BRIEFS

Federal police conducted raids on several commercial and residential premises linked to Perth Glory owner Tony Sage. The AFP spent time at the soccer club's building and at the office of Cape Lambert Resources, a mining company chaired by Mr Sage, with raids taking place in both Perth and Sydney.

Yes. The article reports that the Australian Federal Police spent several hours at the office of Cape Lambert Resources — the mining company that Tony Sage chairs — as part of the series of raids.

Whitehaven Coal shares jumped on speculation that China's Shenhua might be interested in a bid. Whitehaven told the stock exchange that Shenhua had not made a proposal, but confirmed it had held discussions because of the "obvious potential synergies" between their assets in the Gunnedah Basin, with shares closing up 26¢ at $3.47.

No. According to the company's stock exchange statement in the article, Shenhua had not made a proposal — only that discussions had taken place about potential synergies, not a formal offer.

SkyCity's operators will proceed with a $300 million upgrade after signing a deal with the South Australian government that allows more gaming tables and poker machines. The casino agreed to pay the government $20 million and to comply with revised measures addressing problem gambling.

The article suggests the $300 million upgrade and additional gaming capacity could support revenue growth by expanding gambling capacity, but investors should also note the $20 million payment to the government and the obligation to follow stricter problem-gambling measures, which could affect operating costs and regulatory compliance.

Merger and acquisitions lawyer Ewen Crouch will join Westpac's board as an independent non-executive director on February 1. He has been chairman of Allens law firm since 2009 and will step down from that role on January 31.

The article reports that two BP rig supervisors, Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine, were charged with manslaughter over the deaths of 11 workers in the Deepwater Horizon incident and that their trial was set for 2014. For investors, this highlights ongoing legal and reputational risks stemming from the disaster, as the case centers on allegations that high pressure readings were disregarded prior to the well blowout.