Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Donald Trump said the June ceasefire with Iran is "over," calling Iranian leaders "scum" and "cuckoo." The US launched what Centcom described as "powerful" strikes in southern Iran (Bandar Abbas and Bushehr) after three tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliated by targeting US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. Trump told reporters the US will "probably hit them hard again tonight" but added that "anything that happens will be over quickly." Oil prices jumped but remain well below crisis highs.
In a bilateral meeting with Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Trump said the US would give Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors — a key ask from Kyiv. Patriots are the world's most effective air defence system but cost ~$1bn per battery and only 600 are produced annually. Ukrainian experts are sceptical production could happen on Ukrainian soil given security concerns, suggesting it may be deployed to a European facility instead. Russia has increased ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine, with 23 fired on Sunday night alone — none shot down due to a "serious shortage" of interceptors.
At the Ankara summit, NATO allies announced a £37 billion joint missile project, the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control system. It will replace the current AWACS fleet with a mix of GlobeEye-style airborne early warning aircraft and space-based sensors. Zelensky used the summit to urge Europe to build anti-ballistic missile defence systems, warning that Russia's ballistic missile capability remains Ukraine's greatest vulnerability.
A Boeing 737 cargo plane operated by K2 Airways rapidly descended before losing contact off the coast of Pakistan. The aircraft was carrying five people. Authorities have launched a search and rescue operation. No distress signal was received before the plane disappeared from radar.
A US judge has ordered Donald Trump to pay E. Jean Carroll $5.8 million in the sex abuse and defamation case. Trump has appealed the ruling. The case has been running for years, with a jury previously finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The latest judgment covers additional damages and legal costs.
A Berlin court has convicted a German palliative care doctor, described by prosecutors as having a "lust for murder," and sentenced him to life in prison for killing 15 patients under his care. Authorities suspect the true number of victims may be higher. The case echoes the Niels Hoegel nurse murders, drawing attention to oversight vulnerabilities in end-of-life care settings.
Senator Mitch McConnell has been hospitalized since June 14 — three weeks with almost no public updates from his office. He spoke with Republican leaders this week but his condition remains unclear. The secrecy has fuelled speculation and conspiracy theories, with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear facing questions about a potential Senate vacancy.
Telstra's mobile network suffered a major nationwide outage on Wednesday, affecting potentially millions of customers across Australia. A software defect caused a GPS timing node to reset, taking down mobile calls, data, and emergency triple-zero calls for hours. Regional train services in Victoria and NSW were suspended, and taxi payments disrupted. Services were largely restored by 4pm AEST, with the ACMA announcing an investigation. Telstra warned of scammers calling people claiming to be from the company.
A first-of-its-kind federal government report from Jobs and Skills Australia identifies telemarketers, advertising staff, accountants, software programmers, receptionists, and retail managers as the occupations "most exposed" to AI displacement. People in exposed roles are more likely to be women and hold university qualifications. Tradespeople and aged care workers are least exposed. The government is expected to unveil updated AI regulation plans next week.
A new report reveals that while Australians with cancer are living longer overall, diagnosis rates are rising among younger people. The report highlights improved treatment outcomes driving survival gains, but warns of an increasing incidence of certain cancers in under-50 age groups. The trend mirrors patterns seen in other developed countries.
The NSW ICAC is investigating Strathfield councillors over allegations of corruption linked to fugitive developer Jean Nassif. The inquiry — dubbed "Operation Rosny" — involves claims of attempted manipulation of council decisions, private investigator involvement, and connections to organised crime figures. It's one of the more colourful ICAC inquiries in recent memory.
New research from AUT University shows that coloured children's play sand sold in Australia — previously recalled over asbestos concerns — can release hazardous airborne fibres during play. The study contradicts earlier statements that the products posed "low risk." The products were recalled by the ACCC in late 2025.
The inspector of the National Anti-Corruption Commission has discontinued two investigations into former commissioner Paul Brereton, citing cost grounds — "cannot justify such expenditure." Brereton resigned as commissioner on 6 July. The investigations related to undeclared conflicts of interest from his ongoing role in the Inspector-General of the ADF's office. Brereton was also the author of the Brereton Report into alleged war crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan.
NSW pulled off a boilover in Brisbane, winning Game 3 of the State of Origin series to claim the shield. The Blues joined the rare vintages of 1994, 2005 and 2024 — NSW teams that have won Origin deciders at Lang Park. Nathan Cleary's dominance in Origin continues, with questions about what's left for him to achieve in the arena.
Paolo Saccone MS, head sommelier at LUCAS Restaurants (NSW), has won the 2026 Sommelier Challenge: Finding Australia's Best Sommelier of the Year. The title was awarded at a sold-out black-tie dinner at Lee Ho Fook in Sydney, following an intensive day of national finals held at Infinity by Mark Best in Sydney Tower. Saccone will represent Australia at the ASI Best Sommelier of the World competition in Lisbon, Portugal, this October. Critical for RSN territory — this is a major recognition in the Australian fine dining and wine industry.
Sehwa Kim has been appointed as the new head chef at Spice Temple, Neil Perry's acclaimed Chinese restaurant in Sydney's CBD. The appointment continues a series of chef moves in Sydney's fine dining scene as winter hiring settles in.
Joy Korean Fried Chicken has reopened in Enmore, bringing back what's been called Sydney's most sought-after fried chicken. The much-anticipated return follows a period of closure that had fans waiting eagerly. It's one of the hottest winter openings in Sydney's inner west.
Dine Out 2026 continues with one-off Japanese-themed menus worth booking. Firepop (Enmore) is now running a 12-course menu cooked over coals by Oscar Solomon, in collaboration with Raymond Hau. Broadsheet's "Three To Book" feature highlights Japanese-style chicken parmie with curry gravy as a standout.
Ouji, a new matcha-focused spot in Haymarket, is now open with ceremonial-grade matcha whisked to order until 7pm every night. It joins Sydney's growing specialty tea and coffee scene.
Palazzo Salato (the Bar Copains team's latest project) has launched a bottomless lunch offering. Broadsheet's weekly Snack Bar roundup also covers the latest Sydney food news for the first week of July.
Creative Australia has announced the latest recipients of investment through the Playing Australia and Contemporary Music Touring Program (CMTP). A total of 24 projects are supported through CMTP, taking original music to 116 locations nationwide, with additional investment from Music Australia. Highlights include Arnhem Land artist Ngulmiya's first national tour (a collaboration with Spanish guitarist Pau Figueres). Seven touring performing arts organisations (theatre, circus, dance) are supported through Playing Australia, including Flipside Circus's award-winning We Live Here and ROOKE Productions' Nimble touring to 23 regional and remote communities.
Creative Australia's Creative Workplaces initiative has delivered a new framework of resources to support fair, safe, and respectful workplaces across Australia's creative industries. The resources target creative businesses and organisations, providing practical tools to improve workplace standards. Released 3 July 2026.
Creative Australia is seeking Expressions of Interest for artistic proposals for the Australia Pavilion at the 62nd International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia in 2028. The EOI deadline is 4 August 2026. This is a major opportunity for Australian contemporary artists to represent the nation at one of the world's most prestigious art exhibitions. Stage One EOI is open now.
The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) in Melbourne has opened a major new exhibition titled "Are you lonely tonight? I'm so lonesome I could cry", exploring the loneliness epidemic through contemporary art. Featuring works by Lucy Liu, Polly Borland, Natasha Matila-Smith (whose piece "If I die, please delete my Soundcloud" includes a bed with a laptop), and a hand-woven tapestry packed with memes. Co-curated by ACCA artistic director Myles Russell-Cook and Sophie Prince.
📌 Reminder: Regional Arts Fund grants still open (closes 17 Aug) · Music Australia Export Development Fund closed
The Regional Arts Fund grant round remains open until 17 August 2026, supporting arts activities in regional and remote Australia. The Music Australia Export Development Fund — noted previously — closed on 7 July. NAIDOC Week continues through 12 July, with $3m in NAIDOC Local Grants funding community events nationwide.
Australia's assistant technology minister has warned that AI models are already exhibiting behaviours their creators never intended. The warning comes as the Albanese government prepares to unveil updated plans next week on how to regulate and manage AI across industry, the economy, and safety guardrails. The minister's comments underscore the urgency of establishing regulatory frameworks for increasingly capable and autonomous AI systems.
The Albanese government is expected to reveal its updated plans on AI regulation next week, covering industry, economy, safety, and copyright. The announcement comes alongside growing concern from creative industries about AI and copyright, and the government's push to build more data centres. It follows the release of a major government report on AI and employment.
No new frontier model releases or Hermes Agent updates today
Quiet day in model land. No new Hermes Agent releases (latest remains v0.18, 2 July) and no new frontier model launches (latest: Claude Sonnet 5, 30 June). The AI release tracker confirms no major flagship releases in the last 24-48 hours. Notable recent releases: LeRobot v0.6.0 on Hugging Face (robot learning framework — "Imagine, Evaluate, Improve").
🧠 Model
🔧 Hermes
⚡ Local
The de-escalation of the Middle East conflict has brought oil prices back to ~US$72/barrel, removing worst-case recession scenarios. CBA analysts see prices dropping to US$60 by year-end. But consumer confidence remains near 50-year lows, GDP per person is set to contract, and inflation (at ~4%) is falling but still above the RBA target band.
Maritime Union of Australia demands 28-hour work week with no pay loss as DP World rolls out AI and automation across Australian ports, threatening up to 1,000 jobs.
SMH columnist argues that despite relentless media attacks on the budget and Albanese government, there's no evidence their efforts are shifting voter sentiment. The Liberal Party's reliance on partisan media may be accelerating its decline.
Guardian's full feature on how Telstra's outage — caused by a GPS timing node software defect — wreaked havoc across a continent, halting trains, blocking triple-zero calls, and disrupting millions.
Guardian Australia columnist argues AI's energy and water demands from datacentres must be weighed against its promised benefits, calling for stronger environmental accountability.
An 18-month-old child declared dead from drowning was discovered to be still breathing in a hospital morgue, flown to another hospital, and survived. Extraordinary medical misjudgment story.