Qantas goes back to Beijing

• 1 hr ago

Qantas has recommenced daily flights from Sydney to Beijing, eight years after scrapping the route because of the global financial crisis, as the airline seeks to lift its share of the lucrative Chinese travel market.

Rates on hold as inflation bottoms

• 1 hr ago

The Reserve Bank has been given licence to leave interest rates on hold at its first board meeting for the year, after the delivery of a low inflation result in line with its expectations and signs it will lift.

Dividend hike, buyback in sight on Rio Tinto asset sales

A dividend hike and a possible share buyback on the cards when global miner Rio Tinto releases its earnings early next month, after finalising deals to raise as much as $US3.8 billion from asset sales in recent months.

Miners lead the charge as bulls return

New records on Wall Street and soaring metals prices pushed the local sharemarket higher on Wednesday.

Markets Live: BHP storms to 19-month high

• Live

Shares rise, led by strong gains in the big miners, while the Aussie dollar takes a hit on softer than expected inflation data.

Oil industry hopes for more as Trump reverses Obama policies

Oil and natural gas producers are preparing for even more quick policy turns from the Trump administration.

BHP lifts iron ore output, limits oil

BHP has boosted output of iron ore to record levels while prolonging its curtailment of oil and gas output in the US as it waits for prices to improve, its latest production report shows.

'Well and truly alive': Weak inflation raises RBA rate cut prospects

Australia's rate of inflation in 2016 was below expectations, sparking fears of continued economic weakness and keeping the door open for an interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank.

The Fed explained

Here's a look at the US Federal Reserve's decision-making process when it comes to raising or lowering interest rates.

'Robbing Peter to pay Paul': Sydney agent convicted over $600,000 fraud

A real estate agent, who advertised his agency as "one you can finally trust," will face two years' imprisonment after fraudulently converting more than $600,000.

Gas project to plug expected shortage by 2019

The Queensland government has revived an eight-year-old Bligh government plan to release a parcel of land for gas exploration to be used only for Australian-supply.

Ex-CFMEU boss to fight corruption charges

Former CFMEU boss David Hanna will defend allegations of corruption and fraud relating to the construction of a Brisbane house, his lawyer says.

Don't bet against Obamacare just yet

Some prominent US fund managers are betting that Obamacare may prove far more difficult to replace.

Racist ad featuring man named 'Ping Pong' pulled off air

A radio ad featuring an Asian man named 'Ping Pong' calling a concrete company for help fixing his driveway has been pulled off air by the advertising watchdog.

Robo debt: Union hands out Centrelink staff protest pamphlets

Centrelink public servants have stepped up their internal resistance to the welfare agency's controversial "robo-debt" program.

Rio shares jump to two-year high after $3.2b sale

Shares in Rio Tinto surged from the opening bell with sentiment cheered by the sale of a further suite of coal mines which raises the odds of a buy-back or dividend hike.

Doomsday coming? Rich Americans plan to escape to NZ

Super-rich American "preppers" are buying up New Zealand land to escape to in case the US collapses or the poor rise up in revolt against them, The New Yorker reports.

Wall St hits records as Trump 'comes out of gates strong'

​The S&P; 500 and Nasdaq set record highs overnight in a broad rally led by financial and technology stocks.

TPP not main game in Trump's trick bag

President Trump has delivered on his promise to scrap the TPP trade deal, but will he follow through with the rest of his economic promises?

Yancoal snaps up Rio Tinto's NSW coal mines for $US2.5 billion

An arm of the Chinese government has snapped up Rio Tinto coal mines in NSW for $US2.5 billion

8@eight: Red hot opportunity

• Sponsored

The story in Australia is clearly the moves in commodities and the materials sector. The bottom line is that if you are a momentum, trend trader or even a quant guy this space is flashing red hot right now and if you are not exposed to the space then you are missing out on what is arguably the best place to drive outperformance in a portfolio.

TPP is dead without US, says Canada

​The Trans-Pacific Partnership cannot proceed without the US, said Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Sterling jitters on Brexit ruling

Sterling fell and London's FTSE 100 index rose after Britain's Supreme Court ruled the government must legislate through parliament to trigger the start of talks on leaving the European Union.

World reacts to Trumps TPP pullout

Germany says it sees opportunities after President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Asia-Pacific trade pact. Asian nations including Australia, meanwhile, are trying to save it.

Origin whistleblower paid heavy price to speak up

• COMMENT

January 23 will be a day to remember for whistleblowers, regulators, politicians – and, of course, corporations. 

'Australia First' policy embraces trade

Australia is still committed to working on trade relationships, with a focus on Asia, Treasurer Scott Morrison said.

Don't bet big on Trump's tweets

• Opinion

A conventional wisdom is taking root that Trump's tweets move stock prices in predictable ways. The reality isn't so clear.

Multi-speed inflation dilemma for ECB

• Opinion

As inflation returns, fissures underlying the euro zone economy will prevent the central bank from reacting in the usual way.

Trump opens door for Keystone

​President Donald Trump moved assertively to further dismantle his predecessor's policies: the Keystone XL pipeline is back.