In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court struck down Trump's attempt to limit birthright citizenship, upholding that anyone born on US soil is a citizen — a major defeat for the administration's immigration agenda. On the same day, the Court upheld state laws banning transgender girls from female school sports (a win for Trump), struck down limits on party campaign spending, and ruled the Fed's Cook can keep her job while effectively upholding other Trump firings. Trump has since threatened to pursue the issue through Congress.
Norway reached the World Cup last 16 for the first time after Erling Haaland's late winner against Ivory Coast (1-0). In the tournament's biggest upset, Paraguay defeated Germany on penalties after Orlando Gill — who sold his kit to support his family — became a penalty shootout hero. Cape Verde, first-time qualifiers, prepare to face Argentina with the country's president boldly predicting a 1-0 win. A heat dome is forecast to impact East Coast matches this week.
Les Mills, the four-time New Zealand Olympian (shot put, discus) and former Auckland mayor, died peacefully surrounded by family. He and wife Colleen opened the first Les Mills gym in 1968, which grew into a global chain with programs like BodyPump, BodyAttack and BodyCombat now taught in 22,000+ clubs across 100+ countries. He was also a three-term Auckland mayor and Companion of the NZ Order of Merit.
An explosion in Monaco reportedly wounded a Ukrainian oligarch with ties to Russia, triggering a manhunt. The attack is the latest in a series of incidents involving wealthy figures connected to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with investigators pursuing leads across multiple jurisdictions.
Preliminary satellite analysis suggests the scale of destruction from Venezuela's earthquakes could dwarf official estimates, with 58,000 buildings destroyed. More than 100 Venezuelans deported from the US hours before the quakes remain missing. The government has been accused of negligence in the response effort.
A roof collapsed at a tuition centre in Lahore, Pakistan, killing 14 children. Two people have been taken into custody as investigations into the cause of the collapse begin. The incident has sparked renewed calls for stricter building safety enforcement across the country.
The new financial year brings sweeping changes: the minimum wage rises 4.75% to $26.44/hr ($1,004.90/week), with lowest-paid workers receiving a 5.97% bump (~2.8 million Australians affected). Superannuation must now be paid with wages (not quarterly) to tackle $3bn in unpaid super annually. Paid parental leave expands from 24 to 26 weeks (partner leave from 15 to 20 days). The lowest marginal tax rate drops from 16% to 15% — saving workers on $45k+ about $268/year. Other changes: mandatory SMS sender ID registration to fight scams, grocery price gouging laws for Coles/Woolworths, and expanded anti-money laundering rules for real estate and legal sectors.
House prices are now falling in four capital cities, with Sydney values down $48,000 since January (now just $3k above June 2025 levels). Sydney saw its biggest one-month decline since August 2022 at 1.2%, Melbourne fell 1%. National clearance rates have held below 50% since May. Three factors driving the correction: three RBA rate hikes since February (75bp total), federal negative gearing/CGT tax changes reducing investor borrowing capacity, and worsening affordability. Adelaide's 15-month growth streak ended in June. However, Perth values remain 23.6% up year-on-year, Brisbane 16.8% up. The median Sydney house is still $1.6m.
The Coalition and Greens have joined forces to delay Labor's gambling advertising reform bill, labelling it "half-arsed." The bill, intended to restrict gambling ads, now faces an uncertain timeline as crossbench pressure builds for stronger measures. The delay is a blow to the government's election commitment to rein in gambling promotion.
The Minns government has begun carving up Moore Park Golf Course to create a new public park, drawing anger from Sydney's swing voters. The project involves converting parts of the historic course into green space, with critics arguing the government is prioritising inner-city voters over broader community needs.
The Solar Shares Offer (SSO) begins today, providing three free hours of electricity midday to households with smart meters across NSW, QLD and SA — no solar panels required. The scheme is designed to shift energy consumption to periods of high solar generation. Eligible customers must opt in to receive the benefit.
Chinese Ambassador Xiao Qian attended ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess' speech and publicly criticised the agency, rejecting foreign interference accusations. The confrontation marks an escalation in diplomatic tensions between Canberra and Beijing, with the ambassador directly challenging Australian intelligence assessments.
Broadsheet's winter roundup is packed with openings: Joy Korean Fried Chicken (Enmore) — whole birds marinated 3 days, triple fried, opening July; Aenza (Darlinghurst) — wine-focused izakaya by the Amuro team with an 80-bottle list and boutique saké, also July; Lo Presti's (Redfern) — Greek/Mediterranean from the ex-Baba's Place team, 50 seats with wraparound verandah; La Buvette (Potts Point) — French bistro from Bar Copains trio, 10 seats, August; Bantry Bay Grocer (Seaforth) — Euro alimentari/wine bar, early July; Arthur 2.0 (Surry Hills) — revamped set-menu with all-Aussie produce; Ashe & Vespertine (CBD) — Asian grill plus a 4am basement bar; Super 44 (Newtown) — margarita bar from Mucho team, just opened June 26; Razzie's (CBD) — LA-style chilli burgers; plus Sandwhich (St Peters), Serva (Freshwater), Da Orazio Trattoria (Rushcutters Bay), and more.
Four finalists will compete for the title of Australia's Best Sommelier on Monday 6 July at one-hatted Infinity by Mark Best in Sydney Tower. The winner goes on to represent Australia at the ASI Best Sommelier of the World competition in Lisbon, Portugal (11-17 October 2026). Finalists include Justin ... — a key event for the Australian wine and hospitality trade.
Shun Eto from Altitude Restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney, has won the 2026 NSW Sommelier's Wine List of the Year award. NSW Wine Industry Association President Mark Bourne praised Eto's list for recognising and promoting great NSW wines from producers both large and small.
Wine Australia and the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) have entered into a new investment agreement effective 1 July 2026 through 31 December 2030, delivering research, development, extension and industry support services for Australia's grape and wine sector. The agreement secures long-term R&D funding for the wine industry through the new financial year.
Grill'd has pulled a suggestive "SuperBuns" burger advertisement after public backlash. The burger chain's marketing team flipped on the campaign, removing the image and likely scrambling to replace it — a minor hospitality-marketing storm for the Sydney-based chain.
Creative Australia has committed $10.6 million to support 212 projects spanning dance, music, theatre, literature, First Nations, experimental and community arts across metropolitan, regional and remote Australia. Notable recipients include FLING Physical Theatre's creative development programs for young performers in Bega, NSW, and Yolngu artist Terrence Guyula for new music recordings. The funding is delivered through targeted programs including Music Australia, Writing Australia and First Nations Arts. Alice Nash, Executive Director of Arts Investment, described it as supporting "creative activity across the country, from performances and exhibitions that audiences can attend and enjoy, to the development work that enables artists and organisations to continue to create."
Beetlejuice, Waitress and a $20 million opera have all been forced to cancel Australian tour dates, putting hundreds of performers and crew out of work. The cancellations highlight ongoing fragility in the Australian live performance sector, with rising production costs, insurance challenges, and audience hesitation creating a perfect storm for major touring productions. The news contrasts sharply with the broader arts investment picture, suggesting structural issues persist despite increased government funding.
Creative Australia has announced recipients for the 2026 First Nations Arts and Culture Awards, celebrating outstanding achievement, leadership and innovation across First Nations arts and culture. Also noted: acclaimed Australian artist Stanislava Pinchuk has been awarded a prestigious Rome residency.
The Albanese Government's May budget included a $1.1 billion arts and culture package for 2026-27, with increased Creative Australia funding, support for national collecting institutions and new cultural infrastructure investment. Total arts and cultural spending is $4.6 billion over forward estimates. While substantial, arts advocates note the package mainly restores previous cuts rather than representing a transformative new investment — and the musical theatre cancellations suggest the sector's cost-of-doing-business crisis remains unresolved.
ArtsHub has published a comprehensive roundup of 2026 arts grants across federal, state and philanthropic bodies. Key opportunities include Music Australia's Export Development Fund (up to $75k matched for international touring), alongside a range of programs for emerging and established creatives covering all disciplines. The roundup emphasises that grants remain critical for sustaining Australia's arts industry amid ongoing cost pressures.
Nous Research released Hermes Agent v0.16 (v2026.6.5) — the "Surface Release" — adding a native desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux with streaming tool output, side-by-side previews, file browser, voice support, cron, profiles and skills management. The release spans 874 commits, 542 merged PRs, and 399 closed issues (including 2 P0, 62 P1, 16 security-tagged) with 170 community contributors. Also adds a broader web dashboard, remote backend connection flows, improved model picking and platform-agnostic operation. This is a major milestone — Hermes is no longer just a CLI tool.
Google has pushed Gemini 3.5 Pro's general availability from June to July 2026, citing quality refinements after early enterprise testing. The delay comes as four senior AI researchers — including Gemini co-lead Noam Shazeer — departed for OpenAI and Anthropic, raising questions about Google's ability to retain AI talent. The model was originally promised for a June launch at Google I/O. Performance improvements reportedly include enhanced coding, token efficiency, and long-task execution.
The White House formally requested OpenAI limit the release of GPT-5.6 ("Sol") to a small number of government-approved partners, citing the model's advanced capabilities and the absence of any federal regulatory framework for reviewing frontier AI models. OpenAI initially planned a broader rollout but changed course after White House intervention and consultation with the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The restricted-access model marks a significant shift in the government's willingness to proactively shape AI release strategies.
AI chatbots are increasingly being used in online dating — drafting profiles, suggesting responses, and even simulating dates. A notable trend piece explores how the technology is becoming the modern-day Cyrano for the lovelorn, raising questions about authenticity and emotional connection in digital romance.
A breakthrough scabies vaccine has shown over 80% efficacy in Phase 3 trials, potentially eliminating one of the world's most common parasitic skin diseases affecting 200M+ people annually.
The remarkable life story of the man who went from Olympic shot putter to mayor to fitness pioneer — BodyPump, BodyAttack and BodyCombat reach 22,000+ clubs worldwide.
RBA rate hikes (75bp since Feb) plus negative gearing/CGT changes pushing Sydney into its sharpest decline in 4 years. But median house still $1.6m.
The 3.2-gigapixel LSST camera at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has begun its 10-year survey of the universe, capturing the entire southern sky every few nights.
The definitive guide to what's opening: Korean fried chicken, French bistros, Greek/Med feasts, wine izakayas, chilli burgers, and more.