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Cochlear chief executive Dig Howitt has had a great story to tell investors at recent results.

Can a vaccine slow down the Cochlear train?

Cochlear is firing for investors, but you have to wonder whether everyone’s getting a bit carried away.

Scott Morrison

China can be a democracy: Scott Morrison

The former PM has dismissed the idea that China is unable to become a multiparty democracy, saying there is no “anti-democratic” instinct in the Chinese people.

President Joe Biden, left, and former President Barack Obama arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in New York.

Biden enlists Obama, Clinton for $25m fundraiser event

President Biden, along with Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, arrived for a fundraiser in New York that raised $US25 million, a record for a single political event

Charter Hall swallows 15pc of pubs owner HPI

The property fund manager is already the country’s biggest pubs owner after taking charge of former ASX-listed landlord ALE Group in a $1.7 billion deal three years ago.

Rate fears force home buyers to delay plans

But most are poised to buy within a year – once rates come down and inflation eases.

Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison

“A lot of people feel really let down, and they were very let down, and I am sorry about that,” Bankman Fried told the court.

How this Sydney family turned tech tinkering into a $100m fortune

Self-taught software engineer Dan Houden spent six years working on a product that would catapult Task Group to a $310 million sale.

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Companies

Alva Beach. The Great Barrier Reef has had five mass coral bleaching events in the past eight years.

How the McLaren F1 team is helping save the Great Barrier Reef

British Formula One race team McLaren deployed engineers to help the Great Barrier Reef Foundation speed up its coral spawning program.

The PwC scandal was the biggest business story of 2023.

US regulator fines PwC Australia for late disclosure of leaks scandal

PwC Australia was sanctioned for failing to disclose that it was being investigated for more than a year, in the latest fallout over its tax leaks scandal.

Armaguard rescue deal collapses as Lindsay Fox opts to go alone

The monopoly cash-in-transit business had previously warned it was losing too much money to operate. Now it has assured the RBA it will continue its services.

Westpac plans to invest in its technology systems.

Westpac plots multibillion-dollar tech overhaul to fix decade lag

The project will unite more than a hundred separate systems that have bloated costs since the acquisition of St George during the global financial crisis.

India bans ABC broadcasts on Sikh separatist killing

The broadcasts related to the fallout from the alleged murder of a man whose slaying was linked to the Indian government by Canada’s prime minister.

The mystery of the mansion and the $2.7b bitcoin haul

What were two Chinese women doing in a rented mansion in London with an astronomical amount of cryptocurrency?

Aussie Broadband expected to sell Superloop stock after court setback

The two rival broadband providers are in the midst of a messy legal dispute after Aussie Broadband attempted to acquire its competitor.

Companies in the News

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Markets

Wall Street.

S&P 500 resets record high as price data awaited

All three US benchmarks were little changed pending Friday’s release of a key Federal Reserve inflation metric. Gold resets record high.

The ASX hit a record on Thursday, but the market is split on how much longer it has to run.

ASX richly priced, valuations elevated, warns Perpetual strategist

Perpetual says it does not expect the sharemarket to perform particularly well this year, but there are other fund managers who think it has more to run.

The ASX is poised to open with a rally.

ASX tops record 7900 points; miners, property climb, gold rises

Gold, lithium, iron ore, coal miners gain. Retail sales lift 0.3pc. Ramelius drops takeover bid. Beach Energy to cut 30pc of staff. S&P 500 hits all-time high. Follow here.

Why this fundie is bullish on India and its largest private bank

Stewart Investors’ Sujaya Desai says the market is too conservative about HDFC Bank and names another of her favourite stocks – all the way from Brazil.

Market fears Japanese officials will intervene to stop yen slide

Traders expect authorities to protect the currency if it hits the benchmark ¥152 per US dollar. It has shed more than 7 per cent this year.

Opinion

Bankers cheer as the frozen IPO market shows signs of heating up

Local bankers are celebrating as the US public listing market heats up, but is this simply another sign of a US sharemarket bubble.

Karen Maley

Columnist

Karen Maley

Bank bosses who speak the truth on reform

Tax reform is the cornerstone of rebooting national economic performance because its benefits are so pervasive. Business leaders are rightly taking up the conversation.

The AFR View

Editorial

The AFR View

Why the GST fiasco won’t be fixed

Fights about the distribution of GST revenue aren’t just about the money – they also reflect the political death of major tax reform. It’s a policy fiasco.

A Kennedy might be about to help Trump into the White House

Robert Kennedy jnr’s third-party candidacy could split the vote in key swing states. Polls give him between 2 and 15 per cent of the vote in a three-way race, writes Edward Luce.

Edward Luce

Columnist

Edward Luce

Disgrace turns into love on the cross

Easter offers divine love beyond shame. God, it turns out, is far less judgmental than we are.

Michael P Jensen

Faith leader

Michael P Jensen

It’s the Malaysia Plan all over again

One can only imagine the reaction if Labor was in opposition and had done the same thing.

Phillip Coorey

Political editor

Phillip Coorey

Reports

AI’s brave new world

Artificial intelligence is being used by hackers to create ever more convincing fakes, but the technology is also giving our leading companies an edge.

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Politics

Senators Jacqui Lambie and Tammy Tyrrell have parted ways.

Tammy Tyrrell goes solo, quits Jacqui Lambie Network

Senator Tyrrell made the shock resignation announcement late on Thursday, citing a rift between herself and party leader Jacqui Lambie.

Business fears Fair Work intervention in power closures

Business groups fear Labor’s Net Zero Transition Authority legislation will expose them to union-initiated disputes as coal- and gas-fired power stations close.

Rebuilding wine sales in China to take time: minister

Assistant Trade Minister Tim Ayres welcomed China’s removal of tariffs on Australian wine but said rebuilding the $1.1 billion trade will take time.

China removes punishing tariffs on Australian wine trade

Beijing says the restrictions, which had devastated local winemakers, will be removed on Friday, and big producers have applauded the change.

‘Bad old days are back’: Albanese warned about his $1b solar push

Previous attempts at boosting solar panel manufacturing in Australia have failed. Experts and economists question why this time will be any different.

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World

Princess Catherine and the power of a cancer diagnosis

This year began as an annus horribilis for the royal family, but compassion coupled with a respectful fear of cancer, changed the narrative.

Sam Bankman-Fried sits during his sentencing in a Manhattan federal court.

Bankman-Fried’s jailing a warning shot to crypto industry

The 25-year sentence for the former crypto mogul sends a crucial message to an industry that’s still yet to complete the clean-up it sorely needs, writes Lionel Laurent.

Consumer spending — which accounts for two-thirds of GDP — rose at a 3.3 per cent rate amid stronger spending on health care and financial services.

US economy advanced at upwardly revised 3.4pc in fourth quarter

The US government’s two main measures of economic activity posted strong advances at the end of last year, pointing to enduring strength.

China’s trade coercion tactics on ice as wine tariffs removed

With their end, Australia is being lauded as an example in other sanction-hit countries like Japan, Korea and Taiwan of how to stand up to Beijing’s bullying.

Trump is richer than ever but still desperate for cash

The former president’s fortune on paper has vaulted to $US7.2 billion thanks to his newly public media company, but legal strains threaten his finances.

Property

Charter Hall swallows 15pc of pubs owner HPI

The property fund manager is already the country’s biggest pubs owner after taking charge of former ASX-listed landlord ALE Group in a $1.7 billion deal three years ago.

Developers find easy targets among cash-strapped golf clubs

They take up swaths of land and face big bills to renovate and keep courses in order. Could surplus golfing greens help solve the housing shortage?

Ghassan Aboud at the Crystalbrook Albion hotel in Surry Hills,

Dubai billionaire brings luxury hotel brand to Canberra in $200m deal

Ghassan Aboud will open the first Crystalbrook Collection hotel in Canberra in 2027 and is keen to take the Aussie-grown luxury brand overseas.

Rate fears force home buyers to delay plans

But most are poised to buy within a year – once rates come down and inflation eases.

Melbourne’s medium-density housing miracle

A 14-apartment development won local approval by mimicking the scale of a local church building. Can it be repeated elsewhere?

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Wealth

We asked 11 experts where they would invest $1 million.

Where to invest $1 million

We asked 11 experts where they would invest $1 million to earn serious returns; then we asked them to nominate an indulgence spend.

The mystery of the mansion and the $2.7b bitcoin haul

What were two Chinese women doing in a rented mansion in London with an astronomical amount of cryptocurrency?

Inside the Queensland family office making 15pc

Meet a mango farmer managing billions who will back anything except private equity.

Technology

Evie Networks charging business head Bernhard Conoplia said owners should consider fully charging their cars before travelling.

About to go on an Easter drive in your EV? Here’s a warning

The alert comes after green car sales more than doubled in Australia last year and as some experts say the nation’s charging network has yet to catch up.

Epic battle with Apple and Google heads into the wilds

In a light-hearted exchange, a Federal Court judge says a willingness to be shot at in a game may help you with installing the game in the first place.

iPhone will be ‘degraded’ if Epic wins court case, Apple warns

New laws in Europe mean iPhone users there are already facing all manner of new threats to their safety.

Work & Careers

Last month, the senior partners re-elected Global Managing Partner Bob Sternfels for a further three years.

Win promotion in 2½ years or go, McKinsey now tells consultants

The company is raising the “up or out” pressure on staff as the global industry struggles following several years of aggressive hiring.

Poor kids who choose the IB do better than rich kids who don’t: study

Jasmine Werneberg says the International Baccalaureate she did at high school was more academically rigorous than her business-law degree at university.

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Life & Luxury

Think you know this week’s news? Answer these 10 questions

Have you been paying attention this week? Test your knowledge across politics, business and world news.

Common hormones used for contraception linked to brain tumours

Experts say a new French study should be a timely reminder to women to review their contraceptive needs periodically.

Billy Bourchier play Tony and Nina Korbe is Maria in Opera Australia’s re-staging of West Side Story on Sydney Harbour.

Seven must-see shows in April

From West Side Story’s Tony and Maria on Sydney Harbour to Tom Gleeson’s return to stand-up in Melbourne, entertainment options are hot next month.

This week’s edits of lovely little luxuries: faded leather to champagne

From a reimagined Hermès work bag to a clever way to transport your French champagne, we have inspired suggestions for you.

The lovely colonial cornices and world-famous hospitality have changed little in Raffles’ 137 years.

Here’s what you get in a $1700 butler-serviced hotel room

At Singapore’s legendary Raffles Hotel, butlers are expected to anticipate your needs.

From the gallery