Legal
High Court ends Roberts-Smith fight
Ben Roberts-Smith’s long-running legal saga has finally hit a dead end.
The ABC’s Elizabeth Byrne and Jamie McKinnell report that the High Court has refused to hear his last-ditch appeal against a devastating Federal Court ruling that found allegations of war crimes made by Nine newspapers were substantially true.
The decision closes off Roberts-Smith’s legal options and cements the original ruling: that on the balance of probabilities, Australia’s most decorated living soldier was responsible for, or complicit in, the killing of four detainees in Afghanistan.
AI
Atlassian bets big on AI browser
The Sydney Morning Herald’s David Swan writes that Atlassian has just dropped close to $1 billion on The Browser Company, the New York start-up behind Silicon Valley’s favourite AI-driven browser.
The $US610 million cash deal marks one of Atlassian’s largest acquisitions yet and hands the Australian software giant a shiny new tool aimed at solving the chaos of tab overload.
For Mike Cannon-Brookes, the timing matters.
Warner Bros. takes aim at Midjourney
Warner Bros. Discovery has sued AI start-up Midjourney, claiming it stole characters like Batman, Superman and Scooby-Doo to train its image generator.
Reuter’s Jonathan Stempel writes that the studio claims users can now churn out copyrighted icons in “every imaginable scene.”
Warner wants damages, profit returns and a ban on further use. The suit follows similar claims from Disney and Universal earlier this year.
Social Media
eSafety sets ground rules for teen social media ban
Crikey’s Cam Wilson writes that Australia’s eSafety commissioner has given Meta, Google, TikTok and others their first marching orders ahead of the December 10 ban on under-16s using social media.
Platforms will be expected to “deactivate” teen accounts rather than delete them, though it’s still unclear which companies will ultimately be covered.
Julie Inman Grant has written to a broad list of tech players, asking them to confirm if they believe the ban applies to their platforms.
Streaming
Sky News Australia faces shake-up in 2026
Sky News Australia is in for a major reset next year, with the channel set to rebrand, move into News Corp HQ, and possibly import programming from its American cousin Fox News.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald’s Calum Jaspan, the shift comes as its 10-year licensing deal with Comcast-owned Sky News UK runs out.
The expiring deal leaves a hole in the overnight lineup, likely to be filled by Fox primetime stars Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Jesse Watters.
Radio
Howard Stern faces uncertain future at SiriusXM
Howard Stern’s $500 million SiriusXM deal is set to expire at the end of 2025, and speculation is swirling about whether the shock jock’s show will survive.
As Ashley King writes in Digital Music News, industry chatter points to cancellation, with SiriusXM rethinking how much to spend on big-ticket talent.
Stern’s audience has plunged from 20 million at his peak to just 125,000–150,000, a drop that’s raised eyebrows across the industry.
Film
Save the date: Bluey movie release date revealed
Disney and BBC Studios have revealed the release date for the upcoming Bluey movie.
Kids will be munching on choc tops and running up and down the aisles when the film is released globally on 6 August, 2027.
The Bluey movie will written and co-directed by series creator Joe Brumm and is a Ludo Studio production.
Hello Sunshine appoints new CEO
Variety’s Todd Spangler reports that Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine has shuffled its top ranks, naming Maureen Polo as CEO.
Polo, who previously ran the company’s direct-to-consumer arm, steps into the role as Sarah Harden exits the top job.
Polo will work closely with film and TV president Lauren Neustadter, while Corey Shepardson takes on added duties as COO alongside his CFO role.
Publishing
Meanjin closes after 84 years
Australia’s second-oldest literary journal, Meanjin, is closing its doors today.
Melbourne University Publishing confirmed the decision was driven by financial pressures, though Crikey’s Daanyal Saeed reports the university’s council board had also been leaning on the title.
Its closure marks the end of a rare institution in the country’s publishing landscape.