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Business · 7 October 2026

EU Delegations Arrive in Beijing as China’s Self‑Reliance Push Tightens Trade Imbalance

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

China’s drive to produce more at home has widened its trade gap with Europe, prompting EU officials to consider tougher measures as they prepare to meet Chinese officials in Beijing.

World · 7 October 2026

Royal Portraitist Gives Jane Goodall the Royal Treatment, Technically Speaking

Lina Okoro, World desk

Australian royal portraitist Ralph Heimans joined Jane Goodall on her final Tanzanian trip to paint a tribute to the famed primatologist amid her beloved chimpanzees.

Finance · 7 October 2026

Brent Tops $101, French Borrowing Costs Jump as IMF Flags Energy Shock, Debt and AI Risks

Iris Quay, London desk

Brent crude rose above $101 a barrel as French government borrowing costs surged, wiping out Tuesday’s dip. The IMF’s Kristalina Georgieva warned that an energy shock, rising public debt and a rapid AI expansion co…

Politics · 7 October 2026

Badenoch’s Inheritance Tax Cut: The Conservative Train to Fiscal Reform Lags Behind

Reginald Penny, London desk

At the Tory conference Kemi Badenoch unveiled a proposal to cut inheritance tax and framed it as part of a wider "battle of ideas" on public spending. The announcement was presented as a fresh start for the Conservatives…

Politics · 7 October 2026

Albanese’s golf grant dubbed a ‘fairway farce’ by constitutional scholar

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

University of Sydney professor emerita Anne Twomey slammed the prime minister’s golf grant as a textbook case of grey corruption, urging politicians to take lessons in both federalism and integrity.

Environment · 7 October 2026

High Court Blocks Anti‑Coal Appeal, but Legal Battles Ahead for Australian Miners

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

The High Court has temporarily shielded Australian coal exporters by rejecting an anti‑coal appeal, yet the court filings make clear that new lawsuits will keep coming, leaving the industry braced for a long legal ride…

World · 7 October 2026

French students swap textbooks for torches as funding debate ignites nationwide fireworks

Tariq Bell, World desk

Tens of thousands of French students took to the streets, demanding more education funding, and the protests turned unexpectedly fiery. The unrest spread across the country, leaving officials scrambling for a new lesson…

Politics · 7 October 2026

Albanese’s $20 million Pacific climate summit draws empty chairs and domestic criticism

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

The Australian government spent $20 million on a Pacific climate summit that attracted few world leaders, leaving Prime Minister Albanese and the Labor Party to defend the expense as domestic political pressure builds.

Lighter · 7 October 2026

Eight warm pictures of lambs

Picture Desk

Eight warm pictures of lambs. A quiet list, with a few words beside each picture and the credit kept.