ā¢ Singapore and Thailand topped rankings as the world's 'least miserable' economies in the 2026 HAMI index by Johns Hopkins economist Steve Hanke, due to low inflation, steady employment, manageable borrowing costs, and income growth.ā¢ Southeast Asia identified as one of the 'healthiest economic neighbourhoods' globally, with households experiencing minimal economic strain amid positive indicators.ā¢ The index highlights regional resilience, contrasting with higher misery levels elsewhere, boosting consumer confidence and investment appeal.ā¢ Future editions may track if these trends persist amid global uncertainties.
Having received assurances from Singapore over refined fuels, diesel supply will surely be next on the prime ministerās agendaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese isnāt coming back from Singapore with a shipload of diesel in his checked baggage. That doesnāt mean his whistle-stop visit wasnāt a success, or that it wonāt be seen in future as a pivotal moment if fuel stocks continue to be choked by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.The government never expected that the quick whip to Singapore, with just one full day on the ground, would elicit a new supply of petrol or diesel. Singapore already supplies 55% of Australiaās unleaded, 22% of jet fuel and 15% of diesel. Continue reading...
Australia and Singapore will āmake maximum efforts to meet each otherās energy security needsā in refined fuels and LNG, according to new agreementGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustraliaās largest petrol source has pledged not to cut supplies, with Singaporeās prime minister telling Anthony Albanese that fuel will keep flowing despite the international crisis.Albaneseās whistle-stop visit with his Singaporean counterpart, Lawrence Wong, culminated in a new agreement that the two countries would keep sending one another fuel and liquefied natural gas, amid the āacute energy crisisā caused by the war in the Middle East. Australia and Singapore will also add a legally binding addendum to their free trade agreement on essential supplies like energy. Continue reading...
Prime minister touches down and says two countries āstrategically alignedā. Follow updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA search for a fisherman who disappeared in waters off Coffs Harbour has been suspended, police said last night.Emergency services were called to Emerald Beach, Coffs Harbour, on Monday following reports that a 32-year-old man had been washed off rocks while fishing.Thereās been substantial damage in the Gulf and that will have consequences for a period of at least months ahead. Continue reading...
The prime minister will hold talks with his opposite number to shore fuel suppliesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPenny Wong says the US-Iran ceasefire is fragile but must hold for the sake of the world economy and energy markets.Speaking on ABCās 7.30, the foreign minister said there were obvious differences between the two parties but the potential downsides to the truce failing meant it was imperative that it worked.This ceasefire is fragile, thereās no doubt about that. The ceasefire is fragile but the world does need it to hold. There are obviously substantial points of difference between the parties. But I think we all know that the damage that is happening to the global economy, to global energy markets, means that the world does need this ceasefire to hold.And you know, I spoke early on to Singapore, to Korea, to Malaysia, the Prime Minister, as you said, is going to Singapore, weāve seen one announcement already and we will continue to work with them. I spoke to the Japanese foreign minister just before this interview, we want to keep engaging with our counterparts, because this is a very large shock to global energy markets, and one that will continue to have an effect.I can understand people being really concerned about what is happening on global markets and what has happened in the Middle East, and the way this has escalated, which is why we have been saying for some time, itās time for de-escalation. Continue reading...
Petrol prices have stopped falling, despite the federal governmentās cut to the fuel excise last weekTrack Australiaās fuel prices, service station outages and shipments in chartsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese will fly to Singapore this week ā Australiaās biggest source of petrol ā as the government mounts an international bid to keep fuel prices from rising.Diesel is getting more expensive again and petrol prices have stopped falling, despite the federal governmentās cut to fuel excise last week. Continue reading...
ā¢ Meta Platforms acquired Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup, in a deal valued at over $2 billion to advance AI infrastructure.
ā¢ The acquisition bolsters Meta's capabilities in AI development amid US tech competition.
ā¢ Details on Manus technology integration remain pending announcement.
Energy minister Chris Bowen says āweāre a long wayā from further action like fuel rationing despite shortagesHundreds of service stations across Australia have run out of fuel, with the federal government inking a deal with Singapore, one of our biggest sources of refined petroleum, to keep supplies of diesel and gas flowing.Concerns are now broadening to supplies of fertiliser and other chemicals, heaping more pressure on the Albanese governmentās leveraging of overseas exports of coal and gas in a bid to handle of the crisis. Continue reading...
