Bondi terror attack took place amid global spike in foiled IS-inspired plots, researchers find 26. March 2026 (09:15) Australian counterterrorism experts observe December shooting came amid years of messaging from terror group urging followers to act ‘on their own initiative’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Bondi beach terror attack occurred amid an international spike of anti-western plots in December last year that appeared to be “inspired or instigated” by Islamic State, a new report has found, with many of them targeting holiday events such as Christmas markets.In research published by the West Point Combating Terrorism Center in its publication Sentinel on Thursday, Australian counterterrorism experts Andrew Zammit and Levi West examined Islamic State’s strategic shifts and jihadi tactics in Australia prior to the alleged antisemitic terrorist attack. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sydney high school teacher accused of grooming 14-year-old girl and offering money for sexually explicit material 26. March 2026 (08:26) Man was teaching at a secondary school for boys when he allegedly targeted the girl – who police say he did not knowGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA high school teacher has been accused of grooming a teenage girl and offering money for her to produce sexually explicit material.Police allege the 29-year-old man targeted a 14-year-old girl not known to him, before she told her parents who alerted authorities. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pepys ‘curated’ letters to conceal being offered enslaved boy as bribe – research 26. March 2026 (08:00) Cambridge University historian uncovers letter to diarist who was a naval official in 1670sHis journals would become famed for their vivid detail and candour. But now, almost exactly 360 years after diarist Samuel Pepys chronicled the Great Fire of London, new research has found that he “erased” and “curated” correspondence to conceal he had been offered an enslaved boy as a bribe.Cambridge University historian Dr Michael Edwards consulted hundreds of records in The Pepys Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge; The National Archives; and the Bodleian Library in Oxford for the study “Samuel Pepys, the African Companies, and the Archives of Slavery, 1660–1689”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Auction clearance rate slumps to 57% nationwide as interest rate hikes prompt Australians to sell 26. March 2026 (07:41) Homebuyers lose confidence amid higher rates and Iran war-linked price rises across the economy, buyers agent saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSurging numbers of homes are being passed in at auction as higher interest rates weigh on demand and the number of properties for sale hits highs not seen since 2021.The national auction clearance rate last week was just under 57%, the lowest this year, with Sydney’s at 55%, Cotality data shows. The remainder includes both houses that did not sell at auction and houses withdrawn before auction. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Charity Commission warns Alan Turing Institute of its legal duties after complaints 26. March 2026 (07:00) Watchdog issues formal guidance to trustees at top AI research institute after staff expressed concernsThe board of the UK’s leading AI research institute has been reminded of its legal duties in areas such as financial oversight and managing organisational change by the charity watchdog after a whistleblower complaint.The Charity Commission has issued formal regulatory advice and guidance to trustees at the Alan Turing Institute (ATI) – the organisation’s board – after it was contacted by a group of staff with a list of concerns. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Give the guy a chance’: Wes Streeting says he does not want Starmer ousted 26. March 2026 (07:00) Exclusive: health secretary says he does not think PM will face challenge after May elections, as public doesn’t want ‘chaos’Wes Streeting has said he does not want Keir Starmer to be challenged as Labour leader after the May elections as it would undermine the party’s election promise to voters to avoid more chaos.The health secretary, who is widely regarded as a prospective candidate in any contest, urged voters to “give the guy a chance” as he said that none of his colleagues would attempt to oust the prime minister. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Law firms investigate possible Australian cases after US jury finds Meta and YouTube designed addictive products 26. March 2026 (06:43) Courts in Australia may be willing to hold social media companies accountable for real-world harm, lawyers sayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian law firms are investigating the scope for future legal cases after a landmark US court ruling that found Meta and YouTube liable for deliberately designing addictive products.A jury in Los Angeles ruled against the two tech giants on Wednesday, finding both to be negligent and having failed to provide adequate warnings about the potential dangers of their products. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gulf states’ scepticism over alleged US-Iran talks signals a distrust of Trump 26. March 2026 (06:00) Reluctance to cheerlead alleged US ceasefire efforts reflects suspicion talk of peace could be another foil for escalationMiddle East crisis – live updatesNot long after Donald Trump said the US was engaged in “strong talks” to bring the war with Iran to an end this week, Qatar took the unusual step of distancing itself from the alleged diplomatic negotiations.Qatar was not involved in any mediation efforts, said government spokesperson Majed al-Ansari at a briefing on Tuesday night, before adding as a telling aside: “If they exist.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
EU healthcare workers say they ‘refuse to be instruments’ in deportation plans 26. March 2026 (06:00) Professionals from across Europe urge MEPs to reject plans, saying ‘climate of fear’ could stop people seeking careMore than 1,100 healthcare professionals from across Europe have urged MEPs to reject proposed measures aimed at increasing the deportation of undocumented people, warning they could threaten public health by transforming essential public services, including hospitals, into sites of immigration enforcement.The draft plans, which are due to go to a vote on Thursday, have been in the works since last March, when the European Commission laid out its proposal to target people with no legal right to stay in the EU, including potentially sending them to offshore centres in non-EU countries. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
