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.

Australia’s industrial relations umpire raised national minimum wage rates by 4.75%, just shy of the Reserve Bank’s inflation forecast, citing uncertainty over the economy’s trajectory.

Australia’s populist One Nation party surged past the ruling Labor party to lead a nationwide opinion poll for the first time, highlighting voter disappointment with last month’s budget and reinforcing signs of a fracturing of the conservative side of politics.

US and Israeli jets struck Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and other targets, hours after President Donald Trump had suggested negotiations with Tehran over an interim deal were progressing.

New Zealand intends to spend about NZ$1.6 billion ($936 million) on drones, ship maintenance and naval upgrades to bolster the island nation’s maritime security at a time of increasing concern about supply routes.

New Zealand intends to spend about NZ$1.6 billion ($936 million) on drones, ship maintenance and naval upgrades to bolster the island nation’s maritime security at a time of increasing concern about supply routes.

New Zealand intends to spend about NZ$1.6 billion ($936 million) on drones, ship maintenance and naval upgrades to bolster the island nation’s maritime security at a time of increasing concern about supply routes.

Australia’s central bank said raising interest rates for a third consecutive meeting would give the board scope to monitor how households and firms respond to the impact of the conflict in the Middle East that has sent fuel prices surging.