An insightful look at the week’s biggest tech stories, deals and trends delivered to your inbox.
US, Australia warn Israel over mounting civilian deaths in Gaza
The two countries have warned Tel Aviv that it risked losing the support of the international community because of the rising civilian death toll in Gaza.
Rare earths player asks FIRB to probe share buying
Northern Minerals requested the investigation seven months after treasurer Jim Chalmers banned a Chinese businessman increasing his stake in the rare earths hopeful.
Burke agrees to amend IR bill to ensure regular work for casuals
Employers had raised concerns that new laws in the Closing the Loopholes bill would mean business could not engage casuals on a regular basis.
Rising rates have created interesting opportunities in corporate debt
Tom Cahill, the co-head of tactical investing at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, says investors can earn returns of 8 to 10 per cent on senior debt securities.
Qantas says it ‘does its best’, no guarantees flights will take off
The competition regulator had accused the airline of selling tickets on more than 8000 services it had already decided to cancel, sometimes weeks earlier.
Inside the country’s most talked-about investment bank
New business lines have morphed Barrenjoey into a full-service firm, but all eyes are fixed on whether its rainmakers can turn around a $26 million loss.
Whitehaven’s hedge fund bete noir sells down $260m shares
Bell Rock admitted it did control more of the company than it had told investors, at the same time as it dumped half of its stake in the miner.
Breaking news on companies, politics and economics, in your inbox as it happens.
ISRAEL-GAZA CONFLICT
Fierce clashes in Gaza as Israel expands ground offensive
Israel’s military said it had struck more than 600 militant targets over the past few days as it continued to expand ground operations in the Gaza Strip.
- Exclusive
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Leibler cuts ties with arts collective over anti-Israeli banners
Organised by Indigenous group This Mob Arts Collective, one sign on display at a banner-making workshop on October 23 labelled Israelis ‘dumb white dogs’.
War with Hamas tests Israel’s economic resilience
The military call-ups and partial economic freeze have triggered a sudden crash in activity and upended everything from banking to agriculture.
- Opinion
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict
How the West allowed Iran to unleash horror across the Middle East
One of several major failures was risking the holy grail of Middle Eastern diplomacy, a formal pact between Israel and Saudi Arabia, for the chimera of a deal with Iran, writes Daniel Johnson.
Israel’s ground war is a gradual, cautious secret
Tel Aviv has released little detail of the ground assault in Gaza. But soldiers appear to be destroying booby traps and tunnels in a slow, steady operation.
Carbon Challenge | Essential news and analysis for business and investors about Australia’s critical economic transition.
Companies
Endeavour sales miss expectations as focus switches to returns
The company’s largest investor, billionaire publican Bruce Mathieson, says revenue is in “absolute free fall”. The retailer holds its annual meeting on Tuesday.
Adore Beauty rallies as it sticks to guidance, defying gloom
The online beauty retailer said despite the tougher retail environment, sales and active customers grew in the first quarter.
Rare earths player asks FIRB to probe share buying
Northern Minerals requested the investigation seven months after treasurer Jim Chalmers banned a Chinese businessman increasing his stake in the rare earths hopeful.
Whitehaven’s hedge fund bete noir sells down $260m shares
Bell Rock admitted it did control more of the company than it had told investors, at the same time as it dumped half of its stake in the miner.
Australia’s largest lithium mine flags output cut on weak China demand
Greenbushes is part-owned by ASX-listed IGO Limited. Shares in the resources group fell 9 per cent on news it could scale back production.
Qantas says it ‘does its best’, no guarantees flights will take off
The competition regulator had accused the airline of selling tickets on more than 8000 services it had already decided to cancel, sometimes weeks earlier.
- Exclusive
- Renewables
‘No choice’ over renewable energy zones despite resistance
EnergyCo CEO James Hay says communities need to understand there is no alternative to building planned Renewable Energy Zones if coal power is to be left behind.
Companies in the News
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Markets
No rate cuts in sight as Fed, BoE to reiterate inflation is too high
Three of the world’s most influential central banks will meet this week. Some in the market expect Japan to continue tightening amid stubborn global inflation.
Oil futures settle – but traders still eye $US100 per barrel
Crude prices continue to whipsaw as traders closely watch for further escalations in the Israel-Hamas war.
ASX follows S&P 500 into technical correction
ASX closes below 6800 for the first time this year as it nears October lows. Australian retail turnover comes in hot. Follow for more updates.
Strategists back ASX’s miners and insurers in inflation revival
It’s too early to cycle into cyclical and interest rate-sensitive stocks as the yields on US Treasury bonds keep rising.
Lithium is hot. So why are short-sellers targeting Pilbara Minerals?
Demand for the key batteries component has never been higher, but one of the country’s largest producers has become the most-bet-against stock on the market.
Opinion
Qantas’ explanations come too late for angry passengers and investors
The airline’s defence against the ACCC’s lawsuit rejects culpability and says the regulator got the law wrong. But the court of public opinion is a harsh judge.
Columnist
JobKeeper worked, but the bill is unpaid
The Albanese government has still not squared up to the fiscal policy challenges left by the pandemic.
Editorial
Israel must temper its vengeance with prudence
Israel cannot afford to alienate the allies and neighbours that it will need if it is ever to have a workable solution in Gaza.
Editorial
The architects holding back Sydney
The veneration of 1950s office design is going to leave a large, decaying tower empty for years.
Senior correspondent
Australians need to know where the Snowy costs have gone
The government has a neat way of dealing with the exploding costs of Snowy Hydro 2.0: just dial up the benefits to match.
Free trade and the MAGA mob
It is being left to Australia to fly the flag for the dismantling of barriers in a hostile Washington and a thawing China.
Former Labor minister and economist
Reports
The circular economy
This special report on sustainability looks at the repair and recycling movement to cut waste, changes in farming techniques and hybrid timber skyscrapers.
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by AccenturePolitics
Retailers urge RBA to hold rates fire as tough Christmas looms
Strong growth in spending on clothes and gardening equipment underlines the case for further interest rate rises, but retailers are urging the central bank to hold fire.
Major parties, teals squabble over NSW redistribution
The major parties and teal independents are at loggerheads over a pre-election redistribution of federal electorates in NSW that could help decide the outcome of the next election.
Migration surge adds to inflation pressure for RBA
The arrival of half a million migrants is adding to inflation pressure and will influence the next rates decision, an ex-Reserve Bank of Australia economist says.
Collapse of trade deal talks to scuttle EU critical mineral access
The Albanese government says a planned trade deal with the EU is off the table until after the next federal election.
- Exclusive
- China relations
PM wants a ‘no surprises’ relationship with China
Anthony Albanese promises frank exchanges on his visit to Australia’s largest trading partner, with each country knowing where the other stands.
SPONSORED
World
Race to break China’s lithium stranglehold heats up
China’s dominance of the EV supply chain has raised global fears of a new trade war, as tensions between Beijing and Washington intensify over critical minerals.
‘Early adopters have adopted’: US carmakers slow EV growth plans
Ford, General Motors and Tesla have all pumped the brakes on expanding EV production capacity.
Pence ends 2024 campaign against Trump in sudden early exit
The former vice president’s campaign suspension could help to consolidate support among other non-Trump candidates.
China’s former premier, sidelined by Xi Jinping, dies
Once viewed as a top Communist Party leadership contender, Li Keqiang was sidelined in recent years by China’s president. He died of a heart attack on Friday.
- Analysis
- AUKUS
The tennis match that may get AUKUS over the line
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to the US this week has coincided with the solving of two major problems holding back the AUKUS submarine deal.
Property
Former Lendlease chairman David Crawford lists $16m mansion
Completed in 1874, the grand period home Fairholme in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell has been owned by Mr Crawford and his wife for 30 years.
‘Out of Seinfeld’: Home sold $2.6m over reserve, for $4.6m
Overseas-based parents bought a house for their student children with a key concern in mind – that they wouldn’t need to cook for themselves.
Is Australia running out of shopping mall space?
More than 2 million square metres more of shopping mall space would need to be built over the next decade to keep pace with Australia’s population growth.
- Exclusive
- Hotels
Indonesians extend hotel spending spree to $270m with Sydney deal
The Karim family has expanded its Australian hotel portfolio to five properties after buying The Old Clare Hotel in Chippendale for $61.8m.
Turning old hotels into homes may ease housing crisis
Australia’s housing shortage means the country needs more of a stock boost than it can build from scratch. And, there’s one ageing asset class that might help.
Wealth
Dumb Money director would ‘love’ another GameStop craze
The Australian-born Craig Gillespie’s enthusiasm for meme stocks investors taking on short sellers is undimmed by his own losses from the movement.
- Opinion
- Aged care
The $700,000 deposit that can save you $57,000 in fees
You may balk at handing over such a large sum of money moving into residential aged care, but it is refundable and saves on other costs.
The secret to building a $1m-plus super fund as a woman
Taking calculated risks and making small extra contributions can boost your balance by $800,000.
Technology
- Opinion
- Review
The AI security camera to keep an eye on your home over Christmas
Eufy’s new dual-lens security camera solves the two big problems most of us have with home security cameras.
- Exclusive
- AI
Google Brain founder says big tech is lying about AI extinction danger
Andrew Ng is a global leader in AI development, and says companies like OpenAI are trying to force governments to regulate emerging open-source rivals out of existence.
Fear of fakes fuels deep distrust in AI
Wariness about being impersonated online and scepticism about the benefits of artificial intelligence is thwarting hopes to use it to offer advanced personalised services.
Work & Careers
Eddie Jones just quit the Wallabies. Here’s the reason he gave
The departure comes a month after it emerged the divisive figure held a secret interview with Japan rugby officials about taking over as head coach next year.
- Exclusive
- Working from home
Bosses plan to pay staff less for working at home: survey
One in three employers think working from home is a privilege and are planning to pay remote workers differently than their office colleagues.
Life & Luxury
A 700km road trip you can brag about when you return to work
Cycling from Central Victoria to Canberra makes for an arduous break. But the quiet rail trails and pubs en route ensure it’s fun for those up for the challenge.
Why your Lululemon yoga pants could be a good investment
An Australian start-up has found a way to turn plastics otherwise destined for landfill into yoga pants and T-shirts. And fashion brands are seeing an opportunity.
Toyota and Tesla enter war of words over Aussies being ready for EVs
Australia’s most popular car brand is attacking electric vehicles, but Elon Musk’s company claims the argument is a “cynical” move by a firm that is “too slow”.
- Opinion
- Motoring
Vegan v real leather: the inside story that’s dividing carmakers
Almost all electric vehicles are being rolled out with sustainable, animal-friendly upholstery. But traditionalists say the industry and consumers are being greenwashed.
How to know what to wear to your next big meeting
In defiance of popular perception, science shows you shouldn’t dress to your skin tone – it’s really all about the eyes.
