International Business Times AU

Top Story

New Housing Loans Surge By 3.9% To AU$30.6 Billion, Driven By Investor Demand

Lending by first-time home buyers increased by 0.8% in July, and was 19.7% higher compared to July 2023. July also recorded a national average of new owner-occupier loans and new investor loans at AU$641,000.

Rising Climate Risks Leave 1.6M Australian Households In Financial Strain, Report Reveals
Australia Budget 2024: Energy Rebates, Rental Assistance And More As Government Tries To Tame Inflation

Albanese Downplays Ex-Treasurer Swan's 'Punching Itself In The Face' Criticism Of RBA's Monetary Policy
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese distanced himself from Swan's comments in the media, saying that both RBA and his government worked to lower inflation. "They are in charge of monetary policy, we are in charge of fiscal policy ... The fight against inflation is one we are all engaged with," he said.
Indigenous Workers In Northern Territory To Receive AU$202 Million In Historic Stolen Wages Settlement
The move follows similar cases in Western Australia and Queensland, where cases were settled for AU$165 million and AU$190 million, respectively.
Japan And Australia Strengthen Military Ties With Enhanced Joint Exercises
Japan is on high alert as China amplifies its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Late last month, Japan launched a protest after a Chinese military aircraft briefly entered the former's southwestern airspace for the first time.
Israeli Troops Leave West Bank's Jenin With Gaza Talks Deadlocked
Israeli forces appeared to be winding down a deadly 10-day raid in a flashpoint city in the occupied West Bank on Friday, as key ally Germany warned against treating the territory like Gaza.

China Pushes Smaller, Smarter Loans To Africa To Shield From Risks

China's years of splashing cash on big-ticket infrastructure projects in Africa may be over, analysts say, with Beijing seeking to shield itself from risky, indebted partners on the continent as it grapples with a slowing economy at home.

WAR IN UKRAINE

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin (L) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attend a meeting of Kyiv's supporters on September 6, 2024 at the US air base in Ramstein, Germany

Zelensky Appeals For Weapons At Germany Aid Drive

President Volodymyr Zelensky joined a meeting of Ukraine's international backers in Germany on Friday, appealing for additional weapons as Kyiv faces advancing Russian forces in the east and devastating strikes by Moscow.

Economy in Focus

Eurozone Second-quarter Economic Growth Revised Down
The eurozone economy's growth in the second quarter this year was slightly smaller than previously estimated after the EU's statistics agency on Friday revised its data.
Blackstone's AU$24 Billion Buyout Of AirTrunk Marks Major AI-Linked Investment In Asia Pacific
Australia Tops Global Gambling Losses With $1,635 Per Person, New Report Finds

More News

Australia Moves To Optimize AI Guidelines With New Regulations
"Australians want stronger protections on AI, we've heard that, we've listened. From today, we're starting to put those protections in place," said Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic as he unveiled a paper with 10 new voluntary guidelines on AI systems.

Google 'Anti-competitive' Over Online Ad Tech: UK

US tech titan Google employs "anti-competitive practices" with regards to online advertising, Britain's competition watchdog concluded Friday in provisional findings of a two-year long investigation.