Consumers, business upbeat ahead of poll
CANBERRA, AAP – Business and consumers go into the federal election campaign in a reasonably upbeat mood, despite the usual uncertainties that a six-week run-in to polling day might throw up. Consumer confidence was underpinned by a further sharp drop in petrol prices in the past week, partly thanks to the temporary cut in fuel…
Airport passengers told to arrive earlier
SYDNEY, AAP – Passengers departing Sydney Airport are being advised to arrive earlier than usual as pandemic-related staff shortages continue to cause delays during the bumper school holidays ahead of the Easter long weekend. A Sydney Airport spokesman said there are aviation industry-wide staff shortages around the world. “We have significant COVID-related staff shortages and…
Oil, miners help Australian shares higher
SYDNEY, AAP – Australia’s share market traded higher at noon as firming commodity prices helped boost heavyweight mining and energy stocks. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 13.2 points, or 0.18 per cent, to 7467.2 by 1200 AEST. The All Ordinaries index was higher by 21.6 points, or 0.28 per cent, to 7757.1. Local investors…
Bleaching in deep waters off Tasmania
HOBART, AAP – Scientists have recorded bleaching for the first time in sponges in deep-shelf waters off Tasmania, in what is likely a “canary-in-the-coal-mine” sign of stress from underwater heat waves. Waters off the island state’s east are considered a global hotspot for marine climate change as the East Australian Current pushes further south. An…
Elon Musk’s Twitter turnabout
PROVIDENCE, AP – WHY DIDN’T ELON MUSK JOIN THE TWITTER BOARD? Musk said he informed Twitter on Saturday he would not be joining its board of directors, after being invited five days earlier, according to a financial disclosure. He did not explain why but the Saturday decision coincided with a barrage of now-deleted tweets from…
Campaigns pitch jobs against health care
CANBERRA, AAP – Prime Minister Scott Morrison aims to use the second day of election campaigning to focus on a jobs creation pitch. Mr Morrison is in Sydney on Tuesday, spruiking a pledge to create 1.3 million jobs over the next five years. Labor leader Anthony Albanese remains in Tasmania, where he will outline a…
Women seek greater workplace flexibility
CANBERRA, AAP – First it was the “Great Resignation”, then Treasurer Josh Frydenberg tried to introduce the term the “Great Reshuffle”, but now there is the potential “Flexidus” among women workers. The LinkedIn network has found two in three Australian women want more flexibility in their work. Its research found that while the pandemic has…
Wall St stumbles on rising Treasury yields
NEW YORK, RAW – Wall Street closed sharply lower as investors started the holiday-shortened week in a risk-off mood, as rising bond yields weighed on market-leading growth stocks ahead of crucial inflation data. All three major US stock indexes ended deep in negative territory, with tech and tech-adjacent stocks pulling the Nasdaq down 2.2 per…
Elon Musk will not join Twitter board
CALIFORNIA, RAW – Twitter says Elon Musk rejected its offer to join the social media firm’s board, a dramatic turn in a week when the billionaire became its biggest shareholder, and it warned of more drama with “distractions ahead”. Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal said in a note posted to Twitter that the company’s board…
Star lawyer rejects ‘hopeless’ compliance
SYDNEY, AAP – A top lawyer at Star Entertainment has rejected claims the gambling giant was “completely hopeless” on managing risks linked to a notorious Macau-based junket operator allegedly involved with Asian crime gangs. The NSW gaming regulator inquiry into The Star Sydney is probing whether the Sydney casino has been infiltrated by criminal activity,…
