THE NEWS WRAP: Australian women still missing from senior business positions: Study

Australia is lagging other nations when it comes to the representation of women in senior business positions, according to a new study.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics said that just 3.5% of ASX 200 businesses have a female chief executive, with women making up just 12.3% of board directors, although this is up from 8.4% in 2010.

Asia set to dominate by 2030

Asia will become more powerful than North America and Europe combined over the next two decades due to soaring economic and technology development, a new report predicts.

The Global Trends 2030 report says that China will overtake the USA as the world’s leading economy in the 2020s, with India becoming the next fast-growth economic powerhouse.

The study also found that 60% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2030 and that food and water shortages could lead to increased numbers of conflicts.

NBN take-up lags, report claims

The $37.4 billion National Broadband Network is reportedly running behind schedule, with nationwide take-up rates standing at just 15%.

According to The Australian, just a quarter of homes that have had access to the NBN for a year or more have actually adopted the service.

Overnight

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.57% to 13,244.41. The Australian dollar was steady at US104.79 cents.