Latest updates on Key Economic Indicators:

Australian Dollar: $0.7220 USD (up $0.0070 USD)

Iron Ore Jan Spot Price (SGX): $126.05 USD (down $1.10 USD)

Oil Price (WTI): $72.83 USD (up $1.42 USD)

Gold Price: $1,804.19 USD (up $15.11 USD)

Copper Price (CME): $4.3910 (up $0.0415 USD)

Bit-coin: $48,845.24 (up 0.13% in last 24 hours)

Dow Jones: 35,690.13 at 3.19 NY time (up 197.43 points on yesterday's close)

All changes compared to 7am yesterday.

U.S. authorizes certain transactions with Taliban

The United States on Wednesday formally exempted U.S. and U.N. officials doing official business with the Taliban from U.S. sanctions to try to maintain the flow of aid to Afghanistan as it sinks deeper into a humanitarian crisis.

It was unclear, however, whether the move would clear the way for proposed U.N. payments of some $6 million to the Islamists for security.

Reuters on Tuesday exclusively reported a U.N. plan to subsidize next year the monthly wages of Taliban-run Interior Ministry personnel who guard U.N. facilities and to pay them monthly food allowances, a proposal that raised questions about whether the payments would violate U.S. sanctions. read more

The Treasury Department declined to say whether the new license would exempt the proposed U.N. payments from U.S. sanctions on the Taliban.

Having designated the Taliban as a terrorist group for years, Washington has ordered its U.S. assets frozen and barred Americans from dealing with them.

The Treasury on Wednesday issued three general licenses aimed at easing humanitarian aid flows into Afghanistan.

Two of the licenses allow U.S. officials and those of certain international organizations, such as the United Nations, to engage in transactions involving the Taliban or Haqqani network for official business.

A third license gives nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) protection from U.S. sanctions on the Taliban and the Haqqani Network for work on certain activities, including humanitarian projects.

Booster push to bust Omicron

The Australian - Page 1 & 4 : 23 December 2021- Original article by Geoff Chambers - PortMac.News Summary

The snap meeting of the national cabinet has identified several priorities in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

They include an increased push for Australians to receive a third dose of a coronavirus vaccine, with 1.6 million booster doses having been administered to date.

As part of this strategy, the states and territories will reopen mass vaccination hubs, while GPs and pharmacists will be given an additional $10m to administer booster shots.

Meanwhile, adopting a uniform definition of close and casual contacts will be on the agenda for the next meeting of the national cabinet.

NSW backtracks as Covid cases double every four days

The Australian Financial Review - Page 4 : 23 December 2021 - Original article by Michael Read - PortMac.News Summary

The number of new COVID-19 cases in New South Wales rose to a daily record of 3,763 on Wednesday, while the state reported an additional two deaths from the Delta outbreak.

Professor Adrian Esterman from the University of South Australia says the caseload in NSW is doubling every 4.3 days, and each person with COVID-19 is infecting an average of 1.9 other people.

Premier Dominic Perrottet has advised that QR code check-ins will again be mandatory in hospitality venues and retail outlets in order to combat the virus's spread, while he says the government will look at providing free rapid antigen testing kits.

Doctors condemn NSW government for considering charging unvacx'd patients

The Guardian Australia - Page Online : 23 December 2021 - Original article by Lane Sainty, Michael McGowan - PortMac.News Summary

The New South Wales government has been criticised over a proposal to make people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 to pay their own medical costs if they are hospitalised with the respiratory illness.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard has confirmed media reports that this is under consideration by the government.

The proposal has been criticised by the Australian Medical Association, with AMA president Omar Korshid decribing it as "Unethical".

He adds that it may be in breach of the National Health Reform Agreement between the federal government and the states.

Federal government to pay out $2m to settle class action over 'Racist' program

The Guardian Australia - Page Online : 23 December 2021 - Original article by Luke Henriques-Gomes - PortMac.News Summary

The federal government has settled a class action over its controversial Community Development Program following a year of mediation.

The legal action was launched by the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku in Western Australia on behalf of 680 participants in the 'work for the dole' program, which required jobseekers in remote communities to work up to 25 hours a week in order to receive unemployment benefits.

Some 80% of participants were Aboriginal, and the class action alleged that CDP participants were subject to tougher welfare penalties than people in other parts of Australia.

The government made no admission or concession of legal liability, while it has agreed to resign the scheme.

Jobs market strongest since 2008

Brisbane Times - Page Online : 23 December 2021 - Original article by Shane Wright - PortMac.News Summary

Data from the National Skills Commission shows that there was 0.6% growth in job advertisements in November; the 252,300 job vacancies was the highest monthly total since mid-2008.

The data shows that the biggest increase in demand was for unskilled workers, including kitchen staff, cleaners and factory process workers.

This is despite claims by employers' groups that there is a shortage of skilled workers.

NAB economist Taylor Nugent says the Omicron variant of COVID-19 appears to be the biggest risk to the job market at present.

Qantas cabin crew reject new pay deal

The Australian - Page 4 : 23 December 2021 - Original article by Robyn Ironside - PortMac.News Summary

Some 97.5 per cent of Qantas's international cabin crew have voted against a proposed pay deal that included a wage freeze for two years and an increase in standby shifts.

The strong 'No' vote has been welcomed by the Flight Attendants Association of Australia; national secretary Teri O'Toole says it will send a message to the airline's management that taking advantage of a pandemic and employees who have been stood down for 20 months is not acceptable.

Qantas executive Rachel Yangoyan says the ballot's result was a disappointing outcome and contends that the pay offer was "fair and reasonable".

Aussie retail investors hold more in Tesla than Rio: Nabtrade

The Age - Page Online : 23 December 2021 - Original article by Clancy Yeates - PortMac.News Summary

National Australia Bank has released new data on the top stock holdings on its nabtrade online share trading platform.

The list of the top 10 holdings includes nine blue-chip Australian stocks, plus Vanguard's Australian Shares Index ETF.

Meanwhile, Tesla has risen from 19th to 11th position on the nabtrade list in the last year. Gemma Dale of nabtrade says this can be attributed to factors such as the high profile of Tesla founder Elon Musk and a growing focus on environmental issues.

AdBlue makers can collude on crisis: ACCC

The Australian - Page 2 : 23 December 2021 - Original article by Patrick Commins - PortMac.News Summary

The Australian Competition & Consumer Competition will allow manufacturers of diesel fuel additive AdBlue to collaborate without running afoul of the nation's competition laws.

The move is aimed at helping to address a looming shortage of AdBlue, which could force Australia's truck fleet off the road and affect deliveries to retailers such as supermarkets.

The federal government also recently struck a deal for fertiliser maker Incitec Pivot to increase its production of urea, which is a key ingredient in AdBlue.

ABC splurges on ads, promos, 'research'

Herald Sun - Page 8 : 23 December 2021 - Original article by Christopher Harris - PortMac.News Summary

Data obtained via a Freedom of Information request shows that the ABC spent $2.5m on audience research between July and November.

The public broadcaster also spent $1.6m on advertising during this period, plus $83,000 on promotions.

Evan Mulholland from the Institute of Public Affairs says the figures refute the ABC's claims that it has been hit by budget cuts.

It was also recently revealed that the ABC spent some $2.5m on external legal fees in the 2020-21 financial year.

Court bars 63 illegal streaming websites

The Australian - Page 3 : 23 December 2021 - Original article by David Ross - PortMac.News Summary

The Federal Court has ruled that Australian telcos must block access to 63 streaming video sites that feature pirated content.

Netflix, Roadshow Cinemas and Disney Entertainment are among the members of an alliance of TV and film companies that pursued legal action to have access to the sites blocked in Australia.

The telcos must block access to the sites within seven days, although many have also commenced action to do so.

Forrest wins Canadian play against BHP

The Australian - Page 14 : 23 December 2021 - Original article by Nick Evans - PortMac.News Summary

BHP has advised that it will not match Wyloo Metals' revised takeover offer of $C1.10 per share for Noront Resources.

The board of Canada-based Noront recently recommended that shareholders accept the offer from Wyloo, which is owned by mining magnate Andrew Forrest.

Noront's key asset is the Eagle's Nest nickel deposit; BHP's chief development officer Johan van Jaarsveld says that although it is a promising resource, the company does not think Eagle's Nest offers sufficient long-term value to justify increasing its bid.

More buying first homes in midlife as prices soar

The Australian Financial Review - Page 9 : 23 December 2021 - Original article by Ronald Mizen - PortMac.News Summary

Data from HomeStart Finance shows that people over the age of 40 now account for nearly 25% of its home loans, compared with just /9% in 2011.

The figures also show that there has been 63% growth in the number of first-home buyers who are in their 40s since 2015, and 56% growth in those aged 50+.

HomeStart CEO Andrew Mills expects the trend for people to buy their first home in their 40s and 50s to continue, citing factors such as rising house prices and the high cost of renting.

ASX Stocks inch higher on tech deals

The Australian - Page 20 : 23 December 2021 - Original article by Alex Druce - PortMac.News Summary

The Australian sharemarket posted a small gain on 22 December, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.13% to close at 7,364.8 points.

Pilbara Minerals rose 8.8% to $2.71, Afterpay was up 5.4% at $87.49 and Link Administration Holdings rallied 15% to $5.51 in response to a takeover bid.

However, Rio Tinto was down 2% at $99.35 and Charter Hall Group shed 7.5% to finish at $19.99.