BUSINESS

The European Central Bank is expected to lower interest rates again this week as anxiety about inflation in the eurozone fades and concerns over sluggish growth mount.

The airline's financial basis was strengthened as Qatar Airways completed its 25% equity purchase, bringing Virgin Australia one step closer to returning to public ownership.

Apart from St George, Westpac's other subsidiaries -- Bank of Melbourne and Bank SA -- were also affected by the blackout.

According to Canstar's report, 42 lenders have reduced their fixed rates in the last month, with the lowest fixed rate on the market being 4.99% on a three-year term offered by SWS Bank.

After years of talking up Tesla's prowess on autonomous driving, Elon Musk is set to host Thursday a much-hyped robotaxi event amid a mix of anticipation and skepticism.

RBA Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser argued that a central bank needed to build strong bonds with business, unions, government organizations and the financial sector.

Investor and owner-occupier interest-only fixed rates have been slashed by up to 0.65 percentage points, while owner-occupier principal and interest fixed rates have been lowered by up to 0.50 percentage points.

World oil prices rallied more than two percent Monday as tensions escalated in the crude-rich Middle East one year after the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel.

Top Chinese economic policymakers are expected to flesh out a raft of growth-boosting policies on Tuesday, after the announcement of long-awaited stimulus measures last month sparked a blistering stock market rally.

Sydney and Brisbane saw the highest number of new suburbs reporting homes and units priced above AU$1 million, with 46 new suburbs added in each city.

The Tax Office redefining the term for "beer" might result in higher taxes on brewed beverages such as lagers, ginger beers, and seltzers.

Oil prices rose further Friday as tensions mount in the Middle East, while Hong Kong's stock markets resumed a rally caused by China's recently-announced measures to stimulate its economy.

Hiring in the United States picked up significantly more than expected in September while the jobless rate crept lower, according to government data released Friday, offering relief to policymakers ahead of November's election.

In 2023, the eSafety Commissioner had issued the AU$610,500 fine for failing to effectively respond to questions regarding harmful content involving children on its platform.

"It has become clear that the hydrogen market is developing more slowly than anticipated, and there remain risks and both input cost and technology advancements to overcome," Origin chief executive Frank Calabria said.

Law firm Maurice Blackburn brought triple class action claims against ANZ, Westpac, St George Finance, and Macquarie Leasing over alleged exploitation of flex commission arrangements, which were banned in 2018.

US private sector hiring picked up in September, with employers adding more jobs than anticipated, according to data released Wednesday by payroll firm ADP. ADP data showed private sector employment rose by 143,000 jobs, significantly higher than the 120,000 figure that a consensus by Briefing.com expected.

OpenAI did not name the investors, but reports said that the funding round was led by New York-based venture capital firm Thrive Capital, including the company's biggest backer Microsoft and new participants, chipmaker Nvidia and SoftBank, among others.

Now, Tesla's Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive is the most affordable, with a price of $42,490.

Toyota will be delaying the production of its EVs in the U.S. amid design issues and slow EV sales.

The IMF noted in its statement that the Australian economy will likely experience a moderate slowdown in 2024, with a growth rate of 1.2%. The scenario will probably improve in 2025, with the growth rate jumping to 2.1% straight.

Nike reported a drop in profits Tuesday on sagging revenues as the sports giant cautioned that a turnaround from a rocky period would take time under a new CEO. The athletics company's financials showed lower sales in every operating region, as its CFO pointed to lackluster store traffic in China and excess inventories in leading markets.

Tech giant Oracle on Wednesday said it plans to invest more than $6.5 billion on cloud services data centres in Malaysia, joining a list of US titans rushing to build up their AI infrastructure in Southeast Asia.

Under the agreement, Santos will supply up to 500,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually for three years, starting in Q4 2025.

Treasurer Cameron Dick put the cost of setting up the energy retailer at about AU$1.4 million adding that it would help people save up to 6% of their energy bills.

The affected areas will be the Direct Insurance Australia and Intermediated Insurance Australia divisions.

The eurozone's annual inflation rate fell to its lowest level in three-and-a-half years in September, official data showed Tuesday, dropping below the European Central Bank's two-percent target and fuelling expectations of a rate cut.

German chemicals group Covestro said Tuesday it had accepted a takeover bid from UAE state energy company ADNOC, as one of the key sectors in Europe's largest economy is gripped by crisis.

The latest figures boosted Australian dollar by 0.25%, bringing it to AU$0.6930, just shy of its 1.5-year peak of AU$0.6943.