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- Exclusive
- Big four
Banks face new levy to keep rural branches open
Banks would pay a levy of up to tens of millions dollars each a year if they fail to keep a large enough presence in regional and rural areas.
Can Dutton pull off a victory like Trump?
The Republican’s appeal to blue-collar battlers is a template the opposition leader seems determined to follow. But will it work?
Opposing Trump’s tariffs not about picking sides: Albanese
Anthony Albanese says his opposition to plans by Donald Trump to start a trade war with China was about standing up for the Australian national interest.
How long can Elon Musk last as America’s first buddy?
The world’s richest person may now be the single most influential figure in the Trump White House. But will the new bromance last?
Palmer set to challenge Albanese donation plans in court
Labor designed its plan for new political donations rules to withstand a constitutional challenge, but the billionaire miner says it is designed to rig elections.
Swan says Cbus board was not too slow on payouts. ASIC disagrees
Breaking his silence on the customer service scandal engulfing the industry super fund, the chairman and Labor powerbroker said many criticisms this week were “completely inaccurate”.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Howard Marks and Sohn’s big stars reveal seven rules for investing
Among the stock picks and stunts at the Sohn Hearts & Minds event, Howard Marks and Nick Moakes provided investors with long-term rules for playing markets.
The best of travel, fashion, cars and more, straight to your inbox every Saturday.
SMART INVESTOR
Signs you’re raising entitled brats (and how to avoid it)
Keeping children grounded and helping them understand the value of money is a perennial problem for wealthy parents. This dad reckons he has the answers.
- Opinion
- Super Q&A
We have $5m in super as a couple. How can we contribute more?
The maximum amount of super that can be transferred into a tax-free pension account is $1.9 million, although investment earnings can grow the balance without penalty.
- Opinion
- SMSFs
Why more retirees might dodge the death tax on super
Forcing people with superannuation balances above $3 million to pay more tax will give rise to a range of new strategies.
This super loophole can create tax-free money for the kids
There has been a surge in the number of people using so-called recontribution strategies, which allow older Australians to wash tax from super inheritances.
‘I’m worth millions but I still fret about money’
Money mindsets are established early in life and can lead to poor financial decision-making, but there are ways to reframe your approach.
Weekend reads
Why this former TikTok executive wants a strict social media ban
TikTok hired Felicity McVay to convince Disney, Universal and the AFL to use the platform more. Now she’s campaigning to get children off it.
Civil servants to flee as Trump ‘drains the swamp’ (again)
Everyone knew Trump’s cabinet picks would be provocative and a purge of government workers was coming. But they have arrived with stunning speed.
- Analysis
- Antisemitism
The meaning of Amsterdam’s ‘Jew Hunt’
Recent street violence in Amsterdam reveals profound changes in how the left and right deal with antisemitism. For European Jews, it’s a strange new world.
Musk makes billions from China. How will that work now?
Elon Musk has a relatively long and very profitable history doing business with China. And he’s likely to want to keep it that way.
For some under-16s, social media has been a meal ticket
As the Albanese government proposes a social media ban for under-16s, a New York Times investigation uncovers the controversial world of adolescents monetising photos of themselves online.
Companies
Health insurers warn of closures without 6pc premium hike
Health funds have asked Labor to allow big premium rises as the amount they charge policyholders is not keeping pace with healthcare inflation.
MinRes flags role in related-party rent relief scheme
The beleaguered miner sought $158,000 repayment from companies linked to the daughter of billionaire founder Chris Ellison.
Santos’ own director queried use of ‘clean’ definition: ACCR
Then-director Peter Hearl’s querying of the company’s use of the word “clean” exemplifies how readers of its climate report have been misled, Federal Court hears.
Lendlease avoids ‘second strike’ in crucial AGM showdown
The embattled company averted a vote on a potential board spill by convincing shareholders it was on the right track. Some want more evidence, however.
- Exclusive
- Energy
Why the outback could become home for Asian data centres
Paddocks in the middle of Western Australia could become home to a new kind of shed: high-tech data centres offering computing power to cities throughout Asia.
Moody’s downgrades Macquarie’s UK water company to junk
The ratings agency said Southern Water’s poor performance made it especially vulnerable to political, regulatory and financial pressures on the wider sector.
- Investigation
- Mining
The $45m MinRes property deal – with the Ellisons on the other side
Investors in the iron ore and lithium miner would have had no idea that MinRes’ joint venture partner in a big Perth real estate play was the company’s founder.
Companies in the News
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Markets
US stocks slump on Trump trade rate-reality check
The Nasdaq paced losses as Amazon, Meta and Nvidia tumbled after strong retail sales data bolstered the case for the Fed to slow the pace of interest rate cuts.
Trump unifies top investors in decade-long bullish outlook for US
From Howard Marks to fellow billionaire Mike Novogratz, big-name asset managers say the return of Donald Trump to the White House will turbocharge growth.
Eleven stock tips from Sohn to get you through 2025
Presenting in Adelaide on Friday, top investors pitched their ideas for how to make big returns from the sharemarket over the next 12 months.
Powell says no need to rush rate cuts
Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said the strong US economy has given central bankers room to lower interest rates at a careful pace.
Billionaires gather in Adelaide for Sohn big bash
The major stock picking conference is on tour for the third time in its nine-year history – as the supercar championships also come to the city of churches.
Opinion
Big parties right to set new limits on election funds
But there is still a whiff of self-interest in measures which will clip the wings of well-funded independent disruptors
Editorial
Politicians don’t want migrants but they do need workers
Neither major party has managed immigration well. That has not stopped Peter Dutton from making an election issue out of it.
Columnist
How to Trump-proof foreign policy
Don’t panic, don’t relax, look for opportunities, and stay close to our other allies. That’s a way to deal with a confronting new Washington.
Geopolitical analyst
Liontown survived the lithium carnage, but can it handle Donald Trump?
After taking a wild ride in lithium over the past year, Liontown Resources thinks it can also adapt to whatever the Trump administration produces.
Columnist
Why November 5 will not become the Waterloo of wokery
American voters rejected the culture warriors of the left when they picked Donald Trump. But don’t imagine those views won’t still be very powerful in 2044.
Bloomberg columist
Playing flick the ambassador is an old diplomatic game
If Albanese fails where Turnbull succeeded, and tariffs are imposed, it won’t just be Rudd who will be blamed, but the bloke who gave him the job.
Political editor
Reports
Best Universities Ranking
The AFR Best Universities Ranking celebrates universities that have excelled across four key dimensions; research, teaching, career impact and equity.
Politics
Albanese a role model for other Western leaders: China
Anthony Albanese’s opposition to US tariffs on China is an example in strategic autonomy other leaders should follow, says Beijing.
Chalmers warns against Dutton comeback as interest rate hopes fade
Capital Economics became the latest forecaster on Friday to push back their forecast for the RBA’s first cash rate cut beyond the next election.
‘America’s loss is Australia’s gain’ if Trump cuts green energy scheme
Any move by Donald Trump to curb the Inflation Reduction Act could drive investment to Australia, says Anthony Albanese.
Victoria’s debt interest bill surges by 28pc
The state’s debt has jumped by $7.4 billion since June and $20 billion in the last 12 months, according to Treasury’s latest quarterly financial report.
Election donation rules target Palmer and Climate 200
New rules due to come into force in 2026 will cap spending in federal elections and dramatically speed up public disclosure rules.
SPONSORED
World
Xi defends globalisation as Trump threatens tariffs
In his first major remarks since the US election, Xi Jinping’s message to the APEC summit was that the world was entering “a new period of turbulence and change”.
- Opinion
- Trump's America
The dark, unspoken promise of Trump’s return
Donald Trump, driven by hostility to civic institutions, is poised to restore the US to a simpler, more orderly past, in which men were men and in charge.
Ukraine’s Zelensky slams Scholz’s call with Putin
The German chancellor spoke with Vladimir Putin despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s objection that it would play into the Russian’s hands.
Gaetz ethics report should be kept secret: Republican leader
Mike Johnson said releasing the report would be a terrible breach of protocol and tradition. “I think that would be a terrible precedent to set.”
Israel pounds area near Beirut amid signs of a widening offensive
Airstrikes on the Dahiya area, south of Beirut, where the militant group Hezbollah holds sway, were the latest in a string of bombings this week.
Property
Why Melbourne’s housing market is primed to outperform all capitals
The city’s improved affordability means it could outperform its peers in the next recovery, experts say.
- Exclusive
- Luxury property
Buyer who paid $12.1m for Paddington’s prettiest house revealed
Fiona Brown has emerged as the buyer of the home once owned by fashion designer Collette Dinnigan; Sonia Kruger and Craig McPherson officially list in Mosman.
- Exclusive
- Luxury property
Melbourne’s young and beautiful celebs drive up luxe listings
Young well-heeled Melburnians have put their designer homes in blue-chip locales on offer, as the window for pre-Christmas listings nears its close.
Developers aren’t building apartments – and it’s getting worse
The mix of housing projects coming on stream in the next few years has changed. Apartment construction now looks weaker than even six months ago.
Goodman suffers first strike against pay despite 75pc return
The industrial powerhouse suffered a 34 per cent protest vote against its remuneration report despite reporting “truly outstanding” FY24 results.
Wealth
- Opinion
- Super Q&A
We have $5m in super as a couple. How can we contribute more?
The maximum amount of super that can be transferred into a tax-free pension account is $1.9 million, although investment earnings can grow the balance without penalty.
‘I’m worth millions but I still fret about money’
Money mindsets are established early in life and can lead to poor financial decision-making, but there are ways to reframe your approach.
How to build a $9m business from your bedroom
Sam Morton’s company supplies graphics kits for motorcycle owners – and had a big win when iconic British brand Triumph signed him up.
Technology
‘We gave it everything’: AI start-up calls it quits after raising $60m
Administrators are looking for buyers of the assets of fallen retail company Hivery, which had raised over $60 million from leading VC firms.
Xero shares hit record despite subscription growth slowing
The company reported a 50 per cent increase in operating earnings over the six months to June 30 and $900 million in revenue.
WiseTech allegedly misled investors over ‘aggressive’ earnings targets
In a new class action, Phi Finney McDonald alleges that shareholders in the software company suffered after it missed earlier profit guidance in 2020.
Work & Careers
Nine partners jump ship from national law firm Hall & Wilcox
Private equity-backed UK firm DWF has raided Hall & Wilcox’s insurance group, adding to a period of instability in the niche practice area.
- Exclusive
- Women in Leadership
Why Charlotte says her ‘otherness’ is a cause for celebration
Charlotte Young, who is studying at ANU, has been named the overall winner and rising star (under 25) of the Asian-Australian Leadership Awards.
Life & Luxury
- Top 50 Hotlist
- Cruising
10 top luxury cruises to sail away on in 2025
There’s plenty to tempt guests away from relaxing on their cabin verandas as cruise companies offer ever-more immersive, exciting and educational itineraries.
Do you know this week’s news? Answer these 10 questions
Have you been paying attention this week? Test your knowledge across politics, business and world news.
Fan to put Bradman’s baggy green on the market
The cap worn by The Don during the 1947-48 home Test series against India is expected to fetch up to $400,000 at auction.
Six signs that you are charismatic
Donald Trump’s got it. Anthony Albanese doesn’t. A candidate’s charisma is a bigger electoral factor than previously given credit for, writes psychologist Pete Quarry.
Jesus Christ Superstar goes Judas Priest in hard rocking return
The generation who grew up with John Farnham as Jesus in the 1992 staging of Lloyd-Webber’s first might be surprised at its heavy metal makeover just opened in Sydney.
