Morning Headlines

Hinge of history calls for action

The world is facing a pivotal historical moment characterised by geopolitical uncertainty, a retreat from globalisation, higher inflation and lower returns, and Australia must embrace new growth prospects, chief executives say. The Fin

Australia ‘needs another 280,000 skilled tech workers by 2025’

Australia’s near-insatiable need for foreign skilled workers could be alleviated by allowing students to stay longer than two years, as well as creating more flexible office practices made possible by the pandemic, said three top human resources tech specialists. The Fin

Work from home here to stay

The shift to working from home is here to stay and employers will need to consider cutting back on redundant office space, says Australia’s top statistician. The Fin

Why 152 in hospital is a COVID positive

The number of people admitted to hospital with COVID so far this year is tracking at about half the rate suggested by WA Health modelling of the Omicron variant. The West

Mask mandate keeps Perth quiet

A requirement to wear face masks in offices and shops is being blamed for making Perth’s CBD a ‘‘ghost town’’ while cities on the east coast begin to recover. The Fin

Emerald waits on deal

Perth-based gold explorer Emerald Resources says it won't process any acceptances in its scrip-based takeover of Bullseye Mining without the Takeovers Panel's consent, but is urging shareholders to commit to the deal to avoid "limited liquidity". The Aus

I’ll be more like a Hawke or a Howard: Albanese

Anthony Albanese is pledging to end Labor’s class and climate wars, govern in the style of Bob Hawke and John Howard if elected, and put the cost of living and wages growth at the centre of the ALP’s economic policy – in a re-run of former leader Kevin Rudd’s 2007 promise to be a fiscal conservative. The Aus

PRG directors shell out their earnings to revive group

The two directors of Pilbara Resource Group will reinvest most of the $3 million they pocketed in the year leading up to its collapse in December to reclaim the contractor under a recapitalisation approved by creditors. The West

Qantas to raise airfares as jet fuel price soars

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce says the airline will be forced to raise airfares by as much as 7 per cent in response to the soaring cost of jet fuel, as the oil price hits $US120 ($165) a barrel. The Aus

Brickie cartel in ACCC blast

Australia’s competition watchdog investigated WA brickies over a suspected price-fixing operation designed to cash in on surging demand. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page S1: The world is facing a pivotal historical moment characterised by geopolitical uncertainty, a retreat from globalisation, higher inflation and lower returns, and Australia must embrace new growth prospects, chief executives say.

Page S3: Australia’s near-insatiable need for foreign skilled workers could be alleviated by allowing students to stay longer than two years, as well as creating more flexible office practices made possible by the pandemic, said three top human resources tech specialists.

Page S6: BHP chief executive Mike Henry says the commodity price boom caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will dent global growth, offsetting some of the price bonanza his company has enjoyed in the first fortnight of the crisis.

Page S7: Australia’s annual migration cap could be reassessed but not until after the current limit of 160,000 is reached, something that will take some time, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says.

Page 2: The shift to working from home is here to stay and employers will need to consider cutting back on redundant office space, says Australia’s top statistician.

Page 6: Virologists and analysts are closely watching an omicron mutation prevalent in Hong Kong as death rates in the previously COVID-zero metropolis surge to the highest in the world.

Page 7: A requirement to wear face masks in offices and shops is being blamed for making Perth’s CBD a ‘‘ghost town’’ while cities on the east coast begin to recover.

Page 14: Sanjeev Gupta’s Infrabuild structural steel business in Australia has more than doubled profits in the December half on booming demand across the industry from the construction and infrastructure sectors.

Central bank digital currencies are ‘‘nearly inevitable’’ in Australia and the United States given Europe is preparing to launch a digital euro to fend off a threat from technology companies wanting to issue money, says a senior partner at Oliver Wyman.

Page 15: Investors are piling pressure on AGL Energy’s board to demonstrate that the proposed demerger of the company can deliver more value to shareholders than what has become the ‘‘plan B’’ scenario, the rejected $8.25 per share offer from Canada’s giant Brookfield and Mike Cannon-Brookes.

Page 19: The boss of chemicals supplier DGL Group says there will be no extended ‘‘sugar rush’’ effect on profits from the national shortage of diesel fluid AdBlue, as the group grapples with soaring input costs across its business of up to 25 per cent.

The Australian

Page 1: Anthony Albanese is pledging to end Labor’s class and climate wars, govern in the style of Bob Hawke and John Howard if elected, and put the cost of living and wages growth at the centre of the ALP’s economic policy – in a re-run of former leader Kevin Rudd’s 2007 promise to be a fiscal conservative.

Page 4: The small and medium-sized business sector has emerged from the crucible of the pandemic more resilient than ever, an analysis by software company MYOB shows.

Page 15: Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce says the airline will be forced to raise airfares by as much as 7 per cent in response to the soaring cost of jet fuel, as the oil price hits $US120 ($165) a barrel.

Perth-based gold explorer Emerald Resources says it won't process any acceptances in its scrip-based takeover of Bullseye Mining without the Takeovers Panel's consent, but is urging shareholders to commit to the deal to avoid "limited liquidity".

Fortescue Future Industries says it will work with Airbus on using green hydrogen to decarbonise aviation.

The West Australian

Page 1: The average price of unleaded petrol in Perth will reach 208.9¢ a litre today — an Australian record that obliterates the mark set just a fortnight ago by more than 10¢.

Page 5: Shoppers shocked by stripped bare shelves are getting a second jolt at the check-out with prices for staples such as soft drink, coffee and olive oil rocketing in the past two months.

Page 6: The number of people admitted to hospital with COVID so far this year is tracking at about half the rate suggested by WA Health modelling of the Omicron variant.

Page 14: Australia’s competition watchdog investigated WA brickies over a suspected price-fixing operation designed to cash in on surging demand.

Business: Australia’s oil refiners are banning Russian crude oil but have had to accept four final cargoes already at sea to avoid potential fuel shortages.

The two directors of Pilbara Resource Group will reinvest most of the $3 million they pocketed in the year leading up to its collapse in December to reclaim the contractor under a recapitalisation approved by creditors.

Australians are back on the move and buying homes again after the end of most COVID-19 restrictions on the east coast of the country but rising virus cases in WA has put the brake on consumer sentiment.

Nickel spiked briefly above $US100,000 a tonne on the London Metal Exchange amid a short squeeze that’s embroiled a major Chinese bank and encouraged rule changes from one of the world’s top commodity exchanges.