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Australia extends KPMG government-work ban over 'serious ethical failings'

22 October 2026 at 10:34
Australia's federal government has extended its ban on KPMG bidding for new government contracts until at least the end of February, citing what it called serious ethical failings. The move follows allegations that audit partners at the firm misused client data and then mishandled a whistleblower's complaint about the matter.

Australia and East Timor sign defence pact to counter China's regional reach

22 October 2026 at 10:34
Australia and East Timor signed a new defence agreement on Thursday to strengthen cyber and maritime security cooperation. Canberra will provide roughly $44 million and expand joint military exercises, part of an effort to limit Beijing's growing influence among Pacific and Southeast Asian neighbours.

Mexico charges ex-prosecutor with treason over US-linked drug raid

22 October 2026 at 10:34
Former Mexican prosecutor César Jáuregui Moreno has been charged with treason over allegations he allowed US agents to take part in a raid on a suspected drug lab in April. The case rests on Mexican law restricting any operational role for foreign officials inside the country.

Lula boosts Bolsa Família payments before Brazil's runoff vote

22 October 2026 at 10:34
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has raised the flagship Bolsa Família welfare payment by 15% days before Sunday's presidential runoff. The increase, reaching roughly 20 million families this week, anchors a wider package of aid, subsidies and tax cuts Lula unveiled in the campaign's final stretch.

Norway's $2.3 trillion wealth fund posts $30 billion quarterly loss

22 October 2026 at 10:34
Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, posted a $30 billion loss in the third quarter after a bond market slump hit its holdings. Norges Bank Investment Management, which runs the roughly $2.3 trillion fund, said returns on its bond portfolio turned negative as yields rose.

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