‘We never would have bought’: Australian mortgage holders feel the pain as interest rates rise again 03. February 2026 (15:00) The RBA’s widely anticipated decision marks the end of the shortest rate-cutting cycle in the reserve’s modern history, hitting mortgagees hardGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAs the RBA lifted the official interest rate on Tuesday, one regional New South Wales couple said the dream of building a home has turned into a financial “hustle” they no longer want to maintain.After the pair, 25 and 26, settled on land in September 2022, rising rates and cost of building materials decimated their initial budget. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian influencer’s illegal crypto gambling ads permitted by Meta despite Acma warning of $2.4m fine 03. February 2026 (15:00) Online streamer Dinah promoted Rainbet to her 820,000 followers, despite the regulator warning ‘significant penalties’ were at stakeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMeta failed to act on nearly a dozen reports against an Australian influencer with more than 800,000 followers on Instagram promoting illegal offshore crypto-gambling, despite the regulator warning influencers they could face fines of up to $2.4m.The account of online streamer Dinah has 820,000 followers on Instagram, and has promoted Rainbet, a self-described online crypto casino, in posts on Instagram. On her profile she describes herself as “ur Chinese gf in Australia” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Campaign group behind attack ads on Labor, Greens and teal candidates was funded by coal industry lobby 03. February 2026 (15:00) Australians for Prosperity received most of its funding last financial year from Coal Australia, according to disclosures made to the Australian Electoral CommissionGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA campaign group that attacked Labor, the Greens and teal independent candidates at the last federal election was almost entirely funded by a coal industry lobby group, analysis of political disclosures reveals.Australians for Prosperity received $3.89m in total political receipts in the last financial year, according to disclosures made to the Australian Electoral Commission, of which $3.68m came from Coal Australia. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New ‘hate speech’ rules for NSW schools could stifle classroom discussions about Gaza, teachers warn 03. February 2026 (15:00) Premier says code of conduct is ‘not an attack on freedom of speech … or concern about Palestinians and innocent civilians in Gaza’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNew “hate speech” guidelines under which school staff could be more easily sacked for comments in and outside the classroom could silence discussion of the killing in Gaza in New South Wales schools, teachers and legal experts say.The NSW government has moved to amend codes of conduct to explicitly prohibit hate speech across the state’s more than 3,000 government, independent and Catholic schools, effective immediately from Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer to give Mandelson dossier to police and leglislate to strip his peerage 03. February 2026 (14:48) Cabinet Office forwards Mandelson-Epstein emails to Met as PM says former business secretary ‘let his country down’UK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer is to hand a dossier on Peter Mandelson to the police and legislate to strip the disgraced former minister of his peerage, after reports that he leaked market-sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein at the height of the financial crisis.Starmer told his cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning he was “appalled” by the reported leaks and had also asked officials to draft legislation to strip Mandelson of his peerage “as quickly as possible”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Don Lemon says federal agents were sent to arrest him though he offered to turn self in 03. February 2026 (14:41) Former CNN anchor faces charges over coverage of an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a Minnesota church service.Don Lemon says about a dozen federal agents came to his Los Angeles hotel to arrest him overnight on 30 January, even though the former CNN anchor’s attorney had told authorities he would turn himself in to face federal civil rights charges over his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a Minnesota church service.Lemon on Monday told ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that sending the agents was a waste of resources because law enforcement wouldn’t have had to dispatch agents to follow him if he had been allowed to surrender to authorities. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Expiry of nuclear weapons pact between US and Russia risks new arms race 03. February 2026 (14:40) Ending of New Start treaty will remove mutual limits on the world’s two biggest nuclear arsenalsThe New Start treaty between the US and Russia will expire on Thursday, removing the last remaining mutual limits on the world’s two biggest nuclear arsenals.The milestone will be a death knell for more than five decades of arms control at a time of surging global instability, contributing to a general collapse of the rules-based international order established after the second world war. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Anthropic’s launch of AI legal tool hits shares in European data services firms 03. February 2026 (14:38) Stocks in Pearson, London Stock Exchange Group and Experian plunge amid fears over impact of AIEuropean publishing and legal software companies have suffered sharp declines in their share prices after the US artificial intelligence firm Anthropic announced a tool aimed at companies’ in-house lawyers.The UK publishing group Pearson’s shares fell by 4%, while the information and analytics firm Relx plunged nearly 11% on the London stock exchange, and the Dutch software company Wolters Kluwer dropped almost 9% in Amsterdam. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Donald Trump set to welcome Colombian president to White House for talks – US politics live 03. February 2026 (14:24) US president to meet with Gustavo Petro weeks after threatening military action in the countryTrump-Petro meeting could end in detente or discord with Colombia leaderThe president has yet to respond to a federal judge’s ruling on Monday to block the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 300,000 Haitians in the US, that was set to expire today. However, one of his top advisers, Stephen Miller, has weighed in. “An unelected judge has just ruled that elections, laws and borders don’t exist,” he said of Ana Reyes, the DC federal judge who was appointed by Joe Biden.A reminder, TPS is a type of status that allows nationals fleeing designated countries for various humanitarian reasons — such as war or natural disaster — to attain temporary authorization live and and work in the country without risk of deportation. In that period a TPS beneficiary is able to apply for a visa or permanent residency if eligible. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK privacy watchdog opens inquiry into X over Grok AI sexual deepfakes 03. February 2026 (13:49) Information Commissioner’s Office to investigate whether Elon Musk’s companies have complied with data protection lawThe Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has opened formal investigations into X and xAI over whether Elon Musk’s companies have complied with data protection law after the Grok AI tool was used to generate sexual deepfake images without consent.The ICO said the reports raised “serious concerns” under UK data protection laws, such as whether “appropriate safeguards were built into Grok’s design and deployment”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
