HMRC scheme that wrongly cut child benefits did not ‘adequately consider’ impact, report finds 29. June 2026 (08:00) NAO inquiry follows suspension of payments after erroneous records that claimants had emigratedAn HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) anti-fraud crackdown that stripped 23,000 families of their child benefit failed to “adequately consider” the policy’s impact on claimants, an official report has found.The report by the National Audit Office followed HMRC’s decision to suspend payments after flight records provided by the Home Office purportedly showed thousands of parents had emigrated. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man charged with DV murder after allegedly shooting Gold Coast mother who could ‘light up any room’ 29. June 2026 (07:54) Mallorie Jane Roberts, 23, found with gunshot wounds on Sunday evening with her partner arrested at the homeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA woman who died from gunshot wounds in an alleged domestic violence murder was “a beautiful young mother” who leaves behind a two-year-old son.Emergency services were called to a home on Loder Street in the Gold Coast suburb of Biggera Waters, in Queensland, at about 8pm on Sunday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Get your dirty hands off our kids’: fossil fuel industry’s presence in schools and sports clubs sparks concern 29. June 2026 (07:48) Greens and David Pocock accuse industry of using programs and sponsorships to ‘build social licence’, push for parliamentary inquiryFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Greens and David Pocock have backed calls for a parliamentary inquiry into the alleged “petro-grooming” of children after an investigation exposed the extent of the fossil fuel sector’s presence in schools, sports clubs and other educational institutions.The resources minister, Madeleine King, has defended industry sponsorships of grassroots and elite sports and said it was fortunate so many companies were prepared to support clubs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Moira Deeming misunderstood meaning of ‘headlock’ but won’t apologise to Matthew Guy for assault allegation 29. June 2026 (07:17) Victorian Liberal MP says interaction with her colleague left her fearful and confused Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming says she misunderstood the “technical meaning of the term ‘headlock’”, but will not apologise to her colleague Matthew Guy over the allegation he assaulted her.Last week it was revealed Deeming had in June reported to police that Guy, the opposition’s public transport spokesperson, had assaulted her at a Macedonian community event in Sunshine, Melbourne in May. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reversing UK employment tax rises ‘would do little to help young people find jobs’ 29. June 2026 (07:00) Resolution Foundation calls for extra funding for apprenticeships and increase in number of youth support grantsBritish firms to get £3,000 for every long-term jobless youngster they hireMinisters should reject calls to reverse employment tax increases as a way to boost jobs for young people in favour of extra funding for apprenticeships and increasing the number of youth support grants, according to a leading thinktank.The Resolution Foundation said an in-depth study showed a cut in employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) and a reduction in the minimum wage for under-21s – measures demanded by business groups – would do little to promote the chances of younger workers finding a job. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Doubling leave to remain timeframe for UK care workers ‘cruel’, say campaigners 29. June 2026 (07:00) Experts and activists back Mike Tapp’s proposal for care worker exclusion that led to row with Shabana MahmoodDoubling the leave to remain timeframe for care workers to 10 years is “cruel and unconscionable”, according to workers rights campaigners who back a Home Office minister’s proposal to exclude the cohort from the government’s immigration plans.Mike Tapp is at the centre of a political row with the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, after writing an article in which he said migrant care workers should be excluded from plans to retrospectively change the length of time people must work before they can permanently settle in the UK. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Victorian premier blames ‘inflation not corruption’ for Big Build cost blowouts amid fresh allegations 29. June 2026 (05:32) Jacinta Allan resists calls for royal commission into state’s infrastructure projects as pressure mounts following new reportsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJacinta Allan has resisted growing calls for a royal commission into alleged corruption on Victoria’s $100bn Big Build, declaring “inflationary pressures on projects is not corruption”.It comes after an investigation by Nine newspapers and 60 Minutes reported allegations that money from the state’s Big Build infrastructure projects was being paid to gangland figures and that the state government was warned about cost blowouts due to Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) demands. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pakistan carries out deadly airstrikes along Afghanistan border 29. June 2026 (05:10) The attacks on Monday were the latest flare-up of violence between the two countries, which fought a weeks-long war in FebruaryPakistan has said at least 25 people were killed in airstrikes it launched targeting militants in eastern Afghanistan, as the Afghan government reported dozens of civilian casualties.Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said the operations were aimed at a group that it blames for a deadly weekend attack in Karachi, although Afghan authorities have repeatedly denied their territory harbours militants. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
ABC and SBS to appear at antisemitism royal commission after complaints of ‘unbalanced’ Middle East coverage 29. June 2026 (05:04) Bondi attack inquiry told broadcasters will be called as commission focuses on traditional and social mediaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRepresentatives from the ABC and SBS will be called as witnesses to the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion, after complaints were made to the inquiry about their coverage of the Middle East.On Monday, counsel assisting Richard Lancaster SC said some submissions to the royal commission – established after the Bondi terror attack – are “highly critical” of the public broadcasters’ reporting on the Middle East conflict. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Shares in chipmakers underpinning AI boom rocket in first half of 2026 29. June 2026 (05:00) Value of some chip manufacturers have tripled, or more, driving Asia Pacific stock markets sharply higherShares in chipmakers have surged in the first half of this year as investors piled into companies that make the hardware underpinning the AI boom, according to analysis.Investors have driven up the value of semiconductor and memory chip manufacturers, whose profits have soared during 2026, at the expense of some large software companies, which have fallen out of favour this year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
