Sydney Morning Herald Digest
Daily News • Wednesday, 28 January 2026
ASX loses steam as inflation surprise boosts rate rise chances
The Australian sharemarket closed flat while the Australian dollar broke through the US70¢ barrier on Wednesday morning to hit a three-year-high.
Australia news LIVE: MP Colin Boyce to move spill motion for National Party leadership; Littleproud reacts; Another 16 homes lost in Victorian fires
Follow along as we bring you the latest live news updates from Australia and beyond.
MAFS star flies west for season launch in Perth
Nine Perth celebrated the return of Married At First Sight on Tuesday night, giving media and influencers an intimate screening of the season 13 premiere, as well as a Q&A with expert John Aiken.
Rose Byrne on her surreal journey to the Oscars
The Oscar-nominated Australian actress tells Karl Quinn about the lessons she has learnt in the lead-up to the Academy Awards.
‘Abhorrent and heinous’: Bedbug bites cause mayhem at op shop
A Daylesford shop almost had to close for good after a donation resulted in bedbugs running up the arms of a volunteer.
Rate rise all but guaranteed after inflation jump
The increase on a $600,000 mortgage would add almost $100 to a household’s monthly repayments.
Coles hires new PR guru amid face-off over alleged price gouging
The retailer has tapped a former editor of The Australian to run its communications as it goes toe to toe with the federal consumer protection agency.
Musetti clinches opener against Djokovic
Italian Lorenzo Musetti puts the cat amongst the pigeons by taking a quarter final lead against Novak Djokovic.
Minnesota politician sprayed with mystery substance during a public event
A man sprays unknown substance on congresswoman Ilhan Omar and is tackled at Minneapolis town hall.
‘You could have given me a heads-up’: Djokovic’s crack at chair umpire as Musetti leads; Swiatek backs Gauff over racquet smash
Follow live as we bring you all the action from day 11 of the year’s first grand slam.
Djokovic complains after time violation
Novak Djokovic asks the umpire why he wasn’t warned to hurry before being slapped with a time violation.
Ley writes to Littleproud to mend ties, but Littleproud ‘focused on spill’
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has sent a last-ditch message to David Littleproud to mend the Coalition, but her offer for a meeting has been rejected as the Nationals leader faces a spill motion.
Victoria heatwave LIVE: State swelters through record-breaking heatwave as Otways fire grows
The last time Victoria experienced such a prolonged heatwave was 2009, when Black Saturday saw the Mallee record 12 days above 40 degrees. Follow our rolling coverage.
Venus maps out multi-million-tonne zinc-indium prize in WA
Venus Metals has unveiled a hefty zinc–indium exploration target of up to 12Mt in WA, with shallow potential and drilling locked in to hunt down a maiden resource.
How the shooting of Alex Pretti unfolded
Video footage shared on social media captured the moments around the killing of 37-year-old Minneapolis man Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers.
Lisa Millar’s pet project
The ABC star reveals why dogs make the best co-stars.
Rugby Australia secures Jorgensen on five-year, multimillion-dollar deal
Young Wallabies star Max Jorgensen has turned down interest from the NRL and R360 to sign one of the longest deals in Australian rugby history.
Israeli president visit confirmed, sparking expectations of mass protests
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will depart for Australia on February 8 for a five-day trip to meet with senior Australian politicians and survivors of the Bondi Beach massacre.
Djokovic’s horror missed smash
Novak Djokovic mishits a regulation smash that goes long and gifts his opponent a break point.
The Name of The Rose author’s deep dive into the craft of storytelling
The late Umberto Eco’s essays, originally a series of lectures, demonstrate his love of literature – complete with graphs.