July 15, 2025 • 16 mins
Wednesday 16 July 2025
Anthony Albanese meets Chinese President XI Jinping, and the two stress the need to not let global trade turbulence derail the Canberra-Beijing relationship.
And more, including:
- Reserve Bank wants to overhaul the payments system
- The local sharemarket closes at a record high
- Australians are changing the way they shop
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to Fear and Greed business News. You can use
the stories. Today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanizi meets Chinese President Jijingping,
and the two stress the need to not let global
trade turbulence derail camera Beijing relationships. The local share market
closes at a record high, and the Reserve Bank wants
to overhaul the payment system, saving consumers one point two
(00:29):
billion dollars plus online shoppers rate delivery times and loyalty
programs as important to future sales. And the secret conversations
between insects and plants. It's Wednesday, the sixteenth of July
twenty twenty five. I'm Adam Lang and good morning, Sean Ailma.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Good morning Adam. The secret life of the secret conversations
between insects and plants. Surely that's a teaser.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I feel like I'm listening in on something.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You are.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Sounds intriguing, all right, sure the main story this morning.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi met with Chinese President Jijingping yesterday
in the Great Hall of the People near Tianaman Square
in Beijing. It was a cordial affair, with Xi congratulating
Albanesi on his re election, saying that it is important
that international turbulence does not derail improvements in the China
(01:19):
Australian relationship.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
She talked about the need to treat people equally and
for the two countries to seek common ground and pursue
mutually beneficial cooperation. He alluded to the approachment in Sino
or Australian ties following Alberanesi's election in twenty twenty two, which
of course came after Beijing targeted twenty billion dollars of
Australian exports and froze ministerial dialogue. She said the two
(01:41):
countries had reached many common understandings with joint effort rising
from setbacks. Now Gee's China's supreme leader. He didn't mention
US President Donald Trump specifically. He didn't mention specifically the
global trade war, but he urged Albanesi to ensure global
turbulence doesn't undermine the repair work done to bilateral ties.
(02:04):
Albanesi echoed She's sentiment about the importance of finding points
of unity in the relationship. Notably, China State media applauded
the Prime minister six day visit, highlighting the length of
his day and the size of the accompanying business delegation
as proof of Australia's commitment to bilateral relationships. There are
a few things that weren't mentioned. Maybe that's the best
(02:26):
way of putting it. So Albanzi said that she did
not raise the increasing increasing pressure the US is placing
on Australia and other allies to join a conflict over Taiwan.
There was also discussion about the jailed Chinese Australian writer
Huang Heng Jun. He's in a Chinese president a Chinese prison. Sorry,
(02:50):
Alberzi raised the issue directly with the President, but all
in all, it seems like a fairly cordial affair.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Mister Alberanzi also met Which Premier Lie Qiang last night
for the annual leaders meeting, and following that with a
dinner between the two and business leaders from both countries.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
So Lee's formally actually head of government, while Sijing Ping
is head of state or the equivalent of Australia's governor general,
though he just basically wheelds absolute power very unlike our
own governor General. Albernesi last night was expected to broach
a couple of thorny issues that weren't brought up with Jijingping.
For example, the recent circumnavigation of the Australian mainland the
(03:29):
unannounced live firing exercises in the Tasman Tasman Sea. Lee
was expected to push Albernizi over his promise over the
Prime Minister's promise to force a Chinese owned company to
give up its lease on the Port of Darwin. That
was an issue that was not raised between chi jingping
In Anthony Albernizi. All in all, it certainly demonstrates that
(03:51):
Australia's relationship with China is a lot warmer than it's
been for pretty much a decade.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
It's probably too early to call it a successful visit yet,
but it's so far.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
So good, right, Yeah, I think that's right sewn.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
The local sheer market set a closing record yesterday and
it was a particularly good day for the technology stocks.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
That's right. SMPA six two hundred finished up zero point
seven percent to eighty six hundred and thirty points, eclipsing
the previous closing high, though it's still shy of its
all time high. The strong day followed a rise on
Wall Street after Donald Trump indicated he's open to negotiate
on tariffs, particularly with the European Union. Notwithstanding, he imposed
(04:33):
to thirty percent tariff on the EU and Mexico of
the weekend, thirty five percent on Canada. There were big
jumps yesterday and some of the tech stocks on the
back of Wall Street Life three sixty was up eight percent,
wise Tech Global zero, Technology one next, DC all rows
around two percent. The tariff news helped some of the
healthcare stocks, with CSL rising nearly four percent. Telstra was
also a strong performer. The big banks have had a
(04:54):
few slower sessions, but All four and m Macquarie Group
were higher yesterday. In contrast, the big miners were lower,
and the probably biggest piece of corporate news, wealth management
platform Hub twenty four jump more than six percent after
announcing an increase in funds under management. This stock is
up one hundred and twenty percent over the past year.
It's been one of the best.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
There's also good economic news out of China, which is
of course good for the local economy, especially our commodity exporters.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yes growth figures showed China expanding at a five point
two percent pace, above expectations and despite the imposition of
US tariffs. In terms of the numbers, Bitcoin hit another record,
pushing above one hundred and twenty three thousand US dollars
a unit. It's up nine percent in the past five sessions,
seventy six percent since Donald Trump was elected. Last November,
goals fetching thirty three fifty five US dollars announced, oils
(05:41):
trading just under sixty nine US dollars a barrel, the
Elsie dollars buying sixty five and a half years cents.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Sure, and it's time for business by Numbers this week.
The top three numbers to Know for the week, brought
to you by zero dot com slash au tell us
about those.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Well, you can't go past that one hundred and twenty
three thousand US dollars a unit for the value bitcoin stunning. Stunning,
That's the only way to put it. It has so
many friends out there. The next one might not get
the headlines really important to Australia five point two percent.
That's China's and you'll grow straight if China does well.
Australia does well with the Prime minister in that country.
(06:17):
I mean, it's certainly a worthy part of business. Pin numbers.
The other one, we haven't gotten to this story yet,
but you know it's all, it's a prelude ease a
tas one point two billion dollars. That's how much the
Reserve Bank reckons consumers can save if surch charges on
credit and debit cards are dropped.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Well, that's in everyone's interest. That's a great one, Sean.
Thank you. We'll be back in a moment with the
rest of the day's business news. Sean. The Reserve Bank
wants to overhaul the payment system, banning surcharges on credit
and debit cards, saving consumers more than one billion dollars
(06:56):
a year.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Under a planned overhaul, the Reserve Bank would be surg
charges on all debit and credit transactions under the FTPOSS,
master Card and Visa networks. There are sixteen point eight
million credit and charge cards registered in Australia and forty
eight point five million debit cards. The Reserve Bank also
wants to force banks to publish previously hidden fees levied
(07:19):
on retailers. It's also calling for interchange fees, which are
paid between a merchant and a shoppers bank, to be lowered,
saving businesses one point two billion dollars annually if the
reductions are passed on in full. The Central Bank says
It estimates that ninety percent of Australian businesses will be
better off under the changes. Governor Michelle Bullock said the
time has come to address some of these high costs
(07:40):
and inefficiencies in the system. The release of the plan
kicks off a six week consulting period and the government
has already said it wants to ban surch charging on
debit transactions. The recommendation as credit card transactions going further
than what the Albanezy government has proposed.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
That is very exciting and shown onto the federal election,
which was held two and a half months ago. The
results counting isn't quite over yet, with an unsuccessful Liberal
candidate in the seat of Bradfield in Sydney's North asking
the High Court to examine a small number of disputed
ballot papers.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Are you a Bradfield Electorate member?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I am? I'm in benel Oh.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
You're Benelong if you think, Oh my word, I'm a
Bradfield residence. So I've been watching this one closely to
LMP Nicolett Bowl won the one time blue ribbon Liberal
seat by just twenty six votes and will be sworn
in as a Member of Parliament when Camber sits again
next week. The Liberal candidate Giselle Capterian was initially declared
(08:42):
the winner by eight votes, then she lost the recount.
Capterian said she had full respect for the Australian Electoral
Commission and integrity of the process, but she's entitled under
the law to request a judge count a small number
of disputed ballot papers. Bowl said she'll seek community donations
to fund her defense.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Staying in the political arena, Shoan former Labor Prime Minister
Paul Keating has been asked to become a strategic advisor
on East Asia to Indonesian President Proboo Subianto and join
the advisory board of Indonesia's Sovereign Wealth Fund.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Probobo invited Keating to take on the roles, according to
the AFR. Now, Keating's confirmed the invitation but isn't commenting.
The wealth fund, launched by Probawo in February is nine
hundred billion US dollars one point for a Trullian ossie,
and it obviously manages that including several state owned enterprises.
It's one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the
(09:36):
world and central to Proboos push to boost economic growth.
In Indonesia to eight percent a year by twenty twenty nine.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Well, stay tuned to that one. Sean consumer sentiment is
on the rise slowly, though there are still more pessimists
than optimists in the local economy.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
The west Pac Melbourne Institute survey shows an increase in
sentiment in June, following rises in April and May. However,
it's coming off a very low base. Pessimism prevails. Miserable
bunch out there at all. Miserable bunch the measure in
the survey that's lagging most his family finances versus a
year ago. The consumers are more upbeat about the next
twelve months, not surprisingly over the past five years, so
(10:15):
way journers. They're the ones who still feel worse off. Now,
that's not a surprise because price levels are up twenty
percent in the last five years. Wage is just fifteen percent.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
That'll do it. Sean. There is more trouble for Bowen
Coking Coal. Just days after it started training again following
concerns about its liquidity, an Indonesian contracting group at its
Buron mine in Queensland want payment of fifteen million dollars.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
The demands have led Bowen to reconsider whether to continue
to negotiate with lenders and Queensland officials for a deal
to guarantee operations. Bowen started training again on Monday, having
been suspended for two weeks or more than two weeks,
after warning that depressed coal prices in the Queensland State
Coal Royalty regime had led to a deterioration in its
(11:00):
financial position. Shareplace fell twenty five percent yesterday. It's down
ninety nine percent over the past year.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Ouch Sean Australian consumers are still buying online in very
high numbers, but they are changing the way they shop,
with nearly three quarters of people cutting back on non
essential items on the back of the high costs of living.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
The report from IAB and pure profile Or released today
shows that it isn't just cost that matters. Convenience matters,
so to rewards, sustainability and transparency across a broad range
of products, Online shoppers use an average of four point
eight touch points. So you know you're going to buy
a pair of shoes. This is me at the moment
(11:40):
you do an online search, You got to different retailer sites,
you ask friends, personal connections, you look at ratings, social media,
all important sources. Search remains the top discovery tool overall,
particularly for the over fifties. Okay, the smart guys, presence,
social media, social media and influencers are key to millennial
(12:03):
and gen Z online shoppers. Free shipping thresholds, easy and
free returns, and far shipping or rank as very important offerings,
and almost half of online shoppers say real time product
availability information is very important, as is real time delivery tracking.
So I'm trying to buy my shoes, so I thirteen.
(12:24):
I finally, after about an hour of looking, realize that's
the one I gain a click on it. Unavailable, gone
nothing over.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Eleven, Adam bought them.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
That's right sewn.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
In international news, Donald Trump has threatened to impose stiff
financial penalties on Russia if it does not end hostilities
with Ukraine, even as he pledged fresh weapons supplies for Kiev.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
The US presidents of the US will set tariffs at
about one hundred percent if there isn't a deal to
stop the war with Ukraine in fifty days. Trump says
the levees will come in the form of secondary tariffs,
without providing any real details on that. According to Bloomberg Now,
the US president has used that term in the past
to describe duties imposed on countries for trading with American adversaries.
(13:10):
So if you trade with someone they don't like, yeah, yeah,
you might get hit with that tariff.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Sean Animals react to sounds being made by plants. New
research suggests opening up the possibility that an invisible ecosystem
might exist between them.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Story of the year, It is intrigued, it is fantastic.
In the first ever such evidence, a team at Tel
Aviv University found that female moths avoided laying their eggs
on tomato plants if the plants made noises they associated
with distress, indicating that they may be unhealthy. According to
(13:49):
report on the BBC, I'm looking at your face here,
you're like, this is fascin What is so that This
team at Tele Aviv University was the first to show
two years ago that plants scream when they are distressed
or unhealthy. The sounds are outside the range of human hearing,
but can be perceived by many insects, bats, and some mammals.
(14:11):
The academics concedes the bit this speculation at this stage,
but it's very possible that all sorts of animals make
decisions based on the sounds they hear from plants, So
whether to pollinate, for example, or hide inside them or
whether to eat them, just depending on what the plant
is telling them. Another area of investigation is whether plants
can pass information to each other through sound. Through sound
(14:33):
and act in response, they've kind of talk to each other.
So it might be conserving water and drag conditions. That
type of thing. Isn't that amazing. It's this whole ecosystem
which might be out there which we are not privy
to in any way, shape or form, well sewn.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
You remember how Prince Charles used to talk to plants.
I wonder if he could hear them.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Maybe they were talking about it's one of the few
humans who could you never know.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
There you go, so Sean, immediately after the show, we
want everyone to stay listening for your chat with Hurry
Harra Priya Kanan, chief data scientist for the Demographics Group.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
It is a great chat. We decided because we had
a story yesterday about the census being tested, yeah in
August six, Yeah, taking it. And so we thought, what
is this census about, why it's it important? What are
we going to find out about it? And then we
went onto some major issues that the Census has helped
inform us on. So we talked to Harry about that
(15:30):
really interesting chat. Every time I talk to demographer, I
just find myself going down rabbit holes that are so fascinating,
so it is well worth a listen.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Adam, I'm going to tune in. That's up next in
the Fear and Greed playlist on your favorite podcast platform
or at Fearangreed dot com dot au. Thank you, Sean,
Thank you Adam. It's Wednesday, the sixteenth of July twenty
twenty five. Make sure you're following the podcast. Join us
online on LinkedIn, Instagram, x TikTok, and Facebook, and please
have a great day. F
Welcome to Fear and Greed business News. You can use
the stories. Today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanizi meets Chinese President Jijingping,
and the two stress the need to not let global
trade turbulence derail camera Beijing relationships. The local share market
closes at a record high, and the Reserve Bank wants
to overhaul the payment system, saving consumers one point two
(00:29):
billion dollars plus online shoppers rate delivery times and loyalty
programs as important to future sales. And the secret conversations
between insects and plants. It's Wednesday, the sixteenth of July
twenty twenty five. I'm Adam Lang and good morning, Sean Ailma.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Good morning Adam. The secret life of the secret conversations
between insects and plants. Surely that's a teaser.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I feel like I'm listening in on something.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You are.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Sounds intriguing, all right, sure the main story this morning.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi met with Chinese President Jijingping yesterday
in the Great Hall of the People near Tianaman Square
in Beijing. It was a cordial affair, with Xi congratulating
Albanesi on his re election, saying that it is important
that international turbulence does not derail improvements in the China
(01:19):
Australian relationship.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
She talked about the need to treat people equally and
for the two countries to seek common ground and pursue
mutually beneficial cooperation. He alluded to the approachment in Sino
or Australian ties following Alberanesi's election in twenty twenty two, which
of course came after Beijing targeted twenty billion dollars of
Australian exports and froze ministerial dialogue. She said the two
(01:41):
countries had reached many common understandings with joint effort rising
from setbacks. Now Gee's China's supreme leader. He didn't mention
US President Donald Trump specifically. He didn't mention specifically the
global trade war, but he urged Albanesi to ensure global
turbulence doesn't undermine the repair work done to bilateral ties.
(02:04):
Albanesi echoed She's sentiment about the importance of finding points
of unity in the relationship. Notably, China State media applauded
the Prime minister six day visit, highlighting the length of
his day and the size of the accompanying business delegation
as proof of Australia's commitment to bilateral relationships. There are
a few things that weren't mentioned. Maybe that's the best
(02:26):
way of putting it. So Albanzi said that she did
not raise the increasing increasing pressure the US is placing
on Australia and other allies to join a conflict over Taiwan.
There was also discussion about the jailed Chinese Australian writer
Huang Heng Jun. He's in a Chinese president a Chinese prison. Sorry,
(02:50):
Alberzi raised the issue directly with the President, but all
in all, it seems like a fairly cordial affair.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Mister Alberanzi also met Which Premier Lie Qiang last night
for the annual leaders meeting, and following that with a
dinner between the two and business leaders from both countries.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
So Lee's formally actually head of government, while Sijing Ping
is head of state or the equivalent of Australia's governor general,
though he just basically wheelds absolute power very unlike our
own governor General. Albernesi last night was expected to broach
a couple of thorny issues that weren't brought up with Jijingping.
For example, the recent circumnavigation of the Australian mainland the
(03:29):
unannounced live firing exercises in the Tasman Tasman Sea. Lee
was expected to push Albernizi over his promise over the
Prime Minister's promise to force a Chinese owned company to
give up its lease on the Port of Darwin. That
was an issue that was not raised between chi jingping
In Anthony Albernizi. All in all, it certainly demonstrates that
(03:51):
Australia's relationship with China is a lot warmer than it's
been for pretty much a decade.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
It's probably too early to call it a successful visit yet,
but it's so far.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
So good, right, Yeah, I think that's right sewn.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
The local sheer market set a closing record yesterday and
it was a particularly good day for the technology stocks.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
That's right. SMPA six two hundred finished up zero point
seven percent to eighty six hundred and thirty points, eclipsing
the previous closing high, though it's still shy of its
all time high. The strong day followed a rise on
Wall Street after Donald Trump indicated he's open to negotiate
on tariffs, particularly with the European Union. Notwithstanding, he imposed
(04:33):
to thirty percent tariff on the EU and Mexico of
the weekend, thirty five percent on Canada. There were big
jumps yesterday and some of the tech stocks on the
back of Wall Street Life three sixty was up eight percent,
wise Tech Global zero, Technology one next, DC all rows
around two percent. The tariff news helped some of the
healthcare stocks, with CSL rising nearly four percent. Telstra was
also a strong performer. The big banks have had a
(04:54):
few slower sessions, but All four and m Macquarie Group
were higher yesterday. In contrast, the big miners were lower,
and the probably biggest piece of corporate news, wealth management
platform Hub twenty four jump more than six percent after
announcing an increase in funds under management. This stock is
up one hundred and twenty percent over the past year.
It's been one of the best.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
There's also good economic news out of China, which is
of course good for the local economy, especially our commodity exporters.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yes growth figures showed China expanding at a five point
two percent pace, above expectations and despite the imposition of
US tariffs. In terms of the numbers, Bitcoin hit another record,
pushing above one hundred and twenty three thousand US dollars
a unit. It's up nine percent in the past five sessions,
seventy six percent since Donald Trump was elected. Last November,
goals fetching thirty three fifty five US dollars announced, oils
(05:41):
trading just under sixty nine US dollars a barrel, the
Elsie dollars buying sixty five and a half years cents.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Sure, and it's time for business by Numbers this week.
The top three numbers to Know for the week, brought
to you by zero dot com slash au tell us
about those.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Well, you can't go past that one hundred and twenty
three thousand US dollars a unit for the value bitcoin stunning. Stunning,
That's the only way to put it. It has so
many friends out there. The next one might not get
the headlines really important to Australia five point two percent.
That's China's and you'll grow straight if China does well.
Australia does well with the Prime minister in that country.
(06:17):
I mean, it's certainly a worthy part of business. Pin numbers.
The other one, we haven't gotten to this story yet,
but you know it's all, it's a prelude ease a
tas one point two billion dollars. That's how much the
Reserve Bank reckons consumers can save if surch charges on
credit and debit cards are dropped.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Well, that's in everyone's interest. That's a great one, Sean.
Thank you. We'll be back in a moment with the
rest of the day's business news. Sean. The Reserve Bank
wants to overhaul the payment system, banning surcharges on credit
and debit cards, saving consumers more than one billion dollars
(06:56):
a year.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Under a planned overhaul, the Reserve Bank would be surg
charges on all debit and credit transactions under the FTPOSS,
master Card and Visa networks. There are sixteen point eight
million credit and charge cards registered in Australia and forty
eight point five million debit cards. The Reserve Bank also
wants to force banks to publish previously hidden fees levied
(07:19):
on retailers. It's also calling for interchange fees, which are
paid between a merchant and a shoppers bank, to be lowered,
saving businesses one point two billion dollars annually if the
reductions are passed on in full. The Central Bank says
It estimates that ninety percent of Australian businesses will be
better off under the changes. Governor Michelle Bullock said the
time has come to address some of these high costs
(07:40):
and inefficiencies in the system. The release of the plan
kicks off a six week consulting period and the government
has already said it wants to ban surch charging on
debit transactions. The recommendation as credit card transactions going further
than what the Albanezy government has proposed.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
That is very exciting and shown onto the federal election,
which was held two and a half months ago. The
results counting isn't quite over yet, with an unsuccessful Liberal
candidate in the seat of Bradfield in Sydney's North asking
the High Court to examine a small number of disputed
ballot papers.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Are you a Bradfield Electorate member?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I am? I'm in benel Oh.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
You're Benelong if you think, Oh my word, I'm a
Bradfield residence. So I've been watching this one closely to
LMP Nicolett Bowl won the one time blue ribbon Liberal
seat by just twenty six votes and will be sworn
in as a Member of Parliament when Camber sits again
next week. The Liberal candidate Giselle Capterian was initially declared
(08:42):
the winner by eight votes, then she lost the recount.
Capterian said she had full respect for the Australian Electoral
Commission and integrity of the process, but she's entitled under
the law to request a judge count a small number
of disputed ballot papers. Bowl said she'll seek community donations
to fund her defense.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Staying in the political arena, Shoan former Labor Prime Minister
Paul Keating has been asked to become a strategic advisor
on East Asia to Indonesian President Proboo Subianto and join
the advisory board of Indonesia's Sovereign Wealth Fund.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Probobo invited Keating to take on the roles, according to
the AFR. Now, Keating's confirmed the invitation but isn't commenting.
The wealth fund, launched by Probawo in February is nine
hundred billion US dollars one point for a Trullian ossie,
and it obviously manages that including several state owned enterprises.
It's one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the
(09:36):
world and central to Proboos push to boost economic growth.
In Indonesia to eight percent a year by twenty twenty nine.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Well, stay tuned to that one. Sean consumer sentiment is
on the rise slowly, though there are still more pessimists
than optimists in the local economy.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
The west Pac Melbourne Institute survey shows an increase in
sentiment in June, following rises in April and May. However,
it's coming off a very low base. Pessimism prevails. Miserable
bunch out there at all. Miserable bunch the measure in
the survey that's lagging most his family finances versus a
year ago. The consumers are more upbeat about the next
twelve months, not surprisingly over the past five years, so
(10:15):
way journers. They're the ones who still feel worse off. Now,
that's not a surprise because price levels are up twenty
percent in the last five years. Wage is just fifteen percent.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
That'll do it. Sean. There is more trouble for Bowen
Coking Coal. Just days after it started training again following
concerns about its liquidity, an Indonesian contracting group at its
Buron mine in Queensland want payment of fifteen million dollars.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
The demands have led Bowen to reconsider whether to continue
to negotiate with lenders and Queensland officials for a deal
to guarantee operations. Bowen started training again on Monday, having
been suspended for two weeks or more than two weeks,
after warning that depressed coal prices in the Queensland State
Coal Royalty regime had led to a deterioration in its
(11:00):
financial position. Shareplace fell twenty five percent yesterday. It's down
ninety nine percent over the past year.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Ouch Sean Australian consumers are still buying online in very
high numbers, but they are changing the way they shop,
with nearly three quarters of people cutting back on non
essential items on the back of the high costs of living.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
The report from IAB and pure profile Or released today
shows that it isn't just cost that matters. Convenience matters,
so to rewards, sustainability and transparency across a broad range
of products, Online shoppers use an average of four point
eight touch points. So you know you're going to buy
a pair of shoes. This is me at the moment
(11:40):
you do an online search, You got to different retailer sites,
you ask friends, personal connections, you look at ratings, social media,
all important sources. Search remains the top discovery tool overall,
particularly for the over fifties. Okay, the smart guys, presence,
social media, social media and influencers are key to millennial
(12:03):
and gen Z online shoppers. Free shipping thresholds, easy and
free returns, and far shipping or rank as very important offerings,
and almost half of online shoppers say real time product
availability information is very important, as is real time delivery tracking.
So I'm trying to buy my shoes, so I thirteen.
(12:24):
I finally, after about an hour of looking, realize that's
the one I gain a click on it. Unavailable, gone
nothing over.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Eleven, Adam bought them.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
That's right sewn.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
In international news, Donald Trump has threatened to impose stiff
financial penalties on Russia if it does not end hostilities
with Ukraine, even as he pledged fresh weapons supplies for Kiev.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
The US presidents of the US will set tariffs at
about one hundred percent if there isn't a deal to
stop the war with Ukraine in fifty days. Trump says
the levees will come in the form of secondary tariffs,
without providing any real details on that. According to Bloomberg Now,
the US president has used that term in the past
to describe duties imposed on countries for trading with American adversaries.
(13:10):
So if you trade with someone they don't like, yeah, yeah,
you might get hit with that tariff.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Sean Animals react to sounds being made by plants. New
research suggests opening up the possibility that an invisible ecosystem
might exist between them.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Story of the year, It is intrigued, it is fantastic.
In the first ever such evidence, a team at Tel
Aviv University found that female moths avoided laying their eggs
on tomato plants if the plants made noises they associated
with distress, indicating that they may be unhealthy. According to
(13:49):
report on the BBC, I'm looking at your face here,
you're like, this is fascin What is so that This
team at Tele Aviv University was the first to show
two years ago that plants scream when they are distressed
or unhealthy. The sounds are outside the range of human hearing,
but can be perceived by many insects, bats, and some mammals.
(14:11):
The academics concedes the bit this speculation at this stage,
but it's very possible that all sorts of animals make
decisions based on the sounds they hear from plants, So
whether to pollinate, for example, or hide inside them or
whether to eat them, just depending on what the plant
is telling them. Another area of investigation is whether plants
can pass information to each other through sound. Through sound
(14:33):
and act in response, they've kind of talk to each other.
So it might be conserving water and drag conditions. That
type of thing. Isn't that amazing. It's this whole ecosystem
which might be out there which we are not privy
to in any way, shape or form, well sewn.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
You remember how Prince Charles used to talk to plants.
I wonder if he could hear them.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Maybe they were talking about it's one of the few
humans who could you never know.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
There you go, so Sean, immediately after the show, we
want everyone to stay listening for your chat with Hurry
Harra Priya Kanan, chief data scientist for the Demographics Group.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
It is a great chat. We decided because we had
a story yesterday about the census being tested, yeah in
August six, Yeah, taking it. And so we thought, what
is this census about, why it's it important? What are
we going to find out about it? And then we
went onto some major issues that the Census has helped
inform us on. So we talked to Harry about that
(15:30):
really interesting chat. Every time I talk to demographer, I
just find myself going down rabbit holes that are so fascinating,
so it is well worth a listen.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Adam, I'm going to tune in. That's up next in
the Fear and Greed playlist on your favorite podcast platform
or at Fearangreed dot com dot au. Thank you, Sean,
Thank you Adam. It's Wednesday, the sixteenth of July twenty
twenty five. Make sure you're following the podcast. Join us
online on LinkedIn, Instagram, x TikTok, and Facebook, and please
have a great day. F
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