Oil prices have dropped sharply, with US prices sliding back toward $US20 a barrel, as investors bet that fuel demand destruction caused by the coronavirus pandemic would be too much for producers embarking on record global output cuts to offset.
Gold soared nearly 2.0 per cent to hit its highest since late 2012, with investors rushing to the safety of bullion as the coronavirus ravaged economies worldwide and triggered the rollout of huge stimulus plans.
A gold price surge and strong gains for Afterpay have propelled the Australian share market to its best levels in a month in a volatile post-Easter session.
The state government says it will circumvent the upper house committee that oversees the state’s Corruption and Crime Commission to renominate John McKechnie as its commissioner, after the committee declined to offer bipartisan support to the incumbent.
Only one new local COVID-19 case has been reported in WA. The state will maintain a hard border closure. New laws have been announced for residential tenancies.
Westpac's money laundering scandal could blow a $1.03 billion hole in its first-half cash profit, with the bank setting aside an eye-watering $900 million for a potential legal penalty.
Oil prices were mixed as the historic production-cut deal inked by major global oil producers was not enough to assuage existing worries about the demand destruction brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Australian share market has finished the week with gains across the board on hopes the coronavirus crisis might be easing in the hardest-hit areas.
WA has reported 14 new infections, including two more healthcare workers in the Kimberley. Premier Mark McGowan has urged Western Australians to stay at home over Easter. Police will patrol Perth beaches over the long weekend.
Fini Group has lodged a development application to build a new $200 million medical and commercial precinct at Murdoch, highlighted by the state's first medihotel, but the project is at least a year behind its original schedule.
Gold prices held steady as investors awaited the release of minutes from the US Federal Reserve's policy meeting, which is expected to provide further clues on stimulus measures amid rapid surge in coronavirus cases.
The Australian share market has dipped in the final minutes of trade to close lower, with the banking sector suffering the most after an APRA suggestion to suspend their dividends and a downgrade to their credit ratings.
The federal government’s $130 billion wage subsidy package clears its first hurdle, Western Australia records an additional 11 cases of COVID-19, and Premier Mark McGowan pledges millions to expand the state’s police force.
St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls has taken remote learning to the next level with the launch of its own online video channel, which aims to maintain students’ social engagement during the COVID- 19 pandemic.
Seven Group Holdings has withdrawn its market guidance on the back of falling advertising revenue and declining oil prices, on the same day that Seven West Media criticised a report it was entertaining a prospective sale of West Australian Newspapers Holdings.
The Australian share market has plunged at the open on heavy losses for the big banks after an APRA suggestion to suspend their dividends and a downgrade to their credit ratings.
Saudi Arabia, Russia and allied oil producers will agree to deep cuts to their crude output at talks this week only if the United States and several others join in with curbs to help prop up prices that have been hammered by the coronavirus crisis.
Gold prices have fallen over 1.0 per cent, retreating from a near one-month high hit earlier in the session, as signs of slowdown in coronavirus cases in major epicenters boosted equity markets, drawing away some of the bullion's safe-haven appeal.
The Australian share market has been unable to sustain its early gains, closing down after officials in the US ruled out a return to normalcy until a coronavirus vaccine is found.
Representatives from the tourism and higher education sectors have today criticised aspects of the federal government’s JobKeeper program, voicing concerns that many businesses may not qualify for the wage subsidies.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has left the cash rate at 0.25 per cent and reaffirmed a 25 basis-point yield target on three-year Australian government bonds.
