Woodside exits Myanmar citing human rights
CANBERRA, AAP – Australia’s Woodside has announced its withdrawal from Myanmar as human rights abuses worsen under the military rulers. The latest joint venture would have been the first ultra-deep-water development in the Bay of Bengal offshore Myanmar. “Given the ongoing situation in Myanmar we can no longer contemplate Woodside’s participation in the development of…
Upbeat ASX on track to stop losing streak
SYDNEY, AAP – An upbeat ASX could give investors a first day of gains this week as the market finally rebounded from days of rate rise gloom. The market was higher by about one per cent on Friday despite the main Wall Street indices closing lower overnight. All ASX share categories were higher. This is…
Europe weighs up Australia travel freedoms
CANBERRA, AAP – Europe’s ambassador to Australia Michael Pulch says there is an opportunity for free travel between the two regions to restart once COVID-19 transmission rates begin to fall. Australia was removed from the European Council’s “white list”, which recommends non-essential travel be barred after soaring Omicron infections in the country. Australia was on…
ASX listing for virus-killing nasal spray
MELBOURNE, AAP – An Australian pharmaceutical firm that’s developing a world first virus-killing nasal spray is set to list on the ASX. Firebrick Pharma co-founder Dr Peter Molloy told AAP he’s been working on the spray, called Nasodine, for almost a decade, as a treatment for the common cold. “It appeared to me that if…
Westpac cuts growth forecast amid Omicron
CANBERRA, AAP – Economists at a major Australian bank have slashed their economic growth forecast for the March quarter to zero due to the impact of the Omicron variant on activity. Westpac has raised its growth forecast for the December quarter 2021 to 2.6 per cent from 2.2 per cent, partly reflecting the 12 per…
Australia could fill Europe gas supply gap
CANBERRA, AAP – Europe is looking towards gas suppliers other than Russia, including Australia, as tensions over Ukraine continue to escalate. Program director of energy at Grattan Institute Tony Wood says the US is trying to coordinate the diversification, with Australian gas already used to supplement supplies. “I’m sure the conversations are being had (but)…
Wall St roars back ahead of Fed decision
NEW YORK CITY, RAW – Wall Street’s main indexes have climbed after two turbulent sessions and ahead of the outcome of a Federal Reserve policy meeting, with a stellar outlook from Microsoft boosting technology stocks. The Fed policy decision is due later on Wednesday, with the US central bank expected to signal the start of…
Housing alliance’s plan to avoid crisis
SYDNEY, AAP – Almost 15,000 new homes a year could be provided for those who need housing and are struggling to access it under a new plan proposed by a recently formed alliance for housing affordability. The proposal includes the implementation of capital aggregation and tax offsets to incentivise institutional investment in social and affordable…
ASX dips, energy shares up on Russia worry
SYDNEY, AAP – Shares were down on the ASX after the US Federal Reserve warned it could raise rates as soon as March to slow inflation in the pandemic recovery. The market opened higher but later dipped 0.81 per cent on Thursday after Wall Street closed mostly lower following the US central bank’s largely expected…
Top scientist extols clean energy era
SYDNEY, AAP – Last Friday Australia’s former chief scientist, Alan Finkel, drove his hydrogen-electric vehicle to watch the world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier dock in Victoria’s Port of Hastings. The carrier, the Suiso Frontier, is scheduled to transport the clean cargo to Japan as part of a pilot program. The day’s events are symbolic of…
