Kash Patel gave his Australian counterpart a 3D replica gun as a gift. It was destroyed within months 14. July 2026 (17:00) Documents show the FBI director’s gift was ‘displayed proudly’ by the AFP before new commissioner ordered it be destroyedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWhen the FBI director, Kash Patel, visited the Australian federal police last year, he came bearing a gift: a 3D-printed imitation pistol that then was “displayed proudly” in the commissioner’s office.Yet within months, shortly after Krissy Barrett became the AFP’s new commissioner last October, she ordered it to be destroyed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
David Penman wasn’t happy with his local Victorian council. So, he privately prosecuted five councillors 14. July 2026 (17:00) Legal action by the Daylesford small business owner has forced councillors to stand down – leaving only two able to serveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDavid Penman wasn’t happy.The Daylesford small business owner didn’t like the work of his local council. So, using little-known laws that force elected officials to stand down, he essentially stopped it from making any big decisions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK man admits 32 sexual offences against allegedly drugged or sleeping partner 14. July 2026 (16:58) Defendant pleads guilty to crimes over the course of 12 years, some of which also involved ‘a person unknown’A man has been told he faces a possible life sentence after pleading guilty to 32 sexual offences against his girlfriend while she was allegedly drugged or asleep, including some attacks he recorded.The defendant, aged in his 40s, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Northampton crown court on Tuesday where he admitted the offences, which happened over more than a decade between January 2014 and September last year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New York becomes first state to impose one-year pause on new AI datacenters 14. July 2026 (16:34) Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order enacting a moratorium on the large, resource-intensive AI facilitiesNew York became the first US state to enact a moratorium on new datacenters on Tuesday.Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order mandating a one-year statewide pause on the large facilities used to power artificial intelligence products. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Politically engaged – but ‘very much’ worried about buying a home: study reveals young Australians’ anxieties 14. July 2026 (16:01) Growing Up in Australia report shows gen Z are more anxious about housing affordability than climate change or following a chosen career pathGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFar more young people are worried about being able to buy a home than about climate change or finding a job in their chosen field, according to a study that also reveals gen Z’s deep distrust of politicians, political parties and the media.The latest insights from a major longitudinal study show high levels of participation in the political debate, challenging stereotypes that younger Australians are disengaged from public life. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Coalition and One Nation’s plan to ditch net zero would not lower power prices, CSIRO report finds 14. July 2026 (16:01) GenCost report contradicts parties’ claims about abandoning emissions target, and finds nuclear would be most expensive way to generate powerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastClaims by the Coalition and One Nation that abandoning a net zero climate target would bring down power prices are contradicted in a new CSIRO report on the costs of generating electricity.Generation costs will probably rise after 2030 regardless of Australia’s policy on net zero, according to the CSIRO’s annual GenCost report, but prices should then stabilise at levels below recent price spikes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Spanish PM’s brother banned from public office after misconduct trial 14. July 2026 (15:38) Conviction over hiring by socialist-led council is one of a series of corruption claims facing Pedro Sánchez’s familyThe brother of Spain’s prime minister has been banned from holding public office for nine years after being found guilty of administrative misconduct relating to his hiring by a socialist-led council in the south-western region of Extremadura nine years ago.Corruption allegations involving Pedro Sánchez’s family, his government and his Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) have triggered repeated opposition calls for a snap general election. All the accused have denied wrongdoing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bastille Day celebrations in France tempered by fear of more wildfires 14. July 2026 (14:50) Firework displays cancelled as Paris military parade asserts ‘France’s rearmament .. and Europe’s strategic awakening’Europe live – latest updatesEmmanuel Macron has presided over his final Bastille Day parade in Paris amid a searing heatwave and wildfires that forced authorities around the country to cancel traditional firework displays and balls celebrating France’s national day.The French president was joined for the annual military procession and flypast by his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and two dozen other national leaders. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Inflation cools to 3.5% in June in relief brought by brief US-Iran deal 14. July 2026 (14:39) Recent strikes have sent oil prices climbing again, with average gas price per gallon up by 70 cents on last yearInflation cooled to an annual rate of 3.5% in June as the brief US-Iran ceasefire, which has since ended, brought energy prices down, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.The consumer price index (CPI), which measures a basket of goods and services, has been elevated since the start of the war, largely because of higher energy prices. After mostly staying under 3% since mid-2024, CPI reached a three-year high of 4.2% in May – up from 2.4% in February. Stripping out volatile energy and food prices, core inflation decreased slightly to 2.6%. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Anthony Albanese promises fast-track approvals for datacentres to shore up AI investment 14. July 2026 (14:30) PM to declare Australia the first country worldwide to bring economic, social, security and environmental issues from AI under single office in major speechGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese says the federal government will introduce faster approval processes for AI projects, including datacentres, across Australia, seeking to shore up investor certainty and maintain community confidence in the rapidly advancing technology.Announcing the creation of a new office of AI to be established within his department in a major speech on Wednesday, the prime minister will declare Australia is set to become the first country in the world to bring the economic, social, national security and environmental issues stemming from AI into a single, national framework. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
