Iron ore miners carry ASX to modest gain
SYDNEY, AAP – Mining giants benefited from a higher iron ore price and helped the Australian share market be one of the best in the region with one day of the trading week remaining. Materials shares gained 2.56 per cent and iron ore miners thrived after their rivals in Brazil stopped work due to torrential…
Unemployed could help feed rural Australia
ORANGE, AAP – Putting unemployed and older people to work could help feed regional and remote communities during the peak of the Omicron outbreak, an industry body says. Acting Small Business Minister Anne Ruston on Wednesday suggested opening up job opportunities for older Australians, the unemployed, and temporary visa holders to ease the burden on…
Tech shares bear brunt of ASX decline
SYDNEY, AAP – Australia’s share market was falling at the end of the week and technology shares were extending their wretched start to 2022. The market was down 0.84 per cent on Friday and technology shares were lower by almost three per cent after a tough night on Wall Street. The US Nasdaq dropped by…
Blackstone offer may seal Crown takeover
SYDNEY, AAP – Private equity group Blackstone has increased its bid for Crown Resorts and this time the casino operator looks likely to accept. Blackstone raised its bid by 60 cents per share to $13.10 per share, which equates to an $8.87 billion proposal. Crown on Thursday said it was in shareholders’ interests to discuss…
Jobs outlook turns uncertain due Omicron
CANBERRA, AAP – Australia’s labour market likely eked out another fall in the unemployment rate in the final month of 2021, before the COVID-19 Omicron variant made its mark. While there are signs that demand for workers is coming off the boil as the highly infectious strain disrupts business, there were still plenty of jobs…
New tech scoops plastic in Sydney Harbour
SYDNEY, AAP – A new technology being tested at defence bases on Sydney Harbour has removed nearly 3000 kilograms of rubbish from the iconic waterway in the past year. The Seabin Smart Technology will become a permanent fixture at Garden Island, with three units set to be maintained there. The Australian technology removed 2920kg of…
Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus
LONDON, RAW – EUROPE * British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has apologised for attending a “bring your own booze” gathering at his official residence during the UK’s first lockdown, as a senior figure in his party and opponents said he should resign. * Denmark is to offer a fourth coronavirus vaccination to vulnerable citizens and…
Sunflower siblings grow tidy profit
SYDNEY, AAP – While many parents have been scrambling to keep the kids busy this school holidays, that has not been the case for the Roth household near Mudgee in NSW. Three brothers – 10-year-old Viktor, Leo (12) and Christian (14) – were determined to make some pocket money this summer by selling sunflowers at…
US consumer prices up 7 per cent in a year
WASHINGTON, D. C., RAW – US consumer prices rose solidly in December, with the annual increase in inflation the largest in nearly four decades, which could bolster expectations that the Federal Reserve will start raising interest rates as early as March. The consumer price index increased 0.5 per cent last month after advancing 0.8 per…
Wall St rises after inflation data release
NEW YORK CITY, RAW – US stock indexes have risen after consumer prices data that largely met expectations eased some concerns about faster than expected interest rate hikes, with big technology stocks offering the biggest boost. Data from the Labor Department showed its consumer price index increased 0.5 per cent last month after rising 0.8…
