The Financial Review Wine Club is the home for seasoned collectors and wine enthusiasts.
RBA should lift rates, Labor ought to cut spending: IMF
The IMF has ramped up calls for comprehensive tax reform and pushed back the idea that the move on interest rates will be downwards, saying inflation is still a problem.
- Live
- Markets Live
ASX climbs; Whitehaven, miners gain
Shares rise after Wall Street tech rally; Synlait ups milk price forecast; Whitehaven Coal to ink Blackwater sale by April, Michael Hill flags tough conditions. Follow updates here.
Trump’s blueprint for presidential victory
Iowa has provided a guide to how far he can push the different levers of Trumpism in areas such as trade protectionism, immigration and renewable energy subsidies.
Home loan curbs urged to cool hot property market
Restrictions on home loans should be reintroduced to cool the hot housing market and reduce risky borrowing, the IMF says.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Ten ASX stocks that would be hit hardest by a macro shock
In what Ray Dalio says could be a year of seismic shifts, Plato’s David Allen is trying to protect his investors from shocks that can overshadow great stock-picking.
- Live
- Need to Know
Byelection date set for Palaszczuk’s seat
Premier Steven Miles dismisses criticism of delay in electing a new member; Houthi attacks continue despite US strikes. Follow updates here.
Netanyahu rejects US calls for Palestinian state
The tense back and forth reflects what has become a wide rift between the two allies over Israel’s war and plans for the future of the beleaguered territory.
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SUMMER READING
Boeing’s legacy vanished into thin air. Saving it will take years
The aircraft maker’s name and its troubled 737 Max model are linked to some of the worst aircraft safety and design failures in recent aviation history.
- Opinion
- Cameras
Meta’s new face camera heralds a new age of surveillance
No one – not even my editor, who was aware I was writing this column – could tell it apart from ordinary glasses.
- Opinion
- Parenting
The four absolute truths I’ve learnt about parenting
Children are not born understanding how to help their community. They need parents to model that for them.
What the man who coined the term ‘soft power’ thinks of Trump
Harvard professor Joseph Nye says America could face a nasty decade but will probably recover from a possible second Trump term.
How will you be remembered? Here’s how to adopt a ‘legacy’ mind-set
Building a legacy – which benefits others and will survive beyond your lifetime – encourages you to think more deeply and for the longer-term.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Rybakina ousted in wild match with record tiebreaker
Elena Rybakina was beaten by Anna Blinkova in a thrilling match that featured the longest singles tiebreaker in grand slam history.
Aussie loses five-set heartbreaker as Iga Swiatek survives scrap
Max Purcell has big curls and a bigger serve. But he’s out after losing a heartbreaker to Casper Ruud.
From ‘not the most talented’ to an Aussie surprise package
Storm Hunter, the world No. 1 in doubles, is suddenly making her mark in singles, and Australia’s golden boy Alex de Minaur says she should consider a switch.
Favourite Kokkinakis tumbles out, leaving de Minaur to fly Aussie flag
Crowd favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis was unable to upset the world number 13 Grigor Dimitrov, leaving Alex de Minaur the last Australian man standing.
British reporter collapses and dies covering tennis
Mike Dickson, a sportswriter for the UK tabloid the Daily Mail, died while covering the tennis in Melbourne.
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Companies
Whitehaven soars on coking coal pivot
Whitehaven Coal says many foreign steelmakers have expressed interest in buying a minority stake in the Blackwater mine it is about to acquire from BHP.
AusSuper duo ready for Trump 2024
Australia’s biggest superannuation fund has just opened a new office in New York. The prospect of another Trump presidency has not dimmed their optimism.
Rio Tinto boss meets Serbian president in push to revive $3.7b mine
Belgrade withdrew Rio’s mining licence for the Jadar lithium project two years ago, but Jakob Stausholm is looking to capitalise on electoral results.
The day a Port Hedland bank overflowed with too much cash
After 37 years in banking, the outgoing CEO of Auswide Bank reflects on the big four’s blunders, and life in boom-time WA.
Mortgage brokers dive into commercial lending
A growing number of mortgage brokers are now writing business loans, but one says it has nothing to do with the slowdown in new housing credit.
Qantas names Olivia Wirth’s successor to run Frequent Flyer
Qantas promoted another “lifer” to run its lucrative frequent flyer business when Olivia Wirth departs the airline at the end of February.
- Updated
- Critical minerals
Albemarle, BHP hit by collapse in battery mineral prices
The collapse in prices for battery minerals has forced the US lithium giant to cut a West Australian project. BHP warned its nickel division would not be immune.
Companies in the News
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Markets
Bitcoin drops to lowest level since approval of ETFs
The cryptocurrency has shed near 10 per cent in value even as funds continue to flow into the newly created exchange-traded funds.
What happened on markets overnight
Australian shares are set to open higher. Techs pace Wall Street advance even as yields edge up. Bitcoin trades drops below $US41,000.
- Opinion
- Oil
BP went for continuity. But it needs a revolution
Why are investors so down on the company? BP is spending generously on lower-return projects outside its core oil and gas businesses.
Reddit reportedly seeks to launch IPO in March
The social media platform’s planned debut would be the first initial public offering of a major social media company since Pinterest in 2019.
$A nurses losses as soft jobs report backs RBA on hold
The Australian dollar hovered near its lowest in six weeks after a surprise fall in employment in December, reinforcing expectations that the cash rate has peaked.
Opinion
Australia and China have very different notions of stability
This week’s Chinese embassy press conference was a further effort to corral Australia into compliance and compromise with Beijing’s views.
Executive director of ASPI
Burke on the union team
More than a year ago, Productivity Commission slammed the MUA’s excess bargaining power. Now the union can add the IR minister to its side of the table.
Editorial
The genocide charge against Israel is a moral obscenity
In war, the killing ends when one side stops fighting. In a genocide, that’s when the killing begins.
Contributor
Enter the Liberal Party, working-class heroes
The Liberals have won over the battlers before. Now they have a new cause in voters’ fears that their children will never be able to afford a home.
Columnist
The law’s veneration of Indigenous mythology has gone too far
Judges should give up blocking valuable projects based on stories passed through generations that can’t be proven or are myths.
Senior correspondent
China needs to choose its words more carefully
Australia would have no motive to confect a story about a sonar incident after so much hard work to restore the relationship.
Editorial
Politics
Byelection date set for former Qld premier’s seat
Premier Steven Miles says the byelection will be held on March 16 to coincide with local government elections.
- Updated
- Industrial relations
Burke emboldens MUA, attacks ‘highly profitable’ DP World
The militant MUA will ramp up its work stoppages in a months-long dispute snarling ports across the country after Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke attacked the company.
Wong warns Australian cash cannot be used for hate
A $6 million injection for Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA has come under scrutiny.
Japanese plan to test missiles in Australia revealed
Defence Department confirms Australia is collaborating with Japan on long-range guided weapons.
Corporations laws a ‘tangled mess’ costing business too much: report
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is being pressed to reform corporate laws after the Australian Law Reform Commission found they are overly long and complex.
SPONSORED
World
Arab nations form plan to end Israel-Hamas war
The deal could also establish formal ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia and develop a Palestinian state.
Iran’s new missile fleet – part deterrent, part sales pitch
This is a new era in which Iran can flex its muscles and bolster its credentials as an arms supplier.
- Analysis
- Global economy
The Davos the rest of the world won’t see
The chief purpose of everyone at Davos is to get several weeks’ worth of high-level business meetings and networking done in three to five days, writes Hans van Leeuwen.
Japan rejects China claim warships to blame for sonar incident
Japan’s foreign ministry has denied China’s suggestions this week that one of its warships may have injured an Australian navy diver last year.
- Opinion
- Asia-Pacific
India’s economic growth is displaying Chinese characteristics
The Modi model relies too much on top-down investment. As China has already discovered, India needs to fire up its consumers too.
Property
‘Unmanageable’ cost risks threaten renewables projects
In a country where supply chain and labour costs are more volatile, greater collaboration and risk-sharing is crucial for infrastructure and construction.
Commercial values will trough by mid-year, JPMorgan says
After a torrid two years, the embattled office sector is in for better times – as is retail property – a new analysis says.
UK landlords feel the crunch of rising interest rates
There are signs rental inflation is easing, which is good news for tenants. Landlords, meanwhile, are making changes to reduce the impact of higher mortgage costs.
Country Garden nears full exit from Australia after final estate sale
Country Gardens’ local subsidiary, Risland Australia, has divested more than 90 per cent of its major Wilton Greens estate in south-western Sydney.
Where to buy a house for under $400,000
Demand for cheaper homes is predicted to rise this year as more buyers are priced out of the housing market.
Wealth
How to make a profit from property but live where you love
One rentvestor who bought is thrilled with the capital growth and flexible lifestyle, but another says he would do things differently.
Family forced to sell three of four properties as rates rise
Property investors are being lured back by rising rents and capital gains. But borrowing too much can cause a debacle.
Meet the ex-teacher giving his $3m inheritance to climate charities
Stephen Pfeiffer and Linh Do are part of a new generation of philanthropists with a sense of urgency. For those starting out, here are five mistakes to avoid.
Technology
Will Samsung’s new feature make you ditch your iPhone?
The centrepiece of this year’s Galaxy S24 phones will be generative AI software called Circle to Search.
- Opinion
- Cameras
Meta’s new face camera heralds a new age of surveillance
No one – not even my editor, who was aware I was writing this column – could tell it apart from ordinary glasses.
Male run Blackbird-backed start-up pivots to NYC ‘girl’s club’
Kiki co-founder Toby Thomas-Smith says his new female employee – Caitlin Emiko – has helped him realise some New York women are “living, not thriving”.
Work & Careers
- Exclusive
- Superannuation
Revealed: Big super’s executive gender pay gap
Despite pressuring companies to ramp up female representation in their senior ranks, there is just one woman among the top 10 paid executives at the eight most powerful super funds.
WFH staff work more productively and longer, says Atlassian
After 1000 days of working from home, Atlassian has decided its bet is working while hybrid-working fan Canva unveils plans for a new Sydney office.
Life & Luxury
Kiwi Joe Schmidt tasked with Wallabies rebuild
The former Ireland mentor and World Rugby high-performance boss was unveiled on Friday, only a week after expressions of interest for the position closed.
How TikTok made the ‘Hugh Grant bookshop’ viral - again
A new generation is discovering the joy of reading on paper thanks to an electronic medium.
Swiss to its core, but far from cheesy
At Piaget, a daring design code has attracted a legacy of maverick admirers and its latest high-jewellery collection could well attract more.
Fifty and fabulous: Why this Piaget watch is a collector’s item
Slightly radical, radiantly feminine, the Limelight Gala was a hit from the moment it was released.
An Eastern Peake experience at a Melbourne wine bar
The 40th anniversary of this western Victorian cool-climate vineyard was celebrated in North Carlton amid family, friends – and some very delectable drops.