Sydney desk

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

Finance · 6 days ago

Fed Holds Rates Amid Inflation Surge as ASX Rises and Wall Street Advances

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged despite a surge in inflation, a move expected by markets. Australian shares rose and U.S. Wall Street advanced, as the Fed says it will wait until after next week’s mid…

Politics · 6 days ago

One Nation’s backstage whisper leaves the reunited Coalition with more cracks than a council’s pothole plan

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

One Nation’s behind‑the‑scenes influence has created fresh divisions within the reunited Coalition over a trade deal and AI policy, with senior figures meeting in secret in Canberra and the outlook now uncertain.

Politics · 6 days ago

Bureaucrats’ rubber‑stamp habit leaves Labor’s invite‑only grants as inevitable as a Monday morning queue

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

An audit finds that almost every grant handed to Labor’s preferred applicants sails through unchallenged, with bureaucrats applying a rubber‑stamp in roughly 98 per cent of cases, sparking fresh questions about merit…

Finance · 6 days ago

Cash Rate Stays Flat, Dollar Drops, and Road Cones Line the Bank’s Front Desk

Moss Harlow, Auckland desk

The Reserve Bank’s narrow decision not to hike the cash rate sent the New Zealand dollar tumbling, leaving retailers scratching their heads and commuters juggling traffic cones.

Science · 6 days ago

From Freeze‑Proof Additive to Frosty Conservation: 2,000 Transplant Wait‑list May Shrink While 40% of NI Sites Remain Cold

Lina Okoro, World desk

Australian researchers have created a nature‑inspired additive that protects cells during freezing, a development that could dramatically cut the roughly 2,000‑person organ‑transplant waiting list. Meanwhile, a rec…

Politics · 6 days ago

Russian envoy slips into Greens rally, walks away with a pamphlet on non-aid policy

Mabel Crowe, Sydney desk

Russian ambassador Mikhail Petrakov attended a speech by Greens leader David Shoebridge denying military aid to Ukraine, a presence Shoebridge claimed he was unaware of.

Finance · 6 days ago

Inflation Hits 4.3% – RBA Faces Fifth Rate‑Hike Question, Market Folks Grab Umbrellas

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

Australia’s CPI rose to 4.3%, stoking speculation about a possible fifth interest‑rate rise by the Reserve Bank as the Middle East conflict adds pressure to the cost‑of‑living crisis.

Finance · 6 days ago

Avocado Inflation Forces RBA to Consider a Hike, Market Participants Panic Over Toast Prices

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

When the price of avocado toast leapt, the Reserve Bank of Australia is now eyeing a rate hike, leaving market participants clutching at straws as inflation outpaces expectations.

Politics · 6 days ago

Shoebridge’s First Press‑Club Slam: Calls for Women’s Safety and an End to Russian ‘Blood Money’

Rex Blister, Sydney desk

In his maiden National Press Club appearance, David Shoebridge demanded that every woman feel safe, slammed Steele‑John’s social‑media posts as ‘obviously not the way to resolve’ the issue, and urged an end to…