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Emissions-busting aviation yet to take off

CANBERRA, AAP – Aviation will be one of the most difficult sectors to cut emissions unless governments support new technology, experts warn. Qantas was one of the first airlines to commit to net zero emissions by 2050, and capping net emissions at 2019 levels. Now 31 of 60 major passenger airlines have made the 2050…

No reason to raise rates like others: Lowe

CANBERRA, AAP – Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe says Australia is closer to full employment and achieving the inflation target then he had anticipated, but has reiterated the central bank will remain patient before lifting the cash rate. Dr Lowe addressed the National Press Club on Wednesday, the day after the RBA’s first board meeting…

ASX weighed down by Meta disappointment

SYDNEY, AAP – Shares were trading a little lower on the ASX after Facebook’s owner reported a fall in earnings and wiped the momentum for global markets. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 17.2 points, or 0.24 per cent, to 7070.5 points at 1200 AEDT. The All Ordinaries index was lower by 29.9 points, or…

Jobless rate may drop below 4 pct soon

CANBERRA, AAP – Scott Morrison wants to see the unemployment rate below four per cent in the second half of this year, but Employment Minister Stuart Robert says it could come sooner. As of December the jobless rate already stood at 13-year low of 4.2 per cent. The prime minister, just months out from a…

Tesla recalls 54,000 cars over software

DETROIT, AP – Tesla is recalling nearly 54,000 cars and SUVs because their “Full Self-Driving” software lets them roll through stop signs without coming to a complete halt. Documents posted on Tuesday by US safety regulators say that Tesla will disable the feature with an over-the-internet software update. The “rolling stop” feature allows vehicles to…

Wall St higher, overcomes choppy trading

NEW YORK CITY, RAW – Another seesaw session ended with the Wall Street benchmarks in positive territory and the energy index at a record high, although trading reflected investor uncertainty about how to play the current market. Recent sessions have been choppy, as the prospect of an aggressive rate-hike campaign by the US Federal Reserve…

RBA’s Lowe to flesh out thinking on rates

CANBERRA, AAP – Philip Lowe will get the opportunity to explain his thinking on the outlook for interest rates when he delivers a speech on Wednesday. The Reserve Bank of Australia governor stuck to the line of being “patient”, rather than lifting the cash rate from a record low 0.1 per cent, in a statement…

Even ‘refuge’ reefs won’t survive 1.5C

BRISBANE, AAP – New research shows global warming of 1.5degC will be catastrophic for almost all coral reefs worldwide, even sites scientists once thought of as refuges. The study is a dramatic escalation in expected outcomes and sobering news for economies like Australia that rely on reefs to support key industries including fishing and tourism….

Rio Tinto report finds harassment, racism

SYDNEY, RAW – A report released by Rio Tinto has outlined a culture of bullying, harassment and racism at the global mining giant, including 21 complaints of actual or attempted rape or sexual assault over the past five years. Nearly half of all employees who responded to an external review of the miner’s workplace culture…

ASX rally helped by RBA caution on rates

SYDNEY, AAP – Investors received gains and a reprieve from the threat of imminent rate rises in a happy start to February trading on the ASX. The market closed higher by 0.49 per cent on Tuesday after the Reserve Bank kept rates steady and rebutted the prospect of higher rates soon. Technology shares gained two…