Values

• During the Parliament monsoon session on July 27, Union minister Jitendra Singh is scheduled to introduce the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. • CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar submitted a Suspension of Business notice under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha to demand an Independent Judicial Commission. • The requested commission would investigate police actions against students protesting NEET exam irregularities and the broader failure of the national examination system.

• French politician Laure Miller is championing Europe's first age-threshold law to restrict teenage social media access, driven by a desire to protect children from online harms. • France, Greece, Denmark, Italy, and Spain recently tested "zero knowledge proof technology," allowing users to verify their age via national ID apps without exchanging additional personal data. • This initiative signals a shift toward more stringent restrictions than those currently implemented by Australia, the primary mover in global social media bans.

Broadway star, who is performing on the vessel, expresses shock after authorities ban Scarlet Lady from docking in Kuşadası A cruise ship carrying 2,000 LGBTQ+ passengers and the Broadway performer Patti LuPone has been blocked from entering Turkey after local authorities said their behaviour didn’t “align with the structure of our society and our moral values”.Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady set sail from Athens, Greece, on 5 July for what was billed as “an epic all-gay voyage” over 10 days run by Atlantis, a US company that puts on cruises and vacations for LGBTQ+ people. Continue reading...

More than half of homes taken to auction not selling while median property price in Adelaide started to slide in JuneGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHouse prices are now falling in four capital cities with the Adelaide market beginning to slide in June, while Sydney values have dropped by $48,000 since the start of the year.Data from Cotality, released on Wednesday, showed Sydney and Melbourne recorded their biggest one-month decline in values since August 2022, falling 1.2% and 1% respectively. Continue reading...

• Sen. Brian Schatz, positioned to become the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, warned President Donald Trump that a Democratic majority this fall would lead to a significant ideological fight. • Schatz attributed current political shifts to voter frustration over the high cost of living and the age of the presidency, emphasizing the need to regain trust among working-class voters. • He argued that sweeping election-year agendas are often overrated, suggesting the party should instead focus on disciplined messaging regarding healthcare and cost reductions.

Draft treaty claims sexual and reproductive health and rights are an existential threat to the African familyAn African treaty that rejects longstanding international human rights obligations moved a step closer to becoming policy this week as governments across the continent met in Ghana.The draft African charter on family, sovereignty and values, seen by the Guardian, asserts that African values and culture are under attack from “foreign ideologies” and urges states to withdraw from any agreements that do not align with the principles of the charter, including the 2003 Maputo protocol, which promotes gender equality and protects the reproductive and health rights of women and girls. Continue reading...

Buyers abandon auctions and Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra median house prices end May lower than they were at the end of 2025Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHome prices in Australia’s capital cities have begun to fall, with experts predicting the decline could last at least a year and wipe as much as 10% from values.The median capital city home price fell in May, the first decline since January 2025, as high interest rates and inflation stretched buyer budgets, Cotality reported on Monday. Auction success hit a new low for the year. Continue reading...