Today
British PM stumps up for Taylor Swift tickets after donations furore
With his popularity in freefall, Keir Starmer has tried to make amends for his freebie frenzy by paying back $12,000 worth of gifts out of his own pocket.
Israel vows Iran will pay ‘heavy price’, Lebanon combat intensifies
Israel and Iran traded verbal blows, while in Lebanon the first direct troop clashes claimed lives on both sides.
This Month
News Corp chief says higher Rightmove bid would have been ‘foolhardy’
The Murdoch family-controlled giant owns 61 per cent of REA, which had lobbed a $12 billion takeover bid for its British rival. But the offer was rebuffed.
- Analysis
- UK politics
‘Do you miss me yet?’ Britain’s zany ex-PMs back on centre stage
Boris Johnson and Liz Truss return to the limelight, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s travails leave Tories daring to dream of a swift resurrection.
Britain calls time on coal power, steel mills
On a single day, the UK closed its last coal-fired power plant and its largest carbon-munching steel mill.
September
- Updated
- Mergers & acquisitions
REA abandons $12b pursuit of Britain’s Rightmove
REA Group chairman Hamish McLennan’s personal touch was not enough to get the deal, which Rightmove rejected on Monday, over the line.
- Updated
REA lobs $12b fourth bid at UK’s resistant Rightmove
The Murdoch-backed REA has just days left to win over the British online property listing behemoth, as a “put-up-or-shut-up” deadline looms on Monday.
- Updated
- AUKUS
‘Utterly untrue’: Keating berates Marles over AUKUS defence
Paul Keating launched fresh criticism of the $368 billion agreement, part of internal Labor squabbling over the pact, which has not gone unnoticed in the UK and US.
- Updated
New AUKUS pact to keep nuclear subs deal on track
Australia and the UK are thrashing out a formal treaty to allay concerns about getting the SSN-AUKUS submarines built on time and under budget.
- Analysis
- UK politics
Why Britain’s PM faces political firefights on all fronts
A combination of bad politics and unpopular policy has left Sir Keir Starmer on the back foot. And there isn’t even a Tory opponent who can lead the attack.
Meet the ‘actionable futurist’ who demystifies tech for the C-suite
Futurist Andrew Grill reckons execs will struggle to make good decisions about deploying tech in their businesses if they’re not actively using it themselves.
UK property site Rightmove knocks back REA again
Pressure is increasing on the Murdoch-owned REA’s $11 billion-plus foray, with just five days left to get a deal across the line.
Starmer calls for return of ‘sausages’ from Gaza in conference gaffe
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer misread his script – which called for the return of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 last year.
- Updated
Will the Rightmove ‘fortress’ fall to REA’s siege?
Rightmove so dominates the UK market that its own CEO calls it ‘unassailable’. REA is hoping to seize the keys to the castle, but without tarnishing the prize.
- Analysis
- Brexit
Brits regret Brexit, but can the country turn back?
Boris Johnson ‘got Brexit done’, but most Brits now seem to wish he hadn’t. Polls show more people see it as a failure, and would even vote to rejoin the EU.
Bank of England holds fire on rate cuts after Fed’s bazooka round
Facing less pressure from its economy or jobs market, the BoE is expected to wait until November to unleash a second interest rate cut.
Sanjeev Gupta faces UK tax office blowtorch, auditor walkout
The billionaire’s GFG Alliance, which owns Whyalla Steelworks, has been mired in debt since the collapse of its Australian financier Greensill Capital.
Nick Scali wants to conquer Britain. Does it stand a chance?
The ASX-listed furniture retailer has made a big bet on the United Kingdom, where plenty of big Australian companies have come unstuck.
Scottish city takes Victoria’s discarded 2026 Games (and money)
Glasgow, which was the 2014 host, will run a slim version of the beleaguered event, bankrolled by cancellation fees from Australia.
- Updated
High Court blow to Australia-backed coal mine in UK
Mining entrepreneur Owen Hegarty has spent a decade backing West Cumbria Mining’s controversial plan to mine coking coal in England. His bet is looking shaky.