AUSTRALIA

Australia's central bank raised its cash rate to the highest in more than a decade on Tuesday, but suggested it might be nearly done tightening as consumer spending was slowing and there was less risk of a wages-driven inflation blow-out.

Australia's sovereign wealth fund, the Future Fund, is screening its portfolio for Chinese companies at risk of U.S. investment restrictions, its chairman said on Tuesday.

Two and a half years after Chinese trade restrictions hit Australian products from coal to wine, a diplomatic thaw between Beijing and Canberra has raised hopes for a revival of exports and spurred businesses to take steps to rebuild ties.

Australia's centre-left government said on Thursday it would push ahead with plans to change superannuation rules, including restricting early access to funds until retirement and limiting tax breaks for high-earners.

"This is one of the most disgusting traditions I've ever [heard of]," Styles said.

A 59-year-old man died after being mauled by a shark while swimming in the sea in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia.

Australian supermarkets will reap bigger profits in fiscal 2023 half-year due to decades-high inflation and increased savings, but analysts warned of a rough second-half as households reel from mounting expenses due to higher cost of living.

Australia employment surprised in January by falling for a second straight month while the jobless rate jumped to its highest since last May, a soft result that could lessen pressure for further aggressive interest rate hikes.

Payments giant PayPal Holdings Inc wants buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) loans subjected to consumer protection law, it said in a submission to the Australian government, adding a powerful voice from inside the sector calling for regulation.

Shares of Star Entertainment Group fell to a record on Tuesday, extending losses after the Australian firm warned of an up to A$1.6 billion ($1.11 billion) hit to half-yearly earnings from a proposed casino duty rate hike in New South Wales (NSW).

A 16-year-old girl died after being mauled by a shark while swimming in a river in Perth, Western Australia.

The move was hailed by the nation's republican movement, which noted that Indigenous people predated British settlement by 65,000 years.

A highly radioactive but tiny capsule has gone missing in Western Australia and has sent authorities on an urgent search.

The late Imogen is described by loved ones as "bright, determined, loving and sassy."

The authorities closed one of the country's famous beaches after sharks brutally attacked a dolphin

A 45-year-old man from Lennox Head drowned while trying to save his daughter after she was swept out to sea at a beach in New South Wales, Australia.

Australia employment unexpectedly dipped in December following an outsized gain the month before in a sign the red-hot labour market might be cooling, though the jobless rate stayed near five-decade lows.

A British couple was among the four people who were killed in a mid-air helicopter crash in Australia.

In a Sydney hotel conference room in May, Tim Hogben, the head of securities and payments for ASX Ltd, which runs the Australian stock exchange, told traders, share registry operators and clearing house representatives what they were hoping to hear.

The price cap on Russian oil agreed by the EU, G7 and Australia came into force on Monday. It aims to restrict Russia's revenue as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine, while making sure Moscow keeps supplying the global market.

Australia's Labor government said it will move a parliamentary censure motion against former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison this week after an inquiry found his secret appointment to multiple ministries undermined trust in government.