Deal

Labor looks to negotiate with the Coalition to get several pieces of legislation through parliament. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGovernment listening to ‘money and power’ on gambling says independent MPKate Chaney, who was on the inquiry with the late Labor MP Peta Murphy that handed down the landmark ‘you win some, you lose more’ report on gambling harm, says so far it seems the talks between the Coalition and Labor on a gambling reform package are “disappointing”.In 2017, when the last round of partial restrictions came in, the money just moved around. And for example, gambling ads after 8:30 more than doubled, increased 131%. And I suspect that that’s what we’re going to see here too: is the money moving around.I think it is about the government listening to the money and the power, not the people. The gambling companies make big political donations. They are present lobbyists in this building. We’re hearing their talking points coming out of the Prime Minister’s mouth. And the media companies and the sports codes make a lot of money out of gambling too. Unfortunately, Australians pay the cost for that. And the average Australian household loses more in gambling than they pay for in electricity. So this is our blind spot.I think that that whole interview was pretty cringe. Let’s face it, the Prime Minister didn’t really cover himself with glory with that And it’s disturbing to hear that the the Japanese government has expressed some concerns about it.We’re talking about a a really special gift that the Japanese state has given to the country. And if I was the PM, I’d pick up the phone to the Japanese Prime Minister and apologise to her on on this one.When the the Prime Minister’s crude and dirty podcast banter is formally raised by the Japanese government. Anthony Albanese just has an embarrassed himself. He’s embarrassed Australia. This is now a a diplomatic incident because of the the appalling behaviour of the Prime Minister. Continue reading...

Israeli prime minister’s unexpected move blindsided IDF commanders and risks alienating Trump, his main allyBenjamin Netanyahu’s public rejection of a US-backed deal for Gaza drew scepticism in Israel, amid reports he was personally hammering out details of a pilot military withdrawal days earlier.The Israeli prime minister is struggling to balance incompatible demands on Gaza policy from his key domestic and international allies. Continue reading...

• European tech funding saw a surge last week, with over 35 deals totaling more than €1 billion and five exits or M&A transactions. • Key highlights include Bending Spoons' $1.3 billion acquisition of Airtable, marking the company's first major post-IPO deal. • Smaller seed rounds and grants were distributed across the region, including $500,000 for Turkey's kayIQ.ai, €270,000 for Bulgaria's Estel Technologies, and £75,000 grants for UK startups PetPact and Souuthe.

• Manchester City rejected an initial £38.5m bid from Barcelona for midfielder Rodri, demanding a fee exceeding £60m. • Barcelona has since submitted an increased offer of £51.4m, though reports suggest Real Madrid has already ended its pursuit of the player to avoid further uncertainty. • These negotiations highlight Barcelona's aggressive effort to bolster their midfield while managing tight financial constraints.

Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is frontrunner to buy Knightsbridge-headquartered department store chainCan Harvey Nichols find its way back to being Ab Fab again?Business live – latest updatesHarvey Nichols has warned that it will not be able to survive another year without new investment, as bidders for the Knightsbridge-headquartered department store chain circle.The retailer’s Hong Kong-based owner, Dickson Poon, put it up for sale in June, with Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group aiming to buy it for about £40m. Continue reading...

Prime minister and opposition leader meet in Canberra to advance agreement on gambling advertising Anthony Albanese has bowed to pressure and will limit gambling inducements as part of a deal between Labor and Angus Taylor, even as some Liberals warn it might not do enough to help vulnerable people.The prime minister and the opposition leader met in Canberra on Monday to negotiate the deal, a week after sensational revelations about illegal drugs, sex workers and alcohol being provided to high-spending gamblers. Continue reading...

• Between August 3–7, 2026, two strategic funding rounds were highlighted in the Indian startup ecosystem, focusing on climate tech and robotics. • Mitti Labs raised $9.5 million from Saudi Aramco’s venture arm to scale its AI-driven satellite imagery for water-efficient farming and carbon credit generation. • Chennai-based Solinas Integrity, an IIT Madras-incubated firm, secured $5.5 million to expand its AI-powered underground water network inspection systems.