Gold suffers worst run since October

• 52 mins ago

Gold is sliding toward $US1200 an ounce as positive US data reinforce the allure of other investments.

Aged care entrepreneur buying burnt down pub site

• 59 mins ago

Seven years since it was ravaged by fire – which was a month after the local council permitted it for redevelopment – the enormous waterfront parcel regarded as Phillip Island's best site is finding its way into the hands of a new owner.

8@eight: Expecting a mixed bag today

• 1 hr ago

Crude oil extended its biggest slump in over a year amid record US. stockpiles on Thursday, pushing down energy and mining stocks, while bets that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next week lifted financial stocks. The declines are set to be mirrored in the local sharemarket, with a mixed open expected for the ASX.

US oil ends below $US50 a barrel

• 1 hr ago

Oil dropped below $US50 in New York for the first time since December. It pared earlier losses in late New York trade.

Timeline for Australia-EU free trade deal extends as Europe eyes new realities

Plans for a free trade agreement between Australia and the European Union have hit another big delay, which trade minister Steven Ciobo has blamed on the EU.

Economists see hawkish Fed

The Fed will lift rates next week in response to strong economic data, according to a poll of more than 100 economists.

Draghi points to easy policy exit

Mario Draghi has embraced, with increasing mindfulness, the task of normalising European monetary policy.

Iron ore extends slide

​Iron ore and steel futures in China fell to one-month lows. Spot iron ore slid below $U87 a tonne.

Review finds workers' compensation scheme is 'broken'

​A parliamentary review has found that the system of handling injured workers' complaints is 'dysfunctional'.

Rio Tinto chairman, Jan du Plessis, set to step down

• UPDATED

Rio Tinto is to get a new chairman later in the year, with Jan du Plessis expected to leave the company.

Tesla batteries: Australia's energy future?

The company's battery boss says SA's power woes can be solved in 100 days while launching Powerwall 2 units for households in Australia.

Big miners drag ASX lower

The big miners dragged the sharemarket lower as commodity prices fell, while BHP and South32 traded ex-dividend.

Tesla says its batteries could fix Australia's energy problems in 100 days

They are only starting to gain a foothold in the Australian market, but could batteries provide a near overnight solution to the energy woes that have hit South Australia and risk spreading east?

Silence on ideas boom 'is sad'

Policymakers should stop sticking their heads in the sand and ignore the fact that "there are going to be a massive amount of jobs destroyed" from the digital revolution, says Mike Cannon-Brookes, co-founder of Australia's most successful tech company, Atlassian.

Tourists providing a much-needed boost to retail sales

Harrolds founder John Poulakis estimates as much as a fifth of sales from his boutique department store come from tourists and the numbers are swelling every year.

The man Snapchat should thank for its success

• COMMENT

Whenever I'm in New York I head for the bookshops, even though I usually end up regretting it.

No quick fixes to energy supply challenges

The head of one of the country's largest power utilities has warned there is no quick fix to the crisis that is enveloping the country's energy supplies.

The thriller starring a spy boss, a PM and James Packer

It sounds like the Hollywood thriller with everything: The prime minister, the movie mogul, spy boss and pop chanteuse – and an Aussie billionaire who is probably wondering what on earth he has blundered into.

Marcs and David Lawrence sale of its stores complicated

The sale of collapsed fashion brands Marcs and David Lawrence is being hampered by owner and major creditor Malcolm Webster's security over assets, including the chains' stock holdings, according to potential buyers.

Tabcorp's $11b takeover of Tatts cracks competition hurdle

• COMMENT

The competition regulator's apparently qualified approval of the merger of Australian gambling giants Tabcorp and Tatts shows just how much this industry has been disrupted by new competitors.

ACMA, Ten clash over airing of anti-abortion ad

Network Ten is flummoxed by the regulator's finding that a pro-family ad directing viewers to an anti-abortion site should have aired with a political authorisation statement.

Oil plunges as global glut persists

Oil plunged to its lowest in three months amid renewed concerns that efforts to bring global supply into balance are failing.

Eight companies polluting as much as the entire US

​Study reveals eight oil companies are responsible for as much of the climate-damaging pollution spewed into the atmosphere as the entire US.

Markets Live: Miners dig hole for ASX

Big drops in miners and energy stocks pull shares lower, while 10-year bond yields surge to 15-month highs as traders get ready for higher US rates.

Why the ASX200 can't break past 5800

The ASX200's growth this year has been modest, and has vastly lagged other major indices.

In China, Trump wins a trove of new trademarks

US President Donald Trump has won preliminary approval to register 27 new trademarks in China for industries including restaurants and advertising, business interests that could add to criticism over his potential conflicts.

Trump rally? No, it's Gregorian

Think the market is having a Trump rally? Maybe we're just in the middle of the Australian stock market sweet spot. Michael Pascoe comments.

Airbnb mulling expansion in long-term home rentals: sources

Airbnb is considering an expansion in the long-term rental business, sources say.

Packer recruited to fund Israeli PM's lifestyle: Haaretz

The Israeli investigation into the extravagant lifestyle of its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his links to moguls like James Packer, has all the elements of a Hollywood thriller.