Leader joined construction board despite lack of formal process
͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌      ͏ ‌     

Union chief’s fund role scrutinised, waves of Gaza airstrikes, Wimbledon boilover | The Guardian

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Katy Gallagher and Ed Husic named the AMWU’s national president to the reconstruction fund board in late 2023.
01/07/2025

Union chief’s fund role scrutinised, waves of Gaza airstrikes, Wimbledon boilover

Martin Farrer Martin Farrer
 

Morning everyone. A National Audit Office report has flagged the process behind the appointment of a union boss to Labor’s national construction fund. Israel has launched waves of Gaza airstrikes after new displacement orders, the Trump administration is stepping up efforts to strip naturalised residents of their citizenship, and a heatwave is gripping Europe – and Wimbledon, where Alexei Popyrin has crashed out on day one.

Australia

An auction in Alexandria

Property boost | Australian property prices are accelerating again thanks to lower interest rates enticing more bidding at auctions. Despite cost-of-living pressures on households, national home values rose by 1.4% over the June quarter, according to Cotality data.

Union question | A trade union leader was appointed to the board of the federal government’s $15bn National Reconstruction Fund despite not being shortlisted for the role or subjected to a formal “due diligence” check from private recruiters.

Exclusive | Victoria will have a permanent Indigenous voice to state parliament, with the progressive crossbench throwing their support behind a plan to allow the First Peoples’ Assembly’s work to continue following treaty.

Super ‘guarantee’ | Paul Keating says the 12% rate of compulsory super contributions from 1 July will “guarantee” a young Australian joining the workforce today will have more than $3m in savings by the time they retire. But not everyone agrees.

Weather watch | Authorities along Australia’s east coast are still preparing for dangerous weather conditions today and tomorrow, even though the system has not yet met the criteria for an “east coast low”, as had been widely predicted.

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World

An airstrike hit a crowded cafe on the shore in Gaza City

Israel offensive | Israel ramped up its offensive in Gaza with new displacement orders sending tens of thousands of people fleeing the north of the devastated territory and waves of airstrikes killing about 60 Palestinians, according to local officials and medical staff.

Out of tune | Police in the UK have formally opened a criminal investigation into comments made by Bob Vylan and Kneecap about the Israel-Gaza war at Glastonbury after reviewing video and audio footage of the performances.

Citizen threat | The Trump administration has codified its efforts to strip some Americans of their US citizenship in a recently published justice department memo that directs attorneys to prioritise denaturalisation for naturalised citizens who commit certain crimes. The Senate continues to debate Trump’s “big bill” and you can follow its progress here.

Cold justice | A 92-year-old man who evaded justice for almost 60 years has been convicted of raping and murdering a woman in Bristol, after a review by a cold case police team and scientists.

AI match | The first robots-only football match has been staged in China, with footage of the kick-about showing humanoids struggling to kick the ball or stay upright.

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Zohran Mamdani speaks during the ‘Zohran For NYC Election Night Party’ in New York City. Full Story image

What does Zohran Mamdani’s triumph tell the Democrats?

Washington DC bureau chief David Smith tells Nour Haydar about the rise of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and what it means for the Democrats.

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In-depth

TENNIS-GBR-WIMBLEDONBelarus’s Aryna Sabalenka uses an ice pack as she plays against US-Canada’s Carson Branstine during their women’s singles first round tennis match on the first day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 30, 2025. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

In may be set to be wet and windy for a lot of Australians, but it’s extreme weather of a different kind in the northern hemisphere where a ferocious heatwave has engulfed southern Europe with temperatures reaching highs of 46C (114.8F) in Spain and placing most of France under alert. Wildfires are raging in Turkey. We also have a picture gallery from the sweltering continent. In the UK, two train lines had to moderate speeds because of overheating tracks and Wimbledon saw the hottest opening day ever, with the mercury hitting 34C in south-west London.

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Not the news

From intensely personal family histories to baking with native ingredients – the best Australian books published in July 2025.

From a novel about Italian immigrants to Australia in the 1950s by Moreno Giovannoni, to a book by Madison Griffiths exploring the real-life sexual relationships between university professors and their students, our critics have selected the best Australian books coming out this month.

Sport

Wimbledon 2025 - Day One - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet ClubArthur Fery (right) celebrates winning his match against Alexei Popyrin on day one of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London. Picture date: Monday June 30, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only. No commercial use without prior written consent of the AELTC. Still image use only - no moving images to emulate broadcast. No superimposing or removal of sponsor/ad logos.

Tennis | One of Australia’s biggest Wimbledon hopes, Alexei Popyrin, has crashed out to a British player ranked No 461 in the world, while only a comeback from Jordan Thompson could rescue a poor start for the Australian contingent. Another British outsider, Oliver Tarvet, the world No 733, upset Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi to set up a clash with Carlos Alcaraz, who survived a scare of his own on day one.

Formula One | Lando Norris has urged fans at Silverstone not to cast his Australian rival and McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, as a villain at Sunday’s British Grand Prix.

Rugby union | The British & Irish Lions’ first first-choice half-back pairing of Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell will unite for first time in the tourists’ match against Queensland.