Epic Games opens case against Apple, Google
iPhones would have cheaper apps released more quickly, and even better security and privacy if only Apple were forced to open its phones up to competition, a Melbourne court has heard.
Senators slam PwC Australia’s ‘zombie management team’
Senators will call PwC International operatives before parliament to personally explain why the company is withholding a report into overseas aspects of the firm’s tax leaks scandal.
Vehicle emission cuts much steeper than in US, Bowen concedes
Car importers will have to reduce emissions at a much steeper rate than in the US to play catch-up.
Keating toes Labor line before China meeting government doesn’t want
The Albanese government would prefer a meeting between former PM Paul Keating and China’s foreign minister did not happen
RBA rate relief pushed out to end of the year
Bond yields are soaring after US data dashed hopes of early rate relief from the US Federal Reserve, pushing out expectations of a mid-year move from the Reserve Bank.
Pesutto’s leadership in crisis amid new defamation proceedings
Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto’s hold on the Liberal Party is in crisis mode under the weight of mounting legal battles.
The zoning tweak that could deliver 20,000 new homes in Sydney
Faith-based groups control almost 2500 parcels land across the state, of which almost 750 are within walking distance of train stations and shops
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Edition
Fin Magazine - autumn 2024
Read about an artist’s intriguing sanctuary, Lotus’ latest electric sedan, New York’s coolest new hotel and more inside Fin Magazine’s first issue of 2024.
tuesday tech
Radio market overhaul as Southern Cross says it may accept ARN bid
The deal would merge the Hit and Triple M networks with the owner of the KIIS and Pure Gold stations in a major shakeup of the $700 million sector.
The ACCC is asking news outlets if they can live without Facebook
The competition regulator, in letters to major media groups, has sought details about how they make money from and deal with Meta, the platform’s operator.
Alan Jones breaks silence on absence, saying he is in poor health
The veteran broadcaster has returned from London, months after several men accused him of using his position of power and acting inappropriately.
The ABC loses more in the Meta v media and government standoff
The more decisive the Albanese government is in its war with Meta, the more the ABC will lose in its Meta deal; Tentative open season for AI at News Corp.
More Southern Cross shareholders back removing chair Rob Murray
Facing a new takeover offer from ARN Media and Anchorage Capital Partners, nearly 40 per cent of Southern Cross Austereo shareholders want to remove its chair.
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Companies
- Exclusive
- Renewables
Renewables spending bounces back in race to 2030
Clean energy project developers point to billions of dollars worth of projects heading to financial close in the next few years, marking a recovery from 2023.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
‘Tell them they’re dreamin’: guerilla Boral campaign flares up
A colourful presentation from a boutique broker isn’t normally newsworthy – but remember who was first to call out Origin Energy’s bid.
MinRes to retrofit WA nickel plant for lithium processing
The Chris Ellison-led Mineral Resources will cash-in on nickel’s collapse by using idle infrastructure to process lithium.
Superloop tells Aussie Broadband to slash stake below 12pc
Aussie Broadband failed to comply with Singaporean regulations on share purchases when it bought a near 20 per cent stake in rival Superloop in February.
- Exclusive
- Insolvency
Greensill Group insurer allegedly asked Lex Greensill for charity donation
The key insurance man for the collapsed finance firm allegedly blamed “hubris” and “intoxication” for signing up policies that blew past his authorised limits.
Cyclone Megan wreaks havoc on South32 manganese port
Manganese exports from the world’s largest export port in the NT face huge disruptions after a bulk carrier ship damaged a wharf during the high winds and swell.
Uber pays Aussie taxi drivers $272m in class action settlement
Lawyers behind one of the top five class actions in Australian legal history say the US giant will pay compensation for initially operating illegally.
Companies in the News
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Markets
Wave of China money piles into Aussie banks, fuelling rally
Australian banking stocks have been benefiting from a rotation away from Chinese markets, but some analysts argue that has made miners look undervalued.
Meet the hawks warning the RBA may not cut rates this year
Persistent inflation, bubbling wage pressures, weak productivity growth, and stimulus from tax cuts means borrowers may have to wait another year for relief.
Big tech stocks are looking ‘stretched’, warns JPMorgan chief
George Gatch, CEO of JPMorgan Asset Management, says investors should look beyond the “magnificent seven” for more reasonably priced opportunities.
- Analysis
- Investing
Why Hostplus is doing the UK differently
Super funds are pumping money into big, solid infrastructure plays in the UK, but Hostplus has picked out an Oxford nuclear fusion start-up.
This hedge fund is betting big on La Nina’s return
Farrer Capital says looming weather changes could lift Australian cattle prices by up to 50 per cent, it also likes the look of South African maize.
Opinion
Greens’ farming ‘crisis point’ is rubbish
The Greens are using farmers as allies of convenience to pursue their left-wing populist campaign against the supposed price and profit gouging of Coles and Woolworths.
Editorial
Unions target small business through women
Inflexibility over work hours and the right to disconnect will hit women and their small business employers the hardest of all.
Women's advocate
Has the push for female equality gone too far?
Ireland’s failure to modernise constitutional language on the role of women suggests reluctance to go further with equality. What’s going on?
Columnist
Labor is in deep trouble in Queensland
One senior LNP figure says Albanese’s focus on the Voice last year amid a youth crime wave and cost-of-living crisis damaged federal Labor in Queensland more than anywhere else.
Political editor
Dutton’s nuclear plan is all politics
The opposition is more interested in keeping the Nationals in the tent than carbon emissions at bay.
Former Labor minister and economist
CBA wants to corner the $2trn market for household electrification
There is potentially billions of dollars of loans to customers electrifying their homes switching from coal-fired power and gas to solar and battery power.
Contributor
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
How the BOM’s big dry weather forecast cost millions
Farmers and other weather-dependent businesses are lamenting the financial costs due to the Bureau of Meteorology’s big dry warning that turned out to be wrong.
- Updated
- Queensland votes
‘Extremely remote’: Albanese unlikely to win seats in Queensland
The Albanese government is unlikely to gain in Queensland any of the extra seats it may need to avoid minority government after the next election, after a pair of bruising double-digit swings in Queensland byelections.
- Exclusive
- Digital transformation
Why you might be about to see a lot more of this logo
myID, which could become as prominent as Medicare and myGov, will be the online tool Australians use to prove their identity without passports and licences.
LNP looks to capitalise on surging Queensland crime rates
Assault rates in Queensland have more than doubled in four years, with new police data suggesting little change to crime figures so far in 2024.
‘Tip of the iceberg’: new cyber tsar issues warning on attacks
The emergence of new technology such as AI will worsen the risks from cyberattacks, Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness says.
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World
Putin cements hold on power in election with no serious opposition
Vladimir Putin, who came to power in 1999, easily won a new six-year term that would make him Russia’s longest-serving leader for more than 200 years.
Netanyahu defies Western allies over Gaza strategy
The Israeli prime minister vowed to resist the intensifying international pressure, especially from the White House, to delay an offensive into the city of Rafah.
Fed will have to keep rates high for longer, say economists
More than two-thirds of those surveyed in the FT-Chicago Booth poll think the Fed will make two or fewer cuts this year as it struggles with ‘the last mile’.
- Opinion
- East Asia Forum
Crackdown on China’s solar industry casts long shadow
Proving China’s solar supply chains are free from forced labour is onerous, with a lack of trust and transparency on all sides raising geopolitical tensions.
Trump predicts end of US democracy if he loses election
The Republican candidate also praised the people serving sentences for the January 6 riot at the Capitol, calling them “hostages” and “unbelievable patriots”.
Property
These ‘micro’ flats go for $395 a week. Renters can’t get enough
The German-inspired “micro” apartments are in one of the city’s hippest suburbs. And renting for $395 and $440 a week.
Even after COVID boom, builders want fixed-price contracts
An industry body backs the contracts but warns about risks if costs escalate, as a survey shows companies’ “grasp on construction financials remains inadequate”.
Why this semi sold for $300,000 less than a similar home nearby
Is it a property with a flaw or some other compromise? Buyers are becoming choosier, as the vendor of one house in need of a renovation found out.
- Opinion
- Commercial real estate
‘Narrow window’ to snap up commercial property bargains
With institutional capital still watching on the sidelines, smaller investors have the chance to pick up quality assets at discounts as high as 30 per cent.
Cities face cutbacks as commercial real estate prices tumble
Losses from office towers are hitting more than investors. US cities are bearing the brunt too, as municipal budgets are crimped by falling property taxes.
Wealth
How this billionaire is making his staff rich
The recent surge in WiseTech’s share price means Richard White isn’t the only one making money. Staff are sitting on a $320 million fortune.
Superannuation funds have quietly started paying retirement ‘bonuses’
Super funds are paying out millions of dollars in retirement “bonuses”. But what are they, and does your fund offer one?
- Opinion
- Budgeting
The seven mind tricks brands use to keep you spending
Brands use sophisticated tactics to encourage you to spend more.
Technology
- Exclusive
- Social media
‘Only one opinion matters’: Play hardball with Facebook, insider says
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen says the health of Australian newsrooms and its democracy are on the line in the media versus Meta fight.
- Exclusive
- Gadgets
Smart home gadget sales rise despite privacy, cost-of-living worries
New data shows almost three-quarters of Australian households now have at least one connected device. But that doesn’t mean we trust them.
- Exclusive
- Funding
Big media names pour cash into ‘cookie-free’ ad start-up
Media boss Antony Catalano and Seek co-founder Matt Rockman are among investors in a new advertising tech start-up, which eschews privacy-invading cookies.
Work & Careers
Why staff are job hunting more than ever before
The high cost of living has generated rising employee fears about job security and prompted record numbers of people to consider changing jobs, new data shows.
‘Covert’ sex harassment rife at WA mines
The mining industry has a long way to go to stamp out systemic harassment of women, a study has found.
Life & Luxury
The rules have changed: what to wear to your next job interview
When you’re returning to work after a break, what’s the best way to make a great first impression?
Hong Kong’s ugly duckling hotel has been transformed
After a chic makeover, the 1980s Regent in Kowloon has been reborn as a flagship hotel that makes the most of its spectacular harbourside location.
Why these Australian designers make their sofas in the Netherlands
Kate and Joel Booy set up their home and studio in Dordrecht because ‘design is to the Dutch what sport is to Australians’.
Why this producer of Aussie musicals makes his sets in Britain
Tax rebates on up to 40 per cent of production costs incurred in the UK are driving investors away from backing Australian show-makers, the live performance industry claims.
- Opinion
- Lunch with the AFR
‘Asian countries feel their time has come’: why the West must adapt
The best-selling historian Peter Frankopan says that the rise of Asia and rising global temperatures will force the West to rethink its future and its history.
