IMF Maintains 2027 Global Growth Forecast at 3.4% Amid Rising Risks 
Gaza Olive Harvest Collapses as War Destroys Farmland 
China Resumes US Soybean Purchases After Trump-Xi Summit 
S&P 500 Futures Rise Ahead of US Inflation Data and Bank Earnings 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Investors Await CPI and Bank Earnings 
Italy’s Meloni Warns US-Russia Diesel Deal Could Weaken Ukraine Sanctions 
US Dollar Slips From 18-Month High Ahead of Key Inflation Data 
Asian Currencies Steady as Dollar Nears 18-Month High Ahead of US CPI 
US Dollar Index Falls as Fed Signals Caution, Indian Rupee Surges 
Fed's Hammack Urges Faster Rate Hikes to Fight Inflation 
US Dollar Hits 18-Month High as Inflation Fuels Fed Rate Hike Bets 
Oil Prices Fall as Russia Signals Higher Diesel Exports 
Container Ship Sinks in Strait of Hormuz as Iran Attacks Escalate 
RBA Signals More Rate Hikes as Inflation Risks Rise 
China Bank Lending Rebounds in September, Beats Forecasts 
Wall Street Closes Lower as Bank Earnings and AI Concerns Weigh 
Oil Prices Mixed as Russia Diesel Deal and Houthi Attacks Raise Supply Concerns 
Add as a preferred source on Google
The numbers of Australian citizens and permanent residents allowed to return from India and other COVID “high risk” countries are to be restricted.
With COVID surging in India, the cases in quarantine among people arriving from India have risen significantly.
On Thursday India had recorded 314,835 new cases over the previous 24 hours – the highest daily rise recorded anywhere.
National cabinet decided to reduce the number of passengers on government-facilitated flights from India going to the quarantine centre at Howard Springs in the Northern Territory.
There will be a cut of about 30% in passenger numbers for people returning from India on government-facilitated flights next month.
Four of the scheduled facilitated flights will be delayed from May until June.
There will be a 30% cut on commercial flights direct from India to Australia.
Western Australian premier Mark McGowan had pressed for the restriction on arrivals from India, after about 40% of COVID cases in WA hotel quarantine in the last month had recently been in that country.
Federal officials are preparing a list of other high risk countries.
Anyone entering Australia who has been in a high risk country in the previous fortnight, and is transiting through a third country, will need to return a negative COVID test 72 hours before arriving from their last embarkation point.
The government will further restrict exemptions for travel to high risk countries. These will only be provided for “strictly essential” travel.
National cabinet also agreed to a recalibration of the vaccine rollout that will bring forward vaccinations for people aged between 50 and 69. They will get the AstraZeneca vaccine.
This will commence with general practice respiratory clinics and state and territory vaccination sites from May 3, followed by GP clinics from May 17.
The recalibration of the rollout follows the medical advice that people under 50 should not receive the AstraZeneca vaccine because of the very small risk of blood clots.
Access to the Pfizer vaccine is limited to people under 50, for whom it is the preferred vaccine, and certain other designated groups.
The Pfizer vaccine has to come from overseas. The secretary of the Health Department, Brendan Murphy, declined to give numbers for weekly projected arrivals of vaccines from overseas.
