- Exclusive
- Health insurance
Healthscope forces big insurers to cough up to repair its profits
Medibank Private, NIB and HCF have agreed to out-of-cycle funding payments in the “tens of millions of dollars” for the Brookfield-owned hospital group.
- Opinion
- Energy transition
Record weeks for renewables blow up Dutton’s nuclear con
The record high of low-cost wind and solar in the grid comes as we are still waiting for the costing on the Coalition’s plan to nationalise the eye-watering cost of seven nuclear plants.
Aged care overhaul to push more cost onto self-funded retirees
A “user pays” overhaul of the aged care funding system will come into effect from July 1 next year, following agreement between the government and the opposition.
- Exclusive
- Insolvency
Rex accused of stealing planes from Arizona aircraft graveyard
The lawsuit, filed by American leasing company Jet Midwest, adds a twist to the regional carrier’s tortured demise. Rex entered administration in July.
- Exclusive
- Construction
Up to 10,500 homes in NSW being built by ‘risky players’
Former NSW building commissioner David Chandler says the regulator, which initially focused on apartments, is only now getting to grips with detached home building.
Fundies ring the bell on lithium prices after protracted rout
The rebound in ASX lithium stocks extended into Thursday’s session, with traders scrambling to reposition for further gains in prices for producers.
Teal Tink to run again after seat abolished, but will avoid Steggall
Kylea Tink said she would decide her political future in coming weeks, promising not to cannibalise parliament’s crossbench.
The best of travel, fashion, cars and more, straight to your inbox every Saturday.
The best of travel, fashion, cars and more, straight to your inbox every Saturday.
Companies
Lithium will be a rollercoaster for next 10 years: IGO boss
Ivan Vella says his company will capitalise on extremely volatile prices for the battery material over the next decade and add a new mineral to its portfolio.
- Updated
- Media & marketing
Sneesby steps down as Nine CEO
Mike Sneesby’s resignation comes at a critical time for the media giant, which is conducting a review into workplace culture while juggling a decline in advertising.
Qantas executive pay falls 40pc, Alan Joyce pockets $3m
The airline has changed the way it pays and claws back bonuses after a stinging rebuke of its remuneration report from shareholders.
- Exclusive
- Casinos
Star’s lenders offer $150m lifeline as casino fights for survival
The gaming group, which operates in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, has been in turmoil since its shares were suspended from trade earlier this month.
MinRes calls bottom on lithium as price pain spreads to China
Lithium stocks have bounced as rock-bottom prices finally take their toll on one of China’s biggest integrated miners and battery makers.
- Exclusive
- Mining
Union wants BHP to pay $10,000 annual bonuses to iron ore workers
The $10,000 retention bonus is part of a log of claims presented to BHP on Wednesday as unions seek to retake the Pilbara.
- Exclusive
- Education
Grok Academy’s founder resigns with workplace investigation under way
The free technology education group championed by billionaire businessman Richard White has already made the majority of its staff redundant.
Companies in the News
Search companies
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Markets
ASX clocks best day in a month as uranium, lithium miners soar
Shares gain; Brickworks hit by property slowdown; Beston Food receives bid; Crescent sells ACL stake; Nine & NIB chiefs exit; BHP, Perpetual trade ex-dividend. Follow updates here.
Investors bet big on vanishing bank hybrids
Prices of the Australian securities have rallied after the regulator announced plans to get rid of the “risky instrument” but investors question the drastic move.
OpenAI in fundraising talks that would value it at $225b
The ChatGPT maker is in talks with investors including Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia to raise $US6.5 billion, as the artificial intelligence race continues.
US inflation hits three-year low as Fed prepares for rate cuts
Traders now more confident of a 0.25 of one percentage point reduction as consumer prices eased again. But the economy still looms large in the US election.
US bond market’s bet on a half-point rate cut is over
Swap traders have fully priced in a quarter-point interest rate reduction at the Federal Reserve’s policy announcement next week.
Opinion
There’s a straightforward way to clear RBA board logjam
An alternative structure for the new monetary-policy-setting board could satisfy Labor and the concerns of the Coalition and former governors.
Economist
Economists have lost their power. Here’s how to fix it
Economists can be a necessary “pain in the arse” in public debates. But policymakers have stopped listening, and the influence of the profession depends on providing practical advice.
Economist
A polarised America is yet to turn the page on the Trump show
What the debate ultimately underlined is why the election will be close in what remains a divided country.
Editorial
Harris, Trump present contrasting versions of America’s destiny
The vice president laced her rhetoric on foreign policy with the triumphalism that Democrats have now adopted with more gusto than their Republican opponents.
International editor
Bill Shorten’s Labor legacy: tax, spend and a broken NDIS
Beyond the NDIS blowout, Shorten failed to build a new Labor economic growth project that was more aspirational for hard-working and over-taxed wage earners.
Economics editor
Bank profits are the price of trust, and bitcoin proves it
One way to think about part of the profits that banks make is that it’s the cost of providing trust. But first you need to understand how blockchains work.
Economics professor
Reports
Clean Energy - the bumpy transition
This special report looks at how Australia is tracking to meet net zero goals, and the new technology that can help us get there.
Politics
Veterans lash Marles for stripping medals over war crimes probe
Most of the military officers who will lose their medals are junior and not accused of war crimes themselves, as the government seeks to close the book on a war crimes inquiry.
Public has ‘long memory’ for PwC leaks and tax cheats: ATO
The Australian community has no admiration for big business and Rich Listers scheming to reduce their tax bills, Rob Heferen has told a major summit.
Labor bluffing over Greens EPA deal, Dutton tells miners
Peter Dutton says Labor will destroy its WA electoral prospects if it deals with the Greens on the EPA legislation.
Doxxers face years in prison under new privacy offences
The Albanese government’s new privacy laws make doxxing – maliciously revealing personal information – a crime, punishable by up to seven years in prison.
- Opinion
- Privacy
Labor’s plan for protecting your privacy: hope the internet disappears
The Albanese government has squibbed at nearly 40 key privacy reforms and given in to an outdated argument that Australia is a nation of shopkeepers.
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World
- Opinion
- Electric vehicles
Foreign car makers also have a China overcapacity problem
With market share stalling, foreign brands from Hyundai and Nissan to Volvo and BMW have started pivoting to exports of their made-in-China vehicles.
US hints at allowing Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia
Top US and UK officials announce nearly $2.2 billion in aid to Ukraine, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken says long-range missiles would soon be on the agenda.
Putin warns of uranium export ban in retaliation to West
The Russian president urged officials to consider restricting exports of uranium, titanium and other commodities in retaliation for fresh Western sanctions.
Trump says second debate unlikely after ‘old man crazy’ performance
The former president insists he won the first televised contest, but his campaign is reeling after his poor showing against Kamala Harris.
- Analysis
- US Votes 2024
Why Taylor Swift’s backing is a ‘big darn deal’ in razor-thin election
Both campaigns are looking for any source of new voters they can find, so the singer’s endorsement brings exceptional star power for Kamala Harris.
Property
- Opinion
- Flat Chat
How investors can avoid being ripped off by strata firms
At the slightest hint of unscrupulous behaviour, ask questions.
Will the Sydney Metro change where you work?
Corporate tenants are shifting into the CBD, thanks to the new metro stations. But experts are divided on whether North Sydney will be a winner or a loser.
- Exclusive
- Property investment
Buyer of iconic Sydney pubs under investigation over $100m GST refunds
The high-flying buyer of popular pubs such as Kinselas, the Courthouse and the Metropolitan, and Melbourne’s Adelphi Hotel, is under investigation by the Tax Office.
Chris Lucas’ 24/7 recipe for success
Renowned restaurateur has been working with developers to transform the ground level of major new projects with upmarket restaurants.
Build-to-rent sector faces wave of consolidation
Rising costs and limited capital could force some operators in the sector to exit the market.
Wealth
- Opinion
- SMSFs
What happens to your super after you die comes down to this choice
Your money can go to your beneficiary either as a regular pension payment or as a lump sum death benefit.
- Opinion
- Super Q&A
I’m 74 and want to run my $10m SMSF with less fuss
A wealth manager can help you with investment strategy, administration and accounting. But choose wisely by checking their qualifications.
- Opinion
- Flat Chat
How investors can avoid being ripped off by strata firms
At the slightest hint of unscrupulous behaviour, ask questions.
Technology
Inside the AirTrunk deal: how to build a $24b business in nine years
This week on The Fin podcast, Paul Smith and Anthony Macdonald on whether Robin Khuda can grow a $100 billion business and what might get in his way.
- Analysis
- Tech crackdown
‘Daylight robbery:’ Canberra needs EU muscle to land big tech blow
The government wants to work cooperatively with tech moguls such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, but that seems like wishful thinking, and tougher laws are coming.
- Exclusive
- Social media
Tech giants in firing line to pay for swath of new online laws
The Albanese government is introducing new laws to curb the harms caused by social media giants, and is also looking at how to make them pay for it.
Work & Careers
Happy lawyers are better ones: Firm provides unique ways to decompress
Attwood Marshall’s location next to Snapper Rocks means lawyers can catch waves to decompress from the stresses of legal work.
The one family rule these married co-CEOs (and ex-EY execs) stick to
Simone and Matt Rennie, co-founders of rising consulting challenger Rennie Advisory, avoid work after dinner at all costs.
Life & Luxury
The beauty of a road trip through the vast American southwest
World-changing history, ancient culture and spectacular landscapes are all part of the New Mexico and Arizona experience. Pull on your hiking boots.
A devilishly perfect place to get away from it all
Bury the hatchet or try your hand at outdoor pursuits like horse riding, fly fishing or cross-country skiing at this luxurious Rocky Mountains ranch in Colorado.
‘I was levitating’: Why Brett Clegg paid for Sydney Dance Company work
The public relations mogul’s love affair with dance began when he sent an unsolicited novella to a British electro musician back in 2011.
Art’s greatest couple get the biopic treatment
Pierre Bonnard, France’s most important 20th century artist after Matisse, painted wife Marthe hundreds of times. This film shows their deep and tumultuous bond.
Running is a surefire way to feel in control, says tech exec
Whether outrunning elephants or getting lost in a foreign city, Agnes Schliebitz finds there’s much to be gained as long as she’s out there ‘huffing and puffing’.
