World · 18 October 2026
Paris Police Face Cost‑of‑Living Protests Amid Rent‑Hike Outcry
Police clashed with demonstrators in Paris over rising rent and cost‑of‑living pressures, part of the country’s worst unrest in years.
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Filed from the Sydney desk — including multi-city pieces that also ran elsewhere.
Business · 18 October 2026
Tasmania Toasts “Amazing Opportunities” Amid Global Whisky Gloom
A worldwide whisky downturn is hitting producers from Kentucky to Kilkenny, yet Tasmania’s distillers say they’re seizing ‘amazing opportunities’, the biggest challenge the state has faced since colonial‑law da…
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Sports · 18 October 2026
Sydney Marathon’s ‘Local Guarantee’ Leaves Veteran Shin Out – but Next Year the Rules Flip
Sydney Marathon will guarantee a spot for local runners, yet veteran Soonchil Shin, who has completed the race 15 times, missed out on a place in the general ballot. Organisers say the policy will be revised next year.
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Politics · 18 October 2026
Labor’s $2m Lifeline Trim Sparks Unlikely Coalition-Greens-Charity Front-Row
Labor quietly axed a $2 million-a-year support-finder scheme, prompting the Coalition, the Greens and nearly 200 non-profits to join forces in demanding a reversal, turning a routine budget line into a surprise.
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Business · 18 October 2026
Assistant Treasurer Mulino Says Govt Knew About ATO Credit‑Card Ban Months Before Public Reveal
Daniel Mulino confirmed the Treasury knew the Australian Taxation Office was weighing a July ban on credit‑card payments months before the plan was announced publicly, sparking a scramble among market watchers.
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World · 18 October 2026
France’s Streets Light Up with Fires, Clashes and Looting Amid Massive Protests
Hundreds of thousands marched across France demanding lower living costs and better school conditions, sparking violent clashes, fires and looting.
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Business · 18 October 2026
Cormann Counters Populist Pop‑Ups: Migration Caps Won’t Ease Cost of Living, May Hurt Jobs
Former OECD head Mathias Cormann warns that limiting migration won’t lower living costs or boost productivity and that migrants actually help raise employment across Australia’s cities.
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Sports · 18 October 2026
England’s World Cup Dream Derailed by Tonga’s Surging Surf – 30‑12 Blowout at HBF Park
Tonga overwhelmed England 30‑12 in their Rugby League World Cup opener at HBF Park, turning a hopeful English start into a surf‑sized upset.
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Sports · 18 October 2026
South Africa chase a series‑saving win while Australia lines up a backyard swing at the second Test
The second Test pits a must‑win South Africa against an Australia eager to extend their lead, with both sides set for a battle that feels more like a council meeting than a cricket match.
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