Guardian Australia

Creatives in Australia demand assurances from the Albanese government that copyright laws won’t be weakened under a potential deal with tech giants. The proposal involves AI companies mining creative content in exchange for a $50bn datacentre investment and a $350m annual fund for artists.

Creatives in Australia are urging the Albanese government to avoid weakening copyright laws under a proposed deal with AI companies, which would allow content mining in exchange for over $50bn in datacentre investment and a $350m annual fund for artists. The proposal, presented to cabinet, includes granting AI firms special exemptions to access creative content, sparking concerns among artists.

The media union condemned One Nation leader Pauline Hanson for attacking Guardian Australia journalist Sarah Martin, calling the remarks 'bitter, unprofessional.' The union urged journalists to support colleagues targeted by politicians, as Anthony Albanese emphasized the importance of public broadcasters like SBS and the ABC.

Most Australians under 25 have never used newspapers or radio as news sources, per the 2026 Digital News Report. Overall news interest has increased, particularly among women and young people, with 18-24-year-olds showing a 12% rise in interest since 2024.

David Munk, former deputy editor of Guardian Australia, has been appointed as the publication's new editor, replacing Lenore Taylor, who resigned in February. The appointment was announced by Guardian News and Media.

A US private prison company, MTC, was fined by the Australian government for immigration security breaches, including multiple escapes, but the Border Force has not disclosed the penalty amount. Greens senator David Shoebridge criticized the company and the lack of transparency.

Simon Robinson, a Reuters executive with 16 years of experience, is set to replace Justin Stevens as ABC news director. Stevens resigned citing personal and professional reasons, and Robinson will oversee 2,000 staff across the ABC’s news division.

The Australian government has revealed contingency plans for retail fuel rationing, including daily purchase limits per vehicle, in response to warnings that global oil supplies could reach critical levels by August. The International Energy Agency has warned that oil markets will enter a 'red zone' by August. Documents obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information show the government is preparing for potential fuel supply shortages.

Labor MPs expect the Australian government will make concessions on capital gains tax changes for startup businesses following public backlash to the budget announcement. Several MPs are engaging directly with Treasurer Jim Chalmers' office seeking tweaks to the policy, expressing concerns that unclear communication could fuel scare campaigns.

One Nation's rapid expansion of local branches across Australia is experiencing significant disruption, forcing the party to dissolve and re-establish its branch network less than eight months after launching the initiative. An internal review uncovered substantial risks, prompting the party's new general manager Kelvin Morton to issue directives in April for branches to properly reconstitute themselves. New branches and members will be subject to strict gag orders.

The University of New South Wales launched an AI faces test to challenge users in distinguishing between real and fake faces. Guardian Australia's Carly Earl and Matilda Boseley took the test. The test aims to determine if identifying fake portraits is a science or just intuition.

The CSIRO is planning to cut a third of the team working on the national climate model, which will impact Australia's ability to provide climate projections to global reports and forecast future damage. This will significantly reduce the country's capacity to plan for the future. The cuts are expected to affect the team's ability to provide reliable climate data.

The Australian media reacted to Jim Chalmers' budget with the Murdoch papers criticizing it as a radical redistribution of wealth, while the Daily Telegraph described it as a turn to communism. The budget was met with strong opinions from various news outlets. The reactions were largely negative towards the budget.

One Nation candidate David Farley previously sought to cooperate with the independent Voices movement before the group endorsed Michelle Milthorpe as their candidate. Farley discussed preferences and suggested a platform for a House and Senate campaign. He is expected to win the Farrer byelection ahead of Milthorpe on Saturday.

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales criticizes Australia's social media ban as an 'unmitigated disaster' and 'embarrassment'. He believes it teaches kids to accept surveillance from tech companies. The ban is related to the earlier stages of the internet and its existing issues.

A Chinese student is allegedly jailed in China for six years after participating in pro-democracy protests in Sydney, prompting Australia's human rights commissioner to highlight 'growing risks of transnational repression' against individuals in Australia, including international students. The commissioner emphasized concerns over foreign punishment for lawful protest activities.

The New South Wales attorney-general has been urged to order an inquest into the death of Bikram Lama, a Nepali rough sleeper known as 'the birdman,' whose body lay unnoticed for up to a week in Hyde Park. Alex Greenwich emphasized the need to understand systemic failures to prevent similar deaths.

The Daily Mail broke an embargo by publishing confidential details of Prince Harry and Meghan's movements in Australia five days before their arrival, damaging their ability to brief the press. This breach has irreparably harmed the royal couple's communication strategy with the media.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan reshuffled her cabinet to project a 'new and united' image as her Labor government seeks an unprecedented fourth term in November. Allan emphasized the word 'new' 17 times in her address to highlight reforms and fresh leadership.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman is investigating the government's algorithm-based Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) for aged care, which faces criticism for being 'cruel' and 'inhumane' in determining home support funding. Complaints from Guardian Australia, politicians, and advocacy groups have prompted the mandatory tool's review under the Albanese government's aged care reforms.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called on Israel to halt attacks on Lebanon and urged Hezbollah to cease attacks on Israel, emphasizing the need for the Middle East ceasefire to include Lebanon. He confirmed Australia's military surveillance aircraft will remain in the region for at least another month.

RMIT University dropped a misconduct case against student Gemma Seymour, who accused the institution of being complicit in Gaza genocide due to its ties with weapons companies. The decision followed Guardian Australia's report on Seymour's potential suspension over a critical social media video.

Traffic on major Sydney and Melbourne roads has declined due to a fuel crisis, with Sydney highways showing 20% fewer weekend trips. Government data reveals thousands of daily trips have been reduced as Australians cut back on driving.