Good afternoon, Negotiations over a $3bn-plus sale of a 20 per cent stake in Singtel’s Australian telecommunication company Optus to Brookfield are understood to have come to a halt, writes DataRoom's Bridget Carter. Elon Musk’s social media platform X has threatened to sue the Australian government as it faces a fine of up to $800,000 over a post that made disparaging comments about transgender activist Teddy Cook, declaring it will “protect its user’s right to free speech”. Grocon and the NSW government have settled a $270m court claim, with the former property developer to receive less than 10 per cent of its original claim. The Australian sharemarket finished deep in the red , with most sectors hit, particularly technology and property stocks. The ASX 200 closed 1.3 per cent lower at 7,782.5 points on Wednesday after setting a new 52-week high. The broader All Ordinaries also fell 1.4 per cent to 8,033.6 points. For those in the legal field, The Australian is launching a new, free newsletter Ipso Facto with scoops, analysis and comment each week. Sign up here. |