local golf courses.
