Gazprom warns Poland, Bulgaria on gas
WARSAW, RAW – Polish and Bulgarian officials say Moscow is cutting off natural gas deliveries to their countries due to their refusal to pay in Russian roubles, a demand made by President Vladimir Putin after sanctions were levied against his nation over the invasion of Ukraine. Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom informed the two EU…
PM dismisses climate in-fighting claims
CANBERRA, AAP – Scott Morrison has dismissed claims the coalition is at odds with each other over climate policy, with the prime minister claiming the issue had been resolved. His comments came after Nationals Senator Matt Canavan said the government’s net-zero emissions by 2050 target was “dead”. Speaking to reporters in Rockhampton on Wednesday, Mr…
Confidence eases ahead of inflation data
CANBERRA, AAP – Consumer confidence eased slightly in the past week, coinciding with an increase in petrol prices after four weeks of steady declines from above $2 per litre. The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index – a guide to future household spending – eased 0.3 per cent to 96.5. A level below 100 indicates…
Housing fix urged to prevent homelessness
ORANGE, AAP – Eden Rodgers and her partner Phoebe Miller were on the verge of being homeless after being turned away from every rental property they applied for in Bathurst, NSW. A real estate agent gave the young couple three months’ notice to leave their rental last year, forcing them into a competitive market filled…
Wall St ends sharply lower, Nasdaq tumbles
NEW YORK CITY, RAW – Wall Street has ended sharply lower, led by the Nasdaq as investors worried about slowing global growth and a more aggressive Federal Reserve, and with Alphabet and Microsoft falling ahead of their quarterly reports to be released after the bell. Tesla slumped as investors worried that chief executive Elon Musk…
ASX falls 2.1pct, wiping out 2022 gains
SYDNEY, AAP – The Australian share market has suffered its worst session in two months, with brutal losses for the major miners and oil producers as China’s strict COVID policies weighed on commodity prices. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed down 155.3 points or 2.1 per to 7,318 cent on Tuesday, while the broader All Ordinaries…
Dollar soars on China growth fears
MILAN, RAW – World shares steadied on Tuesday after a late revival on Wall Street, although global growth fears stoked by China’s COVID-19 curbs and fears of aggressive Fed tightening sapped risk appetite, lifting the dollar to new two-year highs. The MSCI world equity index rose 0.1 per cent from six-week lows by 0812 GMT,…
Labor’s plan to woo agricultural workers
CANBERRA, AAP – Labor has promised a shake up of the scheme that encourages seasonal workers to come to Australia, but farmers have condemned the plan saying it kills off the agricultural visa. If elected Labor says it will address the Pacific economic challenges, while easing Australia’s agricultural worker shortages. It has proposed reforming the…
ASX down 0.7pc at noon as tech, banks drag
SYDNEY, AAP – The Australian share market has fallen for the third straight session, this time with tech stocks and financials the biggest drag at midday. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 52.1 points, or 0.71 per cent, to 7,266 at noon on Tuesday. The broader All Ordinaries had fallen by 53.2 points, or 0.7…
Beijing mass testing amid lockdown fears
BEIJING, AP – Beijing will conduct mass testing of most of its 21 million people as a new COVID-19 outbreak sparks stockpiling of food by residents worried about the possibility of a Shanghai-style lockdown. The Chinese capital began mass testing people in one of its 16 districts where most of the new cases have been…