CANBERRA -- Australia's unemployment rate has posted a surprise fall despite strict lockdown measures in the nation's second biggest state.

According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Thursday, the unemployment rate was 6.8 percent in August, down from a 22-year high 7.5 percent in July. (Canberra-Australia-Employment)

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GABORONE -- Non-bank financial institutions regulator in Botswana have applied for a court order to liquidate one of the country's fund managers.

The decision announced Wednesday came after Bluthorn Fund Managers (BFM) failed to align with compliance, despite repeated engagements. (Botswana-Fund Manager-Liquidate)

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CANBERRA -- Australia's two renewable energy agencies will have their mandates expanded to enable them to invest in low-emissions technologies.

Under the new legislation announced by the federal government on Thursday, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) will be allowed to support technologies that produce a low level of emissions. (Australia-Energy-Emission)

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BEIJING -- Chinese stocks closed mixed on Thursday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.41 percent at 3,270.44 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.03 percent higher at 13,015.19 points. (China-Market-Stocks)

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WASHINGTON -- About 60 percent of U.S. business closures since March are permanent, indicating the devastating fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released Wednesday by U.S. online review site Yelp.

"In the wake of COVID-19 cases increasing and local restrictions continuing to change in many states we're seeing both permanent and temporary closures rise across the nation, with 60 percent of those closed businesses not reopening," Yelp said in its latest Economic Average Report. (US-Business-Closures)