PM to hold royal commission into bushfires
The Prime Minister will take a proposal for a bushfires royal commission to cabinet in coming weeks,
Rage in Ukraine and Iran after Tehran's admission on jet crash
The criticism of Iran over the crash of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 now threatens to eclipse whatever international sympathy Iran has garnered in its escalating confrontation with the Trump administration.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Global shares beat the pack again
There is no shortage of international fund managers offering their services to investors. But be careful because many fail to beat the index and in the year just ended a third had negative returns.
Businesses urged government to prepare for disaster. Then nothing
Six Australian businesses and NGOs joined forces to lobby governments for a more deliberate, nationwide approach to disaster resilience.
NSW and Victoria face mega blaze as bushfires merge
Firefighters are bracing for the creation of a mega blaze as horrific conditions were expected to see several bushfires merge in NSW and Victoria on Friday night.
APRA’s new secret bank rankings imminent
The prudential regulator’s revised ratings for risk of failure and need for supervision is close to being finalised.
How trains are helping Australia rethink cities
Australia needs to embrace mass transit and lower carbon emissions if our smoky big cities are to remain among the world's most liveable.
Companies
Mammoth super funds should hold more capital: experts
Superannuation funds are becoming so mammoth that they should be subject to bank-like capital requirements, experts say.
Macquarie agrees to buy Airtrunk for $3 billion
Macquarie's infrastructure arm has agreed to purchase data centre operator AirTrunk, signing a deal earlier this week.
Transurban on congestion charge alert
Transurban has back up plans for some of its tollroads if Australian cities eventually charge motorists to drive into CBDs.
IOOF identifies 67 rogue advisers in its ranks
IOOF has classified 8.5 per cent of its financial adviser network as "higher risk" and responsible for the $223 million set aside for client remediation.
Fallen icon: Harris Scarfe's undoing
The seeds of the chain's demise lay in the ambitious expansion by previous owners and an imprudent decision to bring troubled UK chain Debenhams to Australia.
Kleenmaid director guilty of fraud and insolvent trading
A jury reached its verdict after a series of criminal trials involving the whitegoods outfit's $100m collapse.
Toyota, Madza, Sukuzi recall 18,000 vehicles with faulty airbags
The vehicle manufacturers have told owners to stop driving the affected vehicles and offered to buy them back.
Markets
S&P 500 slips from record after jobs data, but posts weekly gains
After resetting record highs, profit-taking took the wind out of the top three main US benchmarks heading into the weekend.
Yellen warned colleagues to limit comments on US dollar
"We need to be careful not to ever inadvertently create the impression that we are somehow trying to jawbone down the value of the dollar."
Pressure on RBA eases following retail, sharemarket highs
The chances of a rate cut in February have dropped below 50 per cent following strong retail sales in November.
ASX hits fresh record as outlook brightens
A second day of strong gains has delivered another record close and carried the All Ords past 7000 points for the first time.
Key trends for 2020: Why investors should watch wages
Investment strategist Giselle Roux reveals her key trends for 2020 and talks about her lifestyle change from suburban Melbourne.
Opinion
Morrison can't stop the shockwaves from bushfires
The bushfires are affecting various aspects of our lives and changing our political conversation on everything from the environment to the role of government.
Columnist
Self-reliant silver lining of the bushfire emergency
The community response to the fires is Australia’s practical and self-reliant civil society at its best. The challenge now is to ensure that both government and non-government support is used effectively to speed the recovery.
Editorial
Community must also do more on aged care
The boss of the nation’s largest nursing home operator is right: older Australians should make a greater financial contribution to the cost of their care.
Editorial
Aged care is broken. Unlocking housing wealth can fix it
The billions of dollars locked up in family homes can ensure older Australians are comfortable and happy in their final years, writes Pat Garcia.
Contributor
True diversity must reflect different political views
The ABC and SBS should forget about what people look like. Both really need quotas to represent the diverse thinking of the community.
Columnists
In defence of Gina Rinehart's right to donate privately
If a billionaire makes a donation and doesn’t issue a news release, did it even happen?
Reporter
Politics
Fire help for small business on the way
There is help on the way next week for small businesses crippled by bushfires and special support for tourism operators.
Mum of three crowd sources funds after house burns
A mother and her three daughters who lost everything in the bushfires are seeking help to rebuild with the not-for-profit donation platform.
- Analysis
- Bushfires
The fires dividing the nation
Scott Morrison will face pressure in the party room to address climate change as the fires and prolonged drought become an incendiary public issue.
New era for public transport as NSW dismantles its roads agency
NSW wants to be more innovative after scrapping its roads agency, says Transport Minister Andrew Constance.
Tony Abbott fights fires as danger returns in three states
An extreme fire warning is in place for the southern NSW slopes as dangerous fire conditions build ahead of a vigorous southerly change that will fan erratic bushfire behaviour.
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World
Blow to Beijing as Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen wins in a landslide
The resounding win underscored rising anti-China sentiment after violent protests in Hong Kong stoked fears the same thing would happen in Taiwan.
Rage in Ukraine and Iran after Tehran's admission on jet crash
The criticism of Iran over the crash of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 now threatens to eclipse whatever international sympathy Iran has garnered in its escalating confrontation with the Trump administration.
- Opinion
- World politics
Nancy Pelosi: one of America's most skilled politicians
Her weekly briefing was another bravura performance by a wily politician, and another reminder of how low is the intellectual wattage of the Trump White House.
US rejects Iraq's request to open talks on a troop pullout
"Any delegation sent to Iraq would be dedicated to discussing how to best recommit to our strategic partnership -- not to discuss troop withdrawal."
US economy adds 145,000 jobs in December, wage growth slows
While the number of new jobs slightly missed expectations, the labour market remains strong: average monthly jobs gains for all of last year were 176,000.
Property
How homeowners are building for the bush
From "earth sheltered" underground lairs to cantilevered steel frames, Australia's architects are rethinking rural home design.
Hungry sellers rush back to property market
The residential property markets are off to a strong start this year as buyers and sellers return earlier than usual from the holiday break to try to capture a deal.
Keeping the holiday home all in the family
Family holiday homes conjure images of idyllic summers by the seaside, but they can also be a lightning rod for deep-seated financial and emotional rivalries.
10 steps to test your home insurance
Worried about whether your insurance will deliver after a fire? We outline what to watch out for.
Bowral buyers face insurance freeze
Property buyers in the Southern Highlands have been caught up in the bushfire crisis as they face an uphill battle to get insurance cover.
Wealth
Sustainable investments: what's on offer
Confused about where to invest and how the different funds operate? We outline their screen processes and their returns.
Why investors should watch wages
Investment strategist Giselle Roux reveals her key trends for 2020 and talks about her lifestyle change from suburban Melbourne.
The 1 per cent are much more satisfied with their lives than everyone else
Fully 90 per cent of the 1 per cent say they are "completely" or "very" satisfied with their lives in general.
Technology
- Opinion
- Phones
Mate 30 Pro: The phone worth rescuing from Trump's trade war
With the stroke of a pen, Huawei's latest offering could soon transform from being a phone you shouldn't touch with a barge pole to the best phone on the market.
New era for public transport as NSW dismantles its roads agency
NSW wants to be more innovative after scrapping its roads agency, says Transport Minister Andrew Constance.
Gadget love in a time of climate change
If it can't undo its contribution to climate change, then at least the consumer electronics industry can help make a changed planet more liveable.
Work & Careers
Jan Logan's fateful passage from farm girl to design icon
Jeweller Jan Logan has built her success on an eye for design and a willingness to take up in the opportunities life puts in her path.
How women presenters battled misogyny masquerading as science
Women's voices were once considered insufficiently authoritative for "serious" broadcasting. But is it all in the listener's ear?
Life & Luxury
The Danish distillery producing rude good spirits
Copenhagen's Empirical Spirits takes the wildly creative Noma approach to liquor making – with a twist of political outrage.
Why a trip to Siena is this director's best travel memory
Director Dave Parker recalls how an invitation to an Italian street party led to him kissing a horse.
True colours: Immersions in light, sound and memory
Four artists attempt to capture the immeasurable with monumental visions on memory, perspective and spirituality.
Sport clubs weigh up liability as smoke sticks around
This Saturday morning, suburban sports clubs along the east coast will face a question most are not qualified to answer – is it safe for our kids to compete?
How the fires could change summer music festivals
The future of the summer music festival model is being reconsidered after a slew of cancellations and postponements due to bushfires.
