NZ maintains rugby sevens dominance, beating Australia in another final
The Black Ferns Sevens beat Australia's women's rugby sevens team to win the Hong Kong title, marking the ninth time in the past 10 finals that the Kiwis have come out on top.

The Black Ferns Sevens beat Australia's women's rugby sevens team to win the Hong Kong title, marking the ninth time in the past 10 finals that the Kiwis have come out on top.

Researchers from the Centre for Policy Development (CPD) in Australia found that typical workers' pay has not kept pace with productivity growth for three decades, with gains increasingly captured by businesses. This challenges previous findings and raises questions about wage-setting, ownership, and technology's future direction.

Telstra's recent network failure, mirroring Optus's in 2025, underscores Australia's policy prioritizing competition over essential service reliability. The article argues for a national essential services network (ESN) for resilience.

Italian firm Webuild faces two criminal proceedings in NSW for allegedly endangering workers on the Snowy Hydro project. Incidents include a truck falling from lifts and injuries from a faulty drill, with Webuild denying the charges.

Australia faces slow economic growth, with GDP per capita declining. While business investment and low unemployment offer some positives, productivity is a key concern. Artificial intelligence is seen as a potential driver for productivity gains, attracting investment in data centers, but also raising community concerns about energy, water, and noise.

Telstra's recent network failure, mirroring Optus's 2025 incident, has reignited debate over Australia's telecommunications policy. The article argues that prioritizing competition over essential service reliability, a legacy of 1990s reforms, has led to patchy networks and service failures, including for triple zero calls. A call for a national essential services network (ESN) is made.

Former BHP chief economist Huw McKay argues for robust government climate policies, like a carbon price, to drive decarbonisation at major resource companies. Leaked documents revealed BHP's delays in renewables projects and electrification, raising concerns about Australia's climate targets.