Australia extends furlough scheme until March

Australia will extend its furlough subsidy scheme until March next year, in sharp contrast to the Chancellor's decision to stop helping British employers pay wages at the end of October. The JobKeeper programme has paid A$1,500 (£825) a fortnight - less generous than the UK scheme worth up to £2,500 a month - but will fall to $1,200 a month from the end of September. The JobSeeker scheme that tops up unemployment benefits will fall from A$550 to A$250 a fortnight, leaving recipients