Legal
Mushroom killer Erin Patterson faces televised sentencing
In a rare move, the Victorian Supreme Court will allow television cameras inside as convicted triple murderer Erin Patterson is sentenced.
The broadcast will capture only Justice Christopher Beale as he hands down his decision over the deaths of Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson.
Patterson herself, along with others in the courtroom, won’t be shown.
Alan Jones charges move closer to court
The Director of Public Prosecutions is expected to lock in which charges it will press against Alan Jones within the next two weeks.
The Australian’s Steve Jackson reports the update follows a string of meetings with men who’ve agreed to testify against the former 2GB host.
The charges follow a nine-month NSW Police investigation.
Newsmax takes on Fox News
Newsmax has launched a legal strike on Fox News, accusing the Murdoch-backed powerhouse of muscling out right-leaning rivals in pay TV.
As CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger reports, the lawsuit, filed in a Florida federal court, claims Fox has been working to lock up the conservative news market.
According to the filing, Fox allegedly pushed distributors into restrictive deals and even used intimidation tactics to sideline competitors.
Journalism
Press Council rules on Australian opinion piece about Gaza
The Press Council has ruled against The Australian over an opinion piece that described Hamas as the “gorillas of Gaza” and “black-hearted Arabs.”
The publisher said the article was clearly opinion, aimed at Hamas rather than all Palestinians, and defended it as robust political expression.
The Council disagreed, finding the terms went beyond critique of Hamas and risked vilifying an entire population, breaching its standards on avoiding substantial offence and prejudice.
Sports
NBCUniversal sells out Super Bowl ads well ahead of time
Variety’s Brian Steinberg reports that NBCUniversal has sold out all advertising slots for Super Bowl LX in February 2026, months before the NFL season even kicks off.
Ad chief Peter Lazarus said record demand from brands made this the earliest Super Bowl sell-out in the network’s history.
The result sets NBC up for its most lucrative NFL season yet, with Sunday Night Football also driving strong momentum.
Television
SBS On Demand adds upgrades, podcasts, FAST channels and ad opt-outs
As part of this years upfronts pitch to advertisers, SBS has announced a series of major updates for its SBS On Demand platform, all aimed at improving user experience.
Viewers watching live programming on SBS will see the introduction of options to allow users to pause, rewind, and restart programs.
While this is going to be most helpful for viewers dealing with family members who keep interrupting questions on Jeopardy! every night, SBS are touting its introduction in 2026 as being ideal for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Neale Whitaker makes surprise return to The Block
Viewers of The Block got an unexpected cameo on Wednesday when former judge Neale Whitaker returned to score a challenge.
His appearance was filmed months ago but aired just weeks after news broke that he’s defecting to Seven.
news.com.au’s Nick Bond reports that Whitaker, who left The Block last year, will soon appear as a judge on Seven’s upcoming renovation series My Reno Rules.
AI
Shein pulls product photo tied to accused murderer
Shein has pulled a product photo from its site after shoppers noticed the model looked like Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York.
The fast-fashion retailer said the picture came from a third-party vendor and was removed as soon as it was discovered.
Here’s the photo in question:
As the BBC’s Graham Fraser writes, experts say while there are signs of AI use, it is still unclear whether the image was generated or manually edited.
Retail
Country Road Group posts first loss in decades
The Australian’s Eli Greenblat reports that Country Road Group has reported its first loss in almost 25 years, with parent Woolworths Holdings confirming a $124m bottom line hit for the year to June.
The result reverses last year’s $51.6m profit.
The Witchery, Mimco and Trenery owner blamed weaker discretionary spending but noted sales steadied late in the year, with early signs of recovery in the new financial year.
Amazon adds Afterpay for Aussie shoppers
Amazon Australia has switched on Afterpay at checkout, giving local customers a buy now, pay later option as credit card use continues to slide.
As Sky News Australia’s Preston Potts reports, the move marks one of the biggest retail tie-ups for the BNPL player in the local market.
For Amazon, it’s another lever to capture spend from cost-conscious consumers, while for Afterpay, the integration locks in millions of potential new users at one of the country’s biggest online checkouts.