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☆ Australia job vacancies fall 2% in May qtr, still historically high
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, June 29 (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 quarter, to 431,600. "This May saw businesses continuing to report difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff," said Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics. "This highlights the impact of a tight labour market on a broad range of businesses," said Jarvis. Thursday's data showed vacancies in the private sector fell 2.3% in the May quarter, while the public sector saw a rise of 0.3%.

Persons: Bjorn Jarvis, Jarvis, Wayne Cole, Stephen Coates Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: Australia

☆ Titan submersible: What's next in the search for the imploded submersible?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The discovery led the US Coast Guard to announce the ship likely imploded, killing all five passengers aboard. The Odysseus 6 discovered debris from the Titan submersible about 1,600 feet from the wreckage of the Titanic on Thursday, according to the US Coast Guard. All five are presumed dead after the “catastrophic implosion” of the submersible, according to the US Coast Guard. On Friday, Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger said, “I don’t have an answer for prospects at this time” when asked about recovering remains. A Coast Guard official said Thursday that authorities are discussing how an investigation would unfold since the implosion took place in international waters.

Persons: Paul Hankins, ”, Tom Maddox, “, John’s, Shahzada, Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, John Mauger, ” Aileen Marty, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, ” OceanGate, Mauger, Rush, What’s, OceanGate’s, David Lochridge, William Kohnen, OceanGate, classing, ” Rush, David Pogue, don’t, Don’t Organizations: CNN, Titan, US Coast Guard, Research Services, Coast Guard, Forensic Investigators, Deep Energy, Stockton Rush, OceanGate Expeditions, Florida International University, Maritime Horizon Services, Maritime Horizon, Navy, ”, Authorities, Canada, Transportation, Board of Canada, Transportation Safety Board of Canada, TSB, Canadian, Twitter, National Transportation Safety, Marine Technology, American Bureau of Shipping, Lloyd’s, Rush Locations: Canada, St, British, French, Newfoundland, John’s, Labrador

☆ Safety concerns about missing Titan vessel voiced by former OceanGate employees years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Celina Tebor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Lochridge worked as an independent contractor for OceanGate in 2015, then as an employee between 2016 and 2018, according to court filings. Court filings from the company indicate there was additional testing after Lochridge’s time at OceanGate, and it’s unclear whether any of his concerns were addressed as the vessel was developed. He said more concerns were raised by contractors and employees during his time at OceanGate, and Rush became defensive and shied away from answering questions during all-staff meetings. In 2022, the legal representative updated the Virginia court on OceanGate’s expeditions in another court filing. “OceanGate decided to cancel the second mission for repairs and operational enhancements” after the vessel “sustained modest damage to its external components,” it reads.

Persons: David Lochridge, Lochridge, Stockton Rush –, “, Rush, OceanGate, of Virginia –, ” Kevin Williams, “ OceanGate, “ Classing Organizations: CNN, US Coast Guard, OceanGate, Stockton Rush, Titan, Coast Guard, U.S, Eastern, of, University of Washington’s, Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, American Bureau of Shipping, Lloyd’s Locations: Cape Cod , Massachusetts, OceanGate, of Virginia, Virginia

☆ Australia May employment blows past expectations, piling pressure on RBA
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The bond yield curve, which was already inverted to signal risks of a recession, inverted further after the jobs report, with the spread between ten-year and three-year government bond yields turning negative. "The labour market remains very tight, which will contribute to stronger wage growth over 2023," said Sean Langcake, head of macroeconomic forecasting for Oxford Economics Australia. "The RBA has maintained a hawkish tone following the June rate rise, expressing concerns over the persistence of underlying inflation. Job advertisements were mostly steady in May after three months of declines and remained 52% above pre-COVID levels. Reporting by Stella Qiu; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sean Langcake, Langcake, Philip Lowe, Stella Qiu, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Sonali Paul Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Reserve Bank of Australia, Oxford Economics, Thomson Locations: Oxford Economics Australia

☆ Lupita Nyong’o wears custom silver breastplate to 2023 Tony Awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Attending the 2023 Tony Awards in New York Sunday night, Lupita Nyong’o arrived in timeless formalwear: a sharp black velvet dinner jacket and flared trousers. Nyong’o was wearing a custom breastplate cast and molded on her body by Misha Japanwala, a Pakistani artist and designer whose subversive sculptures are already increasingly attracting an impressive celebrity clientele. (An exhibition of Japanwala’s work is also currently on display at the Hannah Traore art gallery in New York.) Misha Japanwala's work "asks viewers to see the body exactly as it is," the artist writes on her website. Japanwala’s work, however, presents a very different picture.

Persons: Lupita Nyong’o, Nyong’o, Misha Japanwala, Hannah Traore, Misha Japanwala's, Nyong'o, Steve Eichner, Ford, Bella Hadid, Rihanna, breastplates, Yves Saint Laurent, Claude Lalanne, Lalanne, ’ breastplates, Japanwala’s, Japanwala, ” Nyong’o, ” Organizations: CNN, Cannes Film Locations: New York, Pakistani, ribcage, Couture, Greece

☆ Your teen wants to get in shape this summer? What to say and when to worry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Analysis Oona Hanson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —If your children say they want to start exercising or working out more this summer, don’t celebrate just yet. Eating disorder experts warn that setting fitness goals could mean trouble for kids. But eating disorder symptoms can be incredibly sneaky, as Darpinian has seen in her therapy practice more often in recent years. And just as important, parents can approach questions about bodies, food and exercise in a way that builds connection and trust. Oona Hanson is a parent coach in private practice and a family mentor at Equip, an eating disorder treatment program.

Persons: don’t, Signe Darpinian, Wendy Sterling, Shelley Aggarwal, ”, Darpinian, ” Darpinian, she’s, Sterling, aren’t, they’re, influencers, MoMo, Aggarwal, —, ” Aggarwal, “, Oona Hanson Organizations: CNN, San Francisco Bay Area Locations: don’t, San Francisco Bay, Menlo Park , California, Northern California

☆ Australia's current account surplus widens in Q1, small drag on GDP
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, June 6 (Reuters) - Australia's current account surplus widened in the March quarter, helped by strong exports of resources and travel services, with net exports proving to be a much smaller drag on growth than first thought. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday showed the current account surplus widened to A$12.3 billion ($8.14 billion) in the first quarter, from a revised surplus of A$11.7 billion the previous quarter. It also beat forecasts of a A$15 billion surplus. "Exports of travel services recorded the highest quarterly increase on record as more international students came to Australia for on-campus learning," said Kim. Analysts had forecast GDP to rise 0.3% in the first quarter from the previous quarter, and up 2.4% for the year.

Persons: Grace Kim, Kim, Stella Qiu, Kim Coghill Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian Bureau, Statistics, International Statistics, ABS, Analysts, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: Australia

☆ Australia wage growth hits decade-high, quarterly gains miss forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed its wage price index rose 0.8% in the March quarter from the previous quarter, just under forecasts of a 0.9% increase. Annual pay growth, however, accelerated to 3.7%, from a revised 3.4% the previous quarter, compared with forecasts of 3.6%. The central bank has flagged more rate rises might be required, saying a rise in productivity growth, which has slumped to the lowest since the 1970s, would be needed to ensure wage growth remains consistent with inflation target. Annual wage growth is expected to peak at 4.0% at the end of this year before easing back to 3.7% by mid-2025. The ABS data showed wages in the public sector picked up to an annual rise of 3.0% while growth in private sector wages increased 3.8%.

☆ Six Exercises to Boost Core Muscles Beyond Your Abs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Jen Murphy | Photographs Yuri Hasegawa For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Olympic water polo players tirelessly work their cores. But six-pack abs don’t win medals. It takes all-around core strength to endure in the pool. This means skipping the sit-ups, says Christopher Bates , men’s senior sports-medicine manager for USA Water Polo, based in Irvine, Calif.

☆ Don't believe these 4 myths about exercise, says 2021's ‘Fitness Influencer of the Year’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

To help you get rid of the "gym jitters," we asked Lucy Wyndham-Read , the "Fitness Influencer of the Year" for 2021, about the myths about exercise that circulate and often deter people from working out. April 18 is National Exercise Day , which was established in 2020 to encourage people to engage in physical activity — it's the perfect day to get a quick workout in. "The reality is, actually, most people are in the gym, or work out, to focus on their wellbeing," she adds. This myth can become an excuse that gets in the way of you going to the gym, Wyndham-Read adds. "Home fitness has proved to be one of the most effective ways to really get people amazing results," she notes.

☆ Millennium's new Miami-based engineering program is the latest shot in hedge fund's war for young tech talent
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Insider's Bianca Chan has a first look at Millennium Management's new engineering training program for its Miami office. Click here to read more about Millennium's new training program for engineers in Miami. JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon, BlackRock's Larry Fink, Citigroup's Jane Fraser, and Wells Fargo's Charlie Scharf shared thoughts on the banking crisis during their respective earnings calls. The world's largest money manager is open to making some deals in the wake of the banking crisis. Despite all the chatter on the recent banking crisis, JPMorgan's CEO still had thoughts on the state of the wider economy.

☆ Australian job vacancies fall 1.5% in Feb quarter, still high historically
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, March 30 (Reuters) - Job vacancies in Australia eased in the three months to February, the third straight quarter of decline, but still far above pre-pandemic levels in a sign of a still tight labour market. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) out on Thursday showed vacancies in the February quarter fell 1.5%, from the previous quarter, to 438,500. "There is still a very high demand for labour from employers across Australia and across all industries," said Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics. Thursday's data showed vacancies in the private sector dipped 1.5% in the February, while the public sector saw a drop of 1.4%. The number of vacancies was highest in public administration followed by the accommodation and food sector, health care and education.

☆ Philippines' Duterte ready to "face the music" as ICC forges ahead with probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Duterte, whose presidency ended last year, told a gathering of prosecutors: "I did what I had to do. Duterte, who campaigned on promises to kill drug dealers, is being investigated by the ICC for possible crimes against humanity. The probe was reopened in January and the ICC on Monday rejected Manila's request to suspend it pending an appeal questioning the court's jurisdiction and authority. "Disengaging could mean many things, and that is what I want to clarify with the president," Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, who was justice minister under Duterte, told news channel ANC. Asked about the remarks of Marcos, the ICC said it does not comment on ongoing investigations.

☆ Australia retail sales level off in Feb as shoppers rein in spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, March 28 (Reuters) - Australian retail sales levelled off in February after wild swings around the year-end holidays, suggesting consumers are reining in spending in the face of higher living costs and rising interest rates. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Tuesday showed retail sales rose just 0.2% in February, compared to a revised 1.8% rise in January. Sales of A$35.14 billion ($23.48 billion) were 6.4% higher than a year earlier. The figure beat median forecasts of a 0.1% rise, pushing the local dollar higher to $0.6674 , up 0.4% for the day. Australia employment rebounded strongly in February, the jobless rate eased back to near 50-year lows, and business conditions remained resilient.

☆ Australia retail sales growth slows to 0.2% in February
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SYDNEY, March 28 (Reuters) - Australian retail sales eked out a meagre gain in February after wild swings around year-end holidays, indicating shoppers are reining in spending in the face of higher costs of living and rising interest rates. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Tuesday showed retail sales rose 0.2% in February from January, when they picked up a revised 1.8%. Sales of A$35.14 billion ($23.42 billion) were 6.4% higher than a year earlier. The result was just a touch above median forecasts of a rise of 0.1%. ($1 = 1.5004 Australian dollars)Reporting by Stella Qiu; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Congress sat back and let trucks become heavier, taller, and deadlier. Now pedestrian fatalities are at a 40-year high.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

As trucks get bigger and bigger, so do the blind zones in the front and to the side of the cars. He didn't expect to find that an M1 Abrams battle tank had better a sightline than some everyday trucks. Due to the shape of the hood, a modern truck's blind zone can extend to more than a dozen feet out in front of the vehicle. According to NHTSA data, there were 240 estimated nonoccupant deaths by forward-moving vehicles in the United States in 2016. The legislation was never brought to a vote, but Blumenthal told Insider he had plans to reintroduce the act this session of Congress.

☆ Australia employment rebounds in Feb, jobless drops back to near 50-yr lows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 16 (Reuters) - Australia employment rebounded strongly in February after two months of declines, while the jobless rate fell back to near 50-year lows, suggesting the country's labour market remained tight amid a slew of interest rate hikes by the central bank. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed on Thursday that net employment rose 64,600 in February from January, when they fell a revised 10,900. The jobless rate dropped to 3.5%, from 3.7%, when analysts had looked for a dip to 3.6%, while hours worked jumped by 3.9% in another signal of resilience. Full-time employment soared by 74,900 jobs in February, compared with a drop of 43,300 the previous month. That prompted investors to price out any chance of another rate hike from the Reserve Bank of Australia.

☆ NYC's Flatiron building is going up for sale in a public auction—anyone can win: Here's what to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

If you've ever wanted to own a piece of New York City history, you will soon have the chance. The Flatiron Building is going for up sale at Mannion Auctions on March 22. Four real estate firms — GFP Real Estate, Newmark, ABS Real Estate Partners, and the Sorgente Group —own a collective 75% stake in the 22-story skyscraper, while a fifth partner, Nathan Silverstein, owns the remaining 25%. The four real estate firms sued Silverstein in 2021 to force a sale of their stakes after alleging the fifth partner's business decisions were keeping the Flatiron Building empty. Silverstein countersued the four partners claiming that they wanted to lease the building at a below-market price to a company linked to one of the owners, Newmark.

☆ Australia retail sales rebound in Jan, but pulse slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Australian retail sales rebounded in January after a surprise plunge in December that owed much to changing spending habits, though the underlining pulse was facing headwinds from high inflation and rising interest rates. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Tuesday showed retail sales rose 1.9% in January from December, when they dived 4.0%. Government spending also added 0.1 percentage points to GDP growth, while drags are seen coming from inventories, housing and consumer spending on goods. "It's clear that high inflation and rising interest rates are weighing on consumer spending," said Sean Langcake, head of macroeconomic forecasting for BIS Oxford Economics. "With spending still rebalancing toward services and weaker fundamentals for consumption growth, we expect retail sales growth will be quite patchy over 2023."

☆ Australia wage growth hits decade high, but misses forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics out on Wednesday showed its wage price index rose 0.8% in the December quarter from the previous quarter, under forecasts of a 1.0% increase. Markets had been braced for an upside surprise and quickly reacted by pushing the Australian dollar down 20 ticks to $0.6847 , while futures scaled back slightly the likely future peak for interest rates. As a result, markets had wagered interest rates could peak as high as 4.35%, but that tempered toward 4.1% following the wages news. The RBA had forecast wage growth of 3.5% for last quarter, so the actual outcome should be a pleasant surprise. "Wage growth was weaker than the RBA had expected last quarter and we think it won’t accelerate as rapidly as the RBA anticipates," said Marcel Thieliant, head of Asia Pacific economics at Capital Economics.

LOS ANGELES, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Briton Emma Raducanu has been handed a wild card for next month's WTA 1000 event at Indian Wells, tournament organisers announced on Thursday. Raducanu, who became an international sensation when at 18 years old she won the 2021 U.S. Open as a qualifier, struggled with injuries and inconsistent play last year and has seen her world ranking plummet to 80. Last month she suffered an ankle injury in Auckland before falling to American teenager Coco Gauff in the second round of the Australian Open. Raducanu was troubled by pain in her abs early on against Gauff but bounced back to force a second set tiebreak in a match that offered fans a tantalising glimpse into the future of women's tennis. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia Dec retail spending nosedives in warning for economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Retail sales fell 3.9% in December from November, after 11 months of consecutive gains, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data showed on Tuesday, suggesting that rate hikes so far are working as intended. "The large fall in December suggests that retail spending is slowing due to high cost-of-living pressures," said Ben Dorber, ABS head of retail statistics. "With the impact of the 2022 rate hikes yet to be fully realised, we still expect two more hikes to be delivered in the first quarter." After the data, futures markets still priced in a hefty 85% chance the cash rate would be raised by a quarter-point next week to 3.35%. An analysis by UBS on Tuesday projects a sharp slowing in spending by those who hold "extra" cash savings to a well-below trend pace from mid-2023.

☆ Piper Sandler downgrades Enphase Energy, cites uncertain outlook for U.S. residential solar market
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

It's time to step to the sidelines on solar power stock Enphase Energy , according to Piper Sandler. Analyst Kashy Harrison downgraded shares to neutral from overweight, saying the U.S. residential solar power market could undergo a reset this year on weaker demand. ENPH 1D mountain Enphase shares fall The analyst cited recent data from GoodLeap that showed a drop in December loan originations compared to August. GoodLeap is a provider of financing options for the residential solar energy industry that holds about 30% market share, according to the note. Enphase Energy shares are down 17% this year.

☆ Australia inflation surges further in Q4, more rate hikes loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Analysts had thought there was some chance the RBA might even pause its tightening campaign, but the sheer pace of inflation put paid to that. Price rises were broad-based with a closely watched measure of core inflation, the trimmed mean, rising 1.7% in the December quarter. Costs pressures were also building in the service sector which recorded its largest annual rise since 2008, driven by holiday travel, meals out and takeaway food. "Strong demand, particularly over the Christmas holiday period, contributed to price rises for domestic holiday travel and international air fares," said Michelle Marquardt, ABS head of prices statistics. With inflation pressures broadening yet further, markets moved to price in the risk of at least two more rate hikes from the RBA with swaps implying a peak above 3.60%.

☆ Australia jobs take surprise dip in Dec, but unemployment stays low
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Thursday showed net employment fell 14,600 in December from November, when it surged by a revised 58,200, and missed forecasts for an increase of 22,500. "The strong employment growth through 2022, along with high participation and low unemployment, continues to reflect a tight labour market," said Lauren Ford, head of labour statistics at the ABS. ABS data out this week showed net temporary arrivals jumped by 180,000 between July and November, the largest five-month increase on record. This includes those on skilled visas, temporary work visas and students. "It represents important progress in the alleviation of labour supply constraints which featured prominently in 2022," said Ryan Wells, an economist at Westpac.

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