COVID-19 wave dents SA business confidence
ADELAIDE, AAP – The Omicron wave of COVID-19 cases in South Australia hit both business and consumer confidence, a new report has found. Following the opening of the state’s borders in November, virus infections surged to more than 5000 a day at one stage but have stabilised between 1000 and 2000 in recent weeks. The…
Aust shares edge up amid tech gains
SYDNEY, AAP – A recovery in the Australian share market appeared to be running out of steam by noon despite a sharp rebound in technology stocks. By 1200 AEDT on Friday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 11.1 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 7001.7 points after rising as much as 0.77 per cent in…
Medibank defers health premium hikes again
SYDNEY, AAP – Medibank Private policyholders will save about $30 million in premium increases after the health insurer opted to defer the payments by another month. The deferral is to compensate policyholders unable to access hospital or extras services, such as non-elective surgery, under their health insurance during COVID-19 restrictions. It extends Medibank‘s decision in…
Funding boost for Aussie space ambitions
CANBERRA, AAP – Australian technologies – and a home-grown astronaut – will be launched into space after the federal government announced a multi-million dollar boost to the industry. More than $65 million in funding, to be announced on Friday, will be put towards getting Australian-made technologies into space and making Down Under a destination to…
Wall St higher after slide over Ukraine
NEW YORK, RAW – US stocks have ended sharply higher, led by a three per cent gain in the Nasdaq, in a dramatic market reversal as US President Joe Biden unveiled harsh new sanctions against Russia after Moscow began an all-out invasion of Ukraine. The S&P 500 rose more than one per cent on Thursday,…
Aust shares end nearly 3pct lower
SYDNEY, AAP – Australian shares tumbled nearly 3 per cent on Thursday as global markets dived after Russia escalated its dispute with Ukraine by launching military operations in that country. Ukraine said its bigger neighbour had launched a full-scale invasion by targeting cities with weapons strikes, and that Russian troops had landed in the Ukrainian…
Plug for local power hubs as poll drawcard
CANBERRA, AAP – Federal political hopefuls in regional Australia are being urged to support local power hubs as a way of getting more for their community from the renewable energy boom. “The vast bulk of our new renewable energy system is already beginning to be built in regional Australia,” Community Power Agency director Jarra Hicks…
AGL could exit coal by 2030 without buyout
CANBERRA, AAP – AGL Energy should choose a third option that could add up to 50 per cent to the share price, investment firm and shareholder Snowcap says. London-based Snowcap has written to the board on Thursday to urge them to reject the $7.50 per share bid from the Brookfield and Grok Ventures consortium and…
NSW trains chaos continues as talks resume
SYDNEY, AAP – As the NSW trains remain running on a reduced service the NSW premier has doubled down on his view that the union is to blame for the entire network shutdown on Monday. Transport Minister David Elliott is meeting the Rail, Tram and Bus Union on Thursday to try to resolve the long-running…
Qantas HY loss widens to $1.28 billion
SYDNEY, AAP – Qantas has widened a half-year underlying pre-tax loss of $1.28 billion as the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and emergence of the Omicron strain weighed on its finances. Revenue for the six months to December 31 rose 32 per cent to $3.07 billion, boosted by a record performance in its freight business and…
