Energy standards backed to end bill shock
CANBERRA, AAP – Many Australians are racking up huge power bills in homes that are too hot during summer and freezing in winter, but that could change. The independent Climate Council is calling for a better national construction code, warning that even a short delay in strengthening energy efficiency will lock in higher power bills…
Another 100 trams to be built in Melbourne
MELBOURNE, AAP – One hundred new Melbourne trams will be built in the city’s outer southeast to replace ageing stock. Bombardier Transportation Australia – part of global manufacturing company Alstom – has won a multimillion dollar contract to build Victoria’s next generation trams, the state government announced on Thursday. The trams will be built at…
Death fears for ancient WA coral formation
BRISBANE, AAP – On Western Australia’s stunning Ningaloo coast, a coral bommie that began life 1000 years ago sits ghostly white in the green waters of Bill’s Bay. Experts aren’t 100 per cent sure but they strongly suspect the death of the colossal coral community dubbed Ayers Rock. It’s not a good sign that brownish…
Pollies urged to mind the skills gap
CANBERRA, AAP – Skills shortages are top of mind for business owners who vote as Australia’s jobless rate eyes fresh lows and vacancies go unfilled. Closed borders have added to the skills gaps that Australia faced before the pandemic, and pledges of job creation are ringing hollow across the campaign trail for many. The latest…
Aussie coal phased out by China: report
CANBERRA, AAP – Australia will suffer the biggest losses as China weans itself off imported coal, research shows. Modelling by researchers at the Australian National University has found China’s demand for coal imports will drop significantly by 2025 even if the unofficial ban on Australian coal ends. “The recent turmoil in global energy markets will…
Wall St slips after bleak Netflix report
NEW YORK CITY, RAW – The tech-heavy Nasdaq has closed down, weighed by streaming giant Netflix’s surprise drop in subscribers which shook investor confidence in other high-growth companies, fearful they may face similar post-pandemic performance issues. By contrast, the blue-chip Dow was driven to a higher close by positive earnings from consumer giant Procter &…
China plane black boxes ‘severely damaged’
BEIJING, RAW – Chinese authorities say the black boxes of a Boeing 737-800 jet that crashed last month were badly damaged, leaving virtually no publicly available clues to explain its violent plunge into a wooded hillside, killing all 132 people on board. China Eastern flight MU5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou plunged from cruising altitude into…
Password-sharing out, ads in for Netflix
SAN FRANCISCO, AP – An unexpectedly sharp drop in subscribers has Netflix considering changes it has long resisted, including minimising password sharing and creating a low-cost subscription supported by advertising. The looming changes, announced late on Tuesday in the US, are designed to help Netflix regain momentum it has lost over the past year. Pandemic-driven…
ASX gives up gains after healthy start
SYDNEY, AAP – The Australian share market has closed with modest gains, underpinned by a strong healthcare sector marked by a private equity bid for Australia’s biggest private hospital operator. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 ended four points higher, or 0.05 per cent, to close at 7569.2 on Wednesday. The index threatened to touch its record high…
Australian shares rise in energetic mood
SYDNEY, AAP – The Australian share market is in positive territory midway through the session, with almost all sectors contributing to the rise after mixed trading on Wall Street overnight. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index rose 15.6 points, or 0.21 per cent, to 7584.8 on Thursday, backed by strength in energy, industrials and utilities. The positive…
