| Glencore will get A$600 million combined from the Australian and Queensland governments to keep its Mount Isa copper smelter and associated refinery running for another three years. The support comes after a decade of aggressive Chinese expansion across the metals supply chain has driven intense competition, forcing numerous smelters to close. Still, bailouts may not be effective without other changes, according to Curtin University associate professor and specialist in metallurgical engineering Laurence Dyer. A Melbourne University professor is among three scientists who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for creating molecular constructions with potential to help combat climate change. Richard Robson will share 11 million kronor ($1.2 million) with Susumu Kitagawa and Omar M. Yaghi for creating molecular constructions with large spaces through which gases and other chemicals can flow. Japan’s Tokio Marine is seeking to boost its specialty insurance operations in Australia, either through bolt-on deals or larger transactions, as part of a $10 billion spend on acquisitions to boost its international business. Australia and Singapore are in discussions to boost bilateral defense ties, including enhanced reciprocal access to naval and air bases, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Wednesday.  Lawrence Wong, left, and Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra. Photographer: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images AsiaPac New Zealand’s central bank cut interest rates more aggressively than most forecasters expected and said it’s open to further reductions, underscoring mounting concerns about the economy in a move that sent the local currency to a six-month low. Meanwhile, the RBA swung to an accounting profit last financial year on lower bond yields and a depreciating currency. Australia’s interest-rate gap with the US is set to turn positive in the coming months, potentially delivering a boost to the local dollar as domestic assets become more appealing, according to AMP Ltd. | 
