Australia

Binance Australia announced it will halt Australian Dollar (AUD) bank transfers. Consequently, trading pairs with AUD on Binance have been suspended as of June 1. This move inhibits the ability of Binance users in Australia to make deposits or withdrawals in AUD through bank transfers....

Mastercard Inc (NYSE: MA) partnered with the Australian stablecoin platform, Stables, to launch a stablecoin digital wallet integration that will allow retail customers in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to spend their stablecoins anywhere Mastercard is accepted. The collaboration includes...

The U.S., Australia and the U.K. unveiled details of a plan to provide Canberra with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the early 2030s to counter Xi Jinping's growing ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. What Happened: President Joe Biden announced the agreement under the 2021 AUKUS partnership at...

After German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Australia's foreign minister urged China not to arm Vladimir Putin in his unprecedented war in Ukraine.  What Happened: Penny Wong said she raised Moscow's invasion of Ukraine with her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang at the G20 meeting in India, Reuters...

Australia's securities regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), has initiated a "targeted review" of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange.  What Happened: The review focuses on Binance's local derivatives business, including...

Billionaire Jack Ma, who maintained a low profile amid China’s regulatory crackdown, has since late 2022 gradually resumed globetrotting. What Happened: Ma, the co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA), is reportedly now in Australia but his exact...

Indonesia is in the process of drafting a regulation similar to Australia, after which Facebook, Google and other aggregators will have to pay media outlets to carry their content. What Happened: Indonesian Press Council member Arif Zulkifli said on Thursday that these aggregating platforms benefit...

From 1 July this year, medicines containing the psychedelic substances psilocybin and MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) can be prescribed by specifically authorised psychiatrists for the treatment of certain mental health conditions. Huge news tonight coming out of Australia. The...

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday hailed relations with Australia, signaling Beijing's interest in repairing soured ties.  What Happened: Xi sent a message to Governor General David Hurley to mark Australia Day and said the relations between the two countries are proceeding in "the right...

Australian politicians and anti-hate groups are demanding the government ban Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — after reports over the weekend indicated that the rapper will visit Canberra soon.  What Happened: Australia's Anti-Defamation Commission said Ye is a "hate preacher" and must not be...

Bill Gates joined a slew of billionaires investing in an Australian climate technology startup as Microsoft Corp's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Breakthrough Energy Ventures LLC participated in a $12 million Phase 2 seed funding round for Rumin8 Pty. What Happened: Rumin8, an Australian startup, plans to disrupt...

Four individuals were sentenced by the English County of Lancashire following an investigation into a £20 million Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) fraud. The fraud began in 2017 when James Parker, the alleged gang leader, discovered a glitch in an Australian cryptocurrency trading website that...

Tesla Inc’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) Model 3 has snagged the best-selling car tag in Australia from Toyota Motor Corporation’s (OTC: TOYOF) Camry. What Happened: The Camry was all set to emerge as Australia’s best-selling car for the 29th year in running, but the Elon Musk-led automaker...

One of the biggest challenges Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) had overcome on its road to EV dominance was the production of a mass amount of batteries for its vehicles. The company recently took a major step to continue its dominance in this regard. What Happened: Tesla has...

Australia's peak actuarial body has asked the government to urgently investigate the country's "incredibly high" 13% excess death rate in 2022.  What Happened: An analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data by the Actuaries Institute showed that an additional 15,...