- Pick & Scroll News
- Posts
- 🗞️ Power nap
🗞️ Power nap
If you're a parent with young children or you battled with sleep last night, you probably still slept more than Japan's Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi.
Pick & Scroll News
November 18, 2025
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here
|  |
Good morning. If you're a parent with young children or struggled with sleep last night, you probably still slept more than Japan's Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi.
After a controversial 3 a.m. staff meeting last week, Japan's first female Prime Minister revealed that she sleeps only 2 to 4 hours a night, claiming that sleep as "bad for her skin."
Given that she has previously encouraged long working hours to boost productivity, it’s hard to imagine her adopting Australia's 'right to disconnect' law any time soon.
All the headlines and more below...
AUSTRALIAN NEWS
Cybercriminals unleash fake Centrelink scam on vulnerable Australians
A phishing scam using AI-generated emails hit 270K Australians as cybercriminals impersonated government bodies like Centrelink and Medicare for more realistic attacks. LINK
Tasmania temporarily closed parts of the rock lobster fishery as China’s strict antibiotic import rules exposed florfenicol use at salmon farms near the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. LINK
The $5B Northern Water project in SA was delayed until at least 2032 as BHP postponed its Olympic Dam expansion, affecting taxpayer cost recovery. LINK
NDIS costs continue to rise as 13,851 children joined the scheme last quarter while 16% of 6-year-old Australian boys now participate due to autism and developmental issues. LINK
Brisbane has become Australia’s leading sporting city whilst rising to 20th globally as its Olympic bid boosts tourism, infrastructure and a $70B expected economic uplift. LINK
Australian scientists are developing a new test to detect asbestos-related illnesses earlier as contamination forced the closure of 71 ACT schools. LINK
Australian personal insolvencies rose 5.3% to 12,257 in FY25 as regulators warned about ongoing risk from high living costs and illegitimate consumer loans. LINK
Low Australian productivity and economic growth, now at 2.1%, could reduce wages and living standards as CBA and RBA urge urgent investment and reforms. LINK
Corporate AI efforts in Australia have faltered due to faulty implementation and backlash as CBA’s workforce impacts show the risks of poor AI planning. LINK
Young Australians are challenging money taboos as 65% under 24 now say finances are acceptable first-date topics including debt and investment talk. LINK
Australian companies earning over $725M are increasingly using private credit as 46% adopted it in 2024, up from 28%, despite ASIC scrutiny. LINK
GLOBAL NEWS
Australia urged to increase support for Ukraine
Ukraine has requested more aid from Australia as it ranks 35th out of 41 countries in GDP-relative donations despite contributing US$1.76B to date. LINK
Australia and the EU continued trade negotiations over meat quotas and labelling standards with both sides remaining hopeful for an agreement. LINK
Japan’s economy shrank 1.8% in Q3 as US tariffs hurt auto exports, marking its first contraction in over a year. LINK
COMPANY NEWS
AWS: Working to bridge the AI gap in Australia
AWS will invest $20B in Australia by 2029 to grow cloud and AI infrastructure whilst supporting renewables, adding to its $9.1B local investment. LINK
Atlassian failed to cut travel emissions by 25% by 2025, instead posting a 135% rise, as it claimed the CEO’s jet had minimal impact. LINK
Zoom is expanding its platform to include AI tools, meetings, calls and chat as it competes with Microsoft Teams and reacts to return-to-office demands. LINK
Amazon, Temu and Shein are forecast to control 36% of Australia's online retail by 2026, pressuring Kogan and Myer to specialise or scale. LINK
Big 4 bank CEOs including those from ANZ and Westpac are facing parliamentary scrutiny as issues such as job cuts, misconduct and rural closures are questioned by MPs. LINK
Lendlease will sell assets from its $2.8B retail fund amid heavy redemption pressure despite winning a management rights dispute with Hostplus. LINK
Elders posted a 12% profit rise to $50.3M and a 30% trading lift in recent weeks, helped by better weather and lifted US beef tariffs. LINK
Groq is investing $459M in Australia to expand AI data centres as it launched a 4.5MW inference cluster in Sydney to meet growing Asia-Pacific demand. LINK
Panthera Finance is under legal review for chasing over 200,000 debts in Victoria whilst allegedly banned, potentially triggering consumer refunds. LINK
Pro-Pac Packaging Group entered administration owing over $26M, as a Federal Court approved a $22.6M rescue and staff entitlements reached $270,000. LINK
Guinness is growing at double-digit rates in Australia, targeting Gen Z through trends like "split the G" and a focus on the perfect pint. LINK
Wendy’s set a global debut record by selling 17,000 burgers in its first week at the Brisbane launch. LINK
ONE MORE SCROLL
Editor’s Pick: People can't tell AI-generated music from real thing anymore, survey shows.
Draft Pick: Australian Paralympic gold medallist Paige Greco dies at 28.
Odd Pick: Australian teen charged over allegedly sticking googly eyes on 'Blue Blob' artwork.
TOGETHER WITH
Take what you’re doing offline and circle back on team wellness because real team bonding happens with puppies, not PowerPoint. Give your team an event they’ll actually look forward to with Puppy Yoga!
We’ve got you covered with Corporate Cuddles and Puppy Yoga 🐶
TRIVIA
Which country has held the most Olympic Games?
Answer below
OUR SOCIALS
 |
ANSWER
The United States has hosted the most Olympic Games, with a total of 8 editions including both Summer and Winter Games as of 2025.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here