Crown sale may breach casino rules
A powerful probe into Crown Resorts could endanger the future of its $2.4 billion casino at Barangaroo and James Packer's $1.76 partial exit from the company.
- Analysis
- World markets
Asian giants throw RBA a lifeline
Hopes for firmer growth in China and Japan, our largest trading partners, are a tailwind for Australia as the RBA ponders whether to cut rates to fresh lows.
The Aussie scientists on frontline of virus fight
Australian scientists are on 24 hours' notice to fast-track vaccine development if the World Health Organisation declares China's coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency.
Two in five sports grant projects breached rules
Despite guidelines, auditors found 272 projects out of 684 approved recipients had started without a deal in place.
Qld resort owner gives up water share after backlash
A Chinese company that planned to extract 96 million litres of water from a drought-ravaged area in Queensland says it will donate the water instead.
Foreign carriers eye stake in Malaysia Airlines
The Malaysian government has been seeking a strategic partner for its national airline, which has struggled to recover from the twin tragedies of 2014.
Morgan Stanley has news for Frydenberg's surplus promise
Morgan Stanley's latest conviction call that the spot price of iron ore will stay at $US93 is good news for Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
Companies
ASX suspension affecting growth, says iSignthis MD
iSignthis' managing director told shareholders that the business was profitable in 2019, even though the suspension is "affecting our growth".
JPMorgan cuts price target after Lendlease fails to sell services
Analysts reduce share price target but maintain 'overweight' rating on stock.
BHP and Chinese miner buy up Western Areas nickel supply
Australian nickel miner Western Areas has secured new contracts to supply nickel to BHP's Nickel West and China's Jinchuan.
Uber sells Indian food delivery business to local rival Zomato
Uber said on Tuesday it would sell its Uber Eats business in the country to Zomato and take a 9.99 per cent stake in the Indian company.
Uranium mining set to restart after six years on sidelines
The shifting sands of climate policy and rising demand for uranium mean new owner Boss Resources is preparing to re-start production after six years.
Minorities mull blocking stake in Rio's Kakadu uranium miner
Zentree Investments is yet to decide the extent to which it would participate in a $476 million equity raising planned by ERA before the end of February.
Trivago's 'best deals' went to advertisers
The travel website didn't actually show customers the cheapest deals for hotel rooms but promoted advertisers who paid them the biggest fees, a Federal Court judge has ruled.
Markets
BoJ holds fire, nudges up growth forecast on receding global risks
The BoJ also signalled cautious optimism over the global economy after the United States and China agreed on a preliminary deal to defuse their bitter trade war.
- Live
- Markets Live
ASX snaps record run; BHP performance 'solid'
The ASX ended a five-day streak of record closes amid weakness for travel-related firms; BHP's operational performance was solid; BoJ keeps policy steady.
- Opinion
- Ethical investing
Environment bonds far from squeaky clean
Most investors do not give a fig for the figleaf of greenwashing. Low standards mean environmental bonds lack credibility. Until issuers and index compilers adopt tighter criteria, big sovereigns should hang back.
Neuberger Berman kick-starts debt fund raisings
Neuberger Berman is boosting the size of its listed high yield fund by $750 million, getting ahead of an expected flood of raisings.
IMF sees an end to global downturn
It's early days but the International Monetary Fund says the global economy's 2019 trade-war induced slowdown may be coming to an end.
Opinion
How I became a China sceptic
The Xi Jinping era is looking increasingly like one-man rule, rather than one-party rule. And it is hard to think of many places – from Ceausescu’s Romania to Stalin’s Russia – where that has worked out well.
Columnist
Sports rorts expose Coalition's tame corruption watchdog plan
The government's plan for a federal integrity body would let politicians off the hook for blatant misuse of their power.
Contributor
Professional need, not greed, drives young lawyer's hours
Archaic industrial regulation of white-collar work might lift the cost base of law firms but won't change the culture of long working hours.
Editorial
Where do the PM's carbon targets lead?
Scott Morrison is happy to throw money at bushfire relief. But he will need to spend an awful lot more on climate policy victims in future.
Columnist
Davos to Dubbo spells climate trouble
Scathing international criticism of Scott Morrison's bushfires response will have repercussions for Australia at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.
Columnist
Why McKenzie's sports rorts defence is wrong
There seem to be at least three areas in which rules are likely to have been broken in the latest sports-rorts affair.
Contributor
Politics
- Opinion
- Climate policy
Virtue signalling as the nation burns
Greenies who back costly renewables over workable nuclear energy are doing more than anyone to keep coal in business, writes Parnell Palme McGuinness.
Packer, Ho to front royal commission-like Crown probe
The NSW inquiry into Crown Resorts' casino operations will assume the powers of a royal commission to James Packer and Macau gambling magnate Laurence Ho as witnesses.
Wild weather causes $320m damage
Heavy hail in Canberra has shattered CSIRO research glasshouses and destroyed agricultural discoveries that were three years in the making.
No net zero emissions target if it hurts jobs: PM
Scott Morrison has ruled out committing to a target of net zero emissions by 2050 if it comes at the expense of jobs and higher power prices.
Porter to review sports rort scheme
There are growing doubts over the legality of the government's discredited $100 million sports funding programs.
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World
Virus outbreak in China worsens amid mass holiday travel
A fourth person has died in China from a mysterious respiratory virus that is transmitted by human contact and has raised fears of a repeat of the 2009 SARS outbreak.
Thai court acquits opposition party of sedition charge
The court ruled that the Future Forward Party showed no intention of committing the offence, and that the complaint had not been filed according to the correct legal procedure.
I'm quite positive this will be a good year'
The elite gathering of the world’s top corporate chieftains in Davos usually offers an accurate barometer of the year ahead - but the mood is not yet settled.
'It's all rigged': Trump team urges acquittal
Democrats blast as a "cover up" Republican leader McConnell's groundrules for Trump's Senate trial, which raise the bar for extra evidence and witnesses.
Person-to-person transmission confirmed in China virus
An outbreak of a new coronavirus, which Chinese authorities confirmed can pass from person-to-person, has spread to more Chinese cities and the World Health Organisation will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday.
Property
Cbus Property gets nod for $1b Melbourne office tower
Constraints on floorplate size have forced the developer to target "boutique" tenants wanting about 5000sq m in its new city building.
Following Singo and Co: Thirst for pubs to rise again in 2020
With increasing profitability and lower interest rates, the pub real estate sector is expected to boom this year.
Sydney-siders set to invade Gold Coast
Low stock levels, better credit access and resurgent affordability problems are driving buyers from NSW to the Gold Coast market.
Home buying intentions hit record
CBA's latest household spending index shows home buying intentions are running at a record rate indicating the rebound in house prices is likely to continue and help fire up consumption.
Luxury homes shine in market returns
Buyers returned to the market late last year with a stronger appetite for homes that had fallen the furthest.
Wealth
- Opinion
- Ethical investing
Look beyond the hype on ethical investing
How to avoid being drawn into headline marketing of investment options that are all wrapper and little reality.
- Opinion
- Trade deals
What the trade deal means for your portfolio
Modest growth could support higher share prices in the medium to long term but watch out for savage swings in market sentiment.
- Opinion
- Sharemarket
How to run a portfolio with the market at an all-time high
This is the right time to find the balance of your ideal asset exposure levels and lock in profits from last year.
Technology
Facebank? Social media giant to face prudential regulation
If Libra launches, Facebook will be regulated in Australia by ASIC and APRA, under a new regulatory proposal for "stored value facilities".
- Analysis
- Privacy
Can Google ever be trusted with your health data?
The technology company will need to persuade patients to hand over some of their most personal information.
Fintech targets millennials with green super fund
AtlasTrend says Elevate Super's underlying investments will be benchmarked against the UN's list of Sustainable Investment Goals.
Work & Careers
Meet the woman reshaping the role of CFOs
Helping chief financial officers navigate the evolving nature of the role will be a key focus of the new chairman of the peak body for CFOs.
NAPLAN is powerful and helpful but critics are undermining it
Researchers at the front end of education say NAPLAN could also save governments a lot of money.
Life & Luxury
It's your shout: how you can help fire-hit wineries
The best way to support affected winemakers, brewers and distillers is to visit them, or buy their products.
Coco the teenage giant killer
Coco Gauff's only other match at the Australian Open was a first-round loss in the juniors, but her first round victory over childhood hero Venus Williams has made the 15-year-old one of the main attractions in the Grand Slam's opening week.
A $10k bike is cheaper than the gym for this exec
WA Country Health Service director Tracy Rainford says her Project One Trek bike lasted more than 10 years.
- Opinion
- Laos
How Harry Potter helped end Laos' ban on the letter R
Laos' government dropped the letter R sound from the alphabet, calling it a symbol of foreign influence.The widening reach of the internet is changing that.
'Sad' Prince Harry: I was forced out
Britain's Prince Harry spoke on Sunday of his unhappiness at being forced to give up his royal duties in a deal with Queen Elizabeth and senior Windsors that will see him and his wife Meghan exit official roles to seek an independent future.
