SO the US economy “only” grew at the rate of 2.7 per cent in the third quarter of this year. That added the trifling sum of US$63.3 billion to the US$9.4 trillion GDP of that amazing country.
A CONSOLIDATION of Australia’s national rail freight network is closer following the $585 million purchase of Westrail’s freight business by the Australian Railroad Group.
THEY say people get the government they deserve. That is not true of the 78 million population of the Philippines, most of whom are hard working, talented and fun loving. They deserve better.
ONE of Japan’s foremost economic analysts, Dr Naoki Tanaka, was in Perth last week bringing mixed news on the prospects for the world’s second largest economy.
WA’S unemployment rate fell to a 10-year low in September of 5.9 per cent. We now have a growing labour force of 930,000. More jobs is unambiguously good news – except for those bond market traders, who search for inflation under every rock.
WA is maintaining its beach mat in the economic sunshine with a stellar export performance, which rose 17 per cent to $25.4 billion in the year to June 30.
THE president of the European Central Bank, Wim Duisenberg, is a buffoon. Do not take my word for it. The head of currency research at Goldman Sachs in London, Jim O’Neil, says the man is “stunningly incompetent”.
WITH the gold price still sulking in the basement, it is mighty hard for junior explorers rattling the tin for cash.Perth-based Red Back Mining NL has done well to raise $1.47 billion to fund the second stage of a pre-feasibility study at its Chirano go
IT IS no accident Singapore will be the fastest growing economy in Asia this year, with GDP expansion on track to exceed nine per cent.The island republic managed the regional recession more deftly than any of its neighbours. Instead of waiting to be kn
The share prices of companies selling goods and services to the US energy industry are about the only ones left partying on a wounded Wall Street. The Philadelphia Oil Services index has jumped 150 per cent since the price of oil began to rise and individ
Taiwan, one of WA’s most important export markets, is beginning to run into trouble.Confidence in the president Chen Shui-bian has been severely dented. Share prices on the Taipei stock exchange have skidded by 35 per cent since he was inaugurated on Ma
Howzat! The WACA has signed up the Subiaco-based, publicly-listed company Willhart Ltd to put some technology runs on the board at its slightly down at heel Nelson Crescent headquarters.
THE most moving image of the Sydney Olympics for me came when the athletes from North and South Korea marched into the stadium together behind a blue and white flag representing the Korean Peninsular.
China has literally got WA’s goat. Perth genetic technology company Australia-China Development and Trading is exporting frozen Boer goat embryos to the PRC as part of a joint venture to raise the quality of Chinese livestock.Surrogate nannies have don
It has been said that we tend to use statistics as a drunken man uses a lamp-post — for support rather than illumination. But one set of figures just out throws some light on how WA is very much on the map for foreign investors.
The Nasdaq market has been murdered on at least three occasions this year. Each time, the corpse has clambered out of the coffin. The latest Dracula act came after giant chip maker Intel spooked investors with news that the Euro was eroding its earnings.
HONG Kong has just conducted what passes for elections in the Special Administrative Region of China.The results did not entirely go as analysts predicted.
While the global oil price has been tap dancing to new peaks, the share prices of leading Australian oil companies could only perform a soft shoe shuffle.
