A review of national business headlines.
A review of national business headlines.
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN Business pages
Exchange clamps down
The Australian Stock Exchange will set up a specialist intelligence unit as part of a crackdown on insider trading, market manipulation and poor disclosure after more than 100 suspected breaches last financial year.
StateWest to fight merger ruling
StateWest Credit Society will return to the Federal Court next week to fight Justice Tony Siopis' refusal to grant it orders convening a meeting of members to vote on a $120 million merger with Home Building Society.
Meatworks creditors to know future soon ruling
Likely future of EG Green & Sons (Harvey Beef) should be known within days.
Main Stories in today's Australian newspapers
THE AUSTRALIAN
Page 1 - Businesses want the federal government to use its budget surplus for structural tax reform instead of tax cuts. Gold American Express cards issued to Aborigines on work-for-the dole programs.
Page 2 - Businesses and police express concerns over the cost and logistics of a national ID card.
Page 3 - . Nobel prize winner Barry Marshall is claiming up to $10.5 million in unpaid royalties.
Finance - ASX will spend an extra $10.4 million to lift the poor strike rate on prosecutions for insider trading.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Page 1 - ASX will spin off its supervisory operations into a new subsidiary and establish a special unit to investigate insider trading. Peter Costello leaves open the prospect of new tax cuts in the next federal budget. Major increases in defence spending foreshadowed by John Howard.
Page 3 - Federal government expected to be handed a report next week recommending the sale of Medibank Private for as much as $1.5 billion. West Australian government pushes for ships with Australian crews to be included in liquefied natural gas exports. Three of Victoria's showcase infrastructure projects criticised in auditor-general's annual report.
World - Hopes of breakthrough at WTO talks receive an early blow after France insists Europe will make no additional offer on agricultural reform. US trade deficit hits new monthly high of $91 billion, threatening to slow economic growth. Iraqis vote in second parliamentary elections.
Markets - Asia's gold price falls sharply after profit-taking by speculative investment funds and Japanese traders.
