Cheaper medicines are on the agenda as federal parliament resumes, following laws to protect penalty rates, reduce university debts and ensure childcare safety.
Australia should encourage business investment and cut complex red tape, the Productivity Commission recommends in a paper ahead of an economic roundtable.
The UK and Australia have laid out a long-term vision for the future of the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal despite questions over America's future involvement.
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq notched record high closes as results from Google parent Alphabet fuelled optimism while Tesla slumped after results disappointed investors.
The Australian share market has lost ground after slightly hawkish comments by Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock, while the local currency climbed to an eight-month high.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq have notched record high closes, lifted by Nvidia and GE Vernova, as the European Union and the US appeared headed toward a trade deal.
The S&P 500 has eked out a record-high close following steep losses in General Motors and a gain in Tesla as investors focused on quarterly reports and progress in US trade discussions.
The local bourse has been unable to push further into record territory, suffering its biggest loss in three months following a similar rally in the previous session.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite ended little changed, overcoming a brief dip triggered by a report indicating Donald Trump was pushing for new tariffs on European Union products.
The Australian share market has finished at a record high for the third time this week, with every sector gaining ground in the bourse's biggest rally in three months.
Wall Street rose to records on Thursday following better-than-expected updates on the economy and a mixed set of profit reports from big U.S. companies.
The Australian share market has set another record after the unemployment rate rose to its highest level in nearly four years, increasing the odds of an interest rate cut.
The local share market has dropped from record levels after US government data showed inflation re-accelerating amid President Donald Trump's trade war, reducing the odds that the world's biggest economy will cut interest rates soon.
The local share market has closed at its highest level for the second time in a fortnight after China reported better-than-expected quarterly economic growth.
