economy
Inflation eases to 2.8 per cent in September quarter
30 October
Australia’s annual inflation rate has returned to the range targeted by the central bank, clocking in at 2.8 per cent in the September quarter. The headline annual rate was down a whole percentage point from the June quarter and landed broadly in...[Read More]
Petrol and energy relief drag headline inflation lower
30 October
Cheaper fuel and energy bill relief have helped drag headline inflation down to its lowest rate since early 2021. A 2.8 per cent rise in the September-quarter consumer price index marks a return to the Reserve Bank’s target range of two to three...[Read More]
Pandemic cash splash let inflation genie out of bottle
30 October
Unnecessary COVID-19 spending and Reserve Bank delay in lifting interest rates significantly worsened inflation, a review of Australia’s pandemic response finds. While supports like JobKeeper and HomeBuilder were desperately needed and an...[Read More]
Australian investment eyed for Peruvian mining pipeline
30 October
Peru is looking to Australian companies for hundreds of millions of dollars for critical mineral investment with 51 projects having a combined $US55 billion revenue potential in the pipeline to 2035. Peru’s Energy Minister Romulo Mucho says China...[Read More]
Chinese astronauts to conduct experiments in space
30 October
China has sent three astronauts to its permanently inhabited space station, where they will conduct dozens of scientific experiments, some related to the construction of human habitats. The spacecraft Shenzhou-19 and its three crew lifted off atop a...[Read More]
UAE cash for minerals, but China dominance sparks angst
24 October
Billions of dollars in Emirati cash could soon flow into the critical mineral sector but concerns persist over whether Australia is too far behind China in the battery race. Australia and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to a trade pact that...[Read More]
Global fight against high inflation ‘almost won’: IMF
23 October
The global war against inflation has largely been won — and at surprisingly little cost to economic growth, the International Monetary Fund has declared. In its latest assessment of the global economy, the IMF predicted that worldwide inflation...[Read More]
Stage three tax cut spending spree yet to surface
17 October
Tax cuts don’t appear to be fuelling shopping sprees, with transaction data suggesting extra take-home pay is going towards staples and paying down debt. Footy finals were the only bright spot in an otherwise glum September for spending, with...[Read More]
Debit card surcharges could be scrapped in crackdown
16 October
Surcharges for payments made by debit card could soon be dumped, but business groups have warned there might be unintended consequences for consumers. The federal government said it was prepared to ban debit payment surcharges by 2026, pending a...[Read More]
Australian peacekeepers safe as security reviewed
16 October
All Australian defence personnel including peacekeepers are secure in the Middle East, amid a call to withdraw them. The Australian Defence Force “continually revises force protection measures” in the region, said a spokesperson when asked about...[Read More]
US-based trio win Nobel prize for economics
16 October
US-based academics Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson have won the 2024 Nobel economics prize “for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity”, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced. The prestigious...[Read More]
Spring brings brighter outlook as rate hike fears fade
9 October
Consumers can see light at the end of the tunnel as fears of further interest rate hikes fade. As signs of improving consumer and business confidence emerged, minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia’s last meeting confirmed the case to lift...[Read More]