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☆ Australian telecom firms fined $22.1 mln for false internet speed claims
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 11 (Reuters) - Three Australian telecom firms have been ordered by a court to pay a collective A$33.5 million ($22.08 million) in penalties for making misleading claims about speeds of some NBN internet plans, the country's competition regulator said on Friday. The Australian Federal Court has ordered Telstra (TLS.AX) to pay A$15 million, a unit of TPG Telecom (TPG.AX) to cough up A$5 million, and imposed a fine of A$13.5 million on Optus, a unit of Singapore Telecommunications (STEL.SI), the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) said. All three telcos have admitted in court of making false or misleading statements, the regulator said, claiming nearly 120,000 customers were affected. According to the ACCC, the false or misleading statements were made for at least 12 months in 2019 and possibly extended until 2020, related to their 50 Megabits per second (Mbps) or 100Mbps fibre to the node plans. ($1 = 1.5175 Australian dollars)Reporting by Harshita Swaminathan; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia's Medibank says hacker leaked customer data on dark web
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 8 (Reuters) - Medibank Private Ltd (MPL.AX), Australia's biggest health insurer, said on Wednesday some customer personal data believed to have been stolen from its systems has been released by the hacker on a dark web forum. The leaked data includes names, addresses and phone numbers of its customers, and in the case of some international students, passport numbers. Some health claims data was also released. Local media has reported the leaked data was posted on a blog linked to ransomware crime group REvil, which has links to Russia. read more read moreReporting by Harshita Swaminathan and Himanshi Akhand in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australian lender Westpac sees profit drop on charge, raises cost target
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Harshita Swaminathan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

3 lender Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX) on Monday reported a drop in annual earnings, hit by a charge on the sale of its life insurance unit, and raised cost guidance as it flagged lower home prices and higher unemployment into 2023. Westpac revised its target for costs incurred to A$8.6 billion ($5.52 billion) by fiscal 2024 from a prior target of A$8 billion, citing wage increases from a tight labour market and continued regulatory costs. Westpac's cost target excludes its specialist business and some other items. Analysts at Citi said this implies a total cost base of A$9.2 billion for fiscal year 2024, which consensus estimates have already priced in. Shares of the lender fell over 3% to A$23.38, while the broader market (.AXJO) was up 0.5%.

☆ Australian lender Westpac's profit falls on charge, raises target for costs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Westpac also revised its target for costs incurred up to A$8.6 billion by the 2024 financial year, citing wage increases from a tight labour market and continued regulatory costs. The new cost target marks a departure from its A$8 billion by FY24 target set in May 2021, as part of a cost-cutting exercise which analysts had termed "ambitious". However, the bank saw a 19% reduction in annual operating expenses, benefitting from lower asset writedowns and lower staff expenses. read moreWhile its lending margins in the second half did recover slightly from the first half, full-year margins were still down 13 basis points from last year. Westpac declared a final dividend of 64 Australian cents per share, compared with 60 Australian cents last year.

read moreIt also shows Woolworths' grocery dominance being challenged: its September quarter sales showed higher inflation than at Coles, which reported results on Oct. 26, while Woolworths food sales went backwards compared to higher supermarket sales at Coles. In the same period, Australian food prices for Woolworths rose 7.3%, compared to 7.1% at Coles. Woolworths food sales were below consensus forecasts and Coles "appears to have closed the sales gap somewhat", Jefferies analysts said in a research note. Australian food sales "did not improve ... despite rising inflation", UBS analysts noted. Including all divisions such as discount department store and its business-to-business unit, group sales rose 1.8% to A$16.4 billion, Woolworths said, roughly in line with analyst forecasts.

☆ Australia's Woolworths sales rise on higher prices, grocery demand stumbles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 3 (Reuters) - Australia's biggest supermarket chain Woolworths Group (WOW.AX) said on Thursday first-quarter sales rose 1.8% as higher shelf prices and strength in its wholesale business offset a slowdown in grocery demand. Last week, rival Coles Group Ltd (COL.AX) CEO Steven Cain said cost-of-living pressures were changing customer behaviour. Total group sales for Woolworths rose to A$16.36 billion ($10.39 billion) in the first quarter and narrowly beat a Jefferies estimate of A$16.33 billion. The country's heavily populated east coast experienced flooding earlier this year, worsening cost-of-living pressures. read moreWoolworths' topline growth was also helped by its Australian business-to-business segment, where sales rose 26% to A$1.20 billion.

☆ Australian grocer Woolworths' quarterly sales rise on higher prices
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 3 (Reuters) - Australian grocer Woolworths Group (WOW.AX) said on Thursday first-quarter sales rose 1.8%, helped by higher prices of products and a jump in sales in its domestic business-to-business (B2B) segment. Retailers have been raising prices to cope with higher fuel and ingredient costs. Total group sales for the country's biggest supermarket chain rose to A$16.36 billion ($10.39 billion) in the first quarter and narrowly beat a Jefferies estimate of A$16.33 billion. In Australian B2B, quarterly sales surged 26% to about A$1.20 billion, which helped offset a 0.5% drop in the company's biggest segment, Australian Food, and an 8.1% fall in sales from New Zealand. ($1 = 1.5746 Australian dollars)Reporting by Harshita Swaminathan and Navya Mittal in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Insurer AIA's new business value edges up as China COVID curbs ease
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 31 (Reuters) - Asia-focussed insurer AIA Group Ltd (1299.HK) reported a 1% rise in quarterly new business value on Tuesday as sales recovered from pandemic lows in its main markets of China and Hong Kong. AIA's mainland China business posted a 6% rise in value of new business (VONB) during the quarter, on a constant exchange rates basis. Its Hong Kong business also saw VONB growth, AIA said. The two markets together account for about half of AIA's new business growth globally. In the quarter ended Sept. 30, AIA's VONB rose to $741 million from $735 million a year earlier.

☆ Insurer AIA's new business value rises marginally in third quarter
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Oct 31 (Reuters) - Asia-focussed insurer AIA Group Ltd (1299.HK) reported a 1% rise in quarterly new business value on Tuesday as sales recovered from pandemic lows in its main markets of China and Hong Kong. The insurer's value of new business, or VONB, rose to $741 million in the third quarter from $735 million a year earlier. VONB measures expected profits from new premiums and is a key gauge for future growth. Reporting by Harshita Swaminathan and Selena Li; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Oct 31 (Reuters) - Australia's Nitro Software (NTO.AX) said on Monday it would back a near A$500 million ($320.15 million) offer from KKR Inc's (KKR.N) Alludo that trumps an earlier bid from major shareholder Potentia Capital Management. Shares of Nitro Software rose as much as 19.1% to A$2.06 in morning trade, the highest point since January. In a statement, Nitro said the Alludo offer was fully funded by "equity sources", without identifying the backers. Potentia has built a 19.8% stake in Nitro and declined to comment on the Alludo offer. Last week, ELMO Software (ELO.AX) agreed a $A500 million takeover from Los Angeles-based K1 Investment Management.

Oct 31 (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand said on Monday its annual stress test on the banking sector showed banks were "well placed" to overcome stagflation. The RBNZ's Deputy Governor Christian Hawkesby said while banks' capital buffers would take a hit in a stagflation scenario, where high inflation is paired with negative economic growth, they would remain well above the regulatory minimums. Inflation in New Zealand is tracking just below three-decade highs at 7.2% and the central bank has been aggressively hiking the cash rate to try to dampen it. Gross domestic product rose 1.7% in the June quarter, but increases in the cash rate raise the risk of a contraction. The Central Bank is due to release its twice yearly Financial Stability Report on Nov. 2.

☆ Qantas 'disappointed' at regulator delaying Alliance Aviation deal verdict
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 28 (Reuters) - Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX) on Friday "expressed disappointment" at the country's competition regulator delaying its decision on the carrier's $394 million buy of Alliance Aviation Services (AQZ.AX). In May, Qantas said it was buying the remaining 80% stake in charter flights operator Alliance Aviation Services for A$610.8 million ($394.03 million). read moreAlliance Aviation's charter alliance agreement with Virgin Australia also hangs in the balance, with the ACCC proposing to deny approval for the firms to extend their agreement. If Qantas succeeds in buying Alliance Aviation, the charter alliance deal extension is even less likely to go through. Alliance Aviation's shares last traded at A$3.23, a 32% discount to Qantas' offer price of A$4.75.

☆ ANZ's annual cash profit rises 5% on home loan boost, higher interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 27 (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ANZ.AX) on Thursday reported a 5% rise in full-year cash profit as its home loans business improved and higher interest rates boosted margins in the second half. The country's fourth-largest bank has been overhauling its home loan processing capabilities after failing to cash in on a COVID-driven housing boom because of delays in processing applications. Group net interest margin, a key measure of profitability, grew 10 basis points from the first half to 1.68% in the second half of the year. Runaway inflation has pushed the Australian central bank to pursue its most aggressive tightening cycle in decades, boosting margins for banks that had grappled with record-low interest rates for the past two years. ANZ's cash profit from continuing operations was A$6.52 billion ($4.23 billion) for the financial year, beating a Visible Alpha consensus estimate of A$6.31 billion.

☆ ANZ assessed $16 mln fine for withholding account benefits
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 26 (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ.AX) was fined A$25 million ($16 million) for failing to provide agreed benefits to certain customers with offset transaction accounts, Australia's market regulator and the lender said on Wednesday. The accounts, offered under ANZ's "Breakfree" package introduced in 2003, provided fee waivers, interest rate discounts on home loans, credit cards and transaction accounts, and other benefits in exchange for an annual fee. ANZ's offset transaction customers were entitled to interest rate reductions on eligible home and commercial loans, which were not always passed on, the ASIC said. "ANZ ... for many years failed to prioritise and deploy the systems and processes necessary to fulfil its obligations." "ANZ accepts that its conduct fell short of expectations and apologises to its customers who have been impacted," the lender said.

☆ ANZ faces $16 mln fine for withholding account benefits for 20 years
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 26 (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ.AX) was fined A$25 million ($16 million) for failing to provide agreed benefits to customers with offset transaction accounts under its 'Breakfree' package, Australia's market regulator said on Wednesday. The Breakfree package, introduced in 2003, offered fee waivers, interest rate discounts on home loans, credit cards and transaction accounts and other benefits in exchange for paying an annual fee. ANZ's offset transaction customers were entitled to interest rate reductions on eligible home and commercial loans, which were not always passed on, the ASIC said. "ANZ ... for many years failed to prioritise and deploy the systems and processes necessary to fulfil its obligations." ($1 = 1.5657 Australian dollars)Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi, additional reporting by Harshita Swaminathan; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia's Coles flags climate challenge as floods push up inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Byron Kaye | Harshita Swaminathan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

2 grocer Coles Group Ltd flagged climate change as its next big operational challenge on Wednesday as floods pushed up prices in the first quarter, lifting sales revenue but squeezing the farming supply chain. Coles shares fell 3% by mid-session, against a flat overall market, as analysts weighed the impact of inflation, which economists also blame on soaring energy prices, on profit growth. Shares of larger rival Woolworths Group Ltd, which reports September quarter sales on Nov. 3, were also down 3%. At its annual meeting, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci said inflation remained a concern and the company expected the operating environment to remain challenging. With Australian inflation at a 32-year high of 7.3% in the September quarter, Coles CEO Cain said cost of living pressures were changing customer behaviour, with lower-income shoppers buying less fresh produce and more canned goods, and “catering in bulk” to reduce food waste.

☆ Newcrest Mining reports safety incident at Canada mine, suspends operations
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 24 (Reuters) - Australian gold miner Newcrest Mining (NCM.AX) said on Monday it was investigating a "critical incident" involving a team member from its Brucejack mine in British Columbia, Canada. The individual belongs to its mining and development contractor for the project, Procon. Newcrest said it was working closely with Procon and the relevant authorities. Newcrest did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the status of the individual involved. Newcrest acquired Brucejack, which produces gold and silver, as part of its acquisition of Pretium Resources Inc this year.

☆ Woodside lifts output forecast as revenue soars on high energy prices
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The company became a top-10 global independent oil and gas producer after its merger with BHP's petroleum arm was finalised this year, helping it double its output. read moreWoodside gained from weaker energy supplies following the Ukraine war, which pushed liquefied natural gas prices to new highs and forced buyers to scramble for alternate supplies from countries like Australia. Woodside also said it produced 51.2 mmboe during the quarter, the first full quarter of production since its merger with BHP's petroleum arm, compared with 22.2 mmboe a year earlier. This, along with the newly acquired BHP assets, helped boost quarterly revenue to $5.86 billion, from $1.53 billion a year ago. Woodside also said its Sangomar oil and gas project in Senegal was 70% complete at the end of September, with first production targeted for the latter half of 2023.

☆ BHP quarterly iron ore production rises on lower COVID-19 impacts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 19 (Reuters) - BHP Group (BHP.AX) said on Wednesday its quarterly iron ore output rose, aided by better performance from its Western Australian assets and a continued ramp-up at its South Flank project. The higher production comes despite an 18% fall in spot prices of iron ore over the September quarter as China repeatedly locked down several major cities as part of its "zero-COVID" policy, hitting economic activity and demand for iron ore.Rival Rio Tinto (RIO.AX) had tempered its annual iron ore shipments forecast, after quarterly iron ore deliveries fell. The worker shortage continued to slow performance at its coal projects in New South Wales, which were already hit by floods. New South Wales energy coal production fell 38% in the September quarter. The global miner produced 72.1 million tonnes (mt) of iron ore in its first quarter, a 2% rise.

☆ China Southern Airlines places order for 40 Airbus jets
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Benoit TessierSept 22 (Reuters) - China Southern Airlines Co Ltd (600029.SS) said on Thursday its unit has placed an order with Airbus SE (AIR.PA) for 40 A320neo-family aircraft worth $4.85 billion. The deal comes months after three Chinese state airlines placed an apparently coordinated order for nearly 300 Airbus jets, the biggest order by Chinese airlines in about 5 years. read moreThe new order for 40 jets was on top of the bulk order for 292 aircrafts announced in July, an Airbus spokesperson said. read moreThe Airbus deal follows China Southern Airlines' order in August for 96 A320neo-family aircraft worth $12.25 billion. Xiamen Airlines is majority owned by China Southern Airlines and has previously relied exclusively on Boeing jets.

☆ China Evergrande mulls asset transfer to property unit for debt payment
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterA partially removed company logo of China Evergrande Group is seen on the facade of its headquarters in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China January 10, 2022. REUTERS/David KirtonSept 21 (Reuters) - China Evergrande Group (3333.HK) said on Wednesday it was considering transferring some assets to its property unit to settle some of the unit's debt payments. In July, the company revealed that loans secured by Evergrande Property Services (6666.HK) had been diverted to the parent group, which led to Evergrande Group's chief executive and finance head stepping down. read moreDeposits worth 13.4 billion yuan ($1.90 billion) held by the property unit had been used as collateral for pledge guarantees and seized by banks. Evergrande Group added that it had sold 18.16 billion yuan worth of properties from January to August, and it has 706 pre-sold but undelivered construction projects.

☆ OMS: Varianta indiană (Delta) a Covid devine dominantă la nivel mondial, din cauza transmisibilității sale mai mari
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-19 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +1 min

Sursa foto: ReutersOMS: Varianta indiană (Delta) a Covid devine dominantă la nivel mondial, din cauza transmisibilității sale mai mariVarianta indiană (Delta) a coronavirusului devine dominantă la nivel mondial, din cauza transmisibilității sale mai mari, afirmă cercetătorul-șef al OMS, Soumya Swaminathan. De asemenea, Soumya Swaminathan și-a exprimat dezamăgirea că vaccinul candidat al CureVac a eșuat, întrucât nu a putut dovedi o eficiență de cel puțin 50% în fazele de testare. Cercetătoarea pune rezultatul pe seama derulării studiului în timpul în care la nivel mondial, s-au răspândit tulpinile coronavirusului, scrie Biziday. Potrivit OMS, citată de DW, această variantă a virusului Sars-Cov-2 a fost până acum identificată în peste 80 de țări. Până acum, Marea Britanie a anunțat că varianta Delta a devenit dominantă pe teritoriul său, iar Institutul de Boli Infecțioase al Germaniei a anunțat că aceeași situație se va înregistra ”până în toamnă”.

Persons: Reuters, CureVac, OMS Organizations: OMS Locations: Delta, Germaniei, India, Moscova

☆ Anunțul ÎNGRIJORĂTOR făcut de OMS cu privire la varianta Delta a coronavirusului
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-18 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

Varianta Delta a coronavirsului SARS-CoV-2, detectată prima dată în India şi prezentă la ora actuală în cel puţin 70 de ţări, este pe cale să devină dominantă în lume din cauza capacităţii ei sporite de transmitere. Avertizarea a fost făcută de către directoarea pentru cercetare ştiinţifică a Organizaţiei Mondiale a Sănătăţii, Soumya Swaminathan, potrivit agenţiilor Reuters şi EFE, citează Agerpres. Varianta indiană a coronavirusului (denumită de OMS varianta Delta) este cu circa 60% mai transmisibilă decât varianta Alfa (varianta britanică), care la rândul ei este cu circa 50% mai transmisibilă decât tulpina originală. Potrivit Public Health England, circa 99% dintre cazurile de COVID-19 înregistrate în prezent în Marea Britanie corespund variantei Delta, care în această ţară a luat locul ca variantă dominantă variantei Alfa, cea care a provocat ultimul val epidemic. OMS atrage atenţia în acest timp că relaxarea restricţiilor antiepidemice sau declararea prematură a unei victorii împotriva pandemiei riscă să contribuie la răspândirea şi mai accentuată a variantei indiene.

Persons: Reuters, Robert Koch, Lothar Wieler, OMS Organizations: Agerpres, OMS, Alfa Locations: India, England, Germania

☆ OMS avertizează că poate urma o perioadă și mai grea pentru India, deși numărul cazurilor de Covid a scăzut
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-17 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +2 min

Sursa foto: ProfimediaOMS avertizează că poate urma o perioadă și mai grea pentru India, deși numărul cazurilor de Covid a scăzutCazurile de Covid în India au mai scăzut, însă rata de pozitivare rămâne în continuare îngrijorător de mare, avertizează reprezentanții Organizației Mondiale a Sănătății. Soumya Swaminathan, unul dintre experții OMS, a subliniat că rata de pozitivare este "îngrijorător de ridicată" în India, la nivel național, deși cazurile au înregistrat o ușoară scădere. Țara a raportat luni o nouă scădere a noilor cazuri de coronavirus, deși decesele zilnice au rămas la peste 4.000. India a fost puternic afectată de pandemia de Covid-19 în ultimele luni, după ce o nouă tulpină de virus a dus la creștere infectărilor până la un numă de aproximativ 400.000 zilnic. În ultima săptămână, numărul de cazuri din India a crescut cu 1,7 milioane, iar peste 20.000 de oameni au murit din cauza îmbolnăvirii cu virusul SARS-CoV-2.

Persons: Reuters, Soumya, Swaminathan Organizations: Organizației Mondiale a Sănătății, OMS Locations: India

☆ De ce criza COVID din India contează pentru întreaga lume și cum afectează vaccinarea la nivel mondial
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-28 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +4 min

Însă focarul nu este doar o o problemă majoră pentru India, ci este o criză pentru toată lumea. „Și ce se întâmplă acum în India, din păcate, s-a mai întâmplat și în alte țări”, a mai spus dr. Soumya Swaminathan. Însă mai există o altă preocupare majoră cu privire la ratele ridicate de infecție din India: variantele virusului. Acest lucru va avea cu siguranță impact asupra începerii campaniilor de vaccinare din multe țări. „Avem cu adevărat nevoie dublăm vaccinarea cât mai repede posibil sau virusul va scăpacu totul de sub control”, spune Swaminathan.

Persons: ., Pandemia, Jeff Barrett, Sanger, . Sharon Peacock Organizations: Organizația Mondiala a Sănătății ( OMS, BBC, ONU Locations: India, New Delhi, Hong Kong, UK, Institute, Oxford, Indiei

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