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The deal was expected to fail after Origin's largest shareholder, A$300 billion ($198 billion) pension fund AustralianSuper, said it would reject the A$9.39 per share offer. AustralianSuper owns about 17% of Origin, which was enough to block the bid. Origin already has plans to develop 4 gigawatts by 2030, and Chairman Scott Perkins reaffirmed that strategy, adding that the company was open to working with other investors. "The way we've seen the energy transition is there's been plenty of scope for third party capital to invest alongside Origin," Perkins told reporters after the vote. In its statement, AustralianSuper said it would be a willing capital partner for Origin as it "prepares to transition over the coming decades".

Persons: Dado Ruvic, AustralianSuper, Brookfield, Scott Perkins, Perkins, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Alasdair Pal, Miral Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, SYDNEY, Origin Energy, EIG Partners, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Australia's, Sydney

☆ Australia's Greens to investigate supermarket 'price gouging'
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People walk past a Woolworths supermarket following the easing of restrictions implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sydney, Australia, June 16, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Australia's Greens party said on Sunday it would lead a parliamentary inquiry into "price gouging" by major supermarkets as the country grapples with high costs of living. "It will also assess the rise in essential item prices, the validity of discounts offered, and the inflation of profits during economic hardship," added McKim, accusing supermarkets of "price gouging" during "Australia's cost of living crisis". "Construction costs, energy prices, the cost of logistics and packaging have all risen", the spokesperson said. A Woolworths spokesperson said the company was "working to deliver relief" on grocery bills.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Nick McKim, McKim, Competition Andrew Leigh, Leigh, Sam McKeith, Lincoln Organizations: Woolworths, REUTERS, Rights, Australia's Greens, Greens, Coles, Competition, Labor, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Brookfield's $10.6 billion bid for Origin Energy expected to fail on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The outcome of a Brookfield consortium's $10.6 billion bid for Australia's Origin Energy (ORG.AX) will be officially known on Monday, with investors expected to vote down its year-long attempt to buy the country's largest power retailer. Origin’s largest shareholder, A$300 billion ($198.36 billion) pension fund AustralianSuper, has said it would reject the A$9.39 per share offer. "If the Brookfield consortium comes back with a hostile off-market offer, there could be upside to the share price." "We will do this work before considering whether to continue pursuing a proposal to acquire Origin Energy or the Origin Energy Markets business," he said. The company's board last week rejected a revised back-up bid from the Brookfield consortium that the energy firm said was too complex and highly conditional.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, AustralianSuper, Adrian Atkins, Luke Edwards, Scott Murdoch, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, Rights, Origin Energy, Origin Energy Markets, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Brookfield, Brookfield Australia

☆ A US Navy warship held together with coconut logs after a Japanese torpedo strike once sailed hundreds of miles in reverse to reach safe harbor
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Over 80 years ago, a US warship was badly damaged by a Japanese torpedo during the Battle of Tassafaronga. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The torpedo wrecked the New Orleans' forward magazines and gas tanks and damaged its hull, but the ship didn't fully sink. With limited resources or friendly ports out near Tassafaronga Point on Guadalcanal, the New Orleans crew had to improvise. The New Orleans arrived in Sydney on December 24 and later received a new bow, among other repairs.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, US Navy, US Naval Institute, — U.S . Naval Institute, Imperial Japanese Navy, Naval, Heritage Command, Navy, New Orleans, The, New Locations: Tassafaronga, New Orleans, Sydney, Australia, —, Sound, Orleans, Guadalcanal, The New Orleans, Coral, Midway, Philippine, Japan

☆ China EV brand Zeekr puts US IPO on hold - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People walk past a booth of Zeekr, Chinese automaker Geely's premium electric vehicle (EV) brand, at a shopping mall in Beijing, China November 3, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG/SYDNEY Nov 30 (Reuters) - Zeekr, Chinese automaker Geely's premium electric vehicle (EV) brand, has put its U.S. initial public offering (IPO) on hold due to a mismatch in valuation expectations, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The sources could not be named because they were discussing confidential information. "The company has made a public filing to the SEC and is proceeding with the preparatory work," a Zeekr statement said. It declined to answer Reuters questions about the deal being put on hold due to the company's valuation target not being met and uncertain market conditions.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Julie Zhu, Scott Murdoch, Jamie Freed, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, SEC, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HONG KONG, SYDNEY, Hong Kong, Sydney

They would also investigate the company's affairs and could refer any suspected misconduct by directors to Hong Kong prosecutors. Evergrande could appeal a liquidation order, but the liquidation process would proceed pending appeal. China Oceanwide Holdings (0715.HK) suspended its shares in September after a Bermuda Court issued a liquidation order. So far over 53 billion yuan ($7.2 billion) of Evergrande's assets have been seized or frozen across China, local media have reported, citing court records. ($1 = 7.3170 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Clare Jim in Hong Kong and Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee, Lincoln Feast and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Kirton, EVERGRANDE, Evergrande, Hui Ka Yan, Clare Jim, Scott Murdoch, Sumeet Chatterjee, Lincoln, William Mallard Organizations: China Evergrande, REUTERS, HK, China Oceanwide Holdings, Bermuda Court, Evergrande, Services, New Energy Vehicle Group, Thomson Locations: Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Sydney

REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Australia faces an increased risk of bushfires during the approaching summer, authorities warned on Thursday, with the El Nino weather pattern expected to generate hotter and drier conditions across large swathes of the country. Three years of incessant rain has increased vegetation, but the intense heatwaves common during Australia's December-February summer can quickly turn this into tinder-dry bushland, fuelling fires. Australia declared an El Nino weather pattern - which usually brings below-average rain and above-average daytime temperatures - was under way in September. The Bureau of Meteorology said it was not unusual to have wet weather during El Nino as it increases but does not guarantee drier conditions. Reporting by Renju Jose and Cordelia Hsu in Sydney; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Murray Watt, Simon Bradshaw, Renju Jose, Cordelia Hsu, William Mallard Organizations: New South, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, REUTERS, Rights, El, Emergency, Sydney, National Council for Fire, Emergency Services, Climate Council, Meteorology, El Nino, Thomson Locations: New, New South Wales, Arcadia, Sydney, Australia, Turkey, El Nino, Australia's, El

The company logo is seen on the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China September 26, 2021. The defaulted company has until a Hong Kong court hearing on Monday to present a "concrete" revised debt restructuring proposal for offshore creditors, a judge said last month after its original plan had lapsed. Guangzhou-based Evergrande, which defaulted on its offshore debt in late 2021, did not respond to a request for comment. Chinese authorities have announced a string of measures to revive the sector destabilised by the debt woes of giants like Evergrande and Country Garden (2007.HK). Reporting by Clare Jim and Xie Yu in Hong Kong, Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Evergrande, Hui Ka Yan, Alvarez, Marsal, Clare Jim, Xie Yu, Scott Murdoch, Sumeet Chatterjee, William Mallard Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, China Evergrande, HK, Hong Kong, Court, Reuters, Hong, Evergrande, Services, New Energy Vehicle Group, Marsal, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, China's, Guangzhou, Evergrande, Sydney

☆ Insight: Defying Pope's calls for climate action, US Catholic bishops cling to fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Richard Valdmanis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

The ongoing investments in the U.S. reflect a long-running rift between U.S. Catholic bishops and the pope on how to address global warming. The pope's Laudato Si encyclical urged immediate action against climate change, declaring that "highly polluting fossil fuels need to be progressively replaced without delay." The Vatican bank, which is separate from APSA, also does not invest in fossil fuels, a bank official said. A CCF official said energy and fossil fuels stocks make up between 3.5% and 6% of archdiocese investment funds, and that CCF uses its shareholder status to press for corporate environmental improvements. He called the enormous financial gains by oil companies "immoral profits."

Persons: Pope Francis, Dan DiLeo, Peter Marlow, Remo Casilli, Anne, Marie Welsh, William Lori, Bernard Hebda, Saint, Joshtrom Kureethadam, Chieko Noguchi, Noguchi, USCCB, Sabrina Danielsen, Danielson, Richard Valdmanis, Philip Pullella, John Mair, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: Catholic, drillers, U.S . Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Church, Reuters, Justice, Peace, Creighton University in, Vatican, Opportunity Fund, Collective Investment, Archdiocese, Minneapolis, Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota, CCF, Development, American Petroleum Institute, Christian Brothers Investment Service, Investment, BP, Shell, Creighton University, U.S, Thomson Locations: United States, Dubai, Creighton University in Nebraska, U.S, APSA, Vatican, Ireland, Germany, Archdiocese, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Erie , Pennsylvania, Texas, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth . Erie, Erie, Baltimore, Saint Paul, Paris, Saudi Aramco, PetroChina, India, Vatican City, Berlin, Sydney

☆ Defying Pope's calls for climate action, US Catholic bishops cling to fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Richard Valdmanis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

The ongoing investments in the U.S. reflect a long-running rift between U.S. Catholic bishops and the pope on how to address global warming. The pope's Laudato Si encyclical urged immediate action against climate change, declaring that "highly polluting fossil fuels need to be progressively replaced without delay." The Vatican bank, which is separate from APSA, also does not invest in fossil fuels, a bank official said. Notably absent are any dioceses in the U.S.Reuters reviewed the financial reports published by two dozen of the nation's more than 170 Catholic dioceses, including several of its largest, and found that few provide details on specific investments. He called the enormous financial gains by oil companies "immoral profits."

Persons: Pope Francis, Remo Casilli, Dan DiLeo, Peter Marlow, Anne, Marie Welsh, William Lori, Joshtrom Kureethadam, Chieko Noguchi, Noguchi, USCCB, Sabrina Danielsen, Danielson, Richard Valdmanis, Philip Pullella, John Mair, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: Catholic, drillers, U.S . Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Church, Reuters, Justice, Peace, Creighton University in, Vatican, Opportunity Fund, Collective Investment, Archdiocese, Development, American Petroleum Institute, Christian Brothers Investment Service, Investment, BP, Shell, Creighton University, U.S, Thomson Locations: United States, Dubai, Creighton University in Nebraska, U.S, APSA, Vatican, Ireland, Germany, Archdiocese, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Erie , Pennsylvania, Texas, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth . Erie, Erie, Baltimore, Paris, Saudi Aramco, PetroChina, India, Vatican City, Berlin, Sydney

☆ Australia Oct inflation slows more than expected as goods prices fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

For the month, CPI fell 0.3%, driven by declines in petrol, rent and holiday travel. A closely watched measure of core inflation, the trimmed mean, rose an annual 5.3% in October, easing from 5.4% the previous month. "It's hard to find bad news in Australia's October inflation print," said Harry Murphy Cruise, an economist at Moody’s Analytics. Prices for tradable goods fell 1.6% in October from a month earlier. It also left the door open to further tightening if necessary to meet its annual inflation target of 2-3%.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Harry Murphy Cruise, Jonathan Kearns, Wayne Cole, Stella Qiu, Lincoln, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S ., Australian Bureau, Statistics, Moody’s, Reserve Bank Board, Reserve Bank of Australia, Challenger, Thomson Locations: Australia

☆ Australian sheep, cattle prices slump as El Nino scorches pastures
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Peter Hobson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

After three years of plentiful rain and rising livestock numbers, dry weather has withered pastures across Australia. The extreme change in conditions has helped trigger the fastest plunge in cattle and sheep prices in decades, threatening livelihoods in Australia's A$75 billion ($50 billion) red meat and livestock industry. While farmers suffer, falling livestock prices have brought some relief to Australian households hurting from high inflation. Falling U.S. beef production means demand for Australian beef should rise, helping support livestock prices, said Angus Gidley-Baird, an analyst at Rabobank in Sydney. Agricultural consultants Episode 3 estimate that Australian beef processors are reaping their best profits in at least two decades thanks to low local cattle prices and high sale prices in export markets.

Persons: Angus Hobson, Peter Hobson, Angus, Hobson, Stuart Austin, Wilmot, Angus Gidley, Baird, Teys, Mat Larkings, gaunt, haven't, they'll, Sonali Paul Organizations: Livestock, New, REUTERS, Beef, Livestock Australia, Woolworths, Data Monitor, Rabobank, Meat packers, Teys Australia, Farmers, Thomson Locations: Delegate, New South Wales, Australia, Angus Hobson's, Australia's, United States, El Nino, Japan, China, Sydney, Walcha

The New Zealand dollar was last up 1.1% at a four-month high of $0.6207, having blown past resistance. The U.S. dollar, meanwhile, slid to fresh multi-month lows on the euro, yen, sterling, the Australian dollar, yuan and Swiss franc. Overnight Fed Governor Christopher Waller - an influential and previously hawkish voice at the U.S. central bank - told the American Enterprise Institute that rate cuts could begin in a matter of months, provided inflation keeps falling. Fed funds futures rallied on the remark to price more than hundred basis points of cuts in 2024 and 40% chance they begin as soon as March. Two-year Treasury yields fell sharply and along with the dollar fell further still in Asia.

Persons: Christopher Waller, Governor Waller's, Tapas Strickland, Jerome Powell, Waller, CONDITIONALITY Waller's, Seng, Vishnu Varathan, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: New Zealand, Nikkei, U.S ., Swiss, U.S, American Enterprise Institute, Governor, National Australia Bank, Fed, HK, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong, Sydney, China, Meituan, Zealand, Singapore

The sails of the Opera House are illuminated with projections on the opening night of Vivid Sydney 2023 in Sydney, Australia, on Friday, May 26, 2023. Asia-Pacific markets were set to open lower as investors assess comments from the U.S. Federal Reserve board members and await Australia's October inflation figures. On Tuesday, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said he was growing more confident that policy was in a place now to bring inflation back under control. Waller also said the Fed might start lowering rates if inflation continues to ease over the next three to five months. In contrast, Governor Michelle Bowman said more rate hikes will likely be needed as evolving dynamics keep inflation elevated.

Persons: Christopher Waller, Waller, Michelle Bowman, Bowman Organizations: Opera, Vivid, U.S . Federal Reserve, Federal Locations: Sydney, Australia, Asia, Pacific

Shein has not determined the size of its offering or the valuation at IPO, the sources said. Shein, Goldman and JPMorgan declined to comment, while Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The most valuable China-founded enterprise to go public in the United States so far is ride-hailing giant Didi Global's (92Sy.MU) debut in 2021 at $68 billion valuation. In 2021, the comparable number was $300 billion when the IPO market was close to its peak. Fast fashion retailers have been gaining popularity in the United States, with Shein taking away market share from the likes of Gap (GPS.N) as shoppers look for fresher styles.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Shein, Goldman, Didi Global's, Jason Benowitz, David, Dee, Delgado, CSRC, Simon Property, Sumeet Singh, It's, Pritam Biswas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Kane Wu, Anirban Sen, Rishabh, Scott Murdoch, Miyoung Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: Amazon, JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Arm Holdings, Roosevelt, REUTERS, China Securities Regulatory Commission, U.S, Reuters, Securities and Exchange Commission, SPARC Group, Forever, Brands, Simon, Aequitas Research, China's Shanghai Securities, Street, Thomson Locations: United States, China, U.S, Singapore, New York City, Shein, Bengaluru, Hong Kong, New York, Sydney

☆ Australia Oct retail sales slip as consumers hold off for Black Friday sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Women shop for clothes on a store in a shopping mall in Sydney's central business district (CBD) Australia, February 5, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Australian retail sales unexpectedly slipped in October as consumers cut back on everything but food, though analysts believe many were merely saving some money to splurge on Black Friday sales that took place this month. Retail sales fell 0.2% from September to A$35.77 billion, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed on Tuesday. "This is a pattern we have seen develop in recent years as Black Friday sales grow in popularity." Data from e-commerce firm Shopify also showed that point-of-sale sales made by its merchants in Australia during this year's Black Friday sales grew 27% from a year ago.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Ben Dorber, Shopify, that's, Marcel Thieliant, Michele Bullock, Stella Qiu, Tom Hogue, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Black, ANZ, Asia Pacific, Capital Economics, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: Australia

☆ New Zealand to Introduce RBNZ Reforms, Lift Cigarette Sale Ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Zealand's new government will introduce legislation to reform the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's mandate and lift a ban on the sale of cigarettes to future generations within its first 100 days, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in a statement on Wednesday. The centre-right National Party, led by Luxon, returned to power alongside the populist New Zealand First party and libertarian ACT New Zealand after six years of rule by governments led by the left-leaning Labour Party. Luxon, who was sworn in on Monday, said its 49-point action plan was focused on the economy, easing the cost of living and restoring law and order. The coalition will also push ahead with its plans to repeal amendments to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990, including a world-first ban on the sale of cigarettes to future generations. (Reporting by Lewis Jackson in Sydney, Editing by Alasdair Pal)

Persons: Christopher Luxon, Luxon, Lewis Jackson, Alasdair Pal Organizations: SYDNEY, Reserve Bank of New, National Party, New Zealand First, ACT New Zealand, Labour Party, Zealanders, Coalition Government Locations: Sydney

☆ DP World says hackers stole Australian ports employee data
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - DP World Australia, one of the country's largest ports operators, said on Tuesday hackers had accessed files containing personal details of employees after a cyber incident early this month forced it to suspend operations for three days. "While the investigation has shown that customer data was not affected, some of the impacted data includes the personal information of current and previous employees," the company, part of Dubai's state-owned DP World, said in a statement. DP World did not provide any details about the perpetrators but said its investigation confirmed the incident was confined to its Australian operations and did not impact any other markets where the company operates. No ransomware was found or deployed within the DP World Australia network, the company said. After spotting the breach, DP World, one of a handful of stevedore industry players in Australia, disconnected from the internet, significantly impacting freight movements.

Persons: Renju Jose, Sonali Paul Organizations: SYDNEY, Fremantle, DP, Australia, Thomson Locations: Australia, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Western, Dubai's

[1/4] A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. In precious metals, gold hit a six-month high with a boost from the softer dollar and expectations for a pause in Fed tightening. There's a growing sense the economy is slowing, that price growth will likely continue to fall, that profit growth will likely fall," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Cresset Capital, in Chicago. The U.S. dollar index slid against most major currencies on Monday and was on track for a monthly decline of more than 3%, which would be its biggest monthly drop in a year. The dollar index was down 0.203%, with the euro up 0.11% to $1.0951.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Brent, Jack Ablin, Ablin, Christine Lagarde, Jim Barnes, Sterling, Sinéad Carew, Chuck Mikolazczak, Harry Robertson, Wayne Cole, Stephen Coates, Ed Osmond, Chizu Nomiyama, Christina Fincher Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Treasury, U.S, Federal Reserve, Cresset, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, European Central Bank, Central, Reuters Graphics Oil, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Europe, OPEC, Chicago, Bryn Mawr, Berwyn , Pennsylvania, Israel, New York, London, Sydney

☆ 'We'll be back', say Australia's Davis Cup nearly-men
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 27 (Reuters) - Australia's Davis Cup players have vowed to return to Malaga and claim the title next year after losing a second successive final in the international men's team tournament on Sunday. "There hasn't been another nation that's gone back-to-back in the last two years, so we are showing a pretty good effort collectively," he told reporters. A crestfallen De Minaur conceded he had been outclassed by world number four Sinner in the second singles match after Popyrin had been beaten by Matteo Arnaldi in the opener. "I'm disappointed I wasn't able to give the boys a chance to play the doubles, that's probably the biggest disappointment." Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Australia's, Alex De Minaur, Minaur, hasn't, that's, we'll, We'll, we've, Nick Kyrgios, Lleyton Hewitt, De, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson, Matthew Ebden, Max Purcell, De Minaur, Popyrin, Matteo Arnaldi, it's, I'm, Nick Mulvenney, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Australians, Australia, Davis, Thomson Locations: Malaga, Italy, Canada, Australia, Sydney

SYDNEY, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Australia's top civil servant in its interior ministry was sacked on Monday after an inquiry found he breached impartiality rules. Michael Pezzullo, the powerful head of the department responsible for internal security, stepped aside in September while the investigation was conducted. It was not immediately possible to reach Pezzullo for comment. The inquiry followed a joint investigation by two Australian newspapers and a TV programme that alleged Pezzullo had intervened in politics to promote favoured politicians, attack opponents and push for media censorship. Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Michael Pezzullo, Anthony Albanese, Pezzullo, Alasdair Pal, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian Public Service, Liberal Party, Thomson Locations: Sydney

☆ Australia to introduce bill giving central bank experts more sway
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A worker is reflected in a wall of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) head office in central Sydney, Australia, March 1, 2016. The bill would implement the recommendations of a review of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) released in April that requires legislation enacted by parliament, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Sunday. "We want to ensure Australia's central bank remains world class with a monetary policy framework fit to meet our current and future economic challenges," Chalmers said in a statement. The Treasury Laws Amendment (Reserve Bank Reforms) Bill 2023 will reinforce the RBA's independence from government, including by repealing the power of the treasurer to overrule monetary policy decisions, he said. Chief among them was to split the RBA's board into one for monetary policy and one for governance.

Persons: David Gray, Jim Chalmers, Chalmers, Bill, Renju Jose, William Mallard Organizations: Reserve Bank of Australia, REUTERS, Rights, Australian, Policy Board, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Australia PM Fires a Top Bureaucrat Over Influence Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Alasdair PalSYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's top civil servant in its interior ministry was sacked on Monday after an inquiry found he breached impartiality rules. Michael Pezzullo, the powerful head of the department responsible for internal security, stepped aside in September while the investigation was conducted. It was not immediately possible to reach Pezzullo for comment. The inquiry followed a joint investigation by two Australian newspapers and a TV programme that alleged Pezzullo had intervened in politics to promote favoured politicians, attack opponents and push for media censorship. (Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

Persons: Alasdair Pal SYDNEY, Michael Pezzullo, Anthony Albanese, Pezzullo, Alasdair Pal, Lincoln Organizations: Australian Public Service, Liberal Party Locations: Sydney

☆ Australia climate change activists disrupt shipping at coal port
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - A climate change protest off the coast of Australia's New South Wales State disrupted operations at the country's biggest coal export port on Saturday, the port operator said. The Port of Newcastle, some 170 km (105 miles) from the state capital Sydney, is the largest bulk shipping port on Australia's east coast and the nation's largest terminal for coal exports, according to the New South Wales government. Rising Tide spokesperson Zack Schofield said no coal shipments had entered or exited the port since 10 a.m. Saturday. State police said no arrests had been made in relation to the protest under way near the port on Saturday. Climate change is a divisive issue in Australia, the world's second-biggest exporter of thermal coal behind Indonesia, and the top exporter of coking coal, used to make steel.

Persons: Zack Schofield, Sam McKeith, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia's New South Wales State, New South, Tide, State, Labor, Thomson Locations: Australia's New South Wales, Port, Newcastle, Sydney, Australia's, New South Wales, Australia, Indonesia

Oil futures traded steady ahead of next week's OPEC+ meeting, which could bring some kind of agreement on output cuts in 2024. Gold futures finished higher as the dollar index slipped against a basket of currencies on Friday. Germany's 10-year government bond yield , the benchmark for the euro area, rose 3 basis points to a 1-1/2-week high. Oil prices were steady after tumbling more than 1% on concerns over a delayed OPEC+ meeting. ($1 = 7.2111 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Chris Prentice in New York, Naomi Rovnick in London and Stella Qiu in Sydney.

Persons: Caitlin Ochs, Germany's DAX, Peter Doherty, Arbuthnot Latham, Robert Holzmann, Pierre Wunsch, Chris Prentice, Naomi Rovnick, Stella Qiu, Toby Chopra, Susan Fenton, Mark Potter, Deepa Babington Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, U.S, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Hamas, P Global, European Central Bank, ECB, Bank of England, Japan's Nikkei, China's CSI, Brent, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, OPEC, Germany, Israel, London, Belgian, Asia, New York, Sydney

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