Latest updates on Key Economic Indicators

Australian Dollar: $0.7320 USD (up $0.0020 USD)

Iron Ore Dec Spot Price (SGX): $122.94 USD (up $0.62 USD)

Oil Price (WTI): $41.96 USD (up $0.51 USD)

Gold Price: $1,872.95 (down $12.70 USD)

Dow Jones: 29,693.21 (down 52.58 points)

All changes compared to 7am yesterday.

BioNTech and Pfizer will seek emergency US authorization for vaccine on Friday

German company BioNTech and its partner, drug giant Pfizer, will ask the US on Friday to allow emergency use of their Covid-19 vaccine candidate, CEO Ugur Sahin told CNN during an exclusive interview on Wednesday.

Sahin said the company will file paperwork for the emergency use of the vaccine with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A final analysis of the Phase 3 trial of the vaccine shows it was 95% effective in preventing infections, even in older adults, and caused no serious safety concerns, Pfizer said Wednesday.

The announcement of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, followed this week by a similarly effective rival from the US company Moderna, raised spirits -- and stock markets -- across the world, as control of the virus finally appeared to be in sight.

Sahin expects the vaccine's approval process to be completed and distribution to begin before the end of 2020. He said that if everything goes to plan, Covid-19 could be under control halfway through 2021.

"Depending on how fast this [review] is really accomplished, we might get an authorization, or conditional approval already in 2020 which might help us start distribution of the first vaccine batches already in 2020," Sahin said, adding that he couldn't say exactly how long the review process would take.

"When we submit packages we receive questions and of course addressing the questions takes time," he said.

Sahin told CNN's Fred Pleitgen that BioNTech had already sent manufacturing data to the US regulator.

"We met the requirements defined by the FDA and we of course communicated the manufacturing data," he said Wednesday.

"Our goal is to supply several hundred million of doses in the first four to five months of 2021 and this is will already have an impact in the control of Covid-19," he said.

"I am confident that if everything goes well, and we have a very organized vaccine supply, that we could have a normal summer and winter 2021."

The BioNTech CEO did stress the important role governments had to play in the next phase of the pandemic.

"[The] goal must be, of all governments, to ensure that there is a high vaccination rate in the population before we go into autumn," he said.

Pfizer ends COVID-19 vaccine trial with 95 per cent efficacy

The Sydney Morning Herald - Page Online : 19 November 2020 - Original article by Michael Erman - PortMac.News Summary

Pfizer has completed the Phase 3 clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate and advised that it is 95 per cent effective in preventing infection.

The initial analysis had suggested that the efficacy rate was 90 per cent.

More than 43,000 volunteers participated in the clinical trial; the final analysis shows that 170 of them contracted the virus, but 162 of them received the placebo rather than the vaccine.

Pfizer has also advised that the side effects of the vaccine were mostly mild to moderate.

Moderna recently reported that its rival vaccine candidate has an efficacy rate of 94.5 per cent, based on the initial data.

Marshall: Lockdown or months' more pain

The Australian - Page 1 & 5 : 19 November 2020 - Original article by David Penberthy, Rosie Lewis - PortMac.News Summary

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has defended his government's decision to impose a six-day coronavirus lockdown across the state. He contends that the state has just one chance to prevent a second wave of COVID-19 infections.

Supermarkets and bottle shops will stay open during the lockdown, but most businesses will be closed, along with schools and universities.

Residents will be permitted to leave their homes for a limited number of reasons, and they will have to wear a face mask when doing so. The coronavirus cluster linked to a quarantine hotel has increased to 22 after two additional two cases were reported on 18 November.

There are 35 active COVID-19 cases across the state.

Masks on way out in Victoria, but only outside

The Australian - Page 5 : 19 November 2020 - Original article by Rachel Baxendale -PortMac.News Summary

The Victorian government is set to announce a further relaxation of coronavirus restrictions on 22 November.

Premier Daniel Andrews has indicated that this is likely to include changes to the rules on wearing a face mask in public places.

He has indicated that masks will remain mandatory when people are indoors and in crowded outdoor places, but the requirement is likely to be waived when someone is outdoors and not near other people.

Victoria has now recorded 19 consecutive days with no new COVID-19 cases, and there are three active cases state-wide.

Rudd 'An agent of foreign influence'

The Australian - Page 3 : 19 November 2020 - Original article by Richard Ferguson, Sharri Markson - PortMac.News Summary

Tony Abbott, Brendan Nelson and Richard Alston are among the former federal politicians who are on the foreign influence transparency scheme's public register.

The Attorney-General's Department has advised that ex-prime minister Kevin Rudd has not yet registered as an 'agent of foreign influence', despite the fact that he now chairs a number of international bodies.

A spokesman for Rudd has indicated that he is willing to sign up to the scheme if the federal government recommends that he does so. Rudd says he has approached the department several times about registering for the scheme.

Old PMs want to call in bot cops

The Australian - Page 3 : 19 November 2020 - Original article by Richard Ferguson - PortMac.News Summary

Liberal MP Julian Simmonds says the integrity of the parliamentary e-petition system platform is in doubt following revelations that a petition calling for a royal commission into media diversity was gamed.

The petition was initiated by former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull, who have called for the Australian Federal Police to investigate how 'bots' were used to generate some of the signatures on the petition.

The standing committee on petitions will consider referring the matter to the AFP.

PM delays final call on superannuation rise to protect jobs

The Australian - Page 1 & 4 : 19 November 2020 - Original article by Simon Benson - PortMac.News Summary

The federal government will release the findings of its review into retirement incomes on 20 November.

Amongst other things, the review is believed to support a recent warning from Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe that the legislated increase in the superannuation guarantee will reduce wages and economic growth.

The super guarantee is slated to rise from 9.5 per cent to 10 per cent in mid-2021; the government is set to delay a decision on proceeding with this increase until it hands down the Budget in May.

Coalition flouts Senate order by refusing to release Leppington triangle documents

The Guardian Australia - Page Online : 19 November 2020 - Original article by Katharine Murphy - PortMac.News Summary

Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge has defended the federal government's failure to comply with the Senate's ruling that it must release documentary material relating to a controversial land deal in western Sydney.

Tudge contends that releasing the documents in question would not be in the public interest and could affect the Australian Federal Police's investigation into the matter.

The government paid $29.8m for a 12.26-hectare parcel of land near the site of Sydney's proposed second airport in mid-2018, but the land was subsequently valued at just $3.1m.

Chinese link in police raids on CFMEU

The Australian - Page 4 : 19 November 2020 - Original article by Ewin Hannan - PortMac.News Summary

Sources say that a police raid on the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union is linked to a Chinese plastering company that operates in the New South Wales construction industry.

Australian Federal Police officers executed search warrants at the CFMMEU's headquarters in Pyrmont on 18 November, as well as the homes of NSW secretary Darren Greenfield and assistant secretary Michael Greenfield.

Meanwhile, the Federal Court has ordered the union, three officials and 39 workers a combined $336,000 in fines over unlawful industrial action in Perth in late 2018.

Financials rally helps lift bourse

The Australian - Page 23 : 19 November 2020

Original article by Samantha Bailey - PortMac.News Summary

The Australian sharemarket closed at a nine-month high on 18 November, with the S&P/ASX 200 rising 0.51 per cent to 6,531.1 points.

The Commonwealth Bank was up 2.9 per cent at $77.55, Plenti Group rose 9.6 per cent to $1.25 and Aristocrat Leisure added 3.8 per cent to end the session at $34.59. However, Rio Tinto was down 0.7 per cent at $98.12 and Oil Search fell 2.6 per cent to finish at $3.82.

APRA hints at removing bank dividend guidance that caps payments

The Australian - Page 19 : 19 November 2020 - Original article by Joyce Moullakis - PortMac.News Summary

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority chairman Wayne Byres has indicated that it may review the existing guidance on bank dividends.

APRA revised its guidance in July, stating that payout ratios should be capped at 50 per cent of earnings.

Byres says the cap was always intended to be temporary, and factors such as the improving economic outlook and increased bank capital means it may be appropriate to review the guidance.

APRA had previously recommended in April that banks and insurers should materially reduce or defer dividends in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Home owners end mortgage holidays in droves as economy improves

The New Daily - Page Online : 19 November 2020- Original article by Matt Johnson - PortMac.News Summary

More than 436,000 mortgage borrowers had deferred their repayments in June, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Data from the Australian Banking Association shows that 67 per cent of them have now resumed paying off their loans, with just 145,250 borrowers still on repayment 'holidays'.

The ABA has warned that some borrowers may face the prospect of a forced sale of their home in 2021 if they are still on a deferred payment plan when government support ends.

Insurance industry reels over court loss in pandemic test case

The Australian - Page 15 & 23 : 19 November 2020 - Original article by David Ross - PortMac.News Summary

The New South Wales Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of two policyholders in a test case on the liability of insurance companies for business interruption insurance claims from customers that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cases was funded by the Insurance Council of Australia, which has indicated that it will review the ruling and may pursue an appeal to the High Court.

The insurance sector could face a massive payout if the ruling is not overturned.

Crown casino delay to hit balance sheet

The Australian - Page 15 & 23 : 119 November 2020 - Original article by Damon Kitney, Lachlan Moffet Gray - PortMac.News Summary

The New South Wales Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority has ruled that Crown Resorts cannot open its new casino at Barangaroo in Sydney on 14 December.

The listed gaming group will have to wait until after the ILGA releases the report of its inquiry into Crown's suitability to hold a casino licence on 1 February.

This follows Crown's admission that its bank accounts have most likely been used for money laundering.

Crown still hopes to open the non-gaming components of its Barangaroo complex on 14 December, including the hotel and restaurant facilities.

New Roy Morgan Cross-Platform Audience results show continued growth for Australia's leading mastheads

Market Research Update - Page Online : 19 November 2020 - Original article by Roy Morgan - PortMac.News Summary

Roy Morgan has released the latest cross-platform audience results for Australian newspapers and magazines for the period January-September 2020.

Results showed growth for Australia's leading newspaper mastheads and across the newspaper sector more broadly.

In the 9 months to September, an estimated 19.4 million Australians aged 14+ (92%) read or accessed newspapers or newspaper content in some way - print editions, online via website, app or news platforms (including metropolitan, local and regional titles) in an average four weeks.

This represents significant growth of 4% points from the six months to June, when the total cross-platform audience for newspapers was 18.5 million (88%).

The total cross-platform audiences for newspaper mastheads in the nine months to September includes an estimated 16.4 million (78%) reading or accessing metropolitan titles. In addition, some 15.3 million (73%) Australians aged 14+ read or accessed a magazine or magazine content.

The enhanced four-week cross-platform audience data measures both Newspaper and Magazine masthead reach across print and digital content by masthead for each Publisher.

Tech giants face angry US Senate

The Australian - Page 1 & 2 : 19 November 2020 - Original article by James Madden - PortMac.News Summary

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey have appeared before the US Senate Judiciary Committee.

Zuckerberg and Dorsey defended their companies' policies on content moderation, amid allegations of political censorship.

Zuckerberg admitted that there may be a case for reviewing the laws regarding content that is published on social media platforms, after Senator Lyndsey Graham flagged the possibility that federal laws which allows them to evade prosecution for defamatory material posted on their platforms could be rescinded.

Forrest's 'Bizarre' green power pacts with slave-tainted nations

The Australian Financial Review - Page 17 : 19 November 2020 - Original article by Brad Thompson - PortMac.News Summary

Pure-play iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group recently outlined plans to become a major player in the global renewable energy sector.

Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest has signed deeds of agreement on renewable energy with a number of nations that rate poorly in terms of slavery, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan.

The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility notes that this is at odds with Forrest's campaign against modern slavery via his family's philanthropic Minderoo Foundation.