Australia's financial crimes monitoring agency said on Wednesday that it has identified 90 scam victims, money mules and suspected offenders as the top crypto ATM users in the country, amid efforts to address crimes enabled by digital currency, Reuters reported. A nationwide operation led by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) examined the most prolific crypto ATM users in each state, and based on the transaction values, identified cases likely linked to scams or fraud.
Read more
Australian employment dipped in May after solid gains the previous month, data showed on Thursday, although full-time jobs jumped and the jobless rate held steady in a sign of continued resilience in the labour market, Reuters reported. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that net employment dipped 2,500 in May from April, when they rose a revised 87,600. That was below market forecasts for a 22,500 increase, though the series has been very volatile in recent months. The jobless rate held at 4.1%, where it has been for over a year now.
The Victorian Liberal party will provide a $1.5m loan to former leader John Pesutto to ensure he can pay Moira Deeming’s legal fees and avoid bankruptcy, The Guardian reported. The loan was debated by the 19-member administrative committee on Thursday night and ultimately endorsed after a secret ballot, which was proposed to limit any factional retribution within a deeply divided party. Deeming, also a Liberal MP, successfully sued Pesutto for defamation after he falsely implied she sympathised with neo-Nazis and white supremacists.
This content is reserved for Global Insolvency Members or members of the American Bankruptcy Institute. Create an account now to gain access. Enjoy free membership for a limited time.
Already a member? Login here.
Beleaguered Sydney home builder J+CG: Building & Construction Company has entered administration, owing tens of millions to both creditors and customers due to alleged building defects, SkyNews Australia reported. The family-owned company began operations in 1994, and constructed multi-storey apartment buildings, office complexes and commercial and retail spaces.
Read more
This content is reserved for Global Insolvency Members or members of the American Bankruptcy Institute. Create an account now to gain access. Enjoy free membership for a limited time.
Already a member? Login here.
Australia’s economy slowed sharply in the first three months of 2025, leaving it vulnerable to emerging weakness in world growth as the global trade war and a surge in geopolitical risk undermines the confidence of firms and consumers, the Wall Street Journal reported. The economy grew 0.2% in the first quarter from the prior quarter, and expanded by just 1.3% from a year earlier, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday. Economists had expected annual growth of closer to 1.5%.
Read more
Australian retail sales slipped unexpectedly in April as warm weather hit spending on winter clothing, data showed on Friday, while department stores suffered from a dearth of discounting events in further evidence of a cautious consumer, Reuters reported. The weakness came despite lower borrowing costs and a cooling in inflation, supporting investor wagers for a further cut in interest rates when the Reserve Bank of Australia next meets in July.
Read more
Australia's central bank on Tuesday cut interest rates to a two-year low as cooling inflation at home offered scope to counter rising global trade risks, and left the door open to further easing in the months ahead, Reuters reported. Wrapping up a two-day policy meeting, the Reserve Bank of Australia cut the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.85%, saying that upside risks to inflation had diminished as the international developments are set to weigh on the economy.
Read more
Australian wages picked up in the March quarter led by government pay rises, data showed on Wednesday, while subdued growth in the private sector suggested a tight labour market was still no bar to a cut in interest rates, Reuters reported. Investors remain confident the Reserve Bank of Australia will cut by a quarter point to 3.85% at its May 20 meeting, due to cooling inflation at home and global uncertainty caused by U.S. tariff policies.
Read more