It's three weeks out from the Federal budget .. so what can we expect .. and should be believe the economy is as shaky as we're hearing?

Unlike previous years, so far very little "good news" has been rolled out in the leadup - apart from gloomy warnings that rising geopolitical risks from Israel's war in Gaza threaten what's currently a very strong fiscal position.

Former Treasury economist Chris Richardson says budget handouts could stoke inflation and risk a pre-election interest rate cut.

Star Entertainment chief risk officer Scott Saunders says the casino group is on a mission to change a culture where "the customer is always right". Star is facing a second inquiry to determine its suitability to hold a casino licence in Sydney.

Reporter: Peter Ryan, Senior Business Correspondent

Featured: Scott Saunders, chief risk officer, Star Entertainment

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Anyone hurting from the rising cost of living will be paying close attention to the release of the latest quarterly inflation figures on Wednesday.

The wave of insolvencies sweeping across Australia is getting worse as businesses crunch under the pressure of a slowing economy.

The latest data from the corporate regulator ASIC shows insolvencies heading for a level not seen in a decade.

Australia's official unemployment rate has ticked slightly higher to 3.8 percent. Part time jobs fell by 6,600 but full time positions rose by almost 28,000. ABC's Peter Ryan says evidence of a resilient economy are likely to see Reserve Bank interest rate cuts pushed out to late this year or early 2025.

Australia's jobless rate is expected to tick higher to 3.9pc when official monthly employment numbers are released this morning.

The global economy is set for another year of slow but steady growth, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday, with U.S. strength pushing world output through headwinds from lingering high inflation, weak demand in China and Europe, and spillovers from two regional wars.

The IMF forecast global real GDP growth of 3.2% for 2024 and 2025 - the same rate as in 2023. The 2024 forecast was revised upward by 0.1 percentage point from the previous World Economic Outlook's estimate in January, largely due to a significant upward revision in the U.S. outlook.

Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci has been threatened with contempt and six months in prison for not answering a profitability question in the senate supermarket inquiry.

Former New South Wales Supreme Court judge Anthony Whealy KC says Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case defeat means other parties will now think twice or even be deterred before taking similar legal action.

Mr Whealy says anyone who runs a defamation case with slightest credibility problem or black mark against their name are on notice that they could be hauled over the coals and lose badly- especially when taking on the media.

But Mr Whealy - who's also chair of the Centre For Public Integrity - says Network Ten's The Project only won the case "by a whisker" and it's not a victory for journalism.

Star Entertainment top executives spied on its special manager diary as part of "preparing for war" with the NSW casino regulator, an independent inquiry had heard. The explosive allegations come on day one of the second inquiry into Star Entertainment's suitablity to hold a casino licence in Sydney.

Reporter: Peter Ryan, Senior Business Correspondent

Featured: Casper Conde, counsel assisting inquiry; Nicholas Weeks, Star Entertainment special manager