[warm] This is NewsCard Daily for Friday January 23, 2026... the biggest stories from Australia and around the world in just minutes.

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[serious] In Sydney, authorities are investigating a concerning spike in shark activity. Four attacks have been reported along Australia's east coast in just 48 hours... the latest incident adding to growing concerns among beachgoers. Experts are analyzing what's driving the unusual string of encounters... with warnings now in place at several popular swimming spots.

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[hopeful] On the economic front... good news for Australian workers and the dollar. Unemployment has dropped to 4.1 percent... a surprise decline that's caught the attention of markets. The Australian dollar has jumped above 68 US cents... its strongest level in more than a year. Markets are now pricing in better than even odds of an interest rate hike from the Reserve Bank in February... though analysts caution the central bank may take a measured approach to avoid appearing erratic after recent rate cuts.

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[curious] Overseas... tensions between the United States and Europe have eased after a dramatic few days. Donald Trump's discussion about acquiring Greenland sent markets into a tailspin... but the moment appears to have passed. Wall Street and the ASX both recovered strongly... with the Australian share market climbing three quarters of a percent. All sectors gained ground except gold mining... as the precious metal fell from its record highs.

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