Sydney desk

Filed from the Sydney desk — including multi-city pieces that also ran elsewhere.

Finance · 16 October 2026

RBA Governor’s $1.22 Million Paycheck Overshadows Staff’s Real‑Wage‑Cut Fight

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock earned $1.22 million in 2025‑26, while RBA employees are pushing back against proposed real wage cuts.

Business · 16 October 2026

Aurum’s Boundiali bonanza: 0.65 Moz gold at 41.38 g/t sparks market buzz

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

Aurum announced a 0.65 million‑ounce gold intercept at 41.38 g/t outside its BST1 resource within the 3.22 Moz Boundiali project, ahead of a key resource update due this month, prompting market participants to re…

Sports · 16 October 2026

Walsh’s wallet empties while Bostock nets hat‑trick in World Cup opener

Lina Okoro, World desk

Reece Walsh reportedly pays top dollar to cure a mystery issue while rookie Jack Bostock celebrates a debut hat‑trick in the World Cup opener, prompting a thank‑you to the Australian No. 1.

Finance · 16 October 2026

Miners and Tech Stocks Lift the ASX as Wall Street Edges Toward Record Levels

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

Australian shares rose modestly in early trade on Friday, led by miners and technology stocks, after U.S. markets moved closer to record highs.

World · 16 October 2026

Exclusive Brethren Spokesman Declares No Role in Last Federal Election on US TV

Priya Nair, Sydney desk

Exclusive Brethren spokesman Lloyd Grimshaw appeared on a right‑wing American talk show and asserted that the church had no involvement in Australia’s last federal election, just days before his boss Bruce Hales was…

Politics · 16 October 2026

Exclusive Brethren Church's Surprisingly Ambiguous Statements in Parliamentary Hearing

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

The Exclusive Brethren Church's leader, Bruce Hales, appeared before Parliament to address allegations that the church supported the Liberals in the 2025 election and paid neo-Nazi associates to harass the Prime Minister…

Sports · 16 October 2026

Bostock's hat‑trick steals the show as Kangaroos out‑score Kiwis in World Cup thriller

Frank Bollard, Melbourne desk

Jack Bostock’s hat‑trick of tries led the Australian Kangaroos to a thrilling victory over New Zealand in the World Cup, turning a standard match into a sprinting spectacle.

Politics · 16 October 2026

Anti‑slavery commissioner calls for closing modern‑slavery disclosure loophole, slams Albanese

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

The Australian anti‑slavery commissioner says current laws force firms to disclose modern‑slavery risks but give them no duty to fix the problem, urging the Albanese government to close the gap amid international fal…

Politics · 16 October 2026

More Aussies Pick Slingshots Over Sermons, Poll Shows

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

A recent poll indicates more Australians say they believe in political violence than they attend church each week, a shift that pundits warn could echo overseas unrest.