The Week

Australia's four major banks are now unanimous in forecasting that the Reserve Bank of Australia will raise interest rates at its meeting next week. The shift in forecasts, reported by ABC News' finance desk, suggests markets and economists see an rate hike as near-certain, with borrowers bracing for higher mortgage repayments should the central bank act.

World leaders are arriving in New York for the UN General Assembly's high-level week, widely described as the biggest event in world diplomacy. Attention is on the annual speeches, sideline bilateral meetings, and how major crises and great-power tensions will play out on the debating floor this September.

Meta has blocked Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's Facebook page and his campaign's paid ads, with the restriction landing just two weeks before Brazil's election. The timing is drawing scrutiny, with commenters questioning whether the suspension results from an automated enforcement error or a politically significant decision affecting a sitting head of state's campaign messaging.

The sixth and final day of the UN General Debate has ended, with the closing takeaway urging member states to convert the week's speeches into concrete action. As leaders wrapped up their addresses at the United Nations, attention turned from rhetoric to implementation of commitments on global challenges.

Major Wall Street banks are scheduled to begin reporting second-quarter earnings next week, marking the unofficial start of the corporate earnings season. Analysts are publishing expectations for the sector, with attention on trading revenues, investment banking activity, and how higher-for-longer interest rates are affecting lending margins. Investors will be watching results closely for signals about the health of the broader US economy and financial markets in the second half of the year.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito will not take part in a major climate change case scheduled for argument next week. The announcement, reported by CNBC, leaves the case with eight justices participating. Alito has not publicly stated his reason for stepping aside. The case is expected to be closely watched, and his absence could affect the outcome if the justices split evenly.

The President of the United Nations General Assembly has formally closed the General Debate of the Assembly's 81st session at UN headquarters in New York. The closing marks the end of the annual week in which world leaders address the Assembly, setting the stage for the session's committee work and negotiations. The UN webcast of the proceedings drew attention from a global audience.

President Trump has moved to cancel $100 million in federally appropriated education funding, acting against the will of Congress. The decision, reported by Education Week, is another instance of the administration withholding money that lawmakers had already approved. The move is likely to fuel criticism that the White House is overstepping its authority on federal spending and could prompt legal and political challenges from congressional Democrats.

Large Bitcoin holders, known as whales, have accumulated roughly 113,950 BTC over the past ten weeks, according to figures circulating in crypto news. The renewed buying by big wallets is being read by analysts as a sign of confidence, with debate now focused on whether the accumulation points to a coming price move.

The US Supreme Court has issued a major ruling announced on a Friday night, a timing that immediately drew attention because late-week releases often accompany contentious decisions. Commentators and legal observers are reacting to the decision, with the dramatic framing of the news fueling wide discussion about what the ruling means and its potential impact.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears are meeting in a Week 3 Monday Night Football game in the NFL. Sports outlets are publishing expert picks, best bets and player props ahead of kickoff, with bettors and fans weighing in on which team will come out on top. The matchup is drawing attention from both fanbases as the week's headline game.

Florida residents can weigh in on the state's new science education standards during a listening tour taking place this week. The tour gives teachers, parents and members of the public a chance to offer feedback directly to state education officials before the standards are finalized. The initiative comes as science curriculum requirements, including how topics are taught, remain a contentious issue in Florida schools.

The American Enterprise Institute is holding a program this week titled "The Economy and Regulatory Reform: Can Congress Help?", bringing attention to the role lawmakers could play in improving economic conditions through regulatory change. The discussion, promoted via Yale's Journal on Regulation, focuses on whether congressional action on regulation can meaningfully support growth.

An anti-fur protest march took place during Milan Fashion Week, drawing attention amid the city's runway shows and reigniting debate over the use of real fur in luxury fashion. Demonstrators pushed designers and brands to abandon fur, while attendees and industry observers weighed the disruption against growing calls for ethical and sustainable practices in fashion.

A federal court ruling has cleared a path for the opening of a Jewish charter school in Oklahoma, according to Education Week. The decision marks a significant development in the debate over religiously affiliated charter schools, which critics say violates church-state separation but supporters view as an expansion of school choice.

Researchers from Purdue University are traveling this week as part of a new expedition to locate the aircraft of aviator Amelia Earhart, who vanished over the Pacific in 1937 during her attempt to fly around the world. The effort revives one of aviation's most enduring mysteries, with the team hoping modern methods can finally resolve what happened to her missing plane.

The Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers met in a Week 3 matchup of the 2026 NFL season, with the league releasing a highlight package of the game. Fans are sharing and reacting to the key plays from the contest as the season's early picture begins to take shape.

The European Union is taking part in the FAO's Committee on Forestry and the 10th World Forest Week, meetings at the UN food and agriculture agency in Rome focused on global forest policy. The EU delegation is expected to press for sustainable forest management, stronger action against deforestation, and closer international cooperation on forest protection. Attention is on how the bloc's forest agenda aligns with its wider climate and biodiversity commitments.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature used the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week to advance its agenda on nature protection, ocean conservation and climate action. The organisation highlighted the links between biodiversity loss and climate change, urging governments to keep nature and ocean issues central to international climate commitments.

Attention is turning to New York Fashion Week 2026, with coverage flagging the upcoming edition of the event. The city is set to once again host designers, brands and buyers for a season of runway shows. Little detail has emerged so far about dates, participants or themes, and public discussion so far consists largely of anticipation rather than concrete news.

Julie Kegels and South African label MaXhosa Africa staged the opening shows of Paris Fashion Week, kicking off the season's calendar in the French capital. The pairing drew attention as an unusual choice, putting a young European designer and a knitwear brand rooted in Xhosa heritage side by side on one of fashion's biggest stages.

US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself from a major climate-change case scheduled to be heard next week, according to the Washington Times. The recusal means the remaining eight justices will decide a dispute with significant implications for climate regulation. No reason for the step-aside was given in the report, and it is not yet clear how his absence might affect the outcome or the court's ruling.