Fortescue, Rio set to pay big dividends
The mining sector’s golden era of shareholder returns is not over yet, with some analysts predicting Rio Tinto will beat last year’s record dividend payout when it reports full-year earnings in February. The Fin
No zero emissions shift if it hits jobs: PM
Scott Morrison has ruled out committing to a target of net zero emissions by 2050 if it comes at the expense of jobs and higher power prices, as the states urge him to adopt the long-term goal to end Australia’s damaging climate change wars. The Fin
IMF: global downturn bottoming
It’s early days but the International Monetary Fund says the global economy’s 2019 trade war-induced slowdown may be coming to an end, even as it cited the brutal bushfires among ‘‘new challenges’’ facing Australia’s economy. The Fin
Share surge elevates Forrest to $13bn man
Andrew Forrest’s wealth has hit the $13bn mark as shares in his Fortescue Metals Group continue to surge. The Aus
Climate threat dims hopes
Australian bosses have gone into the new year feeling increasing gloomy as rising concerns about climate change add to worries about growth and cyber security, according to new research. The West
Net closing in on web trolls
Cyberbullies may soon face prison time as the McGowan Government considers legislation to crack down on internet “trolls” and people using social media or email to intim-Copying the entire office into emails berating a colleague, abusing individuals through social media and “liking” hateful or hurtful posts will all be weighed up for potential classification as criminal offences. The West
Shanghai eyes global financial hub status
Shanghai says it will hit its goal of becoming an international finance and trading hub this year, but foreign investors say China’s business capital will never replace Hong Kong as a regional financial centre. The Fin
Kogan shares dive as profit growth slows
Online entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan is $36 million poorer, on paper at least, after dashing hopes for a bumper first-half profit fuelled by Black Friday and soaring marketplace sales. The Fin
Official tells why China ties strained
China is unhappy with Australia’s criticism of its human rights record in the western province of Xinjiang, its move to ban Huawei from its 5G network rollout, and its slow action on giving visas to some Chinese students, according to the head of a governmentbacked think tank. The Aus
Anti-vaxxers try to clear their name
An anti-vaxxer political group that is also opposed to fluoride in drinking water is trying to change its name to “Informed Medical Options Party ” — a move blasted as “fraudulent” by the State’s peak body for doctors. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: It’s early days but the International Monetary Fund says the global economy’s 2019 trade war-induced slowdown may be coming to an end, even as it cited the brutal bushfires among ‘‘new challenges’’ facing Australia’s economy.
Scott Morrison has ruled out committing to a target of net zero emissions by 2050 if it comes at the expense of jobs and higher power prices, as the states urge him to adopt the long-term goal to end Australia’s damaging climate change wars.
Page 3: Top-tier law firms Allens and Minter Ellison are reviewing possible underpayments of their graduate lawyers as the industry’s peak body considers increasing regulation to prevent gruelling work hours leaving staff paid below the minimum wage.
Page 6: The Business Council of Australia says recovery from the devastating bushfires should be prioritised over securing a budget surplus, and that the private sector should play its part by waiving debts and expediting payments to small businesses.
Page 7: Climate change has exacerbated the steepest decline in confidence among chief executives in a decade, with only 12 per cent of Australian CEOs saying business and government collaboration is effectively mitigating climate risks, according to PwC.
Page 10: SpaceX completed the last big test of its crew capsule before launching astronauts in the next few months, mimicking an emergency escape shortly after lift-off.
Page 11: Shanghai says it will hit its goal of becoming an international finance and trading hub this year, but foreign investors say China’s business capital will never replace Hong Kong as a regional financial centre.
Page 13: Investors in retail stocks are bracing for more profit downgrades as retailers count the cost of the bushfires, which have disrupted trading and dented already fragile consumer confidence.
Page 14: Street Talk understands a gas supply deal between Waitsia and the North West Shelf – which accounts for more than one-third of Australia’s oil and gas production – has landed on the radar of every Perth Basin energy player, and the anticipation is at fever pitch.
Page 15: Online entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan is $36 million poorer, on paper at least, after dashing hopes for a bumper firsthalf profit fuelled by Black Friday and soaring marketplace sales.
Page 17: Digital investment manager Atlas-Trend is dipping its toes into the $2.9 trillion superannuation market, hoping to capitalise on demand from green-tinged Millennials who want their assets managed in line with sustainable development goals.
Page 19: The mining sector’s golden era of shareholder returns is not over yet, with some analysts predicting Rio Tinto will beat last year’s record dividend payout when it reports full-year earnings in February.
The Australian
Page 1: Regulators will be given powers to block suspect developers from erecting high-rise unit towers and builders will be subjected to a quality-rating regime based on their histories, under a NSW government crackdown on the construction industry.
Josh Frydenberg faces pressure from business to “supercharge” the economy with the immediate introduction of an investment allowance, after he softened his stance on delivering a surplus in the May budget following the brutal summer bushfire season.
Page 2: The National Disability Insurance Scheme is too complex, difficult to navigate and needs to become more flexible for its 310,000 participants, an independent review found amid calls for legislative changes.
Page 3: The critically adored South Korean drama Parasite won top honours at the Screen Actors Guild Awards as Margot Robbie and other Australian nominees went home empty-handed.
Page 4: China is unhappy with Australia’s criticism of its human rights record in the western province of Xinjiang, its move to ban Huawei from its 5G network rollout, and its slow action on giving visas to some Chinese students, according to the head of a government-backed think tank.
Page 15: The world’s most powerful central banks have issued a stark warning that climate change could trigger the next financial crisis, as a “disruptive” shift in asset prices sparks an unpredictable “green swan” event and potentially leaves some economies unviable.
Andrew Forrest’s wealth has hit the $13bn mark as shares in his Fortescue Metals Group continue to surge.
Page 20: Artificial intelligence and deepfakes — machine learning creating fake likenesses of people — are shaping up as defining issues in the upcoming 2020 US election, according to Intel's senior director of AI product marketing Alexis Crowell.
The West Australian
Page 3: An anti-vaxxer political group that is also opposed to fluoride in drinking water is trying to change its name to “Informed Medical Options Party” — a move blasted as “fraudulent” by the State’s peak body for doctors.
Page 4: Anthony Albanese is refusing to say if Labor will release the full cost of its future climate change policy prior to the next election.
Page 5: Ken Wyatt says the rate of suicide in indigenous communities is not receiving the level of public attention it should be and more needs be done to tackle shocking figures that show suicide is the cause of one in four deaths of Aboriginal children.
Page 7: Cyberbullies may soon face prison time as the McGowan Government considers legislation to crack down on internet “trolls” and people using social media or email to intim-Copying the entire office into emails berating a colleague, abusing individuals through social media and “liking” hateful or hurtful posts will all be weighed up for potential classification as criminal offences.
Page 10: Obesity rates are the highest they have ever been in WA, with more than two-thirds classified as overweight or obese and those living in battler suburbs on Perth’s southern fringes having the worst health outcomes in the State, new data reveals.
Page 18: Focus on the influence of conservative Christians in the WA Liberal Party is unfair and churchgoers are not out of step with mainstream values on many issues, Liza Harvey believes.
Business: Fortescue Metals Group has claimed the title of WA’s second biggest company from oil and gas producer Woodside Petroleum as the iron ore miner’s shares hit fresh 10-year highs yesterday.
The world’s richest one per cent have more than twice the wealth of the rest of humanity combined, according to Oxfam, which called on governments to adopt “inequality-busting policies”.
Kimberley-based Yeeda Pastoral Company has named Anthony Wilkes as its new chief executive, plugging a gap after prominent cattleman Jack Burton stepped down in November.
Shares in Silver Lake Resources surged after the mid-tier gold miner smashed production and cost estimates for the December quarter and upgraded its full-year guidance.
