Morning Headlines

COVID spike threat to recovery

Leading economists are hoping NSW’s COVID-19 outbreak can be managed without resorting to Victorian-style lockdowns, fearing such measures would jeopardise what would otherwise be a strong national economic recovery. The Fin

Strong candidates shape up for Australia Post’s top job

Former chiefs of Toll Holdings and SBS are among contenders to replace Christine Holgate at the helm of Australia Post, but high-profile outsiders face stiff competition from strong internal candidates. The Fin

The ban on cruise ships must continue

Mark McGowan wants the March 21 ban on international cruise ships entering Australia extended. The West

More than $1b wrongly taken out of super

More than $1 billion could have been incorrectly withdrawn from superannuation under the Morrison government’s coronavirus early release scheme, according to estimates from the Australian Taxation Office. The Fin

Experts want early National Cabinet recall

Infectious diseases experts are calling on the Prime Minister to reconvene the National Cabinet sooner than the scheduled date of February 5. The West

Aged-care watchdog seeking more bite

Australia’s aged-care regulator will try to triple the number of onsite audits it conducts in retirement homes after a torrid year during which it was accused of failing to manage or even investigate the spread of coronavirus through facilities. The Aus

Cybersecurity in the spotlight

Cybersecurity is now one of the “hot topics” of Australian boardrooms, accelerated by the big increase in e-commerce as a result of the pandemic and having more staff working from home. The Aus

The end of the road for Roe 8?

A re-elected McGowan Government would reintroduce legislation to permanently kill off the Perth Freight Link while committing $3 million to build a boardwalk and walking trails through the Beeliar wetlands. The West

Bitcoin breaches $US34,000

Bitcoin, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency, has topped $US34,000 ($44,190) for the first time. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: Leading economists are hoping NSW’s COVID-19 outbreak can be managed without resorting to Victorian-style lockdowns, fearing such measures would jeopardise what would otherwise be a strong national economic recovery.

Page 3: Former chiefs of Toll Holdings and SBS are among contenders to replace Christine Holgate at the helm of Australia Post, but high-profile outsiders face stiff competition from strong internal candidates.

Page 6: More than $1 billion could have been incorrectly withdrawn from superannuation under the Morrison government’s coronavirus early release scheme, according to estimates from the Australian Taxation Office.

Page 7: The Morrison government has announced $10.1 million for six clinical trials to move coronavirus research out of the lab and into human testing.

Companies, directors, governments and professional services firms face a growing risk of litigation over their climate change disclosure and emissions reduction policies, experts predict, as concerned citizens turn to the courts to spearhead environmental action.

Page 9: India has followed Britain and granted emergency approval for the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, the first step in its plan to inoculate citizens in the country that is home to the world’s second-largest COVID-19 outbreak.

Page 13: Commercial property prices in CBDs will face renewed pressure in calendar 2021 as Victorian and NSW state governments struggle to contain coronavirus outbreaks and employees continue to choose home offices over busy business centres.

Page 17: Unisuper’s chief investment officer, John Pearce, says he is wary of the renewable energy investment boom and will be targeting other low carbon investments as he steers the fund towards a net zero portfolio.

Page 26: Australia’s fiscal policymakers are right to stick to their message that pandemic-level support for jobs must eventually end, and to resist pressure to keep those policies in place for longer, according to veteran economist Warren Hogan.

The Australian

Page 1: Australia’s universities are set to drop out of the world’s top 100 higher education rankings and the elite sandstones must accept a much diminished future after the loss of foreign student fees, Australian Catholic University vice-chancellor Greg Craven warns.

Page 2: Catholic bishops are considering asking Australia’s international financial watchdog to reveal whether any of the $2.3bn sent from the Vatican City since 2014 went to Catholic organisations in Australia.

Page 4: Australia’s aged-care regulator will try to triple the number of onsite audits it conducts in retirement homes after a torrid year during which it was accused of failing to manage or even investigate the spread of coronavirus through facilities.

Page 13: Leading directors of the nation’s top companies have warned of growth expectations getting ahead of reality as executives and politicians suffer from “COVID fatigue” after an unprecedented year of change.

Cybersecurity is now one of the “hot topics” of Australian boardrooms, accelerated by the big increase in e-commerce as a result of the pandemic and having more staff working from home.

The West Australian

Page 4: Queensland has shut the door on the Indian cricket team’s wish to escape hotel quarantine in Brisbane, but won’t lock players in their rooms in a revelation that could save the Gabba Test.

Infectious diseases experts are calling on the Prime Minister to reconvene the National Cabinet sooner than the scheduled date of February 5.

Page 5: About half of all businesses which sought JobKeeper support are still reliant on the wage subsidy program which is being cut today.

Page 6: Mark McGowan wants the March 21 ban on international cruise ships entering Australia extended.

Page 10: WA is set to play host to thousands of athletes from all over the world when the World Transplant Games are held in Perth in 2023.

Parents will be slugged with a 10 per cent increase on back to school costs as retailers fight to fulfil their shopping lists.

Page 12: A re-elected McGowan Government would reintroduce legislation to permanently kill off the Perth Freight Link while committing $3 million to build a boardwalk and walking trails through the Beeliar wetlands.

Business: A new WA honey producer is shrugging off an escalating trade rift with China that has slammed the door on a suite of Australian products and is ramping up exports there.

Tesla has reported better-than-expected 2020 vehicle deliveries, driven by a steady rise in electric vehicle adoption across the world’s biggest economies.

Bitcoin, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency, has topped $US34,000 ($44,190) for the first time.