Morning Headlines

Iron ore surge lifts shares and WA spirits

The iron ore price last night soared to its highest level in almost a year on returned confidence in China’s economic growth, providing a much-needed fillip for WA’s embattled mining sector and State Government cash-strapped coffers.  The West

Soaring BHP still has room to run

BHP Billiton shares surged again amid a dramatic spike in iron ore stocks – and the stock may still have room to run before it hits the price targets of more bullish analysts. The Fin

ARC in Chinese bid for Kidman

Australian Rural Capital, backed by agribusiness and investment heavyweights James Jackson and Stephen Chapman, has emerged as Shanghai Pengxin’s bidding partner for the S. Kidman & Co pastoral empire. The Aus

Bunnings makes parent No.1

A tireless Bunnings has helped Wesfarmers leapfrog rival Woolworths as the country’s biggest company by revenue as interest grows in the hardware chain’s landing in Britain. The West

Concerns grow over China IPOs

A court ordered the wind-up of Sino Australia Oil and Gas, a Chinese drilling services company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, after the chairman tried to transfer $7.5 million to a bank account in China without disclosing why. The Fin

Optus could say Yes to name change

Singtel-Optus has considered changing its brand to the word ‘‘Yes’’ and is set to launch a massive marketing campaign to spruik its entertainment services to win more customers. The Fin

Proving ANZ rigged price may be tricky

The corporate regulator’s case against ANZ Banking Group for market manipulation will require it to prove that ANZ’s traders conducted transactions that created an artificial price. The Fin

Crown boss backs WA to diversify and thrive

Crown Resorts chairman Rob Rankin says the company has great confidence that the Western Australian economy will be able to diversify beyond the resource sector, leveraging its expertise in mining into new technology businesses and into education, financial services and tourism. The Aus

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: A court ordered the wind-up of Sino Australia Oil and Gas, a Chinese drilling services company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, after the chairman tried to transfer $7.5 million to a bank account in China without disclosing why.

Page 3: Clive Palmer took back operational control of his Queensland nickel refinery and injected $23 million to keep it open.

Residential rents are growing at their weakest rate since 1996 and are set to start falling – on a national basis – as the housing boom floods the market with new properties.

Page 6: The corporate regulator’s case against ANZ Banking Group for market manipulation will require it to prove that ANZ’s traders conducted transactions that created an artificial price.

Page 9: Medibank Private, Mirvac Group, DUET Group, Spark Infrastructure and Woolworths are among the top ASX 100 companies for appointing women to boards, a new report says.

Page 10: Australia’s new defence white paper finally seems to be facing the complex realities of funding and arming the nation’s defence force for a time of rising strategic tensions and financial uncertainty.

Page 15: Singtel-Optus has considered changing its brand to the word ‘‘Yes’’ and is set to launch a massive marketing campaign to spruik its entertainment services to win more customers.

Page 17: Former Labor resources minister Martin Ferguson, a vocal critic of the policy hurdles for coal seam gas in NSW, is set to launch a broadside against Northern Territory Labor, blaming its moratorium on fracking for putting a new pipeline at risk and pushing the Northern Territory to the brink of ‘‘catastrophic’’ gas shortages.

BHP Billiton shares surged again amid a dramatic spike in iron ore stocks – and the stock may still have room to run before it hits the price targets of more bullish analysts.

Page 18: Australia’s top 100 companies employ about half the number of female chief financial officers their international peers do, according to new research.

Page 23: Australia’s biggest accounting firm, PwC, is rolling out a new way of teaching its clients about cyber security, creating a game in which senior executives and board members can play as the attackers and the defenders.

The Australian

Page 1: Voter confidence in Malcolm Turnbull’s performance has tumbled to a five-month low and dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister has reached the highest level since he seized the leadership from Tony Abbott in September.

The financially stricken Australian Careers Network has warned it could target thousands of students to repay $300 million in course fee loans if it is forced into administration.

Page 2: Biotech giant CSL will double the number of its scientists at the University of Melbourne to create a global research hub, showing its confidence in the country’s innovation push.

Page 19: Australian Rural Capital, backed by agribusiness and investment heavyweights James Jackson and Stephen Chapman, has emerged as Shanghai Pengxin’s bidding partner for the S. Kidman & Co pastoral empire.

A swag of Western Australian developers are delaying apartment projects and even scrapping them altogether as demand softens and pre-sales slow to a crawl.

Senior Westpac executives have been subject to ongoing compulsory interviews by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission as the corporate watchdog’s investigation into the rigging of bank bill swap rates by Australian banks widens.

Page 20: Australia’s largest privately owned cattle business, Consolidated Pastoral Company, has slammed the Coalition’s reforms to foreign investment rules, insisting it is actively discouraging investment from China.

Crown Resorts chairman Rob Rankin says the company has great confidence that the Western Australian economy will be able to diversify beyond the resource sector, leveraging its expertise in mining into new technology businesses and into education, financial services and tourism.

The West Australian

Page 3: WA is refusing to cede control of its disability services to the Federal Government, putting Colin Barnett at loggerheads with his former heir apparent Christian Porter.

Page 9: Medical researchers around the world will be watching Perth this week when hypertension specialist Markus Schlaich conducts the first human trials of a ground-breaking blood pressure treatment.

Page 11: Tourists are flocking to Australia but locals are rushing out the door, new figures show, with a record number of people departing the country permanently.

Page 13: Midwives say childbirth should be less “medicalised” and maternity wards adequately staffed so new mothers can reap the benefits of skin-to-skin contact without any risk to their babies.

Business: A tireless Bunnings has helped Wesfarmers leapfrog rival Woolworths as the country’s biggest company by revenue as interest grows in the hardware chain’s landing in Britain.

The iron ore price last night soared to its highest level in almost a year on returned confidence in China’s economic growth, providing a much-needed fillip for WA’s embattled mining sector and State Government cash-strapped coffers.

The LNG carrier destined to pick up the first cargo of liquefied fuel from Australia’s biggest resources project, the $US54 billion Gorgon venture, is heading for Barrow Island as the end of six-year construction process looms.

A WA start-up agriculture company is about to build its first greenhouse in the Wheatbelt under ambitious plans to deliver financial, social and environmental returns to the region.