Andrew Hastie compares AI to cold-war nuclear arms race and warns Australia may fall behind 15. June 2026 (10:30) Liberal MP says Australia risks sovereignty and strategic independence being ‘constrained by the AI superpowers reshaping the global order’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiberal MP Andrew Hastie says Australia should dramatically scale up investment in artificial intelligence to preserve strategic independence and warns the country risks being “a supplicant state” tethered to the US in an era of possible hot conflict with China.In a major address to Liberal members in Sydney on Monday night, the shadow minister for industry and sovereign capability likened the development of AI to the nuclear arms race of the cold-war era and proposed Australia position itself as a technology hub in the southern hemisphere. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mike Ashley’s Frasers follows Hugo Boss bid with offer for Australia’s Accent 15. June 2026 (10:02) UK billionaire’s fashion group offers £166m for takeover of 77.1% of shares in shoe firm it does not already ownBusiness live – latest updatesThe retail billionaire Mike Ashley has launched his second takeover bid in a week, attempting to snap up Australian footwear business Accent Group, days after announcing a tilt at Hugo Boss.Ashley’s Frasers Group, which already owns the biggest single stake in Accent at 22.9%, said it will offer 65 Australian cents (34p) a share for the remainder of the business, at the same level as its closing price on Friday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Social media to be banned in UK for under-16s, Starmer announces 15. June 2026 (09:48) UK prime minister says move will bring ‘real change for our children’ amid growing concerns over harmful online contentUK politics live – latest updatesBusiness live – latest updatesAccess to social media will be banned in the UK for users under 16, Keir Starmer has announced, in what he described as “real change for our children and our future”.“Social media is making children unhappy, it’s making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them, and it could even be harming their mental health,” he said, setting out plans briefed over the weekend, which will go further than a pioneering ban in Australia. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
