An EY staffer copped a ~$6k fine and had his CA ANZ membership suspended until 2027 after using his phone in two separate chartered accounting exams. He lied about it the first time until officials produced screenshots, then got busted doing the same thing three months later. He "deeply regrets" it, naturally: AFR

⚖️ ACL: The ACCC hit PhotobookShop with penalties following two infringement notices for dodgy influencer marketing on Instagram. Between August 2024 and September 2025, the online photobook business commissioned influencers to post reviews, explicitly telling them not to disclose they'd received free products in return. It also edited one review to strip out negative comments without flagging the changes. The ACCC treated both as misleading conduct under the ACL, alleging the posts gave consumers the impression they were organic and unedited: ACCC

⚖️ Corporate/Cyber: The escalating Middle East conflict has materially increased cyber risk for Australian organisations, with state-sponsored and hacktivist attacks targeting critical infrastructure, financial services and government networks globally. Supply chain links mean local businesses face indirect but real exposure. G+T says Boards should formally acknowledge the heightened threat environment, require CISOs to review current defences and report back on gaps. Organisations should also stress-test incident response plans against conflict-linked scenarios, review cyber insurance policies for war and nation-state exclusions that insurers may try to lean on, and audit third-party suppliers with connections to the affected region: Gilbert + Tobin

⚖️ Arbitration: The English High Court has ruled that ICSID Convention awards can't be assigned to third parties for enforcement without state consent. In Operafund v Spain, a Delaware entity tried to step into the shoes of Maltese and Swiss investors who'd won an award after Spain pulled renewable energy incentives. The court read "party" in Article 54(2) strictly, meaning only original arbitration parties can seek recognition or enforcement in England. The decision's narrow, as non-ICSID award assignments remain fine, but it's a red flag for the growing secondary market in high-value awards against states and anyone buying into enforcement plays: DLA Piper

Do you think performance reviews actually work? Well, a Gallup poll found just 2% of chief HR officers reckon their own review systems work. Companies like Deloitte and Adobe ditched the once-a-year ritual years ago in favour of regular check-ins — Deloitte reckons the switch saved 2 million hours a year. Now firms are using AI to draft reviews, but staff say the feedback feels hollow: FT

The fuel crisis has the International Energy Agency recommending people work from home, and Energy Minister Bowen called it "sensible." Now every CBD landlord and business leads aren’t having it. Tim Gurner, Bunnings' Mike Schneider and the Business Council of Australia all say governments should butt out and let businesses decide: AFR

🗑️ Bingo Industries says “it's not for sale”, but nobody seems to have told the buyers. Owner Macquarie is sitting on close to $1bn in junk-rated debt trading at ~70¢ in the dollar. Suitors including Boral and Heidelberg are circling, some exploring offers direct to lenders to bypass Macquarie entirely: The Australian

🏗️ Emmerson Resources is set to be snapped up by JV partner Pan African Resources in a $311m scheme of arrangement, consolidating ownership of the Tennant Creek mineral field in the NT. The London and Johannesburg-listed gold producer plans to add a foreign exempt ASX listing. Corrs is advising Pan African. Thomson Geer is repping Emmerson: Australian Lawyer