Retail sales climb but department store ' retail recession' endures

Retailers saw a pick up in sales in June across most categories and in most states, however department stores continue to suffer from the online onslaught. 

Sales rose 0.4 per cent in June, marginally ahead of market expectations. 

ABC's Peter Ryan says the data reflects consumer behaviour in the month after the first of the Reserve Bank rate cuts, but before the second in July and the arrival of tax cuts via people's tax returns.

US rates cut as expected but investors upset it might be a one-off

The US Federal Reserve has delivered on expectations by cutting interest rates by a 0.25 percent. 

It's the first reduction in a decade when the Fed was slashing rates at the height of the global financial crisis. 

Wall Street stocks dropped in response when chairman Jerome Powell said the decision was not the start of a lengthy cutting cycle. 

ABC's Peter Ryan analyses the decision.

Crown's high profile board pressed on allegations reported by Nine newspapers and 60 Minutes

Crown's high profile board of directors include executive chairman John Alexander, former Howard government Minister Helen Coonan; former Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon and former AFL boss Andrew Demetriou. 

The ABC has requested interviews with board members but is yet to receive a response. 

Here's my report from The World Today

ASX hits post GFC record; Huawei ramps up campaign against 5G ban; where to next with Crown allegations?

I speak with Patricia Karvelas on RN Drive

Stockmarket hits post crisis record, but can the surge continue? And how late payments can crush a small business.

The Australian sharemarket has hit a new high, surpassing the record set in November 2007 in the leadup to the global financial crisis. 

But with the economy softening, how sustainable is the market recovery? 

Also, ABC's Peter Ryan speaks with Greg Charlwood from Australian Invoice Finance on how the late payment of bills is hurting small businesses more than ever.

Huawei ramps up challenge to Australia's 5G ban, declares national security is safe. Communications minister Paul Fletcher spokesman says gov't "stands by decision".

Huawei is stepping up its campaign against the Federal Government after the Chinese telco giant was banned from supplying Australia's 5G mobile rollout last year.

A report by the tech consulting firm Ovum - commissioned by Huawei - says former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was wrong to ban Huawei on national security grounds.

Read my report here

Huawei's global chief security officer Andy Purdy is the latest to executive visiting Australia trying to overturn the decision and he says the report backs other evidence that 5G networks can be split to protect sensitive information being passed on to Chinese intelligence.

Andy Purdy spoke in Sydney with the ABC's senior business correspondent Peter Ryan.

Huawei chief security officer Andy Purdy (picture supplied by Huawei)

Nuclear should be option in future energy mix: new Minerals Council of Australia chair Helen Coonan

Newly-appointed Minerals Council chair Helen Coonan has become the latest business heavyweight to call for nuclear power to be considered as part of Australia's future energy mix. 

The former Howard government minister says the "nuclear option" should be on the table along with renewables as the resources industry edges away from fossil fuels in the coming decades. 

Ms Coonan has also defended the approval of the controversial Adani Carmichael mine and rejected a prediction that Adani's financial structure is "a corporate collapse waiting to happen". 

In her first broadcast interview as Minerals Council chair, Helen Coonan speaks with ABC's Peter Ryan.