Bookings are now open for our Watch Weekend in September. Secure your place at our Melbourne or Sydney events.
Trump cancels ‘locked and loaded’ US attack on Iran
Trump said Iran and Middle East countries asked him to back down on planned strikes; Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says Project Sunrise was his idea. Follow live
Key Posts
Trump cancels planned US attack on Iran
Alan Joyce says Project Sunrise was his idea, compares it to ‘gold medal’
McBain says France asked Australia for bushfire help
‘Past Labor governments understood this’: Hume slams Albanese-style industrial relations
Last updated 38 mins ago
ASX to fall as Middle East conflict set to dominate reporting season
Investors will pay close attention to results from REA Group and Nick Scali in the first week of earnings updates amid inflation concerns created by the war.
Australia’s absolute worst fund manager
First Guardian’s bosses failed every test of money management, breaching principles of asset allocation, conflict oversight, and capital safety.
Kalgoorlie’s mining gabfest reckons it has grown up. A new home helps
Diggers and Dealers has earned a colourful reputation over the years, but a permanent location and a more professional approach have changed its outlook.
PEXA faces a steep price cut and investors a hard reality check
Some state governments made hundreds of millions of dollars building a property settlement portal. Now, the shareholders they sold it to have lost just as much.
Gianni Infantino’s U-turn fuels doubts about his future at FIFA
European governing body UEFA said it had “lost confidence” in FIFA’s leadership, adding: “We must identify those responsible and hold them to account.”
Wright family wins legal delay in Gina Rinehart royalty clash
In a fresh twist to the Pilbara dynasty feud, the Wrights won court approval to hold off on selecting damages or royalties from Gina Rinehart’s Hancock.
WEEKEND READS
The big property squeeze is rippling through the economy
From property stylists to real estate agents, those in the business of buying and selling homes are feeling the pinch as sentiment and clearance rates tank.
Gina Rinehart and the Liberals: Why Australia’s richest person left
Australia’s richest person has downgraded her patronage of the Liberal Party. Here’s what drove her into Pauline Hanson’s corner.
Debt, corruption, and blind loyalty: Inside the fall of Jacinta Allan
Victoria’s new premier, Ben Carroll, faces a monumental task: he must distance himself from a decade of Labor rule and halt an impending electoral disaster.
Maccas in a Rolls: Inside Kyle Sandilands’ pivot to $100 tradie plans
Six months ago, the shock jock was riding high and expecting nine more years of guaranteed, $10 million-a-year pay he could fritter away. Then he was sacked.
Alan Joyce, the king of delusions
The Alan Joyce comeback tour is now in full swing, but even the awesome power of his reality-distortion force field can’t rewrite history.
SMART INVESTOR
This high-octane corner of the ETF market must be handed with care
They promise a slice of the profits generated by cutting-edge industries, but higher fees and wild volatility mean these niche ETFs should be handled with care.
Two myths about ETFs, from someone who launched the ASX’s first
Depending on who you ask, exchange-traded funds are either the greatest financial innovation since markets began or a bubble waiting to burst. Neither is true
Six ways to build wealth without the bank of mum and dad
Maximising super, boosting earning power and smart budgeting can level the playing field for young investors, despite the tough housing market.
Why moving a tax-free super pension to a new fund can incur a tax bill
When super funds merge, member pensions carry over without penalty, but it’s a different story if you choose to move your pension-phase super to a new super fund.
Can we retire comfortably on compulsory super alone?
Ensuring your super is invested correctly and isn’t being eaten into by high fees and charges can help significantly in making compulsory contributions go further.
Companies
Fortescue’s Iron Bridge takes $1.1b hit as China talks stumble
The prospect of Andrew Forrest’s misfiring magnetite project turning a profit has been questioned, and China’s hardball tactics took the shine off record output.
Model ex-girlfriend, billionaires ordered to hand over Adgemis documents
Dozens of parties have been asked for documents relating to their alleged association with the bankrupt entrepreneur or his companies.
Firmus investors approve $2.9b for SA, Tasmania expansion
The developer is doubling down on pitches that its AI factories will be environmentally friendly as it tries to fire up support for its $15.5 billion IPO.
Nuclear reactors in Australia? ‘Absolutely not’, says uranium boss
Deep Yellow’s new CEO Greg Field says there’s a growing global market for uranium and wants an easing of state bans on mining the nuclear power feedstock.
How a Perth accountant turned $200 spin bikes into a $25m business
Nav Shah started flipping second-hand gym equipment in Perth as an 18-year-old. Now his business is on track to hit $25 million in annual revenue.
HSBC winds down decades of local retail banking with Blackstone deal
The London financial giant has agreed to sell a $36 billion book of home and personal loans to Blackstone in one of the largest mortgage portfolio transactions.
The French letter revolution – Sydney company perfecting the condom
Thirteen years after the Gates Foundation tasked entrepreneurs and inventors with making the best condom, the last company standing is ramping up production.
SPONSORED
Markets
Why the inflation scare may peak before the war ends
There is a risk that investors are focusing too heavily on today’s oil shortage and not enough on tomorrow’s response.
ASX in ‘full casino mode’ on eve of blockbuster earnings season
A tit-for-tat conflict in the Middle East, massive uncertainty over artificial intelligence spending and sluggish profit growth are creating a market minefield.
Wall St rallies as Amazon’s 15pc surge offsets Apple’s 7pc drop
All three major US benchmarks were poised to rise on the final day of the month, with Amazon helping to bolster the AI trade.
Elon Musk’s wealth plummets to pre-SpaceX IPO level
The world’s first trillionaire – no longer – has seen his net worth shredded by $850 billion in just over a month as shares in both SpaceX and Tesla tumbled.
Bond traders deliver an almighty rate relief reality check
Surprisingly, some strategists say Australia’s position among developed economies is improving, given strong public finances and a top-tier credit score.
Opinion
I went to San Fran and took a trip to the ‘AI bubble’
The default opening line at any party here is “What are you building?” Confess you’re “in consulting”, and you’ll probably be stuck at the snack table all night
Deputy opinion editor
Big government can’t end loneliness blight
Tapping the volunteer spirit in Australians is needed so that local residents and businesses get a handle on the issues within their community.
Commentator
Australia wanted cheaper homes. Now comes the hard part
If the government is to genuinely improve housing affordability, it also needs to focus on increasing housing supply.
Editorial
Warsh isn’t losing the bond market – He’s weaponising it
Investors seem to have missed the fact that the new Fed chair has already delivered his rate hikes.
Columnist
Victorian disaster could bring Albanese undone
The attempted sharp break from absolute Labor-Left rule in the state confirms that “something is wrong with the place”, as former ACTU secretary Bill Kelty says.
Columnist
Labor sacrificed Jacinta Allan to stop Pauline Hanson
The party feared Allan would lead the party not just to defeat, but into a perfect storm of voter anger, ripe for One Nation to pick off Labor seats.
Former Labor adviser
Politics
Victorian premier begins to lock in new team
Ben Carroll has appointed economic heavyweight Chris Barrett to lead his department, replacing Daniel Andrews loyalist Jeremi Moule.
Rinehart urges Coalition to cut immigration, leave Paris accord
“Parties with declining support should recognise that Australians are rejecting policies [not] in Australians’ interests,” the mining magnate said.
‘Silly’ invoices and sickies: ICAC questions Reformer operative
Liberal Robert Assaf told the Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry the sub-faction was not trying to contravene political donation laws.
The strange pay quirk behind Australia’s highest-paid judges
A formula pegging Tasmanian justices’ salaries to those in other states makes them among Australia’s best paid.
Half of charities could be hit by 30pc trust tax
As many as 30,000 charities could lose donations because of the government’s planned 30 per cent tax on distributions from discretionary trusts
World
Spain installs sea barrier around Ceuta after deadly immigrant rush
At least 67 migrants died, including some who drowned and others who were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier, the Spanish government said.
Albanese’s crude joke about Japan’s PM could still backfire
The prime minister’s complicity in a joke broadcast about Sanae Takaichi gifting melons was not rebuked. But that doesn’t mean the gaffe has been forgotten.
‘Unprecedented deluge’ of migrants sparks European backlash
About 50,000 of an estimated 60,000 migrants who swam or walked into Spanish territory have returned home, but the political fight over border security remains.
Silence over Albanese’s mocking of Japan’s PM is unsettling
The prime minister’s melon joke showed Australia and indeed much of Japan are okay with making fun of a close regional ally and leader of a foreign country.
Ferraris, nightclubs and caviar: how the elite party as war grinds on
The lifestyles of the wealthy in Myanmar — blue-label whiskey, illicit drugs and trips abroad — have been largely untouched by years of deadly conflict.
Property
This $1m renovation cut rooms and made more room
The turnaround of an existing 1960s apartment made it into a home for two downsizers who wanted a feeling of luxury, but were also active grandparents.
Hoteliers on pub spree ahead of 2032 Olympics
The Gold Coast Tavern has sold for nearly $25 million as Queensland’s pub sector picks up speed in the lead up to the 2032 Olympics.
Dexus discards $700m Brisbane office block, its fourth sale this week
Led by Ross Du Vernet, the property giant has been trying to revive its fortunes after setbacks, including a high-profile legal battle with Melbourne airports.
Labor threatens Sydney councils as cost to build an apartment hits $1m
Construction costs keep rising faster than the price of apartments, making projects unfeasible for developers, so the state government wants barriers lowered.
SMSF loan ban puts 22,000 apartments at risk this year: Charter Keck
Higher rates are also baking in the risk that apartment buyers will be unable to settle in 12 months when they reach completion, the consultancy warns.
Wealth
Why moving a tax-free super pension to a new fund can incur a tax bill
When super funds merge, member pensions carry over without penalty, but it’s a different story if you choose to move your pension-phase super to a new super fund.
Six ways to build wealth without the bank of mum and dad
Maximising super, boosting earning power and smart budgeting can level the playing field for young investors, despite the tough housing market.
SMSFs face $60 annual levy to help keep compensation scheme afloat
Estimates are that DIY super funds will have to pay up to $60 a year to plug a $190 million shortfall in the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort.
Technology
Apple drops the most in 16 months on disappointing outlook
The drop would mark the stock’s worst day since the pandemic-driven sell-off in March 2020, just days after it touched the $US5 trillion mark on Wall Street.
Anthropic AI models also hacked companies after escaping
A week after OpenAI said its models hacked into start-up Hugging Face, its main rival says its models also accessed the internet and breached three companies.
Sick of AI-generated content? This ‘slop janitor’ is betting on it
Pangram, an AI detection start-up, promises near-perfect accuracy in sniffing out writing and imagery that is not made by humans.
Work & Careers
Where this mining veteran sees the future ‘beyond the boom’
For WA entrepreneur Charlie Bass, the metamorphosis from mining veteran to philanthropist began with the future he saw written in Perth’s skyline.
Gatto paid $1m to keep CFMEU at bay at Big Build sites, inquiry hears
A labour hire firm paid Mick Gatto to deal with the union and secure contracts, even when it could not pay workers or $13 million in taxes, an inquiry heard.
Life & Luxury
Smell and look good with a silk Celine scarf and Le Labo’s new city scent
Plus, Loro Piana’s elegant aviator jacket, a jewel-like Chanel handbag and a buzzy womenswear brand.
‘They are landscape’: Car dump inspires $100k art prize win
Where some in the APY Lands see a stack of rusting wrecks, this artist sees a sacred site. The vision has won him Australia’s richest landscape prize.
The Ha Long Bay cruise swapping the tourist crush for cave meditations
In Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, where crowds often come with the view, a new wellness cruise offers a quieter, more contemplative path.
Don’t brush off this common sex issue – it could save your heart
Difficulty getting an erection is frequently framed as a problem confined to the bedroom, but well-established science links it to a range of serious diseases.
Put art on your wrist with the classiest new watches of 2026
This year’s standout timepieces – including an “attention-seeking missile” – prove that true horological creativity burns brighter than ever.
