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Finance · 1 October 2026

S&P 500’s 2% Gain Leaves Oil and Bonds in a Robustly Suspicious Mood

Helen Pell, Washington desk

The S&P 500 nudged up 2% amid a surge in oil prices and rising bond yields, but the promise of AI earnings has investors looking over their shoulders, turning a nominally robust rally into a cautionary tale of market bal…

Entertainment · 1 October 2026

Paramount‑Warner Merger Names Ynon Kreiz Co‑CEO, Pledges to Re‑brand the Industry

Candy Voss, Washington desk

After a federal judge signed off the antitrust settlement, the newly‑merged Paramount‑Warner Bros Discovery announced that Mattel’s long‑time chief, Ynon Kreiz, will serve as co‑chief executive, promising a new…

Finance · 1 October 2026

Victorian Mortgage Helpline Goes Dark as Rates Bite

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

The Victorian government’s free mortgage‑stress support service has temporarily shut its doors amid a surge in interest rates, leaving homeowners scrambling for guidance while market participants eye the next rate hi…

Politics · 1 October 2026

Ink‑Stained Councillors: How the City’s Cartoonists Turned Bureaucracy into a Sketchbook

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

Sydney’s leading cartoonists have taken a bemused look at local politics, rendering council debates as a series of absurd sketches that expose the art of bureaucratic performance.

Lighter · 1 October 2026

Six calm pictures of swans

Picture Desk

Six calm pictures of swans. A quiet list, with a few words beside each picture and the credit kept.

Entertainment · 1 October 2026

Disney Communications Chief Walks Out, Citing ‘New Opportunity’ as the Corporate Equivalent of a Midterm Resignation

June Harrow, Washington desk

After eight years at the helm of Disney Entertainment Television’s communications, Naomi Bulochnikur‑Paul announced her exit, citing a mysterious “new opportunity,” sparking a wave of speculation about power shif…

Finance · 1 October 2026

ASX Slides While Wall Street Clings to Gains – Inflation’s Unexpected Lightness Leaves Market Participants Confused

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

When August inflation figures arrive with a gentler uptick, the ASX drops in a quiet slump while U.S. stocks rise, puzzling market participants on why Aussie shares and American ones move in opposite directions.

Politics · 1 October 2026

Canberra in Crisis: Minns’ Grenade, Chalmers’ Bank Split Denial—Albanese Watches from the Sidelines

Rex Blister, Sydney desk

In a day that could have been straight out of a political drama, NSW Premier Minns lobbed a grenade at the Australian capital, while Treasurer Chalmers brushed off rumours of a split with bank chief Michele Bullock, leav…

Technology · 1 October 2026

Beer for the Skeptical: Sydney Start‑Up Founder Swears Off AI Doom After 1.4 Trillion‑Dollar Valuation

Ash Park, Sydney desk

After warning about AI doom, a Sydney entrepreneur finds the $1.4 trillion valuation of OpenAI turns sceptics into beer‑promising fans.