Why do Americans think Trump is a better economic manager?
Donald Trump is well ahead of Joe Biden on the most important issues facing the country – immigration and the economy. The question is why.
- Opinion
- Middle East tensions
It’s in our interest for Hamas to be decisively defeated
Palestinian self-determination, lasting Middle East peace, and a more stable world are threatened by Hamas’ goal of destroying Israel, writes Josh Frydenberg.
Festivals and events cancelled as southeast swelters
Heatwave conditions are forecast for South Australia, Victoria, NSW and Tasmania from Saturday to Monday.
Why Israel will press ahead and invade Rafah
The Israeli leadership sees its war against Hamas as one element of a broader geopolitical rearrangement driven by Russia, China and Iran – and says the West should be worried.
Westpac ditches PwC as auditor, signs with KPMG
Westpac says KPMG will take over from PwC as its external auditor from its 2025 financial year.
- Exclusive
- Venture capital
Quadrant swoops on $100m Canva stake in Blackbird sale
A $100m stake in the runaway tech star is set to change hands, as VC firm Blackbird plans a trade to PE firm Quadrant.
- Analysis
- AI
AI is a threat to human dominance
For the first time, humans will have to deal with another highly intelligent species – and preserving our autonomy should be humanity’s chief objective.
Breaking news on companies, politics and economics, in your inbox as it happens.
WEEKEND READS
- Analysis
- Australian economy
Why the cost-of-living ‘crisis’ is not so bad for home borrowers
The economy is softening and cash flow is being crunched by higher interest rates. But it’s not all doom and gloom for indebted mortgage holders.
I hired an algorithm to help me shop. Here’s what happened
Computer algorithms are taking over the business of buying and selling products online.
Koalas, curveballs and China: Walking a fine line in SE Asia
The ASEAN summit underlined that the region is trying to steer a middle course between China and the US. The last thing it wants is to be backed into a corner and made to choose.
I was stung by an Irukandji, this is what happened next
Most Aussies have heard about stinger season in north Queensland. But not everyone survives the full-body experience of encountering an Irukandji jellyfish.
Here come the sexbots: Welcome to the age of AI porn
Like the internet and fintech before it, adult entertainment’s rush to embrace AI will change it forever. The risks are profound.
SMART INVESTOR
Six things to consider before adding kids to an SMSF
Bringing children or other younger savers into an existing SMSF can increase purchasing power and boost cash flow, but beware the added complexity.
- Opinion
- Investing
Where to invest and what to buy in emerging markets
The best opportunities may be in government bonds and betting on the currencies of Brazil, Mexico and South Korea.
- Opinion
- Super Q&A
The smartest way to inherit your partner’s super pension
Keep as much of the combined benefits in super for as long as possible because you will pay less tax.
How do I protect my elderly mother from scammers?
The trick to discussing scams is to avoid pointing the finger or suggesting your mother is naive.
It’s divorce season. This is what to do about money
The end of summer holidays and return to work is a peak period for couples to reassess their marriage. Here are 10 financial and tax issues to keep in mind.
Get the latest business news on the go with the AFR’s new iOS app.
Companies
She made $600m selling fish oil. Now Jina Chen wants her company back
One of the country’s wealthiest immigrant families has pitted itself against investment funds controlled by Beijing in a fight over the future of Nature’s Care.
- Exclusive
- Property market
Discounting threatens new front in ‘mortgage war’
Pricing papers obtained by AFR Weekend point to a resurgence in discounts, even after bank bosses said they would compete more rationally.
Think your wine comes from a boutique maker? Think again
An explosion in the number and sophistication of own-brand bottles produced by the largest retailers is creating a war for shelf space.
- Exclusive
- Insolvency
NDIS provider GoodHuman forced into liquidation owing nearly $3m
The company, which sells software that simplifies administration for NDIS service providers, is believed to owe affected staff months of unpaid wages and super.
SingTel slugged in $895m ATO loss
The Tax Office has secured a transfer pricing win against the parent company of telco giant Optus.
Pentagon pitched Australian nickel investment
Resources Minister Madeleine King met officials to discuss investments in the nickel industry in Australia.
‘Not happy’: ASIC bans Gutnick from running corporations
The mining entrepreneur says he will review ASIC’s four-year ban on managing corporations handed down on Friday.
Companies in the News
Search companies
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Markets
Nvidia plummets in what could be a market ‘pullback’
How the $US200 billion intraday tumble in market value is met could prove key as to how fast a pullback in US equities is approaching.
Why this fund manager is buying up Chinese debt
Muzinich’s Mel Siew believes that Beijing’s stimulus measures will eventually work, so he’s piled into Chinese high-yield bonds that are exposed to the domestic economy.
Why chocolate is about to get a lot more expensive
A supply squeeze has sent cocoa prices to record levels just before Easter, and olive oil and coffee are at highs, creating another headache for central banks.
Lagarde signals ECB cut in June with 2pc inflation in sight
The European Central Bank president said policymakers will know a little more in April, and “we will know a lot more in June”.
Mega-cap tech forecast to drive S&P 500 buybacks: Goldman
Fourth-quarter filings show the magnificent seven is currently authorised to repurchase almost one-third more of their own shares in 2024 than in 2023.
Opinion
Joe Biden must rally voters around a rebounding economy
The octogenarian US president went for full relaunch at the State of the Union address, but he has yet to make his strongest card work for him.
Editorial
It’s in Australia’s interest for Hamas to be decisively defeated
Palestinian self-determination, lasting Middle East peace, and a more stable world are threatened by Hamas’ goal of destroying Israel.
Former Treasurer
Reminder: Trump’s last year in office was a national nightmare
The ex-president and his surrogates are trying to pull off an even more impressive act of revisionism: portraying his entire presidency as pure magnificence.
Contributor
Call out China’s maritime aggression by its real name
China intruded into this week’s ASEAN summit with fresh clashes at sea. It’s dangerous not to acknowledge the real source of the risk.
Defence expert
None of us are monetarists any more
Milton Friedman was a leading economic figure of the 20th century, but his monetary policy theory didn’t work in practice.
Contributor
In the battle between Apple and Nvidia, the gap is clearly narrowing
For more than a decade, the iPhone maker was the world’s most valuable public company. But the arrival of generative AI is boosting the stocks of others.
Columnist
Reports
Women to Watch 2024
This article is part of the Women to Watch special report on the next generation of leaders, published on 8 March 2024.
Politics
Frydenberg urges Albanese to visit Israel
The former treasurer, who joined a week-long delegation to Israel, said Australian politicians should understand the bloody attacks had local, regional and global ramifications.
Another $12b debt blowout in Victoria sets scene for horror budget
Ratings agency S&P says Victoria could face a daily interest bill of $30 million by 2027 after it was revealed state debt has already grown to $126 billion.
Polestar quits lobby group as car wars rev up
The Chinese-owned EV maker says the national motoring body has been eroding community trust in the proposed emissions standards.
- Exclusive
- CCC
WA anti-corruption chief cites misconduct risk over new planning laws
Corruption and Crime Commissioner John McKechnie says planning reforms create a misconduct risk, but he sees no problem with former government MPs taking jobs with mining companies post-politics.
- Exclusive
- Insolvency
NDIS provider GoodHuman forced into liquidation owing nearly $3m
The company, which sells software that simplifies administration for NDIS service providers, is believed to owe affected staff months of unpaid wages and super.
SPONSORED
World
Trump praises ‘fantastic’ Orban at Mar-a-Lago meeting
Donald Trump poked fun at criticism of the Hungarian prime minister’s self-proclaimed illiberal tendencies as the two populist leaders met at Florida resort.
US jobless rate hits two-year high even as hiring stays strong
Nonfarm payrolls advanced 275,000 last month, the jobless rate reached 3.9 per cent and traders boosted bets for a June rate cut.
Why do Americans think Trump is a better economic manager?
Donald Trump is well ahead of Joe Biden on the most important issues facing the country – immigration and the economy. The question is why.
Biden fights to save his presidency in fiery State of the Union
An energetic US President Joe Biden has used the State of the Union address to rail at Donald Trump in his most important speech before the November election.
Chinese offload property after failing to keep up with repayments
Squeezed by higher interest rates overseas and a cash crunch at home, Chinese investors are putting up “for sale” signs in Australia.
Property
- Exclusive
- Luxury property
Inside the $80m trophy home set to test Melbourne’s record
The southern capital’s residential sales record could soon be topped, with the arrival of a contemporary Toorak trophy home that has a guide of $75 million to $82 million.
The state with the highest rent rises
The poorest households need to pay more than 25 per cent of their pre-tax income to afford any rental housing nationally, according to a new report.
New home loans defy growth hopes, fall 3.9pc in January
While the overall total is lower, the latest mortgage commitment numbers hide the return of investors to the housing market.
- Exclusive
- Build-to-rent
Rich List family fires up $3b build-to-rent program
Plans to build and own large-scale rental housing by the Tarascios’ Salta Properties are coming to fruition just as the housing crisis bites.
32nd storey deemed ‘flood risk’ in insurance farce
A Melbourne apartment 120m above street level, with no ground storage, was denied contents cover because of a “heightened flood risk”.
Wealth
It’s divorce season. This is what to do about money
The end of summer holidays and return to work is a peak period for couples to reassess their marriage. Here are 10 financial and tax issues to keep in mind.
- Opinion
- Ageing
Aged care providers publish what they spend on food, care and wages
The new tool is designed to hold aged care providers to account for how they manage their budgets. But it’s only as good as the data provided.
How do I protect my elderly mother from scammers?
The trick to discussing scams is to avoid pointing the finger or suggesting your mother is naive.
Technology
- Analysis
- AI
AI is a threat to human dominance
For the first time, humans will have to deal with another highly intelligent species – and preserving our autonomy should be humanity’s chief objective.
- Analysis
- Competition
Google’s plan to dodge day in court over ‘killing’ Aussie start-up
It is six years since an arbitrary ruling by Google killed a $200m Melbourne start-up. Now, its founder’s costly crusade for justice hangs on a US judge’s ruling.
- Analysis
- The Breakdown
Why a TikTok ban could finally become a reality
A bipartisan group of US politicians, with White House backing, have introduced a bill to force TikTok’s Chinese parent company to sell or face a ban.
Work & Careers
Cranbrook in turmoil after headmaster resigns
Nicholas Sampson resigned as headmaster of the elite private school after its council became aware of allegations against a teacher of “extremely concerning past conduct”.
How the legal system went to war with itself
The chief prosecutors of NSW, Victoria and the ACT are all under fire over how they run cases.
Life & Luxury
- Edition
- Style
AFR Magazine – March issue
How the $8.8b Chemist Warehouse deal was done | Crypto investor reveals his rare car collection | Why a Rolex is about to get easier to buy Includes the new
- Exclusive
- Tourism
Swift Lift: Domestic travellers splashed $170m during Taylor’s tour
The average interstate and regional concert-goer spent $500 including $37 on clothing and accessories and another $120 on attractions.
A play that will cut your complacency
Known for the hummable ‘Mack The Knife’, The Threepenny Opera - now playing Adelaide Festival - is in fact a galvanising critique of unfettered capitalism.
The reasonable doubts over Anatomy of a Fall
The contender for best picture Oscar showcases the inquisitorial French legal system, but is it accurate? And would it be different for an accused in Australia?
Being overweight could depend on your parents
Having a parent who was obese in middle age trebles your odds of following suit, new research has found. With two such parents, you’re six times more likely to be obese.
