Legal
Higgins hit with $1.5m legal costs
The Australian’s Paul Garvey writes that Brittany Higgins has been ordered to cover about $1.5m of Linda Reynolds’ legal bills after losing their defamation case.
The WA Supreme Court rejected Higgins’ late offer of $200,000 and a “mutual statement of regret,” ruling she must pay 80 per cent of Reynolds’ costs.
That’s on top of the $340,000 in damages and interest already awarded, with Reynolds saying her total spend on the case ran into the millions.
Stokes handed $13.5m legal bill in Roberts-Smith case
The Federal Court has hit Kerry Stokes with a $13.5m bill after funding Ben Roberts-Smith’s failed defamation fight against The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
As Blair Jackson writes in the Herald-Sun his company, Australian Capital Equity, was also named in the orders.
The sum includes $13.27m in legal costs plus $224,000 from the latest action, closing the book on Roberts-Smith’s challenges after Justice Anthony Besanko found he murdered four unarmed Afghan men.
Business
Wendi Deng keeps daughters in Murdoch media fold
The decision by Rupert Murdoch’s ex-wife to side with him in the settlement of the family’s long-running succession feud ensures her daughters, Grace and Chloe, remain central to the empire’s future.
The Australian Financial Review’s Sam Buckingham-Jones, the pair, now in their early 20s, will join their father and half-brother Lachlan in a new trust controlling News Corp and Fox Corporation.
Deng’s backing was key, with Rupert personally convincing her to keep their children in.
Top fund managers chase Murdoch share sale
Some of Australia’s biggest investment names scrambled for a slice of News Corp after Lachlan Murdoch’s deal to buy out his siblings sparked a secondary share sale.
Capital Brief’s John Buckley writes the move cemented Lachlan’s grip on the empire while opening the door to local fund managers.
Perpetual, L1 Capital, Soul Patts and Wilson Asset Management all lodged orders for discounted voting shares, with Morgan Stanley underwriting the sale and Sydney broker Angus Aitken advising on the deal.
Atlassian trims more jobs as AI reshapes support roles
The Australian’s Perry Williams and John Stensholt report that Atlassian has confirmed another 200 job cuts in Europe, following on from earlier layoffs tied to its push into AI-driven support.
The roles, mostly in customer service across the Netherlands, France and India, bring the total number of cuts to 350, including 44 in Australia.
The Nasdaq-listed software giant says new tools have sped up ticket handling, routed problems more effectively to in-house experts and improved error-code resolution, reducing the need for manual support.
Sport
Teddy Swims to headline NRL grand final
The Grammy-nominated US singer will headline the 2025 NRL and NRLW grand final entertainment.
Swims, whose hit Lose Control went nine-times platinum, says Australia feels like a second home and called the gig “a huge honour.”
The NRL hasn’t yet revealed who else will join him on the line-up.
Podcast
Patterson plans mushroom murders podcast
No, the other one.
Simon Patterson, estranged husband of convicted killer Erin Patterson, is launching a media company to produce a podcast and memoir about the mushroom murders.
As news.com.au’s Annette Sharp writes, rather than cashing in with a broadcaster, Patterson wants full control of the narrative, including edits and presentation.
He’s fielded plenty of offers from networks and producers but says money isn’t the motivator.
Television
Clint Stanaway to depart Nine after nearly 25 years
Nine has confirmed Stanaway will leave the network at the end of 2025, closing a television career that has spanned almost a quarter of a century.
The Weekend Today co-host and 9News Melbourne Weekend Sport Presenter will step away to focus on his full-time role in radio.
Streaming
BBC Studios strikes deal with HBO Max for British comedy and drama
BBC Studios ANZ has finalised a multi-title agreement with HBO Max, securing both pre-sale and territory premiere rights for a slate of British comedy and drama titles.
The deal is BBC Studios’ first with the newly launched HBO Max platform in Australia.
Social Media
Porn sites to introduce age checks
Crikey’s Cam Wilson writes that Australia’s eSafety commissioner has approved new rules requiring porn sites to verify users’ ages, with the changes to take effect in six months.
The code, drafted under the Online Safety Act, also applies to sites hosting violent or self-harm content.
Providers must introduce age and access controls wherever “technically feasible and reasonably practicable.”