Morning Headlines

WA in no rush for vaccine

Most West Australians don’t want the COVID-19 vaccination rushed, according to a new poll, as Mark McGowan warned border closures will continue until there’s widespread immunisation. The West

Prelude reboots to incredible LNG spike

Shell finally resumed production at its troubled Prelude floating LNG plant located off the coast of Western Australia, conveniently timed to coincide with an extreme spike in spot prices in north Asia to unheard-of levels. The Fin

Palmer dodges WA poll

Clive Palmer’s political party will not contest the State election, meaning the mining magnate won’t face WA voters at the ballot box after his failed attempt to demolish the hard border. The West

China fears can’t dent mining’s allure

Trade tensions with China will prove to be short lived and have not diminished Australia’s appeal as an investment destination, according to the foreign private equity firm advised by former BHP boss Chip Goodyear. The Fin

Zoom usage to enter new phase

Enterprise usage of remote working technologies will enter a new phase of maturity this year, according to the local boss of video-conferencing giant Zoom, with the world’s largest work-from-home experiment set to continue thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fin

COVID hunt keeps nation in slow lane

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is under pressure to swiftly end Brisbane’s lockdown, as states bickered over border closures and business argued there needs to be a better approach than ‘‘stop-start’’ lockdowns and hotspot declarations. The Fin

China firms in Digicel race

National security experts in Canberra and Washington are alarmed that China could be in the box seat to beat private equity firms to buy telecommunications assets in the Pacific that would enable Beijing to spy on Australia’s closest geographical neighbours. The Fin

Trump isolated as chorus to oust him grows

With only days left in his presidency, Donald Trump – silenced by Twitter and shunned by a growing number of Republican officials – faces a renewed drive by Democrats to remove him from office after he incited his supporters to storm the US Capitol. The Fin

Insurers not worth climate risk: UniSuper

Increasing wild weather and rising sea levels are making insurance Australia’s riskiest industry, says UniSuper chief investment officer John Pearce, prompting his fund to take an underweight position in the sector. The Fin

China fleet interest soars

Liquidators of a Chinese-owned WA flight school have been flooded with interest in dozens of trainer planes as they finalise a rescue of nearly 50 student pilots and draw up sale plans. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is under pressure to swiftly end Brisbane’s lockdown, as states bickered over border closures and business argued there needs to be a better approach than ‘‘stop-start’’ lockdowns and hotspot declarations.

Page 3: National security experts in Canberra and Washington are alarmed that China could be in the box seat to beat private equity firms to buy telecommunications assets in the Pacific that would enable Beijing to spy on Australia’s closest geographical neighbours.

Page 6: Top investment bankers expect a bumper year for deals as local companies, especially pandemic winners in technology, look to build on their momentum and overseas predators vie for exposure to Australia’s stronger health and economic performance.

Page 9: With only days left in his presidency, Donald Trump – silenced by Twitter and shunned by a growing number of Republican officials – faces a renewed drive by Democrats to remove him from office after he incited his supporters to storm the US Capitol.

Page 13: Increasing wild weather and rising sea levels are making insurance Australia’s riskiest industry, says UniSuper chief investment officer John Pearce, prompting his fund to take an underweight position in the sector.

Page 15: Trade tensions with China will prove to be short lived and have not diminished Australia’s appeal as an investment destination, according to the foreign private equity firm advised by former BHP boss Chip Goodyear.

The online shopping boom led to a record-breaking December for Australia Post, which delivered more than 52 million parcels, making it the busiest month in its 211-year history.

Page 16: Enterprise usage of remote working technologies will enter a new phase of maturity this year, according to the local boss of video-conferencing giant Zoom, with the world’s largest work-from-home experiment set to continue thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Page 17: Shell finally resumed production at its troubled Prelude floating LNG plant located off the coast of Western Australia, conveniently timed to coincide with an extreme spike in spot prices in north Asia to unheard-of levels.

The Australian

Page 1: Tax cuts and low income concessions have put $7bn in the pockets of nearly eight million Australians in the past six months, underpinning a boom in household spending that has partially offset the impact of COVID-19 closures.

Page 7: Amazon will suspend Parler, sending the social media network offline after it was banned by Apple and Google for allowing “threats of violence” in the wake of a deadly riot at the US Capitol.

Page 13: Newly appointed Origin Energy director Mick McCormack has ridiculed a cheap gas target on the east coast as unobtainable, lashed the prospect of further regulatory intervention in the energy sector and called for bipartisan support for net zero emissions by 2050.

Page 15: Resources-focused private equity firm Appian Capital Advisory is cashed up and looking for new projects in Australia, according to London-based boss Michael Scherb, after the investment manager closed its latest $US775m ($1bn) fund.

Page 17: COVID-19 has helped expand the uptake of household solar power across Australia as people working from home and retirees seek to cut electricity costs.

The West Australian

Page 3: Clive Palmer’s political party will not contest the State election, meaning the mining magnate won’t face WA voters at the ballot box after his failed attempt to demolish the hard border.

Page 7: Most West Australians don’t want the COVID-19 vaccination rushed, according to a new poll, as Mark McGowan warned border closures will continue until there’s widespread immunisation.

Page 8: Western Australia is experiencing something of a brain gain with workers from the Eastern States flooding here as WA benefits from its stability and success in combating the coronavirus.

Page 10: Girls’ schools have held their own in a tough year, continuing their traditional domination of annual school rankings.

Page 15: Vice-President Mike Pence, pictured above left, has assumed control of Mr Trump’s Cabinet and is “acting as if he is no longer President”, a former aide said.

Business: Liquidators of a Chinese-owned WA flight school have been flooded with interest in dozens of trainer planes as they finalise a rescue of nearly 50 student pilots and draw up sale plans.

WA crays are about to become a popular part of summer dining, after the industry revealed it was working on a plan to keep an affordable domestic supply flowing.