Morning Headlines

Hydrogen era draws Asia closer

The country’s largest single buyer of commodities, South Korean steel giant Posco, has singled out Australia as a ‘‘regional strategic base’’ to help achieve its clean-energy aspirations in one of the strongest signs yet of the radical transformation in trade being wrought by the race to tackle climate change. The Fin

JobKeeper lacked watchdog for five months

Australia’s single biggest public-spending program, JobKeeper, lacked a dedicated ‘‘oversight committee’’ of top executives who could escalate issues across government and raise concerns about contentious ‘‘trade-off’’ decisions, such as whether the scheme’s administration was ‘‘financially efficient’’. The Fin

Students head to Canada as Australia remains shut

Australia’s privileged position as a prized destination for international students has tumbled as Canada, the United States and Britain race to grab greater market share, a survey shows. The Fin

Vaccine edict splits sector but McGowan says the rule is ‘necessary’

Mining giant Rio Tinto says it will extend the State Government’s mandatory COVID jab policy for fly-in, fly-out workers in the State’s resources sector to its entire WA workforce. The West

Big polluters join net zero carbon push

Big Australian greenhouse gas polluters have pledged to hit net zero emissions by 2050, with the nation’s cement and concrete industry and a major aluminium producer taking action to meet green goals ahead of the looming Glasgow climate summit. The Aus

Vacuum of capital hits WA women

The lack of female venture capital and angel investors in WA is causing startups founded by women to receive disproportionately lower amounts of funding, experts warn. The West

Forrest slaps down Taylor’s ‘gas’ branding

Iron ore magnate Andrew Forrest has slapped down federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor’s portrayal of a $30 million grant to the proposed Port Kembla power station as an element of the ‘‘gas-fired recovery’’, emphasising his intention to shift the plant completely to green hydrogen by 2030. The Fin

Cyber crims dig into data mining

Data theft extortion could overtake ransomware as the biggest threat to Australian businesses within 12 months, as the nation’s biggest cyber security firm warned smaller organisations face grave risks from online criminal gangs. The Aus

APM meets investors as record WA float looms

Global employment services provider APM will start meeting potential cornerstone investors today ahead of its massive sharemarket float touted to be in excess of $1 billion. The West

Kalium victorious in heated potash race

WA-based Kalium Lakes has won the race to become Australia’s first sulphate of potash producer. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: The country’s largest single buyer of commodities, South Korean steel giant Posco, has singled out Australia as a ‘‘regional strategic base’’ to help achieve its clean-energy aspirations in one of the strongest signs yet of the radical transformation in trade being wrought by the race to tackle climate change.

ANZ, which boasts of ‘‘combating’’ corruption, provided banking services for years to a business controlled by a Chinese billionaire who had earlier testified to paying bribes for Australian iron ore.

Page 2: Booming coal and gas prices and a bumper harvest season pushed the trade surplus to a surprise fourth consecutive record in August, more than offsetting declines in the value of iron ore exports.

Page 3: Australia’s single biggest public-spending program, JobKeeper, lacked a dedicated ‘‘oversight committee’’ of top executives who could escalate issues across government and raise concerns about contentious ‘‘trade-off’’ decisions, such as whether the scheme’s administration was ‘‘financially efficient’’.

Page 10: An Australian expert has described the first antiviral pill for COVID-19, now on order from US drug-maker Merck, as a ‘‘major breakthrough’’ so long as positive cases can access the drug quickly.

Page 11: Australia’s privileged position as a prized destination for international students has tumbled as Canada, the United States and Britain race to grab greater market share, a survey shows.

Page 15: Iron ore magnate Andrew Forrest has slapped down federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor’s portrayal of a $30 million grant to the proposed Port Kembla power station as an element of the ‘‘gas-fired recovery’’, emphasising his intention to shift the plant completely to green hydrogen by 2030.

Page 18: Australian coal miners and traders have seen no relaxation of China’s ban on their product, despite reports suggesting some Australian coal has been unloaded in China as the Asian superpower battles an energy crisis.

Page 19: BHP is in talks about buying into a copper project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, marking a dramatic departure from the world’s biggest mining company’s policy of shunning risky jurisdictions.

The Australian

Page 3: Australia is far more likely to buy a version of Britain’s Astute submarine than the US Virginia-class under the AUKUS defence partnership, a top US expert on nuclear subs says.

Data theft extortion could overtake ransomware as the biggest threat to Australian businesses within 12 months, as the nation’s biggest cyber security firm warned smaller organisations face grave risks from online criminal gangs.

Page 4: ACTU secretary Sally McManus has declared unions will be “turning up the heat” on employers as the economy emerges from the pandemic, flagging more industrial action, picket lines and product boycotts to pressure companies to offer more secure employment conditions to workers.

Page 13: In the weeks before he was scheduled to exit the Australian Securities & Investments Commission, chair James Shipton caught up with a flurry of commissioners, but only met his replacements two weeks before his departure.

Big Australian greenhouse gas polluters have pledged to hit net zero emissions by 2050, with the nation’s cement and concrete industry and a major aluminium producer taking action to meet green goals ahead of the looming Glasgow climate summit.

Page 14: The surging price of Qantas’s shares has some asking the question whether now is the time for the national carrier to tap the market for equity.

Shares in Sandfire Resources are trading below the price of the company’s recent $1bn-plus equity raising, calling into question whether AustralianSuper will now pick up the slack.

Page 15: Medibank has become the latest employer to mandate its staff get vaccinated against Covid-19, telling retail and office employees they must be jabbed if they want to attend the workplace or a work event.

Page 16: A novel carbon-capture process which has won the backing of billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates could be adopted in Queensland as part of the fight against global warming.

The West Australian

Page 3: WA universities are among the worst-performing in the country for students hoping to find full-time work after graduation.

Page 8: Mining giant Rio Tinto says it will extend the State Government’s mandatory COVID jab policy for fly-in, fly-out workers in the State’s resources sector to its entire WA workforce.

COVID-19 vaccination will be a condition of entry for organised school leavers’ celebrations in Dunsborough.

Page 11: Nearly 1500 people treated for an eating disorder in WA in the past year have had to wait up to six months to get into a clinic — as more vulnerable Western Australians come forward for care.

Page 16: One of Labor’s most senior members has accused Scott Morrison of mishandling the relationship between Australia and China and failing to consider how important Beijing is to WA.

Business: Medibank has joined a rapidly growing list of employers making COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory, with experts attributing the domino effect to governments and large companies taking the lead and the imminent easing of lockdowns over east.

Global employment services provider APM will start meeting potential cornerstone investors today ahead of its massive sharemarket float touted to be in excess of $1 billion.

The lack of female venture capital and angel investors in WA is causing startups founded by women to receive disproportionately lower amounts of funding, experts warn.

China needs to bolster its coal supply to avoid an economic slowdown this quarter, but Beijing’s icy relations with Australia could make that difficult, according to investment bank Mizhuo.

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe is sticking to his long-held view the cash rate won’t be lifted before 2024.

A gauge of commodities soared to a record high as a resurgence in demand for raw materials collides with supply constraints, working to fan fears of inflation around the world.

WA-based Kalium Lakes has won the race to become Australia’s first sulphate of potash producer.