Alice Springs casino gets $70M expansion
DARWIN, AAP – A central Australian hotel and casino is set to expand, with a multi-million dollar revamp to attract international holidaymakers and gamblers. Iris Capital will spend $70 million expanding Alice Springs’ Lasseters Hotel Casino, Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner said. “Private investment is leveraging the town as a new must-do destination for…
War and Peace: The repetitive cat-and-mouse game
It is a lighter start to the APAC session this week, with markets in China and Taiwan closed for a holiday; however, the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to be the primary driver of markets. Still, more indirectly than ever before, the implications on inflation, commodity prices, and liquidity are now more relevant than direct military conflict…
Job ads to point to falling jobless rate
CANBERRA, AAP – New job advertising figures will likely confirm that the fall in the unemployment rate below four per cent is likely to occur sooner rather than later. ANZ will release its job ads series for March on Monday, after showing an 8.4 per cent jump in February to a 13.5-year high. Such strength…
Labor aims to put cap on home care fees
CANBERRA, AAP – Labor is promising to put a cap on home care fees should it win the May federal election, with a date for the poll elected within days. It says it will stop rorts in administration and management fees, and providers will have to report monthly to users on where their money goes….
Life-saving medicines to be made locally
SYDNEY, AAP – A slew of medicines to treat illnesses like cancer and kidney disease will now be manufactured here in Australia in a move the government says will future-proof the country’s access to life-saving treatments. Currently, Australia imports more than 90 per cent of its medicines, but the recent global pandemic made it evident…
Wall St rises amid strong jobs news
NEW YORK, RAW – The S&P 500 has risen modestly to kick off the second quarter, as the monthly jobs report indicated a strong labour market and is likely to keep the Federal Reserve on track to maintain its hawkish policy stance. The Labor Department’s employment report shows a rapid hiring pace by employers while…
ASX edges higher but gains limited
SYDNEY, AAP – The Australian share market has started on a positive note in a week in which central banks’ forecasts for higher rates are likely to dominate discussion. The market was higher by about half a per cent by noon on Monday after a good lead from Wall Street from Friday following lower unemployment…
ASX little changed, US jobs data looms
SYDNEY, AAP – A mixed Australian share market has finished the day close to where it started as investors wait for US jobs data. Gains for the commodity shares of energy and materials offset losses for much of the market, particularly in consumer discretionaries and telecommunications. US monthly jobs data due on Friday night could…
NSW coal mine extended amid climate fears
SYDNEY, AAP – The NSW government has conditionally approved the expansion of a coal mine in the state’s north, with critics lambasting the move as “reckless” and “catastrophic”. The Narrabri underground mine, operated by Whitehaven for the past decade, produces 11 million tonnes of coal annually. Originally slated to mine coal until 2031, the Independent…
Oil, gas drilling permit off NSW refused
CANBERRA, AAP – The federal government has taken the final step to knock back a controversial oil and gas drilling permit off the NSW coast. The Petroleum Exploration Permit 11 (PEP11) between Newcastle and Wollongong had been the subject of vocal community opposition. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday said he had taken the final…
