ATO told to end ‘attack’ on self-employed
The Abbott government has begun reshaping Australia’s workplace system by reversing a “concerted attack” by the Australian Taxation Office and other government agencies on self-employed people and independent contractors under Labor.
$A slides, global investors rethink bets
Before the Bell | The US Federal Reserve’s indecision has put investors on the back foot ahead of a wave of economic data ■ SPI down 23 points ■ $A at US93.67¢ ■ China flash PMI ■ US consumer confidence
Low rates lead banks to increase home loan ‘buffers’
Banks are increasing “buffers” used to assess whether home buyers can afford to take out a mortgage amid concerns some may be unable meet repayments when record-low interest rates begin ratcheting up.
Cabinet to consider NBN resignations in October
Updated | The federal cabinet will consider resignations at the NBN Co in early October, following reports that the entire board has offered to quit because they do not have the confidence of the incoming government.
Germany’s Angela Merkel headed for election win
Angela Merkel is on track to win a third term as chancellor in a German election, but it is unclear whether she will avoid being forced into a coalition with her leftist rivals.
Long-term stakes high for Fed taper
The US Fed’s decision not to reduce bond-buying underscores the difficulty of exiting quantitative easing, not least because reverberations from talk of tapering likely contributed to weakness in economic data.
Roy Hill contracts reach $2.37bn
Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting is increasingly confident of completing the $7 billion debt funding necessary to develop its Roy Hill iron ore mine by the end of the year.
Sydney sets pace as auctions run hot again
The property market continued to pick up momentum over the weekend, sending Sydney and Melbourne auction clearance rates above 80 per cent, according to Australian Property Monitors.
White paper won’t view China as threat
China would be viewed as economic opportunity rather than potential military adversary in an upcoming Abbott government defence white paper, Defence Minister David Johnston says.
Gas projects fuel house price boom for Pilbara’s Onslow
House prices in the tiny Pilbara town of Onslow have increased 212 per cent in the last four years as investors jump aboard the next resources-driven market boom.
Hadley hocks homes as taxing times take a toll
I’s been a tough time lately for Sydney shock jock Ray Hadley, who’s offloading his salubrious weekender on the NSW Central Coast. But that’s just the start of it.
The high-return hedge fund manager Crowded House turned down
For clients of Melbourne boutique fund Kardinia Capital, it’s just as well Mark Burgess ”didn’t quite have the talent” to become the fourth member of band Crowded House.
iPhone 5s: Is It Hacked Already?
The iPhone 5s is barely on the market, but already hackers claim to have bypassed its Touch ID fingerprint scanner to gain unauthorised access to the phone.
Spotless returns to squeeze more out of US lenders
Pacific Equity Partners-owned Spotless Group is expected to go back to United States debt markets, seeking better terms for a recently secured $1.25 billion loan.
Warren Buffett calls Fed ‘greatest hedge fund in history’
Billionaire Warren Buffett has reportedly called the US Federal Reserve Bank history’s “greatest hedge fund”.
Online MBAs ‘the way of the future’
Busy professionals can now take online courses in everything from highly ranked MBA courses to a master’s of business.
Major MS trial to throw light on Vitamin D link
A world-first trial by MS Research Australia hopes to identify a link between the progression of multiple sclerosis and Vitamin D in the body.
WA’s downfall: How to blow billions
The WA Liberal government’s pockets were bulging with money, but it just couldn’t stop being everyone’s mate.
What went wrong with the NBN
The National Broadband Network Company was to be the Labor government’s crowning achievement in the vein of the Snowy River Dam Project.
Toxic property creates dangerous bubble
The big four financial regulators are busy putting out grass fires in the nation’s $5 trillion residential property market amid fears of a price conflagration.
Sandra Levy: the dramatic effect of an arts doyenne
Sandra Levy, the chief executive of the Australian Film Television and Radio School, says pressures on the English-speaking film industry from the might of the United States mean it’s a good time to be making television drama.
The left-leaning political satirists warming up to a golden era
With the Coalition in government, left-leaning satirists such as Gyspy Wood and Rod Quantock say they are looking forward to a rich stream of material on which they can draw.
Apple expects to sell 6 million new iPhones in first weekend
Updated | Apple is expected to sell up to 6 million iPhone 5c and 5s smartphones in the first weekend on sale, but those hoping to get their hands on the much-touted gold and silver 5s versions are likely to be disappointed.
Buffett having ‘hard time’ looking for purchases
Legendary investor Warren Buffett says record stock prices are currently around fair value and that the Fed’s extended stimulus will support asset prices.
National
ATO told to end ‘attack’ on self-employed
The Abbott government has begun reshaping Australia’s workplace system by reversing a “concerted attack” by the Australian Taxation Office and other government agencies on self-employed people and independent contractors under Labor.
- The National Party’s coming of age
- Telstra targets billion-dollar NBN construction deal
- Hockey says house prices an opportunity, not a bubble
- Gas projects fuel house price boom for Pilbara’s Onslow
- White paper won’t view China as threat
- Emissions target easier to reach than thought, Hunt says
- O’Farrell touts historic sandstone buildings to top hoteliers
- Call to store nuclear waste to sustain uranium industry
Retail mis-adventures: The $215m loss making Jan Cameron feel like a ‘villain’
Retailer Jan Cameron bought Australia’s largest discount variety chain out of receivership in the hope it would fund her philanthropic activities. But she says the troubled business has since become “a charity of its own account”.
Opinion
Party leadership tarnished by trial
The Chinese government’s ulterior motive in getting rid of Bo Xilai, and the underhand way it did it, has created a martyr out of a ruthless, corrupt egomaniac.
ASIC targets risky property schemes
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission hopes to prevent unscrupulous property promoters targeting vulnerable investors.
Strength of gold forged by Washington squabbles
Party-political bickering over US-government funding is likely to force up the price of gold as investors look to hedge.
World
Germany’s Angela Merkel headed for election win
Angela Merkel is on track to win a third term as chancellor in a German election, but it is unclear whether she will avoid being forced into a coalition with her leftist rivals.
- Bo Xilai jailed for life
- US hurtles towards next funding crisis as default looms
- Palestinians say Temple Mount visits creating ‘worst ever’ tension
- Australian killed in Nairobi mall attack
- Fed’s taper delay gives Indonesia chance to refinance
- FireEye shares soar after listing
- All sides of Syrian conflict could come out on top at UN
- Tough times for adidas
- Europe’s banks slog to exit bailouts
China’s richest man bets on beating Hollywood
Wang Jianlin is upping his bet on the country’s film industry, announcing he will spend 50 billion yuan ($8.7 billion) on a mega film studio and resort complex in Qingdao.
Business
Low rates lead banks to increase home loan ‘buffers’
Banks are increasing “buffers” used to assess whether home buyers can afford to take out a mortgage amid concerns some may be unable meet repayments when record-low interest rates begin ratcheting up.
- Banks lure customers with cash incentives
- New bidding model draws contractors to East West Link
- Roy Hill contracts reach $2.37bn
- Telstra targets billion-dollar NBN construction deal
- Ruralco may quit its stake in Elders
- New fund lets investors own a piece of aircraft
- Questions raised about Crown Sri Lanka licence
- Joe Hockey calls for Asia funds passport plan to be sped up
NAB would benefit from improving UK environment
The sale by the British government of 6 per cent of Lloyds Banking Group a week ago is a transaction that has big implications for National Australia Bank and its problematic British operations.
Technology
Telstra targets billion-dollar NBN construction deal
Telstra is bidding to get back into the NBN construction game after being dumped from the initial round of negotiations. It has built a test site in an aggressive strategy to win construction contracts worth up to $6 billion.
- Telstra backs down on Vodafone 4G claims: Morrow
- Co-founder mulls bid for BlackBerry
- Oracle chief Ellison takes pay cut
- Online MBAs ‘the way of the future’
- What went wrong with the NBN
- FireEye shares soar after listing
- Apple poised to announce record iPhone launch sales
- Apple’s Tim Cook joins Twitter
- US lawmakers question iPhone fingerprint scanner
iPhone 5s: Is It Hacked Yet?
The “Touch ID” security system, that lets you unlock your iPhone 5s by simply touching your finger to a fingerprint scanner, is already the subject of a hacking bounty.
Markets
$A slides, global investors rethink bets
Before the Bell | The US Federal Reserve’s indecision has put investors on the back foot ahead of a wave of economic data ■ SPI down 23 points ■ $A at US93.67¢ ■ China flash PMI ■ US consumer confidence
- Warren Buffett calls Fed ‘greatest hedge fund in history’
- Fed’s line on taper latest twist on QE
- The Fed is no Captain Marvel
- Long-term stakes high for Fed taper
- Fed’s ability to surprise is critical to its armoury
- RBA urged not to intervene with Aussie dollar
- FireEye shares soar after listing
- The Australian economy of the future might not be as bleak as we think
- Regulation, insurers create uncertainty on Ramsay
The high-return hedge fund manager Crowded House turned down
For clients of Melbourne boutique fund Kardinia Capital, it’s just as well Mark Burgess ”didn’t quite have the talent” to become the fourth member of band Crowded House.
Personal finance
ATO told to end ‘attack’ on self-employed
The Abbott government has begun reshaping Australia’s workplace system by reversing a “concerted attack” by the Australian Taxation Office and other government agencies on self-employed people and independent contractors under Labor.
- Low rates lead banks to increase home loan ‘buffers’
- Banks lure customers with cash incentives
- Global reinsurers return to take on risk
- US decision on tapering good news for A-REITs
- New fund lets investors own a piece of aircraft
- Thermomix imports a recipe for success
- Joye | Only fools ignore bubble trouble
- Why residential property investors should hold tight
- Fussy food does not make for fine dining
Super industry needs power to sack dodgy directors
Superannuation law should be modified to reduce the power unions and employer groups wield over industry super funds, argues the chairman of one of Australia’s biggest retirement savings schemes.
Lifestyle
Sydney shows new form in racing’s interstate stakes
Randwick's new $150 million grandstand shows Sydney is serious about becoming the centre of thoroughbred racing.
Tree-top hideaways in the New Forest
Chewton Glen, a top British country house hotel, has branched out with a dozen, totally indulgent tree houses.
Ferrari 458 Spider | Convertible without compromise
The Spider is still beautiful, fast and breathtaking to drive and most importantly, the styling has been preserved.
Rise to the 7 Peaks Alpine Ascent Challenge
Enjoy the thrills and chills of seven peaks in Victoria’s high country.
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Earnings to suffer as QE drives $A
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