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    AI will spark $US1 trillion of investment, but what about the earnings?

    This is what could spark the next market correction

    Scepticism around how AI investment will translate into earnings is starting to build. That’s a worry given how heavily the market is invested in tech.

    The price of peace? Big builders are hanging on to thin profit margins on costly union-controlled projects.

    Fear of CFMEU reprisals keeps building bosses silent

    Major builders and developers say union power is driving up the cost of housing and infrastructure projects, and they don’t want more trouble on their sites.

    Callide in Biloela, Queensland, will be one of two plants transformed to nuclear under Peter Dutton’s proposal.

    Qld premier raises problem of water risk under Dutton’s nuclear plan

    Labor Premier Steven Miles has quoted a new report outlining the need for a state-based plebiscite to adopt the Coalition’s nuclear plan.

    There’s no point dwelling on AUKUS paths not taken

    Questioning the “optimal pathway” because personal preferences have been ignored is akin to the “airing of grievances” by Seinfeld’s Frank Constanza, writes Justin Burke.

    ASIC hits ASX pump-and-dump crew with criminal charges

    The corporate cop has hit the alleged ring leaders of an ASX penny stock pump and dump scheme with criminal charges that could come with millions in fines.

    ASX rises as tech stocks bounce; Woodside hits one-month low

    Australian shares open higher. Nvidia, Tesla pace a megacap tech rally. $A hits 1-month low. Copper hits a 3-month low. Follow updates here.

    Harris secures Democratic majority needed to be nominee

    Survey finds Kamala Harris has enough Democratic delegate support to become new nominee; Joe Biden will return to Washington; Campaign raises record-breaking $122 million. How the day unfolded.

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    RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE

    Michelle Obama, pictured with her mother, Marian Robinson, in 2012, is considered the most popular first lady in US history.

    Why only Michelle Obama could beat Trump

    The former first lady would be a “slam-dunk option for the Democrats”, according to polls. But is she up for the challenge?

    Kamala Harris’ approval rating has fallen below that of Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

    Trump will relish a fight against ‘DEI candidate’ Harris

    The former president would clearly have preferred to cruise to victory against Joe Biden, but Republicans have always had plenty of attack lines to launch against the vice president.

    Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

    Trump faces harsh new reality in White House race

    The Republicans’ fight against Kamala Harris for the presidency risks losing traction with some key constituencies, including women and voters of colour.

    Why Donald Trump’s perfect target is ‘woke’ Kamala Harris

    The election centres on who scares voters the most. Republicans fear Kamala Harris will target white men, while Democrats say Donald Trump is a would-be dictator, writes Gideon Rachman.

    Kamala Harris swiftly clinches backing for White House run

    The vice president secured support from influential Democrat Nancy Pelosi and other stalwarts across the party as money poured into her campaign war chest.

    tuesday tech

    Sam Kroonenburg says he sees a similar convergence of technology capability and market opportunity for Cuttable, that he enjoyed with A Cloud Guru.

    Aussie who sold cloud start-up for $2b jumps on AI for ads

    Three years after selling A Cloud Guru in a bumper payday, Sam Kroonenburg is teaming up with advertising entrepreneurs with big plans and investors in tow.

    Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil is leading the government’s cybersecurity efforts in cabinet.

    Cyber is our fastest growing national security threat: O’Neil

    The Home Affairs Minister says Labor’s plans to boost Australia’s defences against increasing online risks are already delivering results.

    CrowdStrike shares are down, but its long-term prospects look fine, according to investment experts.

    Why investors see an opportunity in CrowdStrike shares

    Australian stock pickers say a plunge in CrowdStrike’s shares after it caused a global outage represents a buying opportunity, with slim cyber pickings on the ASX.

    Huge cyber fines to be ‘Ford Pinto’ moment Australian business needs

    The threat of business-crushing penalties could change the economics of storing sensitive data and cybersecurity investment.

    Why business is left helpless when big tech stuffs up

    Experts say there is little most organisations can do to avoid future calamities like the CrowdStrike outage, but Australia’s emergency responses are improving.

    Get the front page and latest edition of the Financial Review as it was printed, delivered to your inbox every morning.

    Sign up for the Today’s Paper newsletter

    Companies

    Mark Korda was named Collingwood president on Wednesday.

    KordaMentha makes play for Canberra consulting work

    KordaMentha has joined Oliver Wyman in setting up a Canberra office to take advantage of the gap left by the big four.

    Clients of consulting firms associate high fees with better service.

    Why bigger bills equal better value for consulting clients

    This ‘designer handbag effect’ is well known in consumer goods, but the same could apply to large professional services firms.

    Star Sydney is unlikely to regain its casino licence in NSW.

    The top 10 deals where bankers won big fees in the past year

    The country’s largest investment banks shared in an estimated $600 million payday – from capital raisings to IPOs in everything from NextDC to the ailing Star.

    Anthony Heraghty, Super Retail Group CEO speaking at Macquarie’s 26th annual Australia Conference has never spoken publicly about his relationship with Jane Kelly.

    Claims of Super Retail office relationship cover-up head to court

    Two former senior executives have filed their Fair Work action, alleging they were unfairly dismissed from the company behind the Rebel Sport chain.

    Rinehart-backed Arafura locks in $1.5b debt deal, chases $1.2b raise

    The company is developing a rare earths refinery in the Northern Territory, defying concerns about pricing to win backing from Canada, Germany and South Korea.

    EnergyConnect exit leaves just months to turn around crucial grid link

    Elecnor, the Spanish contractor building part of the key link needed for the transition away from coal power, is expected to cease its involvement by the end of September.

    Woodside splashes $1.35b in the US to become ‘global LNG powerhouse’

    The acquisition of Tellurian will give the ASX-listed oil and gas company a foothold to develop exports in the booming US market for shipping natural gas.

    Companies in the News

    Search companies

    View stories and data from an ASX listed company

    Markets

    Ether has soared 50 per cent this year on ETF hopes.

    US regulators approve ether ETF in latest crypto milestone

    The SEC has signed off on a spot ETF that invests directly in the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency. The digital asset has already jumped 50 per cent this year.

    Biden’s exit sends investors rushing to readjust ‘Trump trades’

    Traders have poured into gold and are recalibrating their equities positions as a reset of the US presidential election creates uncertainty in the markets.

    The New York Stock Exchange.

    What happened overnight? The S&P 500 rebounded on Nvidia, Tesla

    Australian shares were set to open higher as US investors opted to buy after last week’s tech-paced sell-off. Commodities slipped.

    Trump v Harris: Seven ASX stocks to play the US election

    Forget speculative Trump trades, the ramifications for Australian investors from the US election are likely to be much bigger. 

    Geoff Wilson battles against renewed push for virtual AGMs

    The veteran fund manager has launched a fresh campaign with the backing of his 130,000 retail investors to save the physical annual meeting.

    Opinion

    The land of the fair go is taxing social mobility

    Antiquated over-reliance on income taxes means that if you do manage to succeed, Australia then taxes that success heavily.

    Richard Holden

    Economics professor

    Richard Holden

    Why Donald Trump’s perfect target is ‘woke’ Kamala Harris

    The election centres on who scares US voters the most. Republicans fear Harris will target white men, while Democrats say Trump is a would-be dictator.

    Albanese can’t afford distractions now

    The prime minister has to shrug off culture wars and Green taunts to focus relentlessly on an improving economy.

    Craig Emerson

    Former Labor minister and economist

    Craig Emerson

    Why Biden’s decision may be too late

    The president risks being remembered for having provided Donald Trump the opening to retake the White House in November.

    Biden exits the Democrat dog’s breakfast

    The question for Democrat hardheads will be whether Kamala Harris is a sufficiently compelling candidate to stop Donald Trump returning to the White House.

    The AFR View

    Editorial

    The AFR View

    It’s late in the day to sell Kamala Harris to America

    US elections are decided by who shows up to vote. There is only the narrowest of windows to enthuse the public about a new candidate before November.

    Emma Doyle

    US political commentator

    Emma Doyle

    Reports

    Cybersecurity and AI

    The federal government lays out plans to help boost the nation’s cyber defences, while experts outline steps to stay safe.

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    Politics

    Russian ambassador to Australia Alexey Pavlovsky speaking at his residence on Thursday.

    Russia spying? Don’t be so paranoid, Kremlin envoy says

    Moscow’s ambassador in Canberra says the espionage arrests of a Russian couple living in Australia is like an episode of TV show ’The Americans;, and it’s actually Russians who are unsafe.

    CFMEU and Cbus illo for Building Bad investigation.

    CFMEU boss allegedly boasted of corrupt connections to $94b Cbus

    Police allege a CFMEU official told corrupt building firms he could secure them lucrative jobs on projects financed by the superannuation giant.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

    Albanese digs in amid calls for tougher action against CFMEU

    PM says the ABCC failed to curb union militancy when it existed, and that the police were best placed to combat criminal behaviour.

    King sets up infrastructure project review amid CFMEU scandal

    Infrastructure Minister Catherine King has directed her department to review major construction projects including the Western Sydney Airport and Inland Rail. 

    Stressed teens would rather finish school with no ATAR than sit exams

    Students at co-educational schools reported the highest scores on emotional and mental wellbeing, and girls-only school students the lowest.

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    World

    Kolin Burges holds up a placard in protest in 2014 after more than 700,000 bitcoins went missing.

    How a motley crew of investors won back $14b in bitcoin

    For more than a decade, creditors of collapsed crypto exchange Mt Gox pushed back on Japan’s bankruptcy laws. Their efforts have paid off, big time, in bitcoin.

    China’s Third Plenum outlined economic reforms but there was little detail.

    China cuts key interest rate after Xi’s top meet disappoints

    China surprised markets with interest rate cuts on Monday, in efforts to boost growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

     People openly identifying as Nazis were social outcasts at the start of the last decade; now they can become social media icons.

    Did ‘meme magic’ create the American extreme right?

    A new book, ‘Black Pill’, looks at the world of neo-Nazis and the way in which the online world has spilled into the real one.

    China and the Philippines sign deal to avert clashes at sea

    The rare deal with the Philippines sparks hope that similar arrangements could be forged by Beijing with other countries to avoid clashes while thorny territorial issues remain unresolved.

    Big donors swing behind Kamala Harris with $41m

    The vice-president is vetting potential running mates as she secures support from major Democratic Party funders.

    Property

    Home values in some inner Melbourne suburbs such as Brunswick West rose by 2.5 per cent in the past three months, reversing sharp declines in the previous quarter according to CoreLogic.

    Why Melbourne could beat other cities in the next housing upturn

    Melbourne’s prolonged downturn is priming the city for a strong rebound when interest rates fall, experts say.

    Getting the house in order: AustralianSuper CEO Paul Schroder, Hesta CEO Debby Blakey, Assemble MD Kris Daff  and Assemble CEO Carolyn Viney.

    AustralianSuper, Hesta look to supercharge housing investment

    The industry super fund giants have taken shared ownership of Assemble, which develops affordable rental and for-sale housing.

    Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is an official supporter of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and has created Olympics-related experiences at its shopping centres in Paris. 

    Westfield’s Paris shopping centres bid for an Olympic leg-up

    Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, the owner of Westfield malls in Europe, is looking for a spurt of extra visitors and a profit boost for its convention centres.

    In this city, some home owners want to sell to locals only

    Interstate investors are being overlooked to give locals a chance to enter Western Australia’s booming property market.

    Historic pub to close after Rich Lister sells building, keeps pokies

    Pub and pokies baron Bruce Mathieson exchanged contracts to buy the Captain Cook Hotel for $13.5m in late 2022. His BLM Group sold it this month for $6.6m.

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    Wealth

    Rachel Wastell, personal finance expert at Mozo, says to watch out for the loyalty tax.

    The $1 rule that can save you hundreds on your mobile phone

    Telstra’s decision to raise its plan prices above inflation is a wake-up call to Australians to shop around for a better deal on their mobile phone, savings experts say.

    How to spot a good – or bad – private credit fund

    Growth in non-bank lending presents new opportunities for investors. But with higher returns comes added risk.

    Revealed: Which super funds rate the best – and worst – for retirement

    Superannuation funds are going backwards in terms of preparing their customers for retirement, new research shows.

    Technology

    Samsung plans different shape for AI phones

    Regular phones have peaked, but AI phones are going to need new shapes and sizes, says Samsung’s Mobile president, and it is already working on them.

    The CrowdStrike IT outage affected everything from airlines to supermarkets.

    Global IT outage the wake-up call we needed

    We can’t rely on luck to avoid these scenarios. We have to face the hard truths of cyberspace and to finally do something about them, writes Katherine Mansted.

    The digital paralysis rapidly spread around the world causing massive disruption at banks, airports, hospitals, television stations and many other organisations.

    Digital paralysis shows the dangers of e-globalisation

    Globalisation may be slowing, but e-globalisation is still accelerating. It is essential that, as far as possible, its dangers are minimised.

    Work & Careers

    This top fundie used to peel four sacks of potatoes every Friday

    Ausbil Investment Management’s Paul Xiradis says it’s at the fish market that he probably got involved in markets, understanding how they’re priced and cleared.

    From selling vacuum cleaners to running Booking.com in Australia at 33

    Tod Lacey is one of the 2024 BOSS Young Executives. His first proper job was selling vacuum cleaners at a department store in Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island.

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    Life & Luxury

    New wave of Chinese watchmakers takes on the Swiss giants

    Thanks to the growing influence of young independents, watchmaking in China is no longer just a case of mass production.

    The boy is eating different fruits on the terrace.

    How to nail the 30-plants-a-week meal challenge

    A major study found that the greater number of plants a person ate, the healthier they were. So we had a crack at it.

    Sarah Wilson.

    ‘Paris is the perfect place for older women’

    Sarah Wilson is living her dream life in a city she says treasures lively arguments and genuine curiosity over wealth and property. This is how she spends her weekends.

    What Michael Kirby makes of the law school building named in his honour

    The new Macquarie University Law School, designed by architectural practice Hassell, brings the legal faculty to the centre of the campus and into the light.

    Kendall Jenner is seen on a shoot for Calvin Klein on October 08, 2023 in New York

    Gen Z tells me I’m wearing my socks wrong. Am I?

    First, Gen Z came for our skinny jeans. Now, they’ve really gone below the belt. Is no Millennial safe?

    From the gallery