ABC News reported that Australians are flocking to cheap retailers like Temu, Shein, and Amazon, which combine ultra-cheap products with fast delivery. However, their success is putting pressure on traditional brick‑and‑mortar retailers, which are struggling to compete. In particular, online giants can undercut prices due to lower overheads, making it difficult for smaller shops to
Below is an excellent satire post from MB reader Erin Rolandsen, CEO of Angelassist and author of beyondtheragemachine.substack.com: With Christmas approaching, many parents are once again facing the annual dilemma: What gift best prepares my child for the world they are inheriting? Toys that encourage imagination? Books that inspire curiosity? Or perhaps something more realistic. This year, why
On Thursday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released official population and immigration data for the June quarter, revealing that annual net overseas migration (NOM) declined to 305,500. The decline in annual NOM came despite the ABS at the same time releasing detailed labour force data for November, showing that working-age (15-plus) population growth has
Two months ago, the Queensland government signalled a major retreat from net zero, announcing it would extend the life of coal-fired power stations until the mid-2040s and expand gas generation capacity under its new five-year energy roadmap. The move significantly undermined the Albanese government’s ambitious 62% to 70% emissions reduction target by 2035. The five-year
As the horrific details of the Bondi massacre came to light, many Australians have been wondering how this could have happened. How did Naveed Akram, linked to Islamic State (ISIS) since 2019, live in a home with his father, Sajid Akram and his half a dozen registered firearms from 2023 onwards? Based on a study
The Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) proposed by the Victorian government was opposed by almost all infrastructure experts due to its high cost, lack of a business case, failure to pass any objective cost-benefit analysis, and inability to generate sufficient customer demand. For instance, the SRL East and North parts have a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of
A paradoxically unvolatile session overnight as Wall Street bounced back on a surprise downside print in US inflation while the ECB and BOE held fire on interest rate rises all of which barely moved currency markets. Asian share markets should expect a boost in the final full volume trading session before the Xmas break with
The iron ore price has risen by about 7% so far in 2025, but CBA head of commodities Vivek Dhar warns that oversupply concerns could soon see the price of the steel input fall below $US$100 per tonne. Dhar notes that demand headwinds are accelerating in China, while shipments from the Simandou project in Guinea
From the Market Ear: SOX – from sexy to soggy Over the weekend we flagged the risk of a massive SOX double top. Today, that risk is starting to materialise. SOX is slicing through the 50-day and slamming into its longer-term trend line. Lose this level and the downside gets ugly fast, with the 200-day
China (31.8% share in 2024) and India (8.3% share in 2024) have driven the increase in global carbon emissions this century. Both nations have shown an insatiable appetite for coal. In 2024, China accounted for 55.8% of the world’s coal consumption, whereas India accounted for 13.9%. Australia, by contrast, accounted for only 0.9% of the