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    The search is on for Australia’s fastest growing companies.

    Enter now.

    Paul Keating.

    Keating warns on Labor’s $3m super tax

    Jim Chalmers’ refusal to index the $3 million threshold for the tax hit has been described as “unconscionable” by Paul Keating in private talks with the industry.

    Fed boss Jerome Powell in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

    ‘Time has come’: Powell says Fed must cut rates

    Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said “the direction of travel is clear” and markets leapt anticipating an interest rate cut next month.

    S&P 500, $A, bitcoin rally after Powell cements rate pivot

    US stocks were higher after the Federal Reserve boss said the time “has come” to cut interest rates. $A nears US68¢. Bitcoin tops $US64,000. Tesla, Nvidia pace tech.

    Rate cuts locked in, but be careful what you wish for

    Jerome Powell gave the market the green light on rate cuts, and stocks rallied. But investors’ extreme positioning ignores an unpredictable market backdrop. 

    CFMEU fights back against administration

    The union is outraged over the dramatic move to force it into administration, with delegates organising walk-outs and some officials refusing to step aside.

    Union boss, husband accused of pocketing cash in $2.7m scheme

    The Fair Work Commission launched legal action against Health Workers Union boss Diana Asmar, her husband and other officials in her branch.

    This complex AUKUS sub has Xbox controllers for its periscopes

    The multi-billion dollar nuclear submarine USS Hawaii was steered into Perth this week with a 26-year-old Queenslander named Will at the helm.

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    weekend reads

    Mike Lynch is one of Britain’s best-known and most controversial technology entrepreneurs.

    Mike Lynch died just as he was planning his ‘second life’

    The billionaire British tech tycoon loved to appear ruthless but was quick to help those in need.

    RBA deputy governor Andrew Hauser speaking in Brisbane on August 12.

    Uproar over RBA deputy’s speech reveals a lot about Australia

    What was supposed to be a measured commentary on economic uncertainty ended up offending economists, politicians and commentators. But did they miss the point?

    Universities say caps on international students could send them broke, while others disagree.

    Sledgehammer to crack a walnut: Why caps are not the fix for unis

    Universities have plenty of problems, but plans to limit international students look like a political answer to a much more complex problem.

    How Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively took control of Hollywood

    This Millennial power couple have matched the success of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore in the 1990s with films topping the box office take.

    For Kamala Harris, just being ‘presidential’ might be enough

    The fight for voters is less about a revolution than the vice president presenting herself as a viable alternative to Trump and as a safe pair of hands for the country.

    The best of travel, fashion, cars and more, straight to your inbox every Saturday.

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    Companies

    ANZ boss Shayne Elliott is dealing with the fall-out of the bond trading scandal.

    APRA slaps ANZ with tougher capital charge, board warning

    The regulator has forced an extra $250 million capital charge on the bank as the bond trading and workplace culture scandals take a toll on the company.

    beer illo

    The big names to watch as craft beer stages a comeback

    Comedians, UFC fighters, an ex-NAB chief executive and an NRL superstar are among those backing craft brewers in tough times. There’s plenty of fight left in the industry, with diversification into ready-to-drink spirits one of the weapons.

    Accent Group CEO Daniel Agostinelli said sales  early in the new year have climbed nearly 9 per cent.

    Blundy’s Accent Group misses lofty expectations

    After a tough 2023-24 when sales rose just 2.4 per cent and earnings fell, the new year began slower than investors expected, pushing shares down 16 per cent.

    Fisher & Paykel Healthcare chief executive Lewis Gradon says demand for its products is returning to normal as hospitalisations rise.

    Fisher & Paykel ups earnings guidance as hospital rates rise

    The New Zealand company says margin improvements and growing demand for its products from hospitals is driving earnings.

    CBA cuts interest rates for new borrowers

    The country’s largest lender lowered variable rates for new owner-occupiers by 0.25 of a percentage point, and up to 0.35 for some investment loans.

    SQM warns of price barrier beyond lithium JV with Rinehart

    Lithium heavyweight SQM says new projects are not viable at today’s prices just months after joining a major WA acquisition and the start of production at the Mt Holland mine.

    Forrest scores win in US Facebook scam ads case

    Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest will now get chance to examine internal Meta documents and its AI software in his bid to prove Facebook helps scammers create fake ads featuring him.

    Companies in the News

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    Markets

    A rate cut next month is seen as a given, with the highest probability on 25 basis points.

    Wall Street sees strong case for quarter-point cut

    For the Federal Reserve to cut rates by 50 basis points, most economists and strategists think August’s jobs report will have to be a major disappointment.

    Jensen Huang. Reports of a delay in the rollout of Nvidia’s next generation Blackwell chips has worried some investors.

    Former Nvidia bulls sell down ahead of next week’s result

    The AI darling has consistently smashed analysts’ expectations, but some fund managers warn the days of massive beats could be over.

    Barrenjoey chief economist Jo Masters says the NZ economy is incredibly challenging, but expects the slowdown will be softened by a series of rate cuts.

    NZ gloom weighs on ASX-listed companies

    Earnings season has revealed how tough conditions are in New Zealand. The question is what that means for Australia.

    Why Australian bonds are flashing red for more job losses

    Traders are betting the Australian economy may have bigger hurdles ahead than the Reserve Bank of Australia has forecast.

    Why fundies are starting to hate these 10 ASX darlings

    It’s always a battle to beat the index and passive flows, but the market has crowded into a narrow group of winners that now look expensive.

    Opinion

    CFMEU’s administration orders biggest event in construction since 1986

    Many industry leaders believe the CFMEU being out into administration has the potential to radically reshape the construction industry.

    David Marin-Guzman

    Workplace correspondent

    David Marin-Guzman

    Democrats put Donald Trump on notice

    Vice President Kamala Harris has been miraculously reborn as the candidate of change, of a new generation, of hope and light against the old, dark, divisive past.

    Harris and Trump policies will only do more economic harm

    Both US presidential candidates are offering counter-productive or fringe policies. That is bad for the US and the world.

    The AFR View

    Editorial

    The AFR View

    After the convention, Harris has to turn the vibe into votes

    The more the vice president has to campaign on policy rather than personality, the harder it is to keep the Democrats’ fractious voter base together.

    Emma Doyle

    US political commentator

    Emma Doyle

    It’s time to civilise the inquisition of Senate estimates

    Hearings that were meant to drill into policy detail have become a scattergun questioning of officials used to settle scores, or make cheap political points.

    Laura Tingle

    Columnist

    Laura Tingle

    Mark Scott failed to lead when radicals took over Sydney campus

    The University of Sydney vice chancellor has sent the clearest possible message: he is prepared to accept some violence and hatred to appease extremists who threaten more violence and hatred.

    Jeremy Leibler

    Contributor

    Jeremy Leibler

    Reports

    Higher Education Awards

    The Higher Education Awards highlight the tremendous contribution that the Higher Education sector makes to Australian capability, prosperity and society.

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    Politics

    Palestinians evacuate Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, as part of a mass evacuation ordered by the Israeli military ahead of an operation, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024.

    Why Gaza visa attacks could backfire on the Coalition

    The opposition is focusing on Gazan visas to chip away at Labor’s national security credentials – but do voters even care while hip pocket pain remains acute?

    Judge Salvatore Vasta, left, and High Court Justice Robert Beech-Jones

    High Court asks: If a judge punched a lawyer, could anyone be sued?

    The question of what a judge has to do in order to be sued was at the heart of a High Court hearing that pondered a $300,000 payout against a judge for wrongly jailing a family law litigant.

    Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor and  Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

    Coalition not convinced on RBA board split

    Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor is hosing down expectations of a deal on the government’s stalled reforms to the central bank.

    Domestic violence calls for help going unanswered: report

    Crisis support services are so stretched that some victims never receive a response, an expert review has told the government. 

    Tough fight for Labor in Northern Territory election

    Chief Minister Eva Lawler promises focus on crime and economic growth if she wins Saturday’s election, but Country Liberal Party’s Lia Finocchiaro says there is a mood for change.

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    World

    Kamala Harris warned against electing Donald Trump to the White House again.

    Harris pledges ‘new way forward’ after ‘dangerous’ Trump

    Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted her party’s nomination in a speech that pledged to protect Americans from people like Donald Trump.

    RFK Jr pulls out.

    RFK Jr ends US presidential campaign, endorses Trump

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr abandoned a campaign that he began as a Democrat trading on one of the most famous names in American politics.

    Hannah and Mike Lynch, who both died when the superyacht Bayesian sank in a storm.

    Final body recovered from sunken superyacht off Sicily

    Hannah Lynch, the teenage daughter of British IT tycoon Mike Lynch, was the last person unaccounted for after her family’s superyacht sank four days ago.

    Jake Sullivan to make first China visit as US national security adviser

    The national security adviser’s visit is part of a broader effort to stabilise the relationship between the two superpowers.

    China halts new steel plants as crisis-hit industry reels

    China’s steel-industry woes have deepened in recent months, and a warning last week of worse to come put Australia’s iron ore miners on notice.

    Property

    Cathedrals of the 21st century: Victoria Cross Station on the new Sydney metro.

    How Sydney Metro’s architects made train stations people actually like

    The “cathedrals of the 21st century” have united Sydney’s tastemakers and commuters, who marvelled at their new Metro line this week.

    Once completed, the Neville Bonner Bridge will connect South Bank’s cultural precinct with the top end of the CBD.

    Queen’s Wharf opening to revive Brisbane – and Star Entertainment

    After years under construction and a stream of opening delays, Brisbane’s mega $3.6 billion resort and casino complex will finally fling open its doors next week.

    How this lifestyle queen sealed $80m house deal

    The outgoing owner of iconic eastern suburbs mansion Alcooringa, Stephanie Conley Buhre, reveals how the landmark property’s sale came about.

    MaxCap boss relists landmark Prahran mansion with $1m discount

    The non-bank lender’s co-founder Wayne Lasky and his wife Tam have listed their landmark Melbourne estate for the second time.

    Woollahra’s $19.5m fairytale mansion quietly joins spring prestige market

    One of the suburb’s prettiest homes, Roslyndale, is up for sale as a handful of hefty listings are set to test the spring market.

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    Wealth

    Opposition to the bill has largely centred on its impact on farmers but it is wealthy inner-city residents that will be most affected by the new tax.

    What advisers are telling clients about the $3 million super tax

    Financial advisers are urging parliament to resolve the super tax standoff to give wealthy clients enough time to adjust to the changes.

    Can I get a mortgage without a credit score?

    Credit scores are a shortcut used by credit providers to assess your history in repaying debt. But what happens if you don’t have one?

    How to work less, help the kids and do the job you always wanted

    A transition to retirement pension offers opportunities to revamp your lifestyle, pay down debt or gift a home deposit. Here’s how to take advantage.

    Technology

    The iPhone 15 was released almost a year ago.

    Apple targets September 10 debut for new iPhones, AirPods and watches

    The unveiling will be followed by the phones going on sale September 20, in line with Apple’s typical approach in recent years.

    Credit and payments fintech Shift raises $35m

    The Funded blog is the home for news on the tech deals that are done in Australia, as soon as we hear about them.

    Uber couldn’t make the carsharing business model work, and will close down the service.

    Uber targets car rentals after Carshare failure

    Uber has blamed a blow-out in operational costs for the failure of its Carshare service, which will cease business from September 12.

    Work & Careers

    The right to disconnect starts on Monday. Here’s what you need to know

    Contrary to what some people think, it does not mean a blanket ban on employers contacting their staff after hours.

    Court’s landmark ‘trans women are women’ verdict lauded

    Booting a transgender woman from an exclusive app for being insufficiently female constitutes unlawful discrimination, a judge has found in a landmark gender-identity case.

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    Life & Luxury

    Sarah Brightman

    Sharing a $6.40 birthday cake with star Sarah Brightman

    The world-famous performer is not too grand to enjoy a treat from Woolies as she promotes her role in Sunset Boulevard.

    Channing Tatum as Slater King, a tech bro trying to rehabilitate his reputation.

    Blink Twice film review – billionaires behaving badly

    Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut stars Channing Tatum as a tech bro with dark predilections.

    Jools Lebron has blown up the internet with her video about how to dress for work.

    When you go to work are you demure and mindful?

    A viral video of advice on how to dress for the office has sparked a social media storm and turned its creator into a hot property.

    Jack Black in a scene from the movie School of Rock, which the musical is based on.

    Why we are surrounded by kidults

    In rich countries there has been a dramatic fall in the share of people who, by the age of 30, have attained the traditional markers of adulthood: leaving home, becoming financially independent, getting married, having a child.

    Rolling a cask at the warehouse, Ardbeg Distillery, Isle of Islay, Inner Hebrides, Scotland.

    Four remarkable whiskies, all matured differently

    If the cask matters to you, compare the difference in these intriguing spirits, from Australia, France and Scotland.

    From the gallery