Corporate news, markets, and the economy
Dubai's property market hit record highs in January 2026, but geopolitical shocks and potential tourism collapse are creating a wait-and-watch phase that Australian investors must navigate carefully.
Fatima Al-Rashid 
A Middle East conflict has cut off global oil supplies, triggering fuel shortages and empty bowsers across rural Australia. The crisis reveals uncomfortable truths about Australian energy vulnerability.
Daniel Kovac 
Venture capitalists funded AI to disrupt every industry. Now they're grappling with disruption in their own backyard.
Darren Ong 
Following a February Supreme Court decision that struck down Trump's tariffs, hundreds of companies are suing for refunds of billions paid under now-invalid duties. The refund process itself is becoming a legal and logistical nightmare.
Riley Fitzgerald 
Australians are scrambling for fuel containers and stockpiling petrol as Middle East tensions trigger price spikes and supply rationing. Regional fuel suppliers report being completely cut off.
Aisha Khoury 
Dalaroo Metals has confirmed high-grade gold from initial sampling at its Bondoukou project in Côte d'Ivoire, with results supporting an aggressive West African exploration push.
Sophia Vargas 
Escalating conflict in the Middle East is set to ripple through Australian household budgets, with economists warning of rising petrol, energy and food costs.
Priya Narayanan From January 2026, the UK has implemented significant changes to its Skilled Worker visa system, including higher English language requirements, increased salary thresholds, and extended pathways to permanent residence. Australian workers face a more demanding and costly route to UK employment.
Oliver Pemberton 
A week-long military campaign in the Middle East has triggered a cascade of market turbulence, with Australian shares suffering their worst week in months as energy supply fears dominate investor sentiment.
Priya Narayanan 
Microsoft's chief communications officer has denied reports that new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma received unlimited funding for Project Helix, signalling careful fiscal discipline as the company reveals its next-generation console strategy.
Sophia Vargas 
Australian markets face headwinds as Middle East tensions push oil above $90 a barrel, compounding weak jobs data to cap Wall Street's worst week since October.
Darren Ong 
An upmarket Sydney restaurant faced furious customers over orders it never took. The culprit: a sophisticated online scam that exploits how delivery platforms operate.
Ella Sullivan 
OpenAI and Oracle have scrapped plans to expand their flagship Abilene, Texas data centre after financing negotiations failed and demand forecasts shifted. Meta is now eyeing the capacity.
Zara Mitchell 
Palmer Luckey's ModRetro is chasing a $1 billion valuation with its upcoming M64 N64 console. But can a retro gaming company really justify that price tag in a crowded market?
Jake Nguyen Australia has just 36 days of petrol reserves as the Strait of Hormuz closes and global oil prices surge. Drivers and farmers brace for price spikes while the government reassures the nation its emergency frameworks are ready.
Oliver Pemberton The Albanese government's Division 296 super tax targeting balances above $3 million heads to the Senate after dropping unrealised gains taxation.
Sarah Cheng 
Greek yoghurt has vanished from Australian supermarket shelves for four months, driven by a TikTok trend and broader protein-obsessed consumer behaviour that manufacturers struggle to match.
Sophia Vargas The RBA has lifted the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.85%, marking the first increase in over two years as inflation climbs above target. More hikes are expected if price pressures persist.
Tom Whitfield 
With Middle East tensions threatening global oil supplies, Australian food charities fear widening gaps between vulnerable families and the support available to them.
Sophia Vargas 
Walmart has begun requiring Vizio TV customers to use Walmart accounts instead, offering limited options: merge accounts or delete. The move reflects Walmart's broader ambitions to control customer data.
Oliver Pemberton