🗞️ Shark Selfie Fail

Good morning. Congratulations, you made it through another week! Here's a quick wrap of some big news stories this week:

• Apple released the new 'budget minded' iPhone 16e.

• Sydney Trains commuters can now travel without fears of cancellations after industrial action was suspended.

• Trump and Zelenskyy exchanged verbal blows after Trump blamed Ukraine for the war.

• A lady tried to take a selfie with a shark and had her hand bit off.

All the headlines and more below...

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Brisbane CBD office occupancy jumps from 78% to 88% on the back of 50 cent transport fares

• Brisbane's CBD office occupancy has risen to 88% from 78% as cheaper public transport fares attract workers. LINK

• Australia added 54,100 jobs in January whilst the unemployment rate increased to 4.1% due to record workforce participation. LINK

• Female barristers received 22% of legal briefings last year, missing the Law Council's 30% target. LINK

• The Brisbane bus drivers' strike disrupted 400 trips during a 2-hour wage dispute action. LINK

• Children aged 8-15 are bypassing age restrictions to access Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. LINK

• NSW councils will collect organic waste weekly by 2030 while reducing general waste collection. LINK

• Tasmania’s salmon industry faces a mass mortality event due to a bacterial outbreak. LINK

• The ASX 200 has experienced its worst earnings season in 2 years as bank results disappoint. LINK

• The Australian government has committed $1B to green iron manufacturing, including $500M for the Whyalla steelworks rescue. LINK

• The ACCC has expanded its pricing probe to include telecommunications and energy sectors. LINK

GLOBAL NEWS

Western tourists return to North Korea for first time since pandemic border closures

• Western tourists are set to re-enter North Korea for the first time in 5 years. LINK

• The Federal Reserve minutes show Trump's policies raised inflation concerns. LINK

• Donald Trump criticised the Ukrainian President as a dictator whilst blaming him for the war as concerns rise about US peace negotiations favouring Russia. LINK

• Nigeria has sued Binance for $81.5B in damages and taxes as the crypto exchange allegedly contributed to currency decline. LINK

• British unions have proposed £200M in government funding to maintain blast furnaces until electric replacements are ready to save 2,000 jobs. LINK

COMPANY NEWS

Meta and Google opt out of Sydney Mardi Gras amid move away from DEI in US

• Meta and Google have opted out of the Sydney Mardi Gras festival amid their move away from DEI in the US. LINK

• Apple launched the iPhone 16e at US$599 with AI features to compete in China and India markets. LINK

• ANZ reported its highest asset impairments since FY21 due to rising mortgage defaults. LINK

• Forever 21 plans nearly 200 store closures in second bankruptcy. LINK

• KPMG US has removed diversity and inclusion reports amid changing legal and political environments. LINK

• Microsoft unveiled a quantum computing chip and expects practical quantum computing to revolutionise cybersecurity and medicine within years. LINK

• Healthscope will shut maternity units in NT and TAS amid declining birth rates and staff shortages. LINK

• Wesfarmers posted higher profits as Kmart and Bunnings continue growing sales despite inflation, with cash-strapped Kmart shoppers increasingly turning to cheaper in-house brands to save money. LINK

• Magellan has received a $4M dividend from Barrenjoey as the stockbroker posts record first-half profit. LINK

• Super Retail Group reported a 9% profit decline due to weak automotive sales at Supercheap Auto. LINK

• Charter Hall has increased focused on strategic investments in industrial, retail and logistics assets as property market conditions improve. LINK 

• Fortescue reported a 53% drop in first-half profit to $1.55B as weaker iron ore prices affect green energy projects. LINK

• Tabcorp reported a 26% profit increase after securing a Victorian betting licence and reducing fees. LINK

• Stockland has partnered with M&G and KKR to invest $800M in Sydney industrial and logistics assets. LINK

• Telstra will spend $800M to boost mobile coverage and increase internet speeds across its network over the next 4 years, while announcing strong mobile business earnings drive profits to $1.03B. LINK

• Lenovo posted a 20% rise in Q3 revenue to $18.8B as the global PC market recovers. LINK

• Rio Tinto has cut dividends to a 7-year low whilst reporting an 8% profit decline due to higher costs and weakening iron ore demand. LINK

• Insignia Financial has reported a $17M interim loss while warning against superannuation reforms. LINK 

• Healius recorded a $12.8M loss as pathology earnings underperformed despite revenue growth. LINK

CHART OF THE DAY

10-year change in Australian house prices

ONE MORE SCROLL

Editor’s Pick: Is avoiding microplastics even possible? Here’s what experts say.

Draft Pick: America will face off against Canada in the first four nations Ice Hockey Final - with more booing of the America national anthem expected.

Odd Pick: Woman arrested after accidentally texting sheriff’s department instead of drug dealer.

TOGETHER WITH

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TRIVIA

Iconic

On this day back in 1959, construction first started on the Sydney Opera House. We have listed 5 iconic landmarks below. Can you put them in chronological order of when they were completed?

1. Eiffel Tower (France)

2. Great Wall of China (China)

3. Burj Khalifa (UAE)

4. Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower, UK)

5. Christ the Redeemer (Brazil - Rio)

Answers below

OUR SOCIALS

ANSWERS

1. Great Wall of China (China) – Completed in 1600's
2. Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower, UK) – Completed in 1859
3. Eiffel Tower (France) – Completed in 1889
4. Christ the Redeemer (Brazil - Rio) – Completed in 1931
5. Burj Khalifa (UAE) – Completed in 2010

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