📋 Complete Edition
Friday 18 September 2026 — every story from this day
79 stories across 7 sections
🇦🇺 Local (10)
Artists boycotted this portrait prize over AI entries. Now they’re back to take them on
The Brisbane Portrait Prize is a big art competition in Queensland. Two years ago, many artists stopped entering it. They were angry that AI-made pictures were
Australians with big mortgages are stressed out – and the mental health toll is heavy
A new study looked at how home loan stress affects the mind. It found people who spend more than 30% of their pay on their mortgage feel much worse mentally. Th
Alan Jones on Trial: A prominent athlete takes the stand | Week 7 – podcast
The criminal trial of former broadcaster Alan Jones is now in its seventh week. A man known as complainant M gave evidence in the same room as Jones. He is a fo
Amid claims of ‘mass migration’, Labor hopes a measured approach will take the hot air out of the debate
Home affairs minister Tony Burke spoke at the National Press Club. He said Labor will make its current migration policy work better instead of cutting numbers s
Tony Burke rejects farmers’ claims that immigration changes will increase food prices
Tony Burke says farmers are wrong to claim that new immigration rules will push up food prices. He said faster processing of backpacker visas will be good for f
Queensland to create outback boot camps for youth offenders – as it happened
Queensland announced plans to set up boot camps in the outback for young people who break the law. The idea is to move some youth offenders away from cities and
Labor announces new visa rules for foreign students bringing family to Australia – video
Home affairs minister Tony Burke wants to change visa rules for foreign students. Under the plan, students would no longer automatically bring family members to
‘The bloody cap has been scrapped’: Jacqui Lambie celebrates Labor backdown on veterans’ health services cap
The government has scrapped a plan to cap veterans' health care. The plan would have limited some allied health services, like physiotherapy, to $5,000. It was
IMF urges Australian government to cut spending as another interest rate hike looms
The International Monetary Fund says Australia should cut government spending. It warns the Reserve Bank may need to raise interest rates again to get prices un
Do whales grieve? Rare footage of humpback alongside stillborn calf suggests they might | Olaf Meynecke for the Conversation
Last July, a newborn humpback whale died just off Australia's Gold Coast. Underwater video showed its mother returning to the calf for more than an hour. She to
🌍 World (20)
Four bodies found in Nepal tunnel as flood search continues
Rescue teams in Nepal have pulled four bodies out of a flooded hydropower tunnel in Chilime. It has been three weeks since flash floods tore through the area an
Jerusalem Daily: Israelis protest outside ‘NAZA’ filmmaker’s home
Dozens of Israelis gathered outside the family home of the filmmaker behind a film called “NAZA”. Some people in the crowd shouted “death to traitors”. The film
South Africa gender commissioner: women ‘hunted’ amid femicide crisis
A ninth woman has been found dead in Ekurhuleni, a region east of Johannesburg in South Africa. Her death is part of a wave of killings of women in the area.
P
Brazil’s Lula announces welfare increases ahead of presidential election
Brazil’s government says it will raise payments in its Bolsa Familia welfare programme by 15 percent. The smallest monthly payment will go from 600 reais, about
UN fact-finding mission says US committed possible war crimes in Iran
A United Nations fact-finding mission says the United States likely committed war crimes in Iran. It examined two air strikes that killed at least 178 civilians
Five killed as Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis trade attacks
Fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis has killed at least five people, including three children. Saudi officials said a Houthi drone was intercepted
Ghalibaf’s maths missile at Trump decoded: Is Iran fixing US interest rates?
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, posted a maths formula on X on Wednesday. It was a version of the Taylor equation, a formula central banks
Yemen War Intensifies as Houthi Militia Advances on Marib
Reports say Houthi forces are pushing toward Marib, a city in central Yemen. Marib is held by Yemen’s internationally recognised government and sits near some o
Canada welcomes EU proposal to become 'associate member'
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said a Canada-EU alliance would create a "beacon for other democracies".
Ninth woman's body found as South African police investigate string of deaths
South Africa police have cautioned against assuming that all the killings are linked but many women are afraid.
UN experts say grounds to believe US committed war crimes in Iran strikes
The US has not acknowledged carrying out February's deadly strikes on a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd.
US to allow Iran delegation to attend UN meetings in New York as war passes half-year mark
The BBC understands Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are among the delegates allowed to enter the US.
Wife of US scholar jailed in China asks Trump to raise arrest at Xi meeting
Sylvia Zin is among the family members of people imprisoned in China who are seeking Trump's help when he hosts the country's leader next week.
Hyrox athlete apologises for continuing race after soiling herself
Joanna Wietrzyk has also forfeited her win in the fitness competition after competing last week.
Journalists undergo safety training in Ankara
A group of 25 Cambodian and international journalists underwent rigorous practical training in Ankara on Wednesday to master personal safety techniques during v
Phnom Penh to unveil 75-hectare public park and green zone at Boeung Tamok
Phnom Penh is set to welcome a massive new 75-hectare public park and recreational area in the Boeung Tamok region to promote public health and expand green spa
Prime Minister Hun Manet urges industry stability
Prime Minister Hun Manet has called for a strategic shift toward long-term sustainability within Cambodia’s automotive assembly sector, urging economic planners
Cambodian UN envoy warns of border conflict impact
Cambodia's permanent representative to the United Nations has raised strong concerns regarding the severe humanitarian fallout from the border dispute with Thai
Hun Sen receives newly appointed Ambassadors of Georgia and Cyprus
Acting Head of State Hun Sen received the newly appointed diplomatic envoys of Georgia and Cyprus yesterday at the Senate Solidarity Palace in Phnom Penh, where
Cambodia, South Korea strengthen labour law awareness for Korean businesses
Cambodia and South Korea are working to strengthen understanding of labour laws and regulations related to employment, social security and vocational training t
🤖 AI & Tech (14)
UN turns to Google to make its global data ready for AI agents
The United Nations said on Thursday it is working with Google to make its huge collection of global statistics easier for AI systems to find and use. The new sy
Microsoft exec called AI scraping ‘the largest theft of labor in human history,' new unredacted filings reveal
Newly unredacted court papers in the New York Times lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft include a blunt admission about AI scraping. A top Microsoft executive
Waymo restarts San Antonio service 5 months after flooding troubles
Waymo has restarted its robotaxi service in San Antonio, Texas. The company stopped rides there five months ago after one of its cars was swept away in a flash
Even the king of England has his hesitations about AI
King Charles hosted a private summit on AI on Thursday. The guests included Nvidia boss Jensen Huang, leaders from OpenAI and Anthropic, and Britain’s new AI mi
Base Labs launches an open-weight AI safety partnership with Hugging Face and Goodfire
Baseten has launched a new safety standard through its research group, Base Labs. It is working with Hugging Face and Goodfire AI to build tools that test and k
Pinterest teases a new 'Restyle' feature that lets you redesign your room with AI
Pinterest is testing a new AI feature called Restyle. It is starting as a beta in the United States and Canada. Users can take a photo of a room and ask the AI
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Side Events schedule: NMI, Backblaze, PeakXV Partners, Augment, and more to host
TechCrunch Disrupt takes over Moscone West in San Francisco from October 13 to 15. Alongside the main event, a Side Events programme runs panels, workshops, par
The AI Superintelligence Slowdown
Big US AI companies are now saying it may be time to slow down. Leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Microsoft and X have talked about pacing the frontier of t
Claude Code relaunches Projects to manage multiple AI agents in the cloud
Anthropic has relaunched a feature called Projects in its Claude Code tool. It lets users run several AI agents at once, all working under one roof.
Each proje
Save $30 or more on a refurbished Apple TV 4K
Apple is selling refurbished Apple TV 4K boxes for less than new ones. The 64GB model costs $169, which is $30 off. The 128GB model with an Ethernet port is $20
Xbox’s clever disc-to-digital feature was 15 years in the making
Xbox has a new feature that turns your physical game discs into digital copies. The company announced it last month.
It looks like a fresh idea, but a reporter
Camp Snap’s 110D gives slim retro film cameras a digital upgrade
Camp Snap has made a new digital camera called the 110D. It looks like the thin film cameras that were popular in the 1970s. It goes on preorder for $74.95.
Li
Your robotaxi might be a narc
Two teenagers got into a Waymo robotaxi in early September. The car detected what it called a firearm and pulled over. Waymo then alerted police, who arrested t
Microsoft AI CEO says AI threats are real, and Anthropic is making it worse
Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI, spoke on The Verge's Decoder podcast. He said the dangers of AI are real and that the industry needs to be careful.
🎮 Gaming (7)
Slow Horses Season 6, Episode 1 Review — 'Circle of Life'
Slow Horses is back for a sixth season. The first episode is called “Circle of Life”. The show is a British spy drama based on the novels by Mick Herron.
It fo
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Gaming Headset With Infinite Battery Life Drops to a New Low
A deal has pushed the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset down to a new low price. The offer is for a “blemished box” unit, which means the packaging i
Save an Extra 10% Off the New SteelSeries Aeon Pro Wireless Gaming Controller With Infinite Battery Life
SteelSeries has brought out a new wireless controller called the Aeon Pro. Buyers can currently take an extra 10 percent off the price. The headline claim is “i
LittleBigPlanet Developer Reportedly Working on Animal Crossing-Like Game for 2027 Release
Reports say the studio behind LittleBigPlanet is working on a new game. It is described as a life and village sim, in the style of Animal Crossing. The reported
GPT-6 Astra Plays Minecraft, Gets So Depressed After Creeper Destroys Its Progress That It Farms Potatoes for Hours
Reports say an AI model called GPT-6 Astra has been tested playing Minecraft. In the test, a creeper blew up the work it had built. The AI then reportedly spent
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Appears to Be Much More Popular Than Black Ops 7 and Warzone on PS5
Player numbers on PlayStation 5 suggest the older Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is being played more than the newer Black Ops 7 and Warzone. Black Ops 2 came out in
The Vampire Lestat Is Getting a Collector's Edition Blu-ray Set Dedicated to The Beautiful Unwell
A collector's edition Blu-ray set is on the way for The Vampire Lestat. It is dedicated to “The Beautiful Unwell”, a name used by fans of the series. The set is
🎬 Entertainment (6)
Everything We Know About The ‘Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping’ Movie So Far
A new Hunger Games film is on the way. It is called The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. It arrives in cinemas on November 20, 2026.
The story is a preque
'Obsession' Star Megan Lawless Boards Indie Romantic Comedy 'Crushed'
Actor Megan Lawless will lead a new romantic comedy called Crushed. It is the first film directed by Stephanie Donnelly.
Lawless plays Joss, a hopeless romanti
'The Kardashians' Sets Season 8 Release Date; Unveils Trailer Which Reveals Kim In A Hospital Bed & More
The Kardashians will return for an eighth season. It starts on October 8 on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in other countries.
A new trailer shows Kim in a hospita
'The JLO Show: Live In Las Vegas' Teaser: Jennifer Lopez's Residency Concert Film Debuting Thanksgiving On CBS, Paramount+
Jennifer Lopez has a new concert film. It is called The JLO Show: Live in Las Vegas. It starts on November 26, Thanksgiving, on CBS and Paramount+.
The film sh
Meghann Fahy Set For Limited Series 'Smokeshow' From SK Global, David E. Kelley
Actor Meghann Fahy will star in a new limited series called Smokeshow. It is based on an upcoming novel by Catriona Stewart.
Fahy plays Rory, a secret agent wh
'The Mafia Nanny' Series Based On Webtoon Action Romance In Works At Hulu; Charlize Theron To EP
Hulu is developing a drama series called The Mafia Nanny. It is based on a popular Webtoon comic.
The story follows Davina, an elite nanny. Her new job is to c
▶️ Video (10)
DeepSeek V4 AI Beats Billion Dollar Systems…For Free
DeepSeek V4 has arrived and it's outperforming systems that cost billions to build — for free. This video breaks down how the open-source model achieves compara
OpenAI's ChatGPT 5.5 Instant: The Good, The Bad And The Insane
A deep dive into OpenAI's ChatGPT 5.5 Instant — the good improvements, the bad trade-offs, and the insane capabilities that nobody saw coming. The video tests r
DeepMind's Insane AI Breakthroughs With CEO Demis Hassabis
An exclusive look at DeepMind's latest AI breakthroughs, featuring a conversation with CEO Demis Hassabis. The video covers new developments in protein folding,
NVIDIA's New AI Turns One Photo Into A World That Never Breaks
NVIDIA's latest AI can take a single photograph and generate an entire explorable 3D world that maintains consistency from every angle. The technology represent
Google's AI endgame is here… everything you missed at I/O 2026
Google I/O 2026 had massive AI announcements that reshape the entire Google ecosystem. This video cuts through the noise and highlights the key reveals — from G
Claude just got another superpower...
Anthropic just dropped a major new capability for Claude. Fireship breaks down what changed, how it works under the hood, and why this makes Claude even more us
A single PR just hijacked the NPM registry...
A single pull request caused chaos in the JavaScript ecosystem by compromising the NPM registry. This video explains the vulnerability, how it was exploited, an
"The Biggest Android Update Ever"
MKBHD breaks down what Google claims is the biggest Android update ever. From generative AI integration at the OS level to radical UI changes and privacy featur
Why New Smartphone Cameras Feel Worse
Despite better hardware specs, smartphone photos increasingly look worse than older models. MKBHD investigates the trend toward computational photography over-p
Claude Code on your Phone is OFFICIAL (it changes everything)
Anthropic officially released Claude Code on mobile, bringing AI-powered coding to your phone. NetworkChuck demonstrates setting up a forever terminal, coding f
📌 Other (12)
RBA Holds Interest Rate Steady at 4.10% in May Decision
Reserve Bank keeps cash rate unchanged as inflation remains within target band.
Big Four Banks Raise Variable Mortgage Rates Following RBA
CBA, Westpac, NAB and ANZ pass on rate changes to variable mortgage customers.
ASX 200 Hits New All-Time High on Mining and Energy Rally
Australian shares reach record levels driven by resources sector strength.
Australian Dollar Falls to Multi-Year Low Against US Dollar
AUD slides past $0.65 USD as commodity prices soften and rate differential widens.
Superannuation Balances Grow 12% Annually on Strong Investment Returns
Australian retirement savings pushed higher by robust equity and property market performance.
Property Market Shows Signs of Cooling as Auction Clearance Rates Drop
Sydney and Melbourne auction markets soften as affordability constraints bite.
Revolut reportedly facing $3m ransom demand after hackers steal hundreds of customers’ data
Revolut is reportedly facing a $3m ransom demand after hackers stole the data of hundreds of customers. The hackers pretended to be government officials to get
UK government borrowing costs fall as Bank of England outlines new bond-selling plan – as it happened
UK government borrowing costs fell after the Bank of England set out a new plan for selling government bonds. The Bank wants to sell bonds back to the governmen
Next forecasts bigger profits after hot weather lifts sales
The UK clothing chain Next has raised its profit forecast for the fourth time this year. It now expects yearly profits of £1.26bn, up by £12m. Total sales rose
Bank of England holds interest rates at 3.75% but warns war could force future rises
The Bank of England has kept interest rates at 3.75 percent. But it warned that a long war in the Middle East could force it to raise them later. Six of the nin
Burnham’s talk of ‘breathing space’ at odds with reality of future Bank rate rises
An analysis piece looks at Prime Minister Andy Burnham's promise to give voters “breathing space” on the cost of living. It says that promise is at risk if the
Addison Lee founder owes £20.5m in tax after UK tribunal ruling
The founder of Addison Lee, Sir John Griffin, owes £20.5m in tax after a London tribunal rejected his claim that he should be treated as a non-domiciled residen