Business

Business · 22 October 2026

Tesla‑SpaceX $5 Trillion Merger Talk Sends Market Gazing at the Stars

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

A speculative $5 trillion merger between Tesla and SpaceX, touted as a way for Elon Musk to get closer to Mars, is stirring talk among investors, though the deal remains unconfirmed.

Business · 22 October 2026

Wyden Calls Accounting Giants to Reveal Malta Tax ‘Secret Sauce’

Noor Hale, World desk

Senate Finance Committee’s ranking Democrat Ron Wyden has summoned the four largest audit firms to explain how their Malta consulting helps corporations dodge billions in taxes.

Business · 22 October 2026

NYT’s AI Image Lab: When Pixels Play Hide‑and‑Seek with Editors

Helen Pell, Washington desk

The New York Times newsroom is wrestling with a flood of AI‑generated images, turning fact‑checking into a digital game of whack‑a‑mole. Reporters and editors describe the absurd lengths they go to separate r…

Business · 21 October 2026

Robust Earnings, Robust Fed, and a Briefing That Said “Robust” Four Times

Helen Pell, Washington desk

A fictional earnings season, a too‑confident Federal Reserve update, and a briefing that overused the word ‘robust’ become the week’s dry‑market punch‑line.

Business · 21 October 2026

Hook Lake Turns Gold‑Slick: Manhattan Gold Uncovers 2.25 km Treasure Trove in Canada

Nadia Cho, Toronto desk

Manhattan Gold’s maiden drilling at Hook Lake revealed a district‑scale, high‑grade gold footprint stretching 2.25 km, and a surprise polymetallic find that might make the local fish jealous.

Business · 21 October 2026

Boeing’s 737‑10 Max Finally Certified After a Five‑Year Wait

Noor Hale, World desk

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has granted final certification to Boeing’s 737‑10 Max, the largest member of the Max family, more than five years after the jet’s first flight, marking a key milestone for…

Business · 21 October 2026

War‑Hero’s New T‑Shirt Venture Leaves Observers Scratching Their Heads

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

After a two‑and‑a‑half hour interview, disgraced war hero Ben Roberts‑Smith launched a clothing brand and an Instagram page, prompting speculation about whether the move is a genuine business venture or a PR stun…

Business · 21 October 2026

ANZ Says NZ Housing Bubble Mostly Deflated, Small Dip Possible

Moss Harlow, Auckland desk

ANZ economists say most of New Zealand’s housing bubble has burst, though they warn house prices could slip a little further.

Business · 21 October 2026

Wall Street Couriers Queue for Germany's Mittelstand, Claiming the Last Family Heirloom

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

American investors are swooping on Germany's traditional family‑run industrial firms as owners scramble for successors, turning the famed Mittelstand into a transatlantic shopping spree.