Companies
The Big Australian tax feud
BHP Billiton’s dispute with the taxman has blown out past $1 billion in what has become one of the biggest ever tax claims against an Australian company.
Shake-up at the top for insurer
THE new chief executive of Australia’s biggest health insurer has shaken up senior management ranks as he tries to improve its performance.
Qantas chief’s $13m pay bonanza
QANTAS chief Alan Joyce earned more than three times the average annual Aussie wage every week over the past year as his pay hit almost $13 million.
Hardy Harvey gallops ahead
HARVEY Norman shares have soared to an eight-year high as a boom in housing construction and renovation drives strong profit growth.
NAB goes after its heartland
AUSTRALIA’S biggest business lender says it is not afraid to lose large corporate clients to major foreign banks as it defends its dominance of the small and medium-sized market.
BHP ‘unaware of risk’ of fatal dam burst
BHP Billiton says it was not aware that the tailings dam at its Samarco joint venture in Brazil was at risk of collapsing, despite a series of efforts over years to fix its structural defects.
McAleese slides into administration
EMBATTLED transport group McAleese has fallen into administration after failing to secure a lifeline from a Hong Kong-based investor.
Australian Geographic chain saved
THE Australian Geographic retail chain has been saved from closure after the Myer family’s investment company struck a deal to sell the business.
Wesfarmers profit plunges 83pc
Coles owner Wesfarmers has reported a steep drop in profit after absorbing massive writedowns on the value of its Target and coal businesses
It’s hard yakka getting our youth started
EXCLUSIVE: EMPLOYERS are warning 23 straight years of jobs growth has meant young people no longer understand the value of hard work.
Downturn has Brickworks looking east
BRICKWORKS believes the east coast home building boom will see it through the current downturn in construction activity in Western Australia.
Southern Hemisphere’s biggest shopping centre
ONCE you’ve been inside this glitzy retail mecca, you’ll never want to leave. It’s the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest mall, right here in Australia.
Man jailed over Nutella dispute
A MAN was sentenced on Tuesday to two years in jail for punching an elderly man at a store in a dispute over Nutella samples.
The weirdest viral posts on Gumtree
THESE wacky viral Gumtree posts give a glimpse into the unique lengths Australians will go to for a buck — or matters of the heart.
Skittles’ response to Donald Trump Jr
WHEN Donald Trump Jr compared refugees to a bowl of Skittles in a Twitter post, it drew a sour response from the sweet maker.
Christmas retail joy is on the way
TWO interest rate cuts in the back pocket and the dark cloud of a federal election lifted, consumers are set to ring the register for a bumper Christmas spending season. An economy ticking over 25 years of unbroken growth is also injecting consumers with optimism, reflected in a boost to economy-wide spending for August.
Newspaper’s embarrassing balls-up
A REGIONAL newspaper has been left red-faced after it failed to notice this massive balls-up in its back-page photo. WARNING: Nudity
Domino’s signs dunny deal
THIS Domino’s franchise is diversifying its pizza business to offer a service of a different kind.
Hilarious ads are riling up its critics
THEY’RE the not-too-serious Airtasker ads which are top-shelf hilarious, despite some critics like Unions NSW seriously hating on what they promote.
Glitch causes day of stockmarket mayhem
THE Australian stockmarket was in full crisis mode yesterday after the computer systems that runs its trading crashed for several hours.
New McDonald’s has no burgers
IT’S Maccas like you’ve never seen it before. Instead of Big Macs and Quarter Pounders, the fast food giant’s new outlet has a surprise menu.
Medibank’s new $40 million perk
AFTER hiking premiums and driving customers away, Australia’s biggest private health insurer has finally come up with a plan to win us all over.
Meet Bill Murray the bartender
BILL Murray entertained New Yorkers this weekend after tending the bar at the opening of his son’s new restaurant in Brooklyn.
Why JB Hi-Fi will be next Dick Smith
THEY say it in the ads: JB Hi-Fi is smashing prices. What they don’t mention is that the low prices often smash them back.
‘It’s a con’: Milk wars heat up
A FIGHT is brewing over the product labelling and health claims of the Australian dairy industry’s most bitter rivals.
Weird food Aussies order online
FOOD delivery is big business in Australia and with competition at an all-time high, companies are offering some really bizarre options.
Is this the worst train driver ever?
AND you thought Melbourne was bad. This train driver left more than 100 passengers stranded mid-route when he left his post for a bizarre reason.
‘Domino’s might be wasting its time here’
DOMINO’S has a new app that promises to let you order a pizza with “zero clicks”. Here’s what happened when we gave it a try.
The rise of ‘wu mao’ in Australia
MONEY talks, but parts of the Chinese community living in Australia resent China’s growing influence and what it could mean.
Stations may become ‘mini Westfields’
THERE are warnings passengers could be second to profits under an expensive new proposal to redevelop Australia’s busiest railway station.
