Influencers on notice over gambling sites, warning of new Israeli offensive in Gaza, Oscar Piastri second in Austria GP | The Guardian

Support the Guardian

Support now

Power independent journalism

An image from a post uploaded by Leon Australia to recruit streamers and influencers to promote its gambling platform

30/06/2025

Influencers on notice over gambling sites, warning of new Israeli offensive in Gaza, Oscar Piastri second in Austria GP

Paul Gallagher

Good morning. Online influencers have been inadvertently promoting a gambling company that poses as an Australian outfit but is instead licensed and regulated in a tiny island off the east coast of Africa.

Meanwhile, the government claims China is trying to take undue credit for development projects in the Pacific that are in fact funded by many nations, including Australia.

And: tens of thousands of Palestinians are again on the move in Gaza, fleeing eastern parts of Gaza City as Israel’s military warns it is preparing for a renewed offensive.

Australia

The Chinese state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation has begun work on an Asian Development Bank project to extend an airport runway in Bougainville.

‘It’s not Chinese assistance’ | China is bolstering its influence in the Pacific by “branding” development work – funded in significant part by Australia – as Chinese projects, the government says.

Exclusive | Australian social media influencers have been warned after several accounts inadvertently promoted illegal offshore bookmakers.

‘More doing, less reviewing’ | A senior public service chief has told Labor to stop commissioning so many government reviews, warning the costly and time-consuming inquiries risk swamping bureaucrats.

Scam alert | Scammers pretending to be Chinese authorities are increasingly targeting international students in Australia – fleecing them of more than $5m in just five months.

Explainer | Thousands of university students will receive financial support to complete mandatory placements for the first time this week – but not everyone is happy with the changes.

World

Palestinians flee their homes after the Israeli army issued evacuation orders in Gaza City.

Gaza crisis | There are scenes of chaos as tens of thousands of Palestinians flee Gaza City after Israel warns of a major military offensive; medical staff in Gaza have been left struggling in “post-apocalyptic” conditions as gangs fight over aid supplies. Gaza’s civil defence agency said 23 Palestinians had been killed on Sunday by Israeli strikes, including at least three children.

Russia-Ukraine war | Russia has fired more than 500 drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight, in a barrage that Kyiv has described as the “most massive airstrike” of the conflict so far.

Iran strikes | The UN nuclear watchdog chief says Tehran could produce enriched uranium “in a matter of months” – contradicting US claims that Iran’s nuclear sites had been “totally obliterated”.

US politics | Donald Trump has hit out at a Republican senator for refusing to back his “big, beautiful bill”; he has also threatened to cut off New York City funds if Zohran Mamdani “doesn’t behave”; the US president is also considering forcing journalists to reveal their sources after Iran leaks.

Glastonbury | The festival’s organisers have said they are “appalled” by comments made by Bob Vylan after the punk duo appeared to incite violence, leading an anti-IDF chant, something the festival said went against its ethos of “hope, unity, peace and love”.

Full Story

The image shows a reusable savers bag with a rack of clothes and a tag.

The thrift stores dividing Australian shoppers

In the cost-of-living crisis, more people are turning to op shops for clothes. Among the secondhand shops is Savers, a US for-profit that claims to offer a more sustainable alternative. But some shoppers have mixed feelings about its business model. Jonathan Barrett speaks with Reged Ahmad about why there are questions around the retailer – even as those shunning fast fashion say it’s more sustainable.

In-depth

It’s thought that more than 19m ounces of gold remains unmined in Panguna in Bougainville.

Bougainville fought a war to shut down Panguna mine. Now it wants to reopen it. The reviled foreign project that once buried villages under rubble and turned rivers toxic blue holds hope today for unity, prosperity and freedom. But, as Ben Doherty and Mike Bowers find out, some say the island risks repeating the mistakes of the past.

Plus: Mike Bowers shares his reunion with a man who kept him alive in Bougainville 28 years ago.

Not the news

‘There’s only subjectivity in documentary’: a still from Gabrielle Brady’s film The Wolves Always Come at Night.

Australian film-maker Gabrielle Brady’s works have earned international recognition even as her home country has been slow to catch up. For her latest film, The Wolves Always Come at Night, she worked with a Mongolian couple displaced from their farmland – creating a work that invites audiences, festival programmers, critics, and peers to contend with what is, for many, still a new format: the hybrid documentary.

Sport

McLaren’s Lando Norris celebrates on the podium after winning the Austrian Grand Prix.

Motorsport | Lando Norris held off Australian driver Oscar Piastri to win the Austrian F1 GP after Max Verstappen crashed out early.

AFL | Tom Lynch has a role to play in Richmond’s rebuild but he failed against Adelaide, Jonathan Horn writes.

Football | The Matildas were denied victory after a late Slovenia equaliser soured improved performance; Paris-Saint Germain have thrashed Inter Miami 4-0 in their Club World Cup last 16 matchup.

Rugby union | Australian rugby’s incendiary attitude towards nationality needs extinguishing, Robert Kitson writes.