Morning Headlines

China ‘open for business’

Xi Jinping’s top economic adviser has told the world’s business elite that China’s economy will return to normal growth this year, as he sought to reassure global investors that the country is open for business and not retreating from capitalism. The Fin

Stausholm warns clean energy can’t be rushed

Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm says the world is “fooling ourselves” on the timeline for electrifying global energy usage with clean power, noting challenges in Australia in particular are often underestimated. The West

$1m banker fines unlikely under new law

Laws bolstering standards in the financial services sector are unlikely to include $1 million fines against lawbreaking bankers, with the Coalition offering Labor support to pass the long-delayed legislation through the Senate. The Fin

Dozens more cases expose CFMEU to maximum fines

The CFMEU faces more than 30 cases for alleged coercion and illegal strikes that could expose it to millions of dollars in penalties after a High Court judgment that bigger fines were needed to stop the union’s lawbreaking. The Fin

Gas producers push back on ACCC’s rules

Gas producers are pushing back at assertions from the competition watchdog that they now have enough information on new gas pricing rules to resume offering contracts to customers. The Fin

WA residential construction hits new record high

A record number of residential properties are under construction in WA, topping 27,000 for just the second time. The West

Leo Lithium lines up investor meetings amid Firefinch sale

Battery metals hopeful Leo Lithium has asked its broker Euroz Hartleys to get it some face-time with fund managers, while it’s battling shareholder Firefinch shops a sizeable stake in the business. The Fin

Skills checklists are blocking young staff

Businesses must stop including so many prerequisites on their job advertisements for junior employees and instead provide on-the-job training, with a focus on promoting young women. The West

Bond risk as Bank of Japan unmoved

An unchanged decision from the Bank of Japan gave global investors a modest jolt Wednesday, leaving the bigger shock of a future policy shift hanging over markets from the yen to Treasuries. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: Xi Jinping’s top economic adviser has told the world’s business elite that China’s economy will return to normal growth this year, as he sought to reassure global investors that the country is open for business and not retreating from capitalism.

Australia is set to become a major Pacific hub for maintaining US submarines under the AUKUS deal in a boost to America’s presence here while Canberra waits for nuclear-powered submarines of its own to be delivered.

Page 4: Laws bolstering standards in the financial services sector are unlikely to include $1 million fines against lawbreaking bankers, with the Coalition offering Labor support to pass the long-delayed legislation through the Senate.

Page 5: The CFMEU faces more than 30 cases for alleged coercion and illegal strikes that could expose it to millions of dollars in penalties after a High Court judgment that bigger fines were needed to stop the union’s lawbreaking.

Page 9: India might have already surpassed China as the world’s most-populous nation in a milestone that adds urgency for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create more jobs and ensure the country sustains its world-beating growth.

Page 12: Gas producers are pushing back at assertions from the competition watchdog that they now have enough information on new gas pricing rules to resume offering contracts to customers.

EnergyAustralia has suffered a mass exodus of its key trading team, heightening pressure on the beleaguered retail giant that is still reeling from a loss of $1.6 billion in just six months.

Page 13: National Australia Bank has become the second of the big banks to create a stablecoin, the AUDN, to let its business customers settle transactions on blockchain technology in real time using Australian dollars and highlighting the role of banks driving innovation in the digital economy.

Page 14: Battery metals hopeful Leo Lithium has asked its broker Euroz Hartleys to get it some face-time with fund managers, while it’s battling shareholder Firefinch shops a sizeable stake in the business.

Page 17: Two of Australia’s biggest companies, BHP and Woodside, have been put at the centre of a political campaign against proxy advisory firms in the United States.

The Australian

Page 2: Every mainland Australian state and territory is in breach of the National Firearms Agreement – signed in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre – by failing to limit the amount of ammunition that gun-owners can buy.

Page 3: Truancy will top the agenda of the nation’s education ministers when they meet next month, after attendance rates plunged to an alarming low last year.

Page 5: There are growing concerns in the Kimberley that the region’s longstanding social issues could get far worse in the wake of the recent floods that have swept through the region.

Page 13: Money managers are more bullish on China as the Asian powerhouse gears up for growth, with Chinese equities surging on the turnaround in sentiment.

Online marketplace Redbubble will make almost 50 staff – or 14 per cent of its workforce – redundant as it reins in spending in response to competition for shoppers and flatlining revenue.

Page 15: Just weeks after the sale of David Jones to Anchorage Capital, the department store’s former owner Woolworths Holdings has moved its other brands back into stores owned by rival retailer Myer.

The West Australian

Page 9: WA plans to outlaw nazi symbols including the swastika, Attorney-General John Quigley has announced.

Business: Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm says the world is “fooling ourselves” on the timeline for electrifying global energy usage with clean power, noting challenges in Australia in particular are often underestimated.

A record number of residential properties are under construction in WA, topping 27,000 for just the second time.

Apple has announced new Macs that can be purchased with either M2 Pro or M2 Max chips, the most powerful processors for MacBooks and the Mac mini to date.

Businesses must stop including so many prerequisites on their job advertisements for junior employees and instead provide on-the-job training, with a focus on promoting young women.

Drilling technology group Imdex has gone into a trading halt after details of a company record acquisition were leaked into the market.

An unchanged decision from the Bank of Japan gave global investors a modest jolt Wednesday, leaving the bigger shock of a future policy shift hanging over markets from the yen to Treasuries.