Australia

2 couples tie knot in Australia’s 1st same-sex weddings

Two female couples tied the knot in Australia’s first same-sex weddings under new legislation allowing gay marriages. January 9 had been expected to be the first possible date for same-sex weddings due to a four-week waiting period since the landmark law was passed. But the two couples were married in Sydney and Melbourne on Saturday […]

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Australian economy gets investment lift, but consumers squeezed

Australia’s economy expanded at the fastest annual pace in over a year last quarter thanks to a long-awaited jump in business investment, but worrying weakness in household spending cast a cloud over the outlook for growth. Wednesday’s data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.6 percent in […]

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World’s biggest battery to be ready this week in Australia

An official says Tesla Inc. chief executive Elon Musk is on track to deliver on a promise to build the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery in the Australian Outback within 100 days. Musk promised to build the 100-megawatt battery within 100 days of the contracts being signed at the end of September or hand it over […]

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Draft bill ups pressure on Australia govt to probe banks

A rebel member of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s coalition government is circulating a draft bill to step up pressure for an official inquiry into the country’s scandal-hit banks. Although the prime minister has staked much political capital on defending the banks, his government’s control of parliament is teetering over a citizenship crisis, giving the […]

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Thor finds his funny side as apocalypse nears in ‘Ragnarok’

By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The end of the world is nigh, and Marvel’s brawny superhero Thor finds himself hammerless and held hostage on a kitsch futuristic planet light years away from his home, in a sequel that revamps the slightly dim-witted Norse god with irreverent humor. “Thor: Ragnarok,” the third installment of […]

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Australia publishes draft laws for relaxed fintech regulation

SYDNEY (Reuters) – The Australian government published draft laws on Tuesday that would let financial technology companies operate without a full licence, a measure it said would encourage innovation without compromising existing levels of consumer protection. The draft laws would let companies test “a broad scope of activities…without the need to meet all the existing […]

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Philippines environment minister hopeful for end to open-pit mining ban

By Manolo Serapio Jr and Enrico Dela Cruz MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines’ environment minister said he was hopeful that a ban on open-pit mining would be lifted before the end of the year after a government panel recommended its removal on Tuesday. Lifting the ban would allow the development of some big-ticket mining projects […]

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Australia weather bureau says climate indicators near La Nina thresholds

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said on Tuesday climate indicators were near the levels associated with a La Nina weather event and pegged the chance of the weather pattern developing this year at 50 percent. This is around double the normal likelihood of the weather event, the BOM said. La Nina is […]

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Halep, Wozniacki claim revenge wins at WTA Finals

By John O’Brien SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Simona Halep made a winning start to her WTA Finals campaign with an impressive 6-4 6-2 victory over Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia on Monday, the Romanian surging clear in the second set to subdue her in-form opponent at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The second Red Group match of the day […]

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Hamilton wins U.S. GP but made to wait for title

By Alan Baldwin AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – Mercedes won the Formula One constructors’ title for the fourth year in a row on Sunday but Lewis Hamilton was made to wait despite cruising to a U.S. Grand Prix victory at one of his favourite circuits. Hamilton, presented with the winner’s trophy by former U.S. president Bill […]

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Pliskova delighted with her fast start on Singapore return

By John O’Brien SINGAPORE (Reuters) – After failing to navigate her way out of the group phase on her WTA Finals debut in 2016, Karolina Pliskova was desperate to get off to a fast start this year and that is exactly what the Czech world number three managed against Venus Williams on Sunday. Opening round-robin […]

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FedExCup champion Thomas wins CJ Cup in Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) – American Justin Thomas birdied the second extra hole of a playoff against Marc Leishman to win the PGA Tour’s $9.25 million CJ Cup at the Nine Bridges Golf Club on Jeju island on Sunday. Both players finished on nine-under-par 279 for the four rounds of the Tour’s first regular season event in […]

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