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Fortescue detectives spied on family shopping trips to Kmart, rummaged through mail and watched the wives and children of former executives for 19 days, the Federal Court has heard as further details about the iron ore giant’s efforts to monitor its green steel rival, Element Zero, were revealed.

Meanwhile, Incitec Pivot has abandoned the sale of its fertiliser business for the second time in four years, walking away from discussions with Indonesia’s PKT, citing the difficulty of completing a deal in a 'timely manner'.

And they might be the forgotten generation stuck between two big personality eras, but a gen X spending boom is coming as they get set to inherit just as their kids stop depending on them, writes Simon Kuestenmacher.