By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian and European Union trade ministers spoke on Thursday evening, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, as optimism builds that sticking points over a free trade agreement (FTA) can be overcome with more negotiation. A trade deal with the EU, a market of around 450 million consumers,…
By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand is carefully managing its relationship with China and must avoid getting pulled from “pillar and post” amid the strategic rivalry between China and the United States, the Pacific nation’s foreign minister said on Friday. Nanaia Mahuta’s comments come as Chris Hipkins nears the end of a six-day…
By Stephen Culp NEW YORK (Reuters) – The S&P 500 advanced on Thursday and benchmark Treasury yields hit their highest level since early March as robust economic data helped ease recession fears but increased the odds of the Fed keeping its restrictive policy in place for longer than expected. Financials led the gainers after the…
(Reuters) -Australian financial conglomerate Macquarie Group said on Thursday it would divest its U.S.-based port terminal operator Ceres Terminals, with a source familiar with the matter placing the deal value north of $900 million. Macquarie did not disclose any further details on the deal, and declined to comment on Reuters’ request seeking confirmation of the…
SYDNEY (Reuters) – New Zealand passed a law on Thursday guaranteeing bank deposits up to NZ$100,000 ($60,770), a move it said would strengthen and protect its financial system. The Deposit Takers Bill will cover some 93% of all depositors in New Zealand in banks, credit unions, building societies and finance companies, Finance Minister Grant Robertson…
By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) -The former premier of Australia’s most populous state engaged in corrupt conduct involving another lawmaker with whom she was in a secret romantic relationship, a years-long corruption inquiry that examined business dealings with China said on Thursday. The New South Wales Independent Commission into Corruption (ICAC) said in a report…
By Wayne Cole SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian retail spending rebounded in May as consumers were tempted by online sales events and promotional discounting, a sign of resilience in consumption that might add to the case for another rise in interest rates. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Thursday showed nominal retail sales…
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Job vacancies in Australia fell in the three months to May, the fourth straight quarter of decline, but were still far above pre-pandemic levels as demand for labour remains strong. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) out on Thursday showed vacancies in the May quarter fell 2.0%, from the previous…
BRISBANE (Reuters) – Regulators urgently need to fast track approvals for new mines and the renewable energy projects to power them to ensure the supply of minerals essential to averting climate change, gold miner Newcrest’s interim head said on Thursday. “We are urgently off course and we need to course correct immediately,” Sherry Duhe, interim…
By Stephen Culp NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Nasdaq Composite Index closed higher and the dollar rebounded on Wednesday as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested two more interest rate hikes are probably in the cards. Of the three major U.S. stock indexes, only the Nasdaq advanced, lifted by megacap momentum stocks led by Tesla…
