Money

“Sickening” – Qantas charged over major COVID safety failure

Published

4 years ago

October 19, 2021

Australia’s national carrier has been charged with workplace breaches after a cleaner raised concerns with aircraft coming from China during the early months of the pandemic

Qantas has been charged with breaches of the New South Wales Work Health and Safety Act after standing down an employee who raised concerns about the exposure of workers to COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic, back in 2020.

SafeWork New South Wales confirmed on Tuesday that it filed the charges in the District Court of NSW against Qantas Ground Services on October 6, 2021.

“The charges relate to QGS standing down a worker who raised concerns about potential exposure of workers to COVID-19 while cleaning aircraft in early 2020.”

The Australian Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) confirmed the worker involved is Theo Seremetidis, a health and safety representative who allegedly advised colleagues to stop cleaning planes arriving from China in early 2020 due to the risk of COVID-19 exposure.

It is understood that Mr Seremetidis was directed by Qantas not to return to work on February 7, 2020, and was stood down on March 30 in line with the 20,000-plus other employees as a result of the pandemic and border closures.

Reports state Qantas has reiterated a previously released statement, claiming that Mr Seremetidis was stood down for telling colleagues to take part in stop-work action without a reasonable basis to do so.”

Mr Seremetidis was directed not to come to work while he was investigated for failing to comply with our Standards of Conduct policy including allegations of attempting to incite unprotected industrial action,” a spokesperson for Qantas said.

“It’s worth noting that there was not a single positive COVID case carried on our flights back from China.”
Qantas said.

Transport Workers Union NSW State Secretary Richard Olsen says that the regulator’s decision to prosecute the Australian airline was a landmark moment for work health and safety across Australia.

Each charge – the exact number of which is not known – carries a maximum penalty of $594,021 if found guilty.

Money

Australia’s inflation report and Nvidia earnings impact explained

Australia’s inflation report sparks market shifts, influencing interest rates, the Aussie dollar, and investor sentiment amid Nvidia’s earnings.

Published

4 days ago

February 26, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Australia’s inflation report sparks market shifts, influencing interest rates, the Aussie dollar, and investor sentiment amid Nvidia’s earnings.

Australia’s latest inflation report is creating waves across the market, with questions about interest rates, the strong performance of the Aussie dollar, and the uneven nature of the stock market rally. Investors are watching closely as changes in carry trade risks this month add another layer of complexity.

David Scutt from StoneX discusses what these shifts mean for trading strategies and the broader economic outlook. He provides insight into how underlying factors are shaping investor confidence and market dynamics.

On the tech side, Nvidia’s upcoming earnings are expected to influence AI development and the broader tech sector. Coupled with trends in SaaS and bitcoin price action, these movements are signalling how investor sentiment is evolving in a fast-changing landscape.

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#AustraliaEconomy #InflationReport #AussieDollar #NvidiaEarnings #AIInvesting #StockMarketNews #BitcoinTrends #SaaSInsights

Money

U.S. stocks rally as AMD, Home Depot, and AI software lead gains

U.S. equities rose as AI disruption fears eased, with Home Depot, AMD, and DocuSign driving tech stock gains.

Published

5 days ago

February 25, 2026

Harvey Vargas

U.S. equities rose as AI disruption fears eased, with Home Depot, AMD, and DocuSign driving tech stock gains.

U.S. tech stocks surged as investors’ fears over AI disruption eased. Advanced Micro Devices jumped 9% after Meta announced a multiyear deal to deploy AMD’s graphics processing units for AI data centres. The move highlights growing corporate confidence in AI infrastructure investments.

DocuSign also rose 3% following Anthropic’s confirmation that Claude Cowork can integrate with DocuSign, Google Drive, and Gmail, signalling stronger adoption of AI tools across industries.

The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF climbed 2% despite remaining over 30% below its 52-week high, showing tech stocks are recovering but still have room to run.

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Money

Stocks tumble amid AI concerns and Trump tariff update

Dow drops 800+ points as AI and trade worries hit tech and retail stocks; bonds rise amid market volatility.

Published

6 days ago

February 24, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Dow drops 800+ points as AI and trade worries hit tech and retail stocks; bonds rise amid market volatility.

Stocks plunged sharply as concerns over artificial intelligence and trade tensions rattled investors, sending the Dow down more than 800 points. Heavyweights like American Express, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan were key contributors to the drop.

Software companies were hit particularly hard after a report suggested AI could impact economic growth, triggering further losses across tech shares.

Trade-sensitive retailers including American Eagle Outfitters, Ralph Lauren, and Yeti Holdings also faced setbacks as market uncertainty spiked. Bonds, meanwhile, rallied as investors sought safety in a volatile market.

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