Insights

Adele Ferguson defines exactly what is clipping the wings of Australia's ailing national carrier.

Alan Joyce is desperate to convince the government that the Flying Kangaroo needs help. But he may have cried wolf once too often, with the PM and his ministers keeping him at arm's length, writes Matt O'Sullivan.

Local shares had their worst week in six months as signs of improving economic conditions in the US made global investors nervous that the Federal Reserve might start withdrawing its stimulus as early as this month.

The appetite for new investments may be growing, but this week's sharemarket debutants have left investors going hungry.

For retailers who are encouraging shoppers to go online first, the next 20 days will prove nerve-racking, writes Eli Greenblat.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson shareholders were told their dividends could be threatened and the company forced to sell assets if a restructuring put forward by dissident shareholders Perpetual and M.H. Carnegie wins support.

After 12 years heading the Minerals Council, its retiring leader talks to Peter Ker.

QBE Insurance Group shares have been placed in a trading halt before an earnings review.

Car parts manufacturers would be devastated and thousands of jobs lost if Holden quit manufacturing in Australia, senior industry figures warn.

This is not a story for the faint hearted. It includes details that may disturb. But it deserves to be told because it reveals how children - several generations of them - have fallen through the cracks of Australia's child protection system.

Victoria remains core Labor territory. New South Wales, once Labor's heartland, has shifted its tectonic plate towards the Coalition. Queensland and Western Australia are the Coalition's solid loyalists while most Tasmanians voted for Labor to govern Australia, even though it won just one of their five seats.

Marc Newson designs beautiful tableware. He's done a fine dining range for Noritake, drinking glasses for Iittala, a salt-and-pepper set for Alessi.

The economy performed poorly in the September quarter, but that's OK. It was all Labor's fault, but now Labor is out. From here on it will be the Coalition's watch and everything will be much better. Or not. At least from here on Joe Hockey will be talking the economy up - as a treasurer should - not talking it down.

With our minds turning to Christmas, we know it's time to think about shopping for presents. Well that's what most of us are doing, but there is a tiny minority who have been getting into a new trend of "re-gifting".

Every year I go to The Age Christmas party.

ROBYN COOK, OAM ADVOCATE FOR DISABLED ATHLETES 12-4-1941 - 29-10-2013