China’s economy is on the edge. Why won’t Xi rescue it?
To the rest of the world, it looks like Xi Jinping and his inner circle of economic managers have painted China into a corner. What is less well understood is that he wants to be there.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
‘It’s a race’: Khuda on AI, leadership and the Sydney Swans
After celebrating his $24 billion deal with a bit of rest and a footy final, the AirTrunk boss will be ready to charge into the company’s next growth phase.
Bugger off, Brookfield: Insurers hit back at private hospital chain
The increasingly bitter feud between insurers and private health operators is getting personal.
Labor shift over crackdown on tax agents
The new stance was announced after a meeting between Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones and a coalition of 10 professional associations.
Star confirms sale of Treasury site amid scramble for cash
The troubled gaming group has confirmed months of speculation with the sale of its former Brisbane casino complex to Griffith University.
Samuel Terry emerges as ARN Media kingmaker with 16pc stake
The activist investment firm has become the television and radio broadcaster’s largest shareholder as the company attempts to consolidate regional media.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Don’t ignore this quiet correction on global markets
Friday night’s US jobs numbers gave markets a nasty jolt, but when we zoom out a more concerning picture emerges.
The best of travel, fashion, cars and more, straight to your inbox every Saturday.
weekend reads
How to get a white-collar job without a degree
University enrolments are declining as more high-school leavers like Tony Nguyen skip campus and head straight to the workforce.
Inside Project Amidala: AirTrunk’s $24b deal
Four years ago, Blackstone missed its chance to buy up the data centre giant. It wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice, even if it cost $24 billion.
Why Sydney Uni vice chancellor Mark Scott is in the firing line
Street art in Sydney University’s famed graffiti tunnel was exhibit A as Jewish groups stepped up their campaign to unseat the high-profile vice chancellor.
Meet the Indigenous psychologist changing Aboriginal mental health
Dr Tracy Westerman’s Jilya Institute in Perth is shaking up the hitherto white world of mental health treatment.
- Analysis
- US election
Even Putin jumps on the Harris bandwagon
The momentum behind Kamala Harris’s popularity is starting to taper off, but she is still gaining some big-name, if unusual, fans.
The best of travel, fashion, cars and more, straight to your inbox every Saturday.
Companies
- Updated
- Courts
Westpac allegedly bullied ‘troublemaker’ staffer who raised RAMS fraud
The bank’s head of audit and risk also alleges that executives sidelined her. The prudential and corporate regulators are investigating.
Melbourne Football Club president quits amid Petracca saga
Kate Roffey has quit the board, just a week after she was heavily criticised for a radio interview about disgruntled Demons superstar Christian Petracca.
Ovadia drops lawsuit against Seven
The emotional and financial toll would be too great to prosecute the case, the television reporter says.
Samuel Terry emerges as ARN Media kingmaker with 16pc stake
The activist investment firm has become the television and radio broadcaster’s largest shareholder as the company attempts to consolidate regional media.
ASX-listed gold miner places near $100 million bet on African project
Australia’s largest African-focused gold miner has increased its bet on a Guinean project, giving the company the option to lob a takeover.
CFMEU official used super fund money to help union, alleges APRA
Legal action has started against Michael O’Connor, who is accused of knowing a First Super staffer was also performing work for his labour organisation.
Athlete star power drives 600pc rise in undies company’s share price
Step One, a bamboo underwear producer for “bigger blokes”, had a difficult start on the ASX, but a new women’s fitness range has reversed the slump.
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Markets
Nasdaq sheds 5.8pc on week amid rising outlook worries
The megacap techs paced losses after August’s moderate jobs data miss further frayed nerves, stoking concerns the Fed has waited too long to cut rates.
New York Fed president says time for rate cuts has arrived
A more evenly balanced economy has opened the door for a rate pivot, though John Williams said he has no personal view on the pace of cuts.
Earnings season surprises shake up ASX short sellers
Fortescue, Woodside Energy and Pro Medicus have topped the list of companies being bet against as hedge funds rework their strategies after reporting season.
Fed on track for quarter-point cut: Wall Street
Economists mostly took the August jobs data and initial policymaker responses in stride, downplaying the probability of a half-point cut this month.
ASX gains as CBA rallies; Woodside, BHP down
Shares advance; Wall Street mixed ahead of August jobs report; Woodside sells $US2 billion of bonds to help fund acquisitions; iron ore extends decline. Follow updates here.
Opinion
Brawls over RBA and ASIO as election season starts
Three institutions – the central bank, the security service, and the national census – all became political footballs this week.
Columnist
Chalmers must back the central bank he shaped
The RBA cannot fix inflation as fast as a now big-spending government wants. But the treasurer must be wary of damage to the central bank’s credibility.
Editorial
Is private credit becoming the next subprime crisis?
Investors need to consider whether they are getting sufficient additional returns for the risks that debts issued by unregulated non-bank lenders present.
Columnist
Who decides on the fair price of an Oasis ticket?
Outrage over computer-driven ticket prices to see a legendary band has left music fans and the British government in a muddle.
Business columnist
Harris sees a different world from Biden
Joe Biden was a foreign policy veteran, and Kamala Harris is a novice who has impressed quickly. But in age and instinct, her view of the world will be different.
Geostrategist
Just maybe, the worm has started to turn on the cost of living
The short-lived census row has sharply reminded the government that it cannot take its eye off the economic ball now.
Political editor
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
CFMEU administrator says union’s woes ‘worse than reported’
Two weeks after taking on what he calls the toughest job of his life, Mark Irving says he will target both unionists and bosses who have crossed the line.
The brutal retail politics behind the inflation fight
Relations between the Albanese government and the Reserve Bank of Australia are at an unprecedented low. Only one thing will ease the tension.
- Exclusive
- Defence
Faulty $1.2b navy ships out of action until 2025
Engineers are still trying to determine root causes of engine and drivetrain issues that have stopped the navy from being able to refuel warships at sea.
Jewish uni students ‘shunned and told to study at home’
Interviews with dozens of students and academics has uncovered a disturbing picture of the ostracism, intimidation and vilification Jews and Israelis encounter.
‘Vile violence’ against women faces $4.7b crackdown
States and territories will review information-sharing systems and alcohol laws under an agreement for urgent action.
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World
Former vice president Dick Cheney says he will vote for Kamala Harris
Former vice president Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz, two lifelong Republicans, will vote for Kamala Harris in the November presidential election.
Ukraine long-range strikes into Russia won’t be a game changer: US
The warning from the US was in response to Volodymyr Zelensky’s repeated plea for Western nations to supply more long-range missiles to his war-torn country.
UK, US spy chiefs call for ‘staying the course’ on Ukraine
In their first ever jointly authored article, the heads of the CIA and Britain’s intelligence service said resisting an assertive Russia was more vital than ever.
Trump’s hush-money sentencing delayed until after election
The decision represents a significant victory for the former president as he seeks to overturn his conviction and win back the White House.
US economy adds 142,000 jobs in August
US hiring fell modestly short of forecasts in August, and after downward revisions to the prior two months the three-month average fell to the lowest since mid-2020.
Property
- Exclusive
- Luxury property
Resort-style home linked to alleged fraudster hits market
The price guide of $16 million makes it the most expensive home on the NSW Central Coast.
- Exclusive
- Luxury property
Power couple offer $20m villa on coveted strip
Former JPMorgan MD Annabelle Mooney and her husband, Novotech CFO Rob Speedie, have listed their grand – and storied – Centennial Park estate.
The green renovations that could make you $100k
The potential to save thousands of dollars and add value to homes is enticing more households to install sustainable features when renovating.
Social housing offers 8-12pc infrastructure-like returns
As Australia grapples with how to channel institutional money into new housing, the $10b HAFF fund offers a way to invest that Australia hasn’t had before.
Inside the high-tech sheds worth $24b to AirTrunk
From a single room holding a hard-working mainframe, data centres have evolved into major pieces of high-powered, high-tech infrastructure.
Wealth
Earning big money but still broke? It could be lifestyle creep
Routinely splurging on luxuries can leave even very high earners drowning in debt. Three ways to set yourself free.
What to do with a six-figure redundancy payout
Being made redundant can be emotionally and financially devastating if you weren’t expecting it. But large lump sum payouts also present an opportunity to reset your career and finances.
Help! I’m trapped in my legacy pension product
A reader with $4.3 million in superannuation wants to know how he can exit an outdated, market-linked pension.
Technology
Salesforce seals $2.8b deal for data protection startup Own
The acquisition of the data protection and management solutions provider is the biggest deal Salesforce has announced since buying Slack in 2021.
Inside the Swedish lolly craze sweeping TikTok
The world has gone mad for Scandinavian confectionery, thanks to a viral social media post about the high-quality, low-sugar sweets.
Apple, Google, parents should stop kids using social media apps: Meta
The company behind Facebook and Instagram says Apple and Google and their app stores are better placed to prevent children joining social media.
Work & Careers
- Exclusive
- Accounting
Shake-up means you can become a chartered accountant without a degree
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand is addressing the sector’s labour shortages by making it easier for people without a degree to become accountants.
PwC UK to track workers’ locations in office attendance crackdown
The big four firm will send British employees their monthly working location data as it toughens up on its hybrid working policy.
Life & Luxury
Why men are joining book clubs
The world sleepwalked into a loneliness epidemic. Is the humble book club the remedy?
Developer to display Baker’s music trove after paying $314k
Amateur drummer Paul Lambess has already rejected requests to sell parts of journalist Glenn A. Baker’s 80,000 records and CDs.
How to start your own book club
So, you and a couple of your friends have embarked upon a quest to read more? Here’s how to get your book club up and running – and enduring.
- Opinion
- Music festivals
Who decides on the fair price of an Oasis ticket?
Outrage over computer-driven ticket prices to see a legendary band has left music fans and the British government in a muddle.
The watch that works with Formula 1 and Red Bull Racing
Tudor has a new collection for the America’s Cup, which blends the best of then and now in two Alinghi models.
