Morning Headlines

Students desert WA

Foreign students continue to abandon WA’s education sector, with figures showing a big slump in the number of international students studying at the State’s institutions. The West

IMF upgrades Australia as Trump tax cuts drive growth

The International Monetary Fund has upgraded Australia’s economic growth forecasts to at least 3 per cent for the next two years but warned the strengthening world economy on the back of stimulus from the Trump administration’s corporate tax cuts faces headwinds from trade disputes. The Fin

We’re sticking to full tax cut plan: Morrison

Scott Morrison says the Coalition remains committed to its full company tax cut plan and won’t negotiate publicly with Derryn Hinch over a compromise to exclude companies with a turnover above $500 million. The Fin

Gorgon will create 700 jobs for WA

The $5.1 billion second stage of the Gorgon project will have a peak workforce of 700 local people in late 2021 and potentially 1400 over the course of the project, according to one of the State's leading resource sector forecasters. The West

By Jupiter, fledgling miner returns to ASX with $800m market cap

The next stage of Jupiter Mining’s corporate history will emerge today when the manganese investor returns to the public markets after finalising a $240 million capital raising, one of the largest mining deals in recent history. The Aus

ASIC calls for powers to force compensation

The corporate regulator wants new powers to make financial services companies properly compensate aggrieved customers, amid new evidence of systemic delays in bank self-reporting of misconduct and revelations AMP repeatedly lied to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to avoid having to pay compensation. The Fin

Agents differ on city vacancy

Two of Perth’s biggest blue-chip real estate agents are at odds over Perth’s office vacancy rates, with JLL recording “elevated vacancy of 21.4 per cent” in the CBD last month and Knight Frank declaring it fell to 19.8 per cent in January. The West

RBA talks up rate rise, but not just yet

The Reserve Bank has sought to reinforce expectations that the next move in official interest rates will be up, even as it continues to hint it may further lower its economic growth forecasts next month as the housing market cools and employment growth slows after an unprecedented boom. The Aus

New watchdog for aged care

Nursing homes will face scrutiny from a new independent aged-care commission and be forced to meet tougher quality standards under a major shake-up of Australia’s aged care sector to be unveiled today. The West

CBA’s $4b listing of Colonial

Commonwealth Bank of Australia has decided on a $4 billion listing of its $219 billion global asset management business as the bank shrinks back to its core mortgage and business lending operations. The Fin

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: The International Monetary Fund has upgraded Australia’s economic growth forecasts to at least 3 per cent for the next two years but warned the strengthening world economy on the back of stimulus from the Trump administration’s corporate tax cuts faces headwinds from trade disputes.

Page 3: The Turnbull government and cyber security experts are bracing for further waves of cyber-attacks launched by Russia and other unfriendly governments despite Western security agencies successfully thwarting one attempt that could have disrupted critical infrastructure such as the electricity grid and communications networks.

Page 4: The blistering pace of wind and solar energy investment is outflanking the Turnbull government’s target for carbon emissions cuts under its National Energy Guarantee, ramping up pressure for deeper cuts, a new report says.

About 50,000 new migrant families, including 110,000 children, are expected to be hit by a proposed three-year waiting periods for family tax benefits, and another 30,000 individuals will be on waiting lists for other welfare payments, a senate inquiry has heard.

Page 5: Scott Morrison says the Coalition remains committed to its full company tax cut plan and won’t negotiate publicly with Derryn Hinch over a compromise to exclude companies with a turnover above $500 million.

Page 6: The corporate regulator wants new powers to make financial services companies properly compensate aggrieved customers, amid new evidence of systemic delays in bank self-reporting of misconduct and revelations AMP repeatedly lied to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to avoid having to pay compensation.

Page 7: Strong growth in enrolments from India has helped push international student numbers over half a million for the first time.

Page 8: Birmingham, Britain’s second-biggest city, is trying to lure Australian pension funds and transport companies to invest in local infrastructure as it gears up for the opening of a new high-speed rail network and the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Page 11: China’s economy grew at a slightly faster-than-expected pace of 6.8 per cent in the first quarter, buoyed by strong consumer demand, healthy exports and robust property investment.

Page 13: Commonwealth Bank of Australia has decided on a $4 billion listing of its $219 billion global asset management business as the bank shrinks back to its core mortgage and business lending operations.

Page 15: Fletcher Building chief executive Ross Taylor says Wesfarmers has confirmed it hasn’t been buying shares in the group and that will make his life easier as he undertakes heavy restructuring of the fallen building products and construction giant.

Page 17: Australia’s competition watchdog has increased pressure on Google to explain its actions after the tech giant tried to ban leading advertising tech start-up Unlockd from its app marketplace, causing it to pull an imminent initial public offering.

The Australian

Page 1: Official figures to be released today show 173,000 Chinese students enrolled in Australian universities, colleges and schools in the first two months of 2018, 18 per cent more than in the same period last year.

The Victorian and NSW governments are holding out against developing their states’ sizeable gas reserves, despite the Northern Territory yesterday declaring it would open up more than half of its land for fracking to boost jobs and put downward pressure on power bills.

More than $3.75 billion would be wiped from almost 2000 small retail superannuation funds and 50 of the largest retail funds over the next 10 years, in a second round hit to 2.6 million member accounts under Labor’s plans to scrap refundable tax credits for retirees.

Page 4: The university union has successfully negotiated an extension of the 17 per cent employer superannuation contributions enjoyed by tenured staff to fixed-term contract staff in all enterprise agreements struck so far.

Page 17: Investors yesterday delivered a vote of no confidence in the Australian financial system’s fifth pillar, AMP, carving 4.4 per cent from its share price in a selling frenzy that erupted as details of its shoddy corporate governance and poor risk culture spilled out into a Melbourne courtroom.

The Reserve Bank has sought to reinforce expectations that the next move in official interest rates will be up, even as it continues to hint it may further lower its economic growth forecasts next month as the housing market cools and employment growth slows after an unprecedented boom.

Page 18: The next stage of Jupiter Mining’s corporate history will emerge today when the manganese investor returns to the public markets after finalising a $240 million capital raising, one of the largest mining deals in recent history.

Page 19: Home-sharing agencies such as Airbnb promote more sustainable tourism that encourages “people-to-people diplomacy” without the cost of building new hotels, says former foreign minister Bob Carr.

Page 22: Data centre operator NextDC is buying three new development sites to plan for its expanding business on the back of the “exponential” growth in digital technologies used in Australians’ daily lives.

The West Australian

Page 1: Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg has taken aim at the State Government, accusing it of shirking responsibility in the wake of the Gracetown shark attacks and warning that it “can’t put a price on a human life”.

Page 9: Sasha deBretton — Perth’s self-styled queen of rich-list renovations — has placed her group of companies, including the flagship Million Dollar Makeovers, into liquidation.

Page 10: Nursing homes will face scrutiny from a new independent aged-care commission and be forced to meet tougher quality standards under a major shake-up of Australia’s aged care sector to be unveiled today.

A push from the Greens to legalise recreational marijuana use has been blasted by the Federal Government, Labor and health groups, killing off the radical policy proposal the minor party says would reduce harm.

Foreign students continue to abandon WA’s education sector, with figures showing a big slump in the number of international students studying at the State’s institutions.

Page 11: Subcontractors owed money in the Cooper & Oxley debacle are being advised to accept 6¢ to 13¢ in the dollar in a deal that would keep the embattled builder afloat.

Page 17: The $5.1 billion second stage of the Gorgon project will have a peak workforce of 700 local people in late 2021 and potentially 1400 over the course of the project, according to one of the State's leading resource sector forecasters.

Business: The potential for carbon farming in WA’s rangelands has moved a step closer to reality after the State Government cleared the way for pastoralists to generate income from the practice on crown land.

Official figures show 15 per cent of WA’s retail gas customers have changed providers over the past year, up from an annualised 9 per cent 12 months ago.

The oil and gas lobby has warned that WA will miss out on investment if the McGowan Government fails to follow its Northern Territory counterpart in lifting a moratorium on fracking.

Atlas Iron has laid bare its parlous financial position by revealing its operations lost money in the March quarter.

Property: Two of Perth’s biggest blue-chip real estate agents are at odds over Perth’s office vacancy rates, with JLL recording “elevated vacancy of 21.4 per cent” in the CBD last month and Knight Frank declaring it fell to 19.8 per cent in January.

A $20 million aged-care facility is opening in Wembley, with the first residents expected to move in this month.

WA’s first Nightingale Housing project — a sustainable and ethical development model — has just been given planning approval.

As the mediation deadline for the $450 million Iconic Scarborough twin towers development loomed at the weekend, a poll of people along the foreshore showed support for the plan.

Saracen Properties is hoping it will get backing for its vision to restore the neglected Royal George Hotel in East Fremantle under a multimillion-dollar revitalisation proposal by the architect behind the Alex