Morning Headlines

Forrest calls for $500m recovery fund

Iron ore magnate Andrew Forrest has thrown down the gauntlet to business leaders and philanthropists around the world after making the single biggest donation to help firefighters and devastated communities. The Fin

Galaxy’s exports of lithium plunge 26pc

Galaxy Resources lithium exports slumped 26 per cent in 2019, highlighting an industrywide collapse in demand for the battery commodity in the year Australian exports were supposed to surge. The Fin

US avoids war, shares hit record

Australian shares reclaimed their record high after Donald Trump declared that the US and Iran are not going to war, averting an outright conflict in the Middle East and promising peace ‘‘with all who seek it’’. The Fin

Diploma loan in the frame

Liquidators have stepped up efforts to recover millions of dollars for creditors of the Diploma building group by chasing a $2 million interest-free loan made to a company whose shareholders were former chairman Nick Di Latte’s parents. The West

RBA says no to Facebook’s new currency

The Reserve Bank of Australia has quashed hopes of Facebook launching its digital currency in Australia, revealing that even if it was heavily regulated as required, there would not be enough demand to justify such efforts. The Fin

APRA asks spies to help defend banks

The prudential regulator has begun working closely with local and international intelligence agencies to combat cyber attacks on Australian financial infrastructure after identifying the defence of banks as one of its top four priorities for 2020. The Fin

Google denies location deception

Tech giant Google has denied it misled Australian consumers when it collected their location data, declaring in response to a landmark lawsuit that users of its Android mobile operating system had ample information about their location settings, as well as an opportunity to change them. The Aus

Gas industry wary of fallout from new EU rule

Australia’s peak oil and gas industry body has warned that new European Union environmental and social governance rules that no longer consider gas a ‘‘sustainable’’ investment could be counterproductive given the role gas plays in supporting renewable energy. The Fin

Westpac's 'deep dive' on crimes

Westpac’s army of lawyers and human resources staff have started trawling through 10 years of staff emails, as the bank ramps up an internal investigation of 23 million alleged breaches of financial crime laws. The Aus

Jobs culled as Bardot shuts stores

The nation’s battered retail sector has claimed another victim with popular fashion chain Bardot shutting most of its stores, including all five in WA, within the next two months. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: Australian shares reclaimed their record high after Donald Trump declared that the US and Iran are not going to war, averting an outright conflict in the Middle East and promising peace ‘‘with all who seek it’’.

The Commonwealth Grants Commission plans to cut $451 million in disaster recovery funding for bushfire-ravaged states NSW, Victoria and South Australia, to help pay for earlier extreme weather events in disaster-prone Queensland.

Page 3: The Reserve Bank of Australia has quashed hopes of Facebook launching its digital currency in Australia, revealing that even if it was heavily regulated as required, there would not be enough demand to justify such efforts.

Page 4: Iron ore magnate Andrew Forrest has thrown down the gauntlet to business leaders and philanthropists around the world after making the single biggest donation to help firefighters and devastated communities.

Page 7: Federal Labor MP Milton Dick is on a mission to curtail what he argues has been a proliferation of high-interest payday lenders preying on the vulnerable in his Oxley electorate in Brisbane.

Page 14: The prudential regulator has begun working closely with local and international intelligence agencies to combat cyber attacks on Australian financial infrastructure after identifying the defence of banks as one of its top four priorities for 2020.

Page 17: Australia’s peak oil and gas industry body has warned that new European Union environmental and social governance rules that no longer consider gas a ‘‘sustainable’’ investment could be counterproductive given the role gas plays in supporting renewable energy.

Galaxy Resources lithium exports slumped 26 per cent in 2019, highlighting an industrywide collapse in demand for the battery commodity in the year Australian exports were supposed to surge.

Page 18: A fast finish to 2019 has ensured another iron ore export record at Australia’s top commodity port.

The Australian

Page 1: Scott Morrison will seek state support to convene a wide-ranging national inquiry into the bushfire crisis, reopening debate over his government’s climate change policies and putting the spotlight on Greens’ opposition to land clearing and fuel management in national parks.

Page 2: West Australian Premier Mark McGowan and his police commissioner have clashed over “rivers of grog” in the Kimberley, the remote region where successive coroners have drawn links between alcohol, indigenous suicides and extreme family violence.

Page 3: A critical shortage of mental health beds and unaffordable dental services are prompting increasing numbers of patients to flood emergency departments and be admitted for preventable surgery, as evidence grows that public hospitals are under unsustainable strain.

Page 5: Concerns about bushfire misinformation on social media have heightened, with experts pointing to the use of “Twitter bots” and urging Australians to be more discerning in sourcing and spreading information.

Page 13: Westpac’s army of lawyers and human resources staff have started trawling through 10 years of staff emails, as the bank ramps up an internal investigation of 23 million alleged breaches of financial crime laws.

Tech giant Google has denied it misled Australian consumers when it collected their location data, declaring in response to a landmark lawsuit that users of its Android mobile operating system had ample information about their location settings, as well as an opportunity to change them.

Page 14: Listed dairy processor Bega Cheese has confirmed it expects to lose 1.9 million litres of milk as bushfires continue to devastate large parts of the country.

The West Australian

Page 14: The McGowan Government is reviewing its use of backpackers and hostels as crisis accommodation in light of the tragic death of a Perth mother.

Inconsistent guidelines for the storage of expressed breast milk is leaving new mothers highly confused, a new study reveals.

Page 20: Newman Airport in the Pilbara is expected to reopen today after a Qantas plane slid off the runway in bad weather yesterday, shutting down operations for the day.

Business: Liquidators have stepped up efforts to recover millions of dollars for creditors of the Diploma building group by chasing a $2 million interest-free loan made to a company whose shareholders were former chairman Nick Di Latte’s parents.

The nation’s battered retail sector has claimed another victim with popular fashion chain Bardot shutting most of its stores, including all five in WA, within the next two months.

The Perth Mint has reaped the benefits of a shaky global economy, with a surge in demand for its signature gold bullion coins.

Australians are embracing “Black Friday” as an online shopping event as the day of deals goes global, a report has found.