Court rules Australian DPM ineligible for Parliament; govt loses majority

Canberra

AUSTRALIA'S High Court ruled on Friday that Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is ineligible to remain in parliament, a stunning decision that cost the government its one-seat parliamentary majority and forced a by-election.

The Australian dollar fell a quarter of a US cent after the unexpected decision. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he accepted the court's ruling, even though it was "clearly not the outcome we were hoping for".