This Oil Shock Will Hit Asia Harder than the 1970s
The recent oil shock stemming from the Iran‑Strait of Hormuz crisis is reverberating across Asia more intensely than the 1970s oil crises. Jet fuel in Singapore has doubled, prompting airlines to trim May schedules by 10‑15%, while Japan’s subsidies only modestly offset a 5.7% drop in oil prices and a plunge in consumer confidence. The surge in fuel costs is spurring a rapid shift toward clean energy, with battery‑only EVs reaching roughly 50% market share in Singapore and Thailand and used‑EV sales in Australia doubling. Solar‑panel imports are soaring, especially in the Philippines, where capacity has jumped 50% compared with 2025 levels.
Locksley Taps Columbia Uni Tech to Fast-Track US Rare Earths
Locksley Resources has teamed with Columbia University to develop faster, cleaner processing routes for bastnaesite‑rich rare‑earth ores at its Mojave project in California. The collaboration is mapping rare‑earth distribution, testing leaching and molten‑salt electrolysis methods, and refining spectroscopic detection techniques....
Barkly Gets Green Light for 10,000m NT Rare Earths Drilling Blitz
Barkly Rare Earths secured an environmental mining licence, enabling a 10,000‑metre drilling campaign at its Northern Territory flagship project. The phase‑one resource extension will test lateral expansion of its 40 million‑tonne inferred resource, which contains 2,100 ppm TREO (about 82,000 tonnes of TREO)....
Scott Was Already Working Late on Fuel Supply when a Call Stopped Him Cold
Viva Energy chief executive Scott Wyatt stayed on a midnight call on April 15 to finalize the purchase of 100 million litres of diesel, split between two tankers from Brunei and South Korea. The deal, worth roughly $115 million USD, comes as...
‘Basically Sending Someone Unarmed Into War’: The Life-or-Death Decision Silke Faces Every Day
Captain Silke Lehmköster, fleet‑managing director at Hapag‑Lloyd, wrestles daily with whether to move five container ships stranded in the Persian Gulf through the war‑torn Strait of Hormuz. Early last week she cleared the Tema Express, which slipped through under a new...
Coles and Woolies Need to Eat some of the Food Price Rise Pain
The ongoing Iran conflict is pushing diesel and fertilizer costs higher, sparking a wave of food‑price increases at Australia’s two biggest grocery chains, Coles and Woolworths. Morgan Stanley now projects food inflation at roughly 4% annually, a full percentage point...
Mental Health Becomes a Financial Battleground as Insurance Premiums Soar
Personal‑risk insurance premiums in Australia are spiking as mental‑health claims surge, with AustralianSuper warning of up to a 40% rise in total‑and‑permanent‑disability cover. CALI reports claim costs have doubled to AU$2.4 billion (≈US$1.6 billion) and that claims from people in their 30s...
Beware of Resource-Hungry Big Tech Taking a Foothold
Microsoft announced a A$25 b (≈US$16.5 bn) AI and data‑center investment in Australia, sparking debate over its economic payoff. Critics argue the plan adds pressure to a city already grappling with a construction‑worker shortage and a housing deficit. They warn that power‑...
LinkedIn Wins News Bargaining Reprieve as Microsoft Boss Lands in Sydney
Microsoft‑owned LinkedIn is expected to be excluded from Australia’s new News Media Bargaining Incentive, a tax‑like scheme that forces large platforms to pay for the news content they surface. The carve‑out could save Microsoft roughly $111 million USD a year, based...
KIIS Turns Tables on Kyle and Jackie O, Sues Pair for Millions
Australian radio network ARN (owner of KIIS) has sued Kyle Sandilands and Jackie “O” Henderson, alleging they breached a $200 million (≈$132 million USD) ten‑year deal that cost the station millions in advertising revenue. ARN seeks to claw back 87.92% of a...
Hastings Eyes US$53M First-Year Revenue From Thai Rare Earths Plant
Hastings Technology Metals disclosed that its Kabin Buri hydromet plant in Thailand is on track to start producing mixed rare‑earth chloride (MREC) in Q4 2026, with unaudited first‑year revenue estimated at US$53.4 million (≈US$49 million). The 49% stake should generate about US$10.6 million...
Gateway Hits End-of-Hole Gold at WA Yandal Play
Gateway Mining announced a 32‑metre gold intercept averaging 1.1 g/t from an air‑core hole at its Mustang prospect within the Yandal project in Western Australia. The drill also returned an 8‑metre high‑grade segment at 2.1 g/t, extending mineralisation 500 m north and pushing...
Searches up 900%: Google Faces Influx of Illegal Peptide Ads
Google is facing a surge in advertisements for illegal synthetic peptides, with searches for terms like BPC‑157, GHK‑CU and Retatrutide jumping up to 900% over the past year. The ads violate Google’s own policies and Australian law, prompting the company...
Tim Tams and Oreos: The 12 Grocery Items Woolworths and ACCC Will Fight over in Court
Woolworths faces a Federal Court showdown with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over its “Prices Dropped” program, which the regulator alleges featured illusory discounts on staple groceries. The case zeroes in on 12 items – from Tim Tams...
They Promise Glowing Skin, a Ripped Body and Better Sex. Peptides Are Having a Moment – but Are They Safe?
Peptide injections have surged in popularity after influencers and startups like Superpower, a $300 million health‑tech firm, began touting benefits ranging from youthful skin to enhanced workouts and sexual performance. The debate intensified when Superpower founder Max Marchione faced off with...