Australia’s central bank raised its key interest rate two weeks ago because upside risks to inflation were coming to pass and waiting could prove costly, while adding the outlook would be heavily influenced by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Australian households are proving less vulnerable to interest-rate increases than their heavy debt loads might suggest, Deutsche Bank AG said, noting stronger household balance sheets are helping borrowers withstand tighter monetary policy.

Australian households have significant exposure to artificial-intelligence stocks, leaving consumer spending and the broader economy vulnerable to a sharp correction, according to internal Reserve Bank documents.

Australia’s consumer confidence declined further in October, driven by the Reserve Bank’s interest-rate increase and ongoing pressure from fuel prices, with households reporting growing unease over the jobs outlook.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar held talks in New York to discuss the potential implications of sanctions targeting Russia, a key energy supplier to New Delhi.

Australia’s consumer confidence slumped back toward deeply pessimistic territory in September, spurred by household concerns that the Reserve Bank will resume raising interest rates as well as higher fuel costs.

Russia is ready to supply India with as much oil as it needs to meet its energy requirements, the Kremlin’s envoy to New Delhi said, while denouncing plans to intensify sanctions on Moscow’s oil sales as “pressure tactics.”

Australian business confidence snapped three months of gains as uncertainty over the Middle East conflict and persistent energy price strength weighed on the outlook.

Australia’s central bank chief said there are signs the economy is cooling as anticipated, though it’s still unclear if this year’s interest-rate hikes are enough to return inflation to target or whether additional tightening will be needed.

Australia’s central bank chief said there are signs the economy is cooling as anticipated, though it’s still unclear if this year’s interest-rate hikes are enough to return inflation to target or whether additional tightening will be needed.

Australia’s central bank said results from a new survey showed inflation was the top economic concern for respondents, adding “fundamental gaps” remain in the public’s understanding of how monetary policy works.

Australia’s consumer and business confidence improved as concerns about higher fuel prices moderated in response to the US-Iran interim deal, though a resumption in fighting may see this recovery prove short-lived.

Senior Australian officials criticized China’s decision to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean, describing it as “destabilizing” and expressing concern to Beijing.

Australia’s housing downturn has wiped A$185 billion ($128 billion) off the value of the nation’s top two markets so far this quarter, a result that’s likely to weigh on the wealth effect that underpins consumer spending across the economy.

Australia’s central bank is betting the interaction between prices and jobs along the Phillips Curve mean its rapid-fire interest rate hikes will damp inflation without pushing unemployment too high, according to Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser.

More than half of Australians now see their nation’s relationship with China as more important than its ties to the US, a new poll showed, while confidence in President Donald Trump slumped to a record low.

Australia announced a A$2.5 billion ($1.8 billion) agreement to sell its Over the Horizon Radar system to Canada, as Ottawa aims to strengthen its military presence in the increasingly contested Arctic.

Australian institutions need to be ready to respond to a more shock-prone financial system as a strained geopolitical environment reshapes financial and economic linkages, a senior Reserve Bank official said Wednesday.

The US must win its war against Iran strategically, not just militarily, said Dennis Richardson, a former Australian ambassador to Washington, as well as chief of the country’s defense and foreign affairs departments.

Australia’s consumer sentiment slipped into “deeply pessimistic” territory as households struggle with cost of living pressures and concerns emerge over the outlook for the housing market following tax changes.