SYDNEY — The Reserve Bank of Australia will get the chance to respond to last week’s extremely strong labor force figures, which has triggered speculation among economists that an interest rate rise could be sooner than expected. Reserve Bank of Australia assistant governor for economics Luci Ellis will address a business lunch in Adelaide on June 23. The massive 115,200 rises in employment and a fall in the unemployment rate to 5.1 percent were described as a ‘game changer’ by one economist in regard to the interest rate outlook. Not only has unemployment fallen for seven straight months in a row, but the rate is…
Author: zenger.news
DARWIN, Australia — Dozens of Australian workers have protested outside the Northern Territory Chief Health Officer’s Darwin office to demand the release of 13 wharfies ordered into the Howard Springs quarantine facility. The men allegedly unloaded a foreign ship without adequate personal protection while being watched by Australian Border Force officers on June 11. Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie later directed the group into 14 days’ mandatory supervised quarantine over concerns the Tacoma Trader cargo vessel, which sailed from Singapore on June 5, could have been carrying Covid-19. Tacoma Trader (IMO: 9675810) is a Container Ship that was built in 2015 (6…
SYDNEY — Mandatory mask rules have been extended by a week in Sydney, QR codes might become mandatory in New South Wales shops and at least seven new Covid-19 cases will be added to the state’s tally. When asked whether a lockdown was likely for Sydney, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she had a “degree of confidence” in the situation despite the number of cases linked to the Bondi cluster reaching 21 on June 22. “If we suddenly have a number of unlinked cases and if we suddenly have them outside the geographic region they are concentrated in, that will obviously adjust…
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Australians have voted Jacinda Ardern as their favorite world leader for the third-straight year. The New Zealand prime minister’s popularity has soared to 91 percent in the 2021 Lowy Institute’s annual poll of Australians’ opinions. Ardern has topped all-comers in each of the three years she has appeared, and this year set a new record level. “More Australians have confidence in Prime Minister Ardern than in their own prime minister. It’s a remarkable level of closeness,” Lowy Institute foreign policy director Natasha Kassam said. Ardern outranks even the benchmark set by Barack Obama, who scored 88 and 86 percent in a similar…
SYDNEY — Big spending in the South Australian budget has drawn criticism from welfare and business groups. The South Australian Council of Social Service says it’s concerned many vulnerable and disadvantaged South Australians will miss out on the benefits. While Business Southern Australia says the budget lacks tailored support programs to help those companies hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Releasing the budget on June 22, Treasurer Rob Lucas forecast a deficit of AU$1.39 billion ($1.05 billion) for the next financial year before a return to a modest surplus of AU$48 million ($36.3 million) in 2022/23, a year earlier than previously projected.…
SINGAPORE — India’s second coronavirus wave will affect its infrastructure sectors to varying degrees with power companies and ports better able to weather the impact of pandemic-induced disruptions compared with airports and toll roads, according to a new report by Moody’s Investors Service. Any further regional lockdowns would increase uncertainty over India’s economic recovery, said the report. While infection rates are declining, vaccination rates remain low, leaving open the risk of subsequent infection waves that can bring further lockdowns. The report said that the government’s ability to limit the virus spread and materially increase its vaccination drive will have a direct…
The life of a fighter can be exhausting. The need to make weight is draining, as is the constant training to hone their craft in hopes of becoming a world champion. For Brownsville, Texas, native Omar “El Relámpago” Juarez, boxing is the platform to showcase his talents as well as his hometown pride. The undefeated super lightweight prospect (11-0) is constantly giving back through various nonprofits and programs, including helping families who have children with Down syndrome. Juarez is currently preparing for what could be his toughest opponent yet against All “The Machine Gun” Rivera (21-5, including 18 knockouts). That…
WASHINGTON — According to a new study, healthcare experts urge increased awareness of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among people with cardiovascular disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure. According to the study, obstructive sleep apnea occurs in 40 percent to 80 percent of people with cardiovascular disease, yet it is under-recognized and undertreated. The findings of the study were published in “Circulation,” the Association’s flagship journal. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when an upper airway obstruction causes repeated episodes of disrupted breathing during sleep. According to Mayo Clinic, obstructive sleep apnea is a potentially life-threatening sleep disease. During sleep, it causes breathing…
WASHINGTON — A new study published in the journal “Ophthalmology” has found that consuming large amounts of caffeine daily may increase the risk of glaucoma more than three-fold in those with a genetic predisposition to higher eye pressure. The research led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is the first to demonstrate a dietary — genetic interaction in glaucoma. The study results may suggest patients with a strong family history of glaucoma should cut down on caffeine intake. According to a study by the non-profit research group Bright Focus Foundation, Glaucoma affects more than three million Americans, with the most common kind…
WASHINGTON — According to a new study, obese people who attended a non-judgemental and personalized lifestyle modification program improved their cardiovascular and mental health during just ten weeks. The study was presented at Euro Heart Care — ACNAP Congress 2021, an online scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Its participants lost weight and achieved benefits in anxiety and depression and physical measurements, including blood pressure. “We focus on changing behaviors and improving people’s relationship with food,” said Aisling Harris, study author, cardiac and weight management dietitian, Croi Heart and Stroke Centre, Galway, Ireland. “Many participants have tried diets with strict rules and…