Securency subsidiary promised to 'pull rabbit out of a hat', jury told

Nick Miller 7:55 AM   A regional manager for Australian Reserve Bank subsidiary Securency promised to "pull a rabbit out of a hat" to lock down valuable business orders in Nigeria, a London court was told.

Pfizer, Allergan to mutually end merger

Jeffrey McCracken 7:49 AM   Pfizer and and Allergan will mutually end their planned $US160 billion merger amid the US crackdown on corporate inversions

S&P; 500 posts best gain in three weeks

Oliver Renick 7:23 AM   US stocks advanced as health-care shares rallied on deal speculation and energy producers surged with crude oil.

Allergan, Pfizer $160B merger called off

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7:18 AM   New US Treasury Department rules that succeeded in blocking Pfizer from acquiring rival Allergan and moving to Ireland, on paper, to reduce its tax bill.

need2know: ASX poised to rise

Timothy Moore 7:14 AM   Local shares are set to extend Wednesday's gains on a positive lead from Wall Street. The $A lifted.

Banks' customer-first claims ring hollow

Clancy Yeates 6:50 AM   There are few things banks like banging on about than more being 'customer-centric.'

US oil surges on unexpected inventory drop

5:43 AM   ​Oil prices rose 5 per cent, their biggest advance in three weeks, after the US government reported a surprise draw in domestic crude stockpiles.

Buyers hover as Arrium shares go into suspension

Simon Evans 5:29 AM   There are ominous signs for the future of steelmaker Arrium with the company's shares now suspended on the ASX.

China's copper hoard clouds demand outlook

Agnieszka de Sousa and Andrew Willis 5:28 AM   China has accumulated most of the world's copper stocks, with miners and investors trying to figure out what that means for future demand.

Panama Papers: Police raid UEFA offices over Panama links

4:53 AM   Swiss police have raided the headquarters of the European soccer body UEFA to gather information about a contract signed by Gianni Infantino, now head of FIFA, that was reported in the Panama Papers.

Fed officials debated April rate increase

4:30 AM   ​US policymakers debated last month whether an interest rate hike would be needed in April though they opted in the end for a more cautious approach.

ABC board member caught up in corruption scandal

Nick McKenzie, Richard Baker, Michael Bachelard 2:00 AM   Top Australian business woman and ABC board member Dr Kirstin Ferguson failed to act on a corruption scandal inside the nation's biggest mining services company, despite a personal request made to her by a whistleblower in 2014.

What's really in your oregano?

Esther Han 1:31 AM   Shoppers buying and sprinkling chopped oregano leaves to flavour their food might actually be using entirely different ingredients, says consumer advocacy group Choice.

Not so funtastic time for toys

Carolyn Cummins 12:15 AM   It has not been such a Funtastic time for the toy wholesaler's investors like billion-heir, Lachlan Murdoch, and retail billionaire, Gerry Harvey. 

Retaillers assured 'winter is coming'

Sue Mitchell 12:05 AM   Australia's long, hot summer has been a blessing and a curse for the retail sector.

Elizabeth Knight

Headmaster Turnbull takes cane to banks

Elizabeth Knight 11:43 PM   The timing of Malcolm Turnbull's banking industry speech couldn't have been more embarrassing for Westpac.

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ASIC boss Greg Medcraft responds to David Murray 'Hitler' comments

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9:45 PM   The head of Australia's corporate watchdog has responded complaints from Financial Systems Inquiry chair David Murray that ASIC attempts to regulate company culture were comparable to those used by Adolf Hitler.

Future Fund lashes central banks

Ruth Liew 9:44 PM   David Neal, managing director of the $118 billion Future Fund, says central banks' raft of monetary policies have dulled their firepower.

Leighton: an entrenched culture of corruption?

Michael Bachelard, Nick McKenzie 9:43 PM   What is going on in the company formerly known as Leighton Holdings?

RBA subsidiary approved Nigerian bribes, UK court told

Nick Miller 9:31 PM   An Australian Reserve Bank subsidiary gave the go-ahead for a regional manager to bribe a Nigerian official to secure millions of dollars in new business, a UK court has been told.

Unravelling of Thiess' Indian coal adventure

Richard Baker, Nick McKenzie 9:26 PM   At first blush, Syam Reddy seemed an odd choice to front a bid by a Leighton Holdings company for a $6 billion Indian coal mining contract.

Whistleblower ignored by top Thiess director

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9:02 PM   Scandals rocking Thiess continue as new documents reveal a senior director ignored a whistleblower's attempts to expose bribery allegations at Australia's largest mining services company.

Turnbull lashes banks over 'troubling incidents'

James Massola, Sarah Danckert, Clancy Yeates 8:22 PM   Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has directly rebuked Australia's banks, declaring their have been "too many troubling incidents over recent times" at Australia's financial institutions and reminding them of the social licence they have to operate.

Comment

Companies can be competitive and ethical

Benjamin Koh 12:15 AM   Business values need to be consistent with society's ethical expectations.

Public service office squabbles clogging whistleblower scheme

Noel Towell 8:08 PM   Complaints over public servants' workplace squabbles are clogging up the system meant to uncover serious corruption and wrongdoing in the federal government sector, according to the man appointed to review the scheme.

Cranes hit record numbers on Sydney skyline

Carolyn Cummins 8:05 PM   Sydneysiders looking to shelter them from the unseasonal heat could well find it in the shadow of one of the record number of cranes across towering over the city's skylines.

Australia's bio-security 'at risk' from striking public servants

Noel Towell 7:51 PM   Public servants stood down, docked pay for striking.

Banducci steering clear of ALH board role

Perry Williams 7:32 PM   Woolworths' new chief executive, Brad Banducci, will not replace Grant O'Brien on the board of Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group, while former boss Roger Corbett is tipped to join the hotels and pokies operator as a non-executive director in the next month.

AGL, Tesla join to drive electric vehicle uptake

Angela Macdonald-Smith 12:00 AM   AGL Energy has joined Tesla Motors and others to push for tax incentives and emissions regulations to accelerate the take-up of electric vehicles in Australia.

Australian retailers play catch-up in online sales

Sue Mitchell 7:04 PM   Australia's large listed retailers are playing catch-up in online sales compared with smaller peers, despite investing hundreds of millions of dollars in e-commerce.