Renju Jose

Australian scientists have found hundreds of dead seal pups on Heard Island in the sub-Antarctic with signs that suggest they were killed by a destructive bird flu that has swept most of the planet, authorities said on Friday.

A bill to restrict social media for children under 16 will be introduced in the New Zealand parliament, officials said on Thursday, building momentum for parliament's efforts to prevent young people from being harmed while online.

New Zealand's central bank on Tuesday said it planned to ease mortgage loan-to-value ratio (LVR) restrictions from December 1 as house prices are now with sustainable estimates after a sustained fall.

Australian business conditions remained steady in September as improvements in sales and profits were offset by a fall in employment, a survey showed on Tuesday.

Alphabet-owned Google on Monday said it would be "extremely difficult" for Australia to enforce a law prohibiting people younger than 16 from using social media, warning that the government's initiative would not make children safer online.

Australia's most populous state criticised a pro-Palestine group's plan to stage a protest event in Sydney on Tuesday, the second anniversary of the attacks by militant group Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis and triggered a deadly war in Gaza.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday he was concerned about a report that China's state iron ore buyer had taken steps to pause purchases of iron ore cargoes from miner BHP .

Governments and tech firms are closely watching Australia's effort.

Santos is always prepared to consider any takeover offers for the company, the Australian gas producer's CEO Kevin Gallagher said on Friday, adding he would like to stay as CEO as long as he has the support of shareholders and the board.

Australia urged social media platforms on Tuesday to employ "minimally invasive" methods to check the age of users covered by its world-first teen social media ban, which take into account artificial intelligence (AI) and behavioural data.