Domestic miners .AXMM lost over a percent on the back of lower iron-ore prices, with behemoths Rio Tinto RIO.AX, BHP Group BHP.AX and Fortescue FMG.AX all seeing a decline. By Rishav Chatterjee Dec 8 (Reuters) - Australian shares on Thursday closed at their lowest in more than two weeks, as potential future rate hikes to contain inflation raised worries about a global recession. The country's flagship carrier Air New Zealand AIR.NZincreased its earnings forecast for the first half of fiscal 2023 on strong travel demand across domestic and international networks.