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Albanese government under pressure to wind back fuel tax credit scheme for multinational miners as analysis shows cost to budgetGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCoal companies could receive an extra $6.2bn in taxpayer refunds for the diesel they use if the Albanese government greenlights just half the mine developments up for approval.The finding, in an analysis released by activist group Lock the Gate, comes as the government faces an internal campaign before next month’s Labor party national conference to commit to winding back a fuel tax credit scheme for multinational miners. Continue reading...

Exclusive: devolving tax is part of plans to give local areas more power in areas including justice, health and educationMinisters are considering handing over billions of pounds raised by business rates to regional mayors as part of one of the biggest shake-ups of the English tax system in recent years.Steve Reed, the local government secretary, said the government was working on plans to devolve the tax, which has been the subject of recent protests by pubs and other hospitality businesses. Continue reading...

Opposition and Greens could team up to extend inquiry into changes but health minister ‘utterly convinced’ federal government’s plan is rightFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMark Butler has doubled down on his plans to pass contentious NDIS changes as early as this month, warning the opposition against using the bill as a “pawn in a bigger game of chess” as they consider a potential deal with the Greens.The Coalition and the Greens have criticised Labor’s truncated timeline to pass NDIS, negative gearing and capital gains changes, and have signalled they could team up against the government in the Senate to extend inquiries into the bills. Continue reading...

• London Tech Week 2026 featured massive infrastructure investments, including a £1.1bn UK hardware plan and multi-billion pound pledges from AMD (£2bn) and Nebius (£1.7bn). • The event saw high-profile appearances from the Prime Minister, the Mayor of London, and Prince William, who hosted his first Homewards panel. • These investments signal a significant expansion of US tech giants and AI hardware capabilities within the British ecosystem.

• The UK government has pledged billions of pounds toward the development of sovereign AI to coincide with the opening of London Tech Week 2026. • This strategic investment focuses on establishing domestic AI capabilities to enhance national data governance, security, and eDiscovery frameworks. • The move signals Britain's ambition to reduce reliance on foreign technology and secure a competitive edge in the global AI landscape.

• Nscale, a crypto-mining spinout from Arkon Energy, has emerged as a leading provider of AI data center infrastructure in Europe. • The company has raised nearly $4 billion from major industry players, including Nvidia, Dell, and Nokia, recently closing a $2 billion Series C round. • This funding has propelled Nscale to a $14.6 billion valuation, marking one of the largest Series C rounds for any European company.

• SoftBank is investing billions of dollars to construct multiple AI data centers in France, targeting a total capacity of up to five gigawatts. • The initiative leverages France's existing technology ecosystem, accelerated government approval processes, and strategic access to the European electricity grid. • This move is significant as it aligns SoftBank with Mistral, a leading European AI company developing its own powerful foundation models.