Commission

• The European Commission will publish a legislative proposal this Thursday to bar children under 15 from using social media without parental consent. • The plan includes safety-by-design rules for risky online services, specifically targeting AI chatbots and video games. • This EU-wide measure aims to prevent legal fragmentation across the bloc, as ten countries including France, Germany, and Italy are already advancing their own national bans.

• A new industry-commissioned study suggests that implementing a federal film tax credit could increase U.S. production spending by $125 billion. • The report estimates that this tax incentive would create more than 143,000 new jobs across the film and television sectors. • This policy would likely increase the competitiveness of the U.S. market against other regions that offer similar production incentives.

• A coalition including Nobel laureate Philippe Aghion and former EU commissioner Margrethe Vestager published a Transformative AI Strategy for Europe to urge immediate action on artificial intelligence. • The strategy sets a specific target for Europe to control 15% of global AI computing capacity by 2030. • This push aims to prevent European citizens from suffering the economic and social consequences of AI decisions made outside the region.

• The European Commission intervened in Germany's legislative plans to introduce a mandatory streaming levy for media services. • The Commission used a formal notification procedure to challenge the legality of the proposed tax on streaming platforms. • This intervention creates legal uncertainty for streaming companies operating in Germany that would have been required to pay the levy.

Commissioner Virginia Bell resists push to extend antisemitism inquiry noting need for timely recommendationsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCommissioner Virginia Bell says she will delay – by four days – handing down her final report into antisemitism and social cohesion, in order not to distract from commemorations of the Bondi terror attack.On Wednesday, the last day of public hearings of the royal commission, Bell resisted a public push to extend the commission’s work. Continue reading...

Angela Jackson, a PC commissioner, also said it was ‘disappointing’ that Anthony Albanese had ruled out changes to Western Australia’s GST arrangementsThe Productivity Commission has slammed attacks on its integrity as “unacceptable”, after its scathing assessment of Western Australia’s sweetheart GST deal as a costly mistake sparked a fierce political backlash and name-calling.Angela Jackson, a PC commissioner and co-author of the report, said the country’s leading independent economic advisory body welcomed criticism and comments on its work. Continue reading...

Ben Carroll releases terms of reference for inquiry that will include examining allegations of CFMEU corruption on state government building sitesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast“Nothing is off limits” to Victoria’s royal commission into the construction sector, Ben Carroll has said, as he released the inquiry’s terms of reference and confirmed former premiers and ministers could be called to face public hearings.The Victorian premier on Thursday unveiled details of the inquiry while acknowledging there had been “grift”, “thuggery” and “violence” on taxpayer-funded building sites, after the letters patent formally establishing the commission were signed off by the governor following a cabinet meeting earlier in the morning. Continue reading...

Bridget Phillipson writes to watchdog asking it to look into claims Tether.bet and Fispay operated without a licenceThe Gambling Commission has been urged to investigate claims that companies linked to Reform UK donors and allies of Nigel Farage have been operating without a licence.The Labour party’s chair, Bridget Phillipson, has written to the watchdog asking it to look into Tether.bet, a Montenegro-based gambling company, and Fispay, a UK company owned by Reform’s data protection officer, Mowbray Jackson.Whether Tether.bet, and its operators, provided or advertised remote gambling facilities to consumers in UK without the required licenceWhether Fispay Ltd, or any other UK company, provided or supported gambling facilities or services to consumers in the UK without the required licence.” Continue reading...

Interim report calls for carve-up deal that has only benefited Western Australia to be ‘reshaped’ as it has achieved almost none of its objectivesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Productivity Commission (PC) has criticised the controversial GST deal with Western Australia as a costly mistake that should be reversed, saying tens of billions of dollars of taxpayer money has since gone to the country’s richest state.An interim report from a PC review of the deal said the reform – requested by WA and implemented under the former Morrison government with Labor’s support – had achieved almost none of its objectives and had made the system less equitable. Continue reading...

Official action by regulator for England and Wales comes after formal complaint made by Labour MP about the fundsAn official investigation has been launched into charities in England and Wales donating funds to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.The Charity Commission will aim to establish the amount of charitable funds going to illegal settlements, whether the spending was in furtherance of their purposes and any regulatory action that may be necessary. Continue reading...

Mount Vernon official is accused of driving getaway car after son allegedly opened fire outside Bronx courtA New York state police department fired its deputy commissioner on Tuesday after she allegedly acted as a getaway driver for her son in what is being investigated as an attempted murder.The city of Mount Vernon said in an Instagram post that it had terminated Jennifer Lackard, deputy police commissioner for safety, for conduct “unrelated to her duties”. Continue reading...

• The European Commission is implementing new transparency rules for AI systems, which will officially take effect on August 2, 2026. • The AI Act establishes a single market with harmonized regulations across the EU to promote innovation while ensuring AI is trustworthy. • These measures aim to protect fundamental rights, public health, and safety, while safeguarding the rule of law and democratic integrity.

Exclusive: Reform’s Robert Jenrick says party confident it followed all rules at the time, after latest Guardian revelationsThe Electoral Commission has been asked to investigate whether Reform UK has broken donations rules, after the Guardian revealed that the convicted fraudster George Cottrell transferred more than $2m to his mother in the days before her donations to the party in 2024.Labour’s new chair, Bridget Phillipson, wrote to the commission on Thursday asking for it to examine the donations and whether they had been recorded correctly. Continue reading...

Government’s special envoy returns to the witness box again today; three victims found in burned-out house in Wiley Park. Follow updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne of the 19 Closing the Gap targets has officially been reached after early childhood education enrolment for First Nations children hit 95% across the country.Released by the Productivity Commission today, the annual data compilation report showed an increase from 61.3% enrolments in 2016 (the baseline year), to hitting the 95% mark across every state and territory today.This result is encouraging, as are improvements in eight other targets including employment and education.However, it is very concerning that we are still seeing outcomes worsening for early childhood development, children in out-of-home care, incarceration rates and suicide. Continue reading...

Commission promised by new premier would be an ‘important signal’ for voters that the government was acting on alleged corruptionGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictorian voters heading to the polls will probably get a taste of the evidence heard by a royal commission – including how taxpayer funds were used on Big Build projects – but it could actually help Labor’s standing, an integrity expert says.William Partlett, an associate professor of law and a fellow at the Centre for Public Integrity, said the commission promised by the new premier, Ben Carroll, would be an “important signal” for voters that the government was taking action. Continue reading...

The royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion is this week examining security arrangements for the Jewish communityThe deputy commissioner of New South Wales Police has pushed back at calls for the private security sector to be armed at Jewish events.The royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion has been examining security arrangements for the Jewish community in this block of hearings, with some witnesses lobbying for the Community Security Group (CSG) to be armed in the wake of the Bondi terror attack. Continue reading...

Inquiry’s focus is this week on security for the Jewish community, with the MP telling the commissioner his son is afraid to attend synagogues and eventsThe shadow education minister, Julian Leeser, has called for universities to undertake an audit of any classes that teach about the Jewish community, Israel or Palestine.Appearing before the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion on Friday, Leeser said he had been “very concerned” about antisemitism on university campuses and was not satisfied with how vice-chancellors had addressed the issue after the 7 October 2023 Hamas terrorist attack. Continue reading...

• NGOs, including Transparency International EU and the Corporate Europe Observatory, are challenging the European Commission's selection of Guidehouse to design the rules for its hydrogen bank subsidy scheme. • The controversy centers on whether Guidehouse maintains inappropriately close ties to the fossil fuel industry, potentially compromising the bidding and evaluation processes for qualifying projects. • This matter is critical as it raises concerns regarding transparency and potential conflicts of interest in how EU subsidies are allocated to energy companies.

• The European Commission has fined Google €890 million for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA), marking the largest penalty issued under these tech regulations to date. • The Commission determined that Google systematically breached its "gatekeeper" obligations through two distinct anti-competitive practices that distorted the market. • This action matters as it signals the EU's commitment to enforcing the DMA to prevent tech giants from harming competition and European consumers.

• The European Commission fined Alphabet's Google €890 million ($1 billion) for violating European Union regulations designed to limit the dominance of Big Tech companies. • The ruling requires Google to treat competitors fairly and non-discriminatorily, while allowing app developers to direct users away from the company's proprietary app store. • This action underscores the EU's ongoing efforts to enforce competition laws and prevent market monopolies within the digital ecosystem.

Former attorney general also describes receiving antisemitic abuse, saying he was labelled a ‘genocidal Zionist’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer attorney general Mark Dreyfus has called on governments to consider banning protests outside synagogues and Jewish schools, invoking a high court decision allowing restrictions outside abortion clinics.The federal Labor backbencher has told the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion the laws should be considered in the light of a 2019 high court decision which upheld safe access zone laws in Victoria and Tasmania which prohibit protests within 150 metres of clinics. Continue reading...

• The European Commission released a new report praising the Hungarian government for making significant progress on sweeping rule of law reforms. • Despite the progress, the EU warned that the election process for the prosecutor general and the prosecution service's structure still risk "undue political interference." • While the report rated Hungary's justice system as efficient, it noted a lack of structured measures regarding the ongoing salary increases for judges and prosecutors.

• On July 17, 2026, the European Commission published a Communication on the Competitiveness of the Banking Sector and the Single Market in Banking. • The European Savings and Retail Banking Group (ESBG) welcomed the roadmap, noting that it incorporates key recommendations from the group. • This initiative aims to strengthen the overall competitiveness of Europe's banking sector and improve the functionality of the single market.

Exclusive: Jeannie-Marie Blake is suing the Australian government over alleged threats, which her department denies makingGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA key robodebt whistleblower is suing the Australian government, alleging she was threatened before she appeared at a royal commission and was warned that her testimony “could cost you your job”.Services Australia whistleblower Jeannie-Marie Blake has filed proceedings in the federal court, alleging her department made repeated threats against her before and after her explosive evidence to the robodebt royal commission. Continue reading...

• The European Commission is urging Spain and Hungary to implement stronger anti-corruption reforms to improve judicial and transparency safeguards. • According to an annual Rule of Law report seen by POLITICO, Spain has made only limited progress in updating asset declaration requirements and conflict-of-interest rules for senior officials. • These measures are critical for ensuring the integrity of public administration and upholding the EU's legal standards across member states.

Internal safety review at Australian National University found encampment had ‘high’ psychosocial risk ratingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian National University’s acting provost has denied the university “lost control” of its campus to a pro-Palestine encampment, revealing an internal safety review found the encampment had a “high” psychosocial risk rating.Prof Joan Leach appeared before the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion on Thursday, which is examining the lived experiences of Jewish students and academics, including the response of universities. Continue reading...

Royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion hears of response of universities to incidents on campus Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe interim vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne (UoM) says pro-Palestine sit-ins on campus led to the institution “quite sharply” changing its protest policies and that further restrictions could arise.Prof Glyn Davis appeared before the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion on Wednesday, which is examining the lived experiences of Jewish students and academics, including the response of universities. Continue reading...

• The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) issued a statement condemning the firing of officials within the Election Commission by the Trump administration. • The CBC asserts that these personnel changes threaten the integrity of the voting process and may lead to the disenfranchisement of marginalized communities. • This action is significant as it occurs ahead of the midterm elections, raising concerns about voter suppression and the fair administration of polls.