NSW vaccine uptake ‘fantastic’ but cases escalate
Health experts warn easing Sydney’s lockdown without stronger vaccine uptake is unsafe as the Premier hints at relaxing restrictions at the end of August.
- Live
- Need to Know
Sydney ‘clearly needs circuit breaker’
The PM says airlines, retailers can give a “reasonable directive” to their staff to get vaccinated. Follow updates here.
Afterpay drives ASX to record-breaking week
Australian shares finished the week at a record high, thanks to a bumper five days for technology and bank stocks.
- Analysis
- Payments
Square ‘could become sixth pillar’ of the banking sector
The deal with Afterpay shows how big tech has walked right through, and is now operating deep inside Australia’s financial system.
Sydney students see vaccine as pathway back to normal
Year 12s across south-west and western Sydney get priority access to Pfizer vaccines from Monday as the government says they won’t suffer due to the outbreak.
Victoria’s $400m support package fails pub test
CPA Australia warns many struggling businesses such as Deeds Brewing in Melbourne have missed out on government support, and for others it will come too late.
Back the economy, get jabbed: RBA governor
The central bank boss said while it was “unlikely” a double-dip recession would occur in the second half of the year, it could not be ruled-out if the health situation deteriorated.
AFR Weekend: The big stories, best reads and expert advice. In your inbox on Saturday.
Tokyo Olympics
Olympic-sized cracks emerge in US-Australia alliance
The Tokyo Games have allowed locked down Australians to indulge in escapist sporting rivalries for a glorious fortnight – and we mourn their ending.
Aussie volleyballers take silver against US
Australian beach volleyballers Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar have suffered a straight-sets loss to April Ross and Alix Klineman.
- Opinion
- Postcard from Tokyo
Japan deserves a medal for the games
One of the strangest games in history is nearing a close and the successful delivery of the world’s major sporting event through the pandemic is a remarkable achievement.
Delta runs rampant in Tokyo but Olympics not to blame
The euphoria of the Games has helped distract Tokyo residents from the city’s health crisis as daily COVID-19 cases top 5000.
IOC removes two Belarus coaches over sprinter’s treatment
Athletics head coach Yuri Moisevich and team official Artur Shumak were asked to leave the Olympic village in Tokyo.
Companies
Many questions, few answers on big battery blaze
Battery pioneer Christina Lampe-Onnerud is among those seeking full transparency on the inquiry into the fire at Neoen’s project in Victoria.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Don’t let emotion obscure Afterpay lesson
Not many stocks have divided investors the way Afterpay does. But beyond the emotional responses is a lesson about keeping an open mind to new ways of doing business.
‘We have work to do’ on big tech payments: Lowe
The RBA governor says the payments act needs an update and a licensing regime should be considered to provide oversight of non-banks offering digital wallets.
Strong property market recovery drives growth at REA Group
REA group posted a net profit of $313 million, driven by strong recovery in residential property, but that didn’t stop shares plummeting more than 6 per cent.
Goldman Sachs collects Harris Farm bids, ball in family’s court
Indicative offers are in for the grocer and private equity firms are dominating the field of potential investors.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
China’s gift to Glencore
The global energy trading system has adjusted seamlessly to Beijing’s ban on Australian coal and helped underpin record profits at the big fossil fuel producer.
Rich Lister’s plant-based ‘meat’ expands to Europe, China
Hungry Jack’s founder, Jack Cowin, is a big shareholder in v2foods, now valued at $500 million-plus after a fresh $72 million capital raising.
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Markets
Shares close at record high, Afterpay soars, RBA cuts forecasts
RBA cuts Dec 21 GDP forecast to 4pc, Afterpay up 5pc, ResMed hikes dividend 8pc, REA Group profit up 18pc, Morgan Stanley tips more NAB buybacks. Iron ore -6.6pc.
Buy, hold, sell: Westpac, Aurizon, BHP, Telstra, Fortescue
Six ASX 200 stocks set to supercharge their dividends over the months to come.
Iron ore’s price pain is coking coal’s gain
Iron ore and coking coal are both steel ingredients, but prices for the commodities are moving in opposite directions
Goldman Sachs says earnings growth to power S&P 500 higher
The S&P 500 is poised to rise another 7 per cent by the end of this year, and extend its rally into 2022, Goldman Sachs said.
What happened in markets overnight
Australian shares are set to open modestly higher. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq reset record highs. US listed shares of BHP, Rio fall with iron ore. RBA tops agenda.
Opinion
PM struggles to hose down delta fires
As the delta variant lashes the community, the PM and state governments have failed to create a coherent response - leaving Australians exhausted and confused.
Columnist
The RBA’s subtle trick you’ve rarely heard of
Although some think Martin Place has its head buried in the sand, it may have a much more nuanced plan.
Columnist
Japan deserves a medal for the games
One of the strangest games in history is nearing a close and the successful delivery of the world’s major sporting event through the pandemic is a remarkable achievement.
Contributor
‘Cash for jabs’ risks reigniting concern about Labor waste
Since the 2019 election, the party has done well to address the perception it’s the weaker economic manager, so its $6 billion proposal is a little strange.
Political editor
Business takes up the slack on mandatory vaccination
A regional food manufacturer is the first Australian company to mandate vaccination for staff and visitors. It won’t be the last.
Columnist
Big business is rolling up sleeves to get Australia vaccinated
Getting employees jabbed at work to end lockdowns will be about helping the five million people whose livelihoods depend on small businesses, writes NAB’s Ross McEwan.
Contributor
Politics
COVID-19 vaccines for children the next minefield
Vaccination of young people against COVID-19 is expected to start later this year, but it will be a hard sell for some parents.
- Exclusive
- Paris Agreement
World to hit crisis point 10 years faster than forecast
A major report by the world’s scientists will predict global temperatures could rise beyond 1.5 degrees by early in the 2030s, a decade earlier than expected.
Delta locks down 16 million in three states
Victoria has joined Greater Sydney and south-east Queensland in lockdown, disrupting the lives of almost 16 million people, shutting down the nation’s three economic engine rooms.
Cash or lottery? The most effective way to get the masses jabbed
A unit of behavioural economists is helping the government work out how to drive vaccinations once supply surges next month.
- Analysis
- Coronavirus pandemic
Vaccine targets at risk as Queensland falls behind
The country should meet national cabinet’s vaccination targets by December, but Australians may be forced to wait for more Queenslanders to get the jab.
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World
New ‘Trump card’ for most ardent supporters likened to Nazi insignia
The former president’s fundraising committee has asked his followers to choose from four designs for the cards, one featuring a golden eagle with outstretched wings.
- Analysis
- Monetary policy
New Zealand braces for hard medicine in a froth and bubble economy
Unemployment is down, wages are up and economic growth is at 2.3 per cent. So why is not everyone happy?
From doughnuts to fines in US vaccine drive
The US is taking a harder approach to reaching vaccination targets, with some states handing out fines for not wearing a mask and demanding frequent testing for the unvaccinated.
Bernard Arnault supplants Jeff Bezos as world’s richest person
The luxury goods tycoon has taken over the Amazon founder, based on the current stock price of Louis Vuitton, which has surged during the coronavirus pandemic.
Tesla shunned as Biden announces 50pc electric vehicle target
Joe Biden wants 50 per cent of US car sales to be electronic vehicles by 2030, and most to be made by a unionised workforce. Elon Musk’s Tesla wasn’t invited.
Property
- Exclusive
- Hotels
‘Awe-inspiring’ Lake Argyle resort to be sold
Owner-operator Charlie Sharpe has appointed corporate advisory firm Nash to find a buyer for one of Australia’s most remote resorts, in WA’s Kimberleys.
Sydneysiders move to ‘northern beaches of the Central Coast’
There’s plenty to please swimmers, surfers and those wanting good food around Terrigal, while prices are still below the surfside suburbs south of Palm Beach.
Workers essential to reboot Sydney’s struggling construction industry
Developers are calling on the NSW government to help all Sydney construction staff get back to work again as one-third of city sites are closed and jobs at risk.
Makris exits Adelaide mall as Gold Coast plans brighten
Rich Lister Con Makris has divested a run of smaller Adelaide malls as he focuses his efforts on the Gold Coast.
Property prices succumb to the virus in Sydney’s west
House prices fell in a number of suburbs in Sydney’s hardest hit areas, while the middle ring and coastal areas enjoyed a surge in prices.
Wealth
The real cost of renovating your property
Legal and financial checks at the outset of a home revamp can prevent cost blowouts and lengthy legal rows.
Why it’s worth playing the long investment game
Analysis of global bond and equity markets since 1991 reveals some secrets to successful investing during good times and bad.
Why it’s easier for borrowers to be green
A renovation boom and growing support for sustainable homes is boosting green loan demand and availability. But borrowers need to shop around for the best deal.
Technology
How to add a second screen to your computer
There are plenty of ways to gain some extra vision so that, even if your physical workspace is cramped, at least your digital workspace won’t be.
- Exclusive
- Media & marketing
IBM spin-out plans Aussie talent hunt
Marketing tech company Acoustic plans to sign on more companies to use its campaign and behavioural analytics platforms.
Online food marketplace Foodbomb snags $4.5 million
The order management platform, which operates in New South Wales and Victoria, aims to double its workforce and expand into Brisbane.
Work & Careers
One expert’s top five predictions for the future of work
Climate literacy could become a core part of how everyone does their work and how everyone understands the work they may be doing, says futurist Reanna Browne.
Companies will reskill staff better ‘or they won’t exist’: Atlassian
Soft skills are hard to discover. ‘When you find someone with them, you think: “I’m never going to let you go,“’ says the tech company’s futurist, Dom Price.
Life & Luxury
- Explainer
- Coronavirus pandemic
Desperate to travel? Here’s what you need to know
Here is everything you need to know about escaping fortress Australia when the time comes.
Why an Aussie gay rights campaigner is defending homophobes
A new film about Footscray-born activist Peter Tatchell follows his journey from scourge of Britain’s mainstream to almost establishment status.
Rediscovering an Australian literary titan
Joyce Morgan had no idea what she would uncover when she began researching the life of a favourite author.
How our laws deepen the pain for families of the long-term missing
For the loved ones of the 2600 Australians who have been missing for years, moving on isn’t an option – emotionally or legally.
Health secrets that keep the Stones rolling
Cancer, falls and heart operations won’t stop iconic rock band The Rolling Stones from preparing to tour this year. How do they do it?
