Ahoy hoy.
1. Frank Lowy completed a journey he’d been on since starting a restructure of Westfield in 2014, selling the international arm of its business to Paris-based commercial property company Unibail-Rodamco in a $32.7 billion deal. It’s Australia’s biggest corporate takeover. Here’s what it means for the business and Lowy.
2. The big M&A activity helped the Aussie dollar rally to .7580, but it was knocked back again after a strong US producer price inflation report for October sent the US dollar to a one-month high. That also sent US 10-year yields back over 2.4%, with more key data to come tonight. BofA reckons the bull market has plenty of run left in it, and ASX200 futures traders are betting on another rise this morning. Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ether all rose overnight.
3. To make non-stop flights from Australia to England possible, Qantas ordered eight brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. To make 17-hour service possible, staff on board those flights need to sleep. And on a recent tour of their new purchase, Qantas showed us where the crew will sleep. Up these steps:
We have pics from inside, including the cushy pilots’ quarters.
4. While we’re on cushy:
That’s just about the best, poshest cinema we’ve seen. Here are the other nine best, poshest cinemas we’ve seen around the world.
5. Any of those would be great places to watch The Last Jedi, because the new Star Wars instalment runs for two-and-a-half hours. Jason Guerrasio says you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but it probably won’t change your life. Here’s what he thought of the return of Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia’s final performance.
6. If you’re stuck in The Kingdom for Christmas, best fill up before the holiday fuel price rise becaue this year, you’re in for a shock. A “person with knowledge” told Bloomberg Saudi Arabia plans to raise gas and jet fuel prices in January by 80%. The price of oil skipped higher on the news – but only by a little, because 80% of a litre of fuel in Saudi Arabia costs about 26 cents. But there’s a larger play going on behind the rise.
7. China’s stolen version of the F-35 will probably be in action before most countries receive their F-35s. But if you want a decent look at it now, the Center for Strategic and International Studies is here for you with a 3D model. Go on: