Morning Headlines

Port supply lines ‘close to breaking’

The world’s second-biggest shipping company has warned supply chains are at ‘‘a breaking point’’ and will take months to recover even when work bans at DP World wharves end, a prospect that grew distant yesterday as three days of talks ended in a stalemate. The Fin

Brokers rush to list bitcoin ETFs

Some of the country’s largest retail brokers are working to allow local investors access to bitcoin spot price ETFs launching in the United States after they were approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Fin

Australia ‘no longer competitive’ in nickel

The biggest nickel producer on the ASX says Australia is no longer competitive in the sector and its miners will never attract a so-called green premium. The Fin

Power price plunge tests the climate-friendly future

Steep falls in wholesale electricity prices may be good for customers, but they are bad for developers of urgently needed wind and solar projects that already face obstacles from tight supply chains, rising costs and glacial approvals processes, industry experts say. The Fin

WA offers up 8pc of all its land

Western Australia is preparing to hand over control of 8 per cent of the state to traditional owners, opening up 142 remote Aboriginal communities to home ownership and outside investment for the first time if that is what the communities want. The Aus

AUKUS deal makes Perth the No. 1 military target, says expert

The AUKUS program will make Perth the number one military target in Australia, a leading international policy expert has warned. The Aus

On board for offshore

Resources Minister Madeleine King is promising “clear and unambiguous” new consultation rules for offshore gas developments to address a legal minefield that has stalled projects and put investment at risk. The West

Critics grounded

Besieged property developer Ricky Hirsch has launched a legal action to gag the founder of a group representing peeved investors in his property development projects. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 3: Two of Australia’s former competition chiefs, Graeme Samuel and Rod Sims, say the Albanese government’s threats to shake up supermarkets’ dealings with suppliers is unlikely to reduce the final price of groceries.

Page 5: Australia’s biggest super fund, AustralianSuper, plans to triple its direct deals in private credit by 2030, and other major funds are hunting for more lending opportunities as they start to challenge the banks as a source of capital for companies.

Page 8: Employers who are serious about improving the wellbeing of staff must tackle the root causes of stress instead of relying on ‘‘easy actions’’ such as offering free access to health apps and mindfulness workshops.

Page 9: Almost three-quarters of Australian households exposed to significant flood risk lack insurance cover for such a disaster, new data reveals.

Page 9: West Australian Premier Roger Cook has lashed out at those seeking to blame Labor government policies for contributing to the closure of Alcoa’s Kwinana alumina refinery, saying its curtailment has been coming for years.

Page 12: Australia’s booming rooftop solar growth is forecast by the International Energy Agency to stutter as the grid struggles to effectively integrate panels into the power system, contributing to a pullback in expectations for renewable energy growth in the country.

Page 12: Billionaire prospector Mark Creasy is set for another windfall after CZR Resources unveiled a deal to sell a long-stranded iron ore project to Chinese interests for $102 million.

Page 13: The approval of bitcoin exchange traded funds in the US might move the cryptocurrency into the mainstream, but Australian retail investors will have to go it alone because financial planning licences stymie the provision of advice about digital assets.

Page 14: Airservices Australia, the government agency running the country’s air traffic system, says its service remained ‘‘below expected levels’’ during the busy summer holiday season as the number of flights reached close to COVID-19 pandemic levels.

Page 15: Andrew Forrest’s Squadron Energy says it will deliver one-third of the renewable energy capacity needed to reach Australia’s 2030 emissions target after inking a $2.75 billion deal to buy wind turbines from GE.

The Australian

Page 3: Australian scientists are calling for the country to urgently fast- track moves to implement genomic medicine in clinical cancer care after a landmark study in the UK revealed widespread genetic variations that were common across some of the most deadly cancers, paving the way for personalised treatment.

Page 5: Small businesses are facing a “crunch year” and there are expectations some will be forced to close as new figures reveal customers are reducing their spending. 

Page 13: The number of Australians seeking extra funds to cover mortgage arrears is on the rise, according to a Sydney-based non-bank lender.

Page 13: Fox Corporation has launched a new tool aimed at combating the rise of AI-generated deep fakes and misinformation.

Page 14: The British government has unveiled plans for the country’s “biggest expansion of nuclear power for 70 years” to bolster its energy independence and meet carbon emission targets.

Page 15: Majority of Australia’s mid-tier businesses are worried about hiring and retaining staff in 2024 as many report difficulty attracting skilled workers despite a record surge in immigration and a cooling labour market.

Page 15: An Amazon-backed start-up says it can get rid of “hundreds of millions” of batteries from TV remote controls, wireless computer key- boards, smoke detectors and more, using ambient solar energy.

Page 17: Western importers are reporting a steep rise in ocean shipping rates and long delays as carriers divert ships from the Red Sea to avoid Houthi rebel attacks.

Page 17: Spot prices for triuranium octoxide, the form of the commodity that is widely traded, hit $US92.50 ($137.80) a pound on Monday, more than doubling since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the highest since 2007, according to uranium market-data firm UxC.

Page 20: The cost of going green is dropping as more lenders deliver discounted loans for people buying electric vehicles, solar systems and energy-efficient homes.

Page 20: Saudi Arabia estimates the value of its mineral resources has nearly doubled to $US2.5 trillion ($3.7 trillion) as it tries to diversify its oil-reliant economy.

The West Australian

Page 5: Premier Roger Cook shares the “anger and disappointment” of the major union representing sacked Alcoa workers but insists the Albanese Government is supporting WA’s resources sector.

Page 18: Western Australia is on heatwave alert with the hottest areas of the State forecast to hit a scorching 46C on Saturday.

Page 46: One of Australia’s biggest superannuation funds Aware Super has secured its place as one of the biggest investors in mineral sands producer and rare earths hopeful Iluka Resources.

Page 47: Little Green Pharma’s psychedelics arm has kicked off a clinical trial using psilocybin for patients with treatment-resistant depression.

Page 48: A decision on lifting WA’s ban on the export of onshore gas is expected by the middle of the year, with Premier Roger Cook revealing he would spend the next six months consulting industry over the policy. 

Page 48: A WA biotech startup is developing a drug aimed at treating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which occurs when bacteria and fungi no longer respond to medicine.

Page 48: Milk brand Masters has stepped up its fight against its competition, taking to the streets of Perth to accuse rivals of misleading consumers.

Page 49: Shares in Gladiator Resources continue to trade, despite the uranium minnow copping a speeding ticket from the market operator before announcing promising exploration results less than two days later.

Page 49: Mining boss Bill Beament and former Nationals WA leader Brendon Grylls are among the backers of a carbon credits company planning a $50 million share market float.