Airline executives quit after video emerges of allegedly drunk pilot

An Indonesian budget airline has fired a pilot suspected of trying to fly a plane while he was drunk, and two of its executives have resigned.

Ironing out the productivity wrinkles

• COMMENT

Multiply the number of shirts worn in Australia by the time it takes to remove their natural wrinkles, and you pretty much have the national productivity crisis laid out on your ironing board.

Two centuries of economic development courtesy of the Industrial Revolution

One of the small pleasures of my year was watching the deft political manoeuvrings of Thomas Cromwell in the TV miniseries of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall.

S&P; 500 slips into end of year

US stocks completed the fourth annual gain since 2011 on the longest losing streak since the November 8 election.

China-watcher's guide to risk

• Opinion

Each December, China's leaders meet to lay out their economic agenda for the next year. China-watchers pore over every word.

Gold rises near 8.5pc on year

Gold prices eased on Friday, ending a year in which bullion gained more than 8 per cent, snapping three years of declines.

Brent oil advances 52pc on year

Brent oil, the global benchmark, is headed for its first annual advance in four years on hopes for more

China's money market pain to worsen

China's money-market liquidity squeeze is about to get worse.

Iron ore snaps years-long losing streak

​Chinese steel and iron ore prices finished the final session of the year under pressure amid concerns about slowing demand.

ASX slips in final session as gold miners shine

Gold miners look set to end the year on a bright note, while selling in blue-chip names pushes the sharemarket lower in early trade on the final, shortened session of 2016.

Will the Aussie tank when US rates beat ours in 2017?

Last time that rates were higher in the US than in Australia, the Aussie dollar plunged as low as 48 US cents. Could it fall again this low?

Swimland joins the cavalcade of companies underpaying staff

Paul Sadler Swimland is the latest franchise network to become embroiled in underpayment of wages and have the spotlight put on its enterprise agreement.

Myer hit with another class action

Department store owner Myer Holdings has been hit with another class action from an aggrieved shareholder just weeks after a court found a separate class action against it was an abuse of the legal process. 

Peter Hall sells shares in his firm at a third of their market value

At the start of the week, fund manager Peter Hall's stake in the investment company bearing his name was worth $39 million. By the end of the week, he reckoned it wasn't even worth a third of that as he rushed to seal a deal with Washington H. Soul Pattinson.

ASX in 2016: shocks, turnarounds, and golden miners

Many Australian shareholders will remember 2016 as the year miners roared back to life after a painfully long period in the doldrums, helping the ASX 200 to an impressive annual gain of 7 per cent.

The lawless world of streaming, internet radio and social media

How many Australians realise that using radio smartphone apps or streaming online suddenly puts them in a world where no one will investigate complaints about fake news, cash for comment or low standards?

Don't fear the robots; they won't kill jobs

• COMMENT

Robot K-2SO is the undisputed star in Star War's latest installment , outacting the actors - a sign of things to come in our automated economy?

Peter Hall resigns from Hunter Hall role

Fund manager Peter Hall confirms his resignation as chief investment officer of Hunter Hall stating personal reasons. Vision courtesy ABC News 24.

Real time payments on its way

The New Payments Platform, set to go live in 2017, will change the way businesses and individuals make electronic payments.

Amazon files patent for flying warehouse

Amazon is exploring the use of giant airships to serve as mobile, flying warehouses that could help the online retail giant deliver more of its goods by drone.

Hunter Hall fields takeover offers after founder quits

Hard on the heels of founder Peter Hall's sudden decision to quit as chief investment officer, investment firm Hunter Hall is fielding takeover offers from other fund management companies.

Law firm Shine loses CEO after only 5 months

Struggling listed law firm Shine Corporate has lost its chief executive officer after only five months in the chair.

Should Australian whistleblowers earn multimillion-dollar bounties?

• EXCLUSIVE

A number of cases have shown career oblivion often follows corporate whistleblowing.

Trump's trade policies become more shocking by the day

• COMMENT

Markets are still behaving as if they will get the "good Trump" (tax cuts and fiscal stimulus) rather than the "bad Trump" (trade wars), despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

FTSE closes at record high

Britain's top share index posted its highest-ever close following a rally in precious metals miners on stronger gold prices.

Oil slips on rise in US inventories

Oil prices dipped overnight after a surprise increase in US inventories eased optimism about the outlook for the global glut.

Inflation risks expose limitations

The European Central Bank's best effort to boost inflation may simply fall short, exposing the limitations on policymakers.

S&P; 500 bulls hurtle into ninth year

Equity cycles persist, and selling just because price-earnings ratios are high has repeatedly proven a mistake.

$A rises to highest in week

The US dollar hit a 15-day low against the yen as traders used the quiet holiday period to book some profits.