Australians with links to Panama Papers could be charged following raids

• 1 hr ago

Australian tax advisers and their wealthy clients with links to the Panama Papers could be hit with criminal charges following raids this week, Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan says.

Galaxy Note7 'explodes' in Perth hotel causing $1800 damage

Samsung Australia has confirmed two incidents of their newly released smartphone exploding, including a case in Perth on Monday where a man's phone exploded as he slept in his hotel room.

Retail sales to continue to slow: Deloitte

Retail sales will continue to slow this year as low wages growth sees Australians spend less at the supermarket, Deloitte Access Economics has warned.

Conflicting views on talc-cancer link as US women sue Rio Tinto and Johnson & Johnson

Concerns are running hot in Australia about the links between talcum powder and ovarian cancer.

Negative interest rates hurt investor and consumer confidence

There is a limitation to how far negative interest rates - that is, rates below zero - can go before it has an adverse impact on investor and consumer confidence.

Union claims a 'recipe for disaster' for Melbourne's fire brigade

A "restrictive" workplace deal sought by the firefighters' union would be a "recipe for disaster" for Melbourne's fire brigade, a parliamentary hearing has been told.

The end of a marathon innings by the RBA boss

With his final rates decision behind him on Tuesday, RBA governor Glenn Stevens was ready to party.

Media companies warned not to sabotage reform for self-interest

A government Senator has warned media companies not to let self-interest scuttle industry reform by lobbying against the bill currently before parliament. 

Shareholders up in arms over Merlin Diamonds vote

A group of aggrieved shareholders in Merlin Diamonds planning a board spill say they will report the company to the corporate watchdog after their fellow investors voted to increase the shareholdings of the family of recent bankrupt "Diamond" Joe Gutnick.

RBA holds, ASX falls, $A firms

The ASX was driven lower by the Reserve Bank of Australia decision to hold rates while opting not to hint at further easing.

Commodity rally strong enough to withstand US rate rise

Will a US rate rise dampen our commodity rally? Some experts say prices will recover after an initial hit.

We're open for business, Brazil tells Australia

Brazil wants more Australian investors and a closer bilateral trade partnership, now that a foreign-investment friendly government is in place, a business forum has been told.

Car loan losses hit six-year high

Banks' loan losses from car financing have risen to a six-year high, new figures show, as the patchy labour market and the mining slump hurts more consumer borrowers.

APS pay offer: 10 per cent ... with eight pages of fine print

''Smoke and mirrors'' from the Immigration Department is masking a paltry 4.7 per cent pay offer, says a union.

Markets Live: ASX slips as RBA holds

• Live

Shares ease and the Aussie dollar firms as RBA holds rates held steady.

Oil lifts on Russian-Saudi deal

Oil rose after Russia and Saudi Arabia said they agreed to cooperate on stabilising the market.

Dick Smith board 'concerned' about excess stock

Dick Smith had more than 330 stores across the country but only 62 stocktakes were carried out last year, a court has heard.

Huge mixed-use business park earmarked for Hume

Chinese-backed developer JTX International has launched a $1.7 billion mixed-use project on former VicRoads land in Craigieburn.

Former McDonald's execs, private equity firm swallow Pizza Hut

Three former McDonald's executives and a Sydney private equity firm have bought the master franchisee licence for Pizza Hut in Australia from US parent company Yum! Brands.

Buyers queue for Edgecliff Centre

A range of buyers are said to be running the ruler over the Edgecliff Centre in Sydney's inner east, which is being sold by a private Hong Kong investor with expectations the mixed-use property could fetch as much as $130 million.

Cbus to build 14-storey high rise in Collingwood

Super fund developer CBUS has won a legal battle to construct one of Collingwood's tallest apartment towers, a 14-storey monolith on a 2010 square metre block in Wellington Street.

Parramatta office market in hot demand

The Salvation Army is selling its site at Parramatta to take advantage of the strong office market, where premium grade vacancy rates are close to 1 per cent, the lowest in the country.

Yields sharpen on country supermarkets

A Chinese investor has paid $7.8 million for the Supa IGA supermarket in Nagambie in regional Victoria.

Debenhams unveils Melbourne store

The worst kept secret in Melbourne will be revealed Wednesday when British department stores Debenhams unveils the details of its first foray into the Australian retail market.

Energy Australia's hunt for space could spark new development

Two big corporate tenants looking for new office space could potentially spark a flurry of commercial development activity in Melbourne.

Price war cuts airfares to record lows

Too many empty seats is forcing airlines to slash international fares to the likes of London and New York.

Interest rates left on hold... for now

• Interest Rates

The Reserve Bank leaves rates unchanged, but another cut might be on the cards for November, says Peter Martin.

RBA holds rates steady at 1.5% at Stevens' final meeting

The RBA has kept its cash rate on hold at an all-time low in the final board meeting presided over by governor Glenn Stevens before he bows out after a decade that has seen the cash rate drop from 6 per cent to 1.5 per cent.

Palmer's nephew Mensink 'was in the UK': ex-QN chief

Queensland Nickel's former chief financial officer is still doing work for Clive Palmer's companies and has been in touch with his nephew, who liquidators want to question over the company's collapse.