Branch

Exclusive: Documents seen by Guardian Australia also show new branches and members will be subject to strict gag ordersGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne Nation’s rapid expansion of local branches across the country is in disarray, with the party being forced to dissolve and re-establish its new network less than eight months after the ambitious roll out began.Documents seen by Guardian Australia show the party’s new general manager, Kelvin Morton, issued a directive to the party’s branches in April ordering committee members to properly reconstitute their branches after an internal review uncovered “significant risks”. Continue reading...

The inquiry came after a Guardian investigation revealed Israel used company technology to support mass surveillance of Palestinian phone callsThe head of Microsoft’s Israeli subsidiary will step down in the wake of an inquiry that has scrutinised its business dealings with the Israeli military.Microsoft ordered the inquiry last year in response to a Guardian investigation revealing the military had used the company’s technology to operate a powerful surveillance system that collected Palestinian civilian phone calls on a mass scale. Continue reading...

John Hancock welcomes findings on ownership of mines and companies although judge says dispute should be determined in private arbitrationGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGina Rinehart’s son has said he wants to reunite his family after a landmark court case left a long-running feud over ownership of mines and companies unresolved.The Western Australian supreme court on Wednesday found Rinehart’s children were at one point set to inherit 49% of her company and said their ownership claims should be determined in separate proceedings. Continue reading...

• Bank mergers are surging in the US, driving increased branch closures particularly in rural areas as institutions cut costs to compete with online banks. • Ohio leads with six closures announced in 2026, including Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus; Texas follows with four, while South Dakota, Delaware, Illinois, and Florida each report three. • Closures echo a decade-long trend, with 15% of US bank branches shuttered between 2015 and 2024 per Statista data.