The Federal Court has acknowledged the devastating impacts of climate change on the Torres Strait, but ruled that the Commonwealth does not owe a duty of care to protect islanders from it. Wigney J found the government ignored best available science when setting emissions targets in 2015, 2020 and 2021, and confirmed that climate change poses an existential threat, especially to low-lying communities. But despite finding serious harm, the Court held that common law isn’t the right legal tool to deal with that harm. The judgment leaves Pabai and Kabai’s landmark case unsuccessful, but far from ignored: The Australian

The ACNC is urging charities to treat AGMs and board handovers as more than box-ticking. Commissioner Sue Woodward AM says AGMs are a chance to build trust and engage members, not just meet legal obligations. Agendas should be clear, accessible and allow meaningful discussion. She also stressed the value of structured board transitions, with outgoing directors expected to share knowledge and docs to ensure stability: ACNC

ASIC has put responsible entities on notice: boilerplate compliance plans won’t cut it. Its latest review found many managed investment schemes failing to properly address key obligations, including DDO, reportable situations and internal dispute resolution. Some plans hadn’t been updated in five years and ignored DDO altogether. Commissioner Alan Kirkland summed it up: “Failing to plan is a plan to fail.” ASIC now expects compliance plans to be risk-based, tailored, and actually used, not just filed and forgotten. If it’s not reviewed, embedded and aligned with current obligations, expect regulatory heat: Clayton Utz

A former PwC executive assistant is suing the firm, alleging it enabled a “boys club” culture where her boss sexually harassed and exploited her, including kissing her without consent, buying lingerie, and tattooing her initials. Though they later married, she claims the conduct left her feeling “humiliated and objectified”. The matter heads to court in October: The Australian

Maddocks has snapped up Alex Worner, former EY Law Australia corporate head, as partner in Sydney. Worner brings private equity, M&A, and fund expertise, plus his whole team. It’s a big lateral play aimed at bolstering Maddocks’ position in complex corporate deals across Australia and abroad: Lawyers Weekly

By 2029, AI is tipped to save professionals 12 hours a week, the equivalent of adding one worker per 10-person team, according to Thomson Reuters. Lawyers could unlock up to US$100k (A$153k) in extra billables. But only 1 in 5 teams are AI-mature, and most still rely on generic tools like ChatGPT without clear usage policies or training: Thomson Reuters

Kemp Law’s owner Michael Kemp failed to pay $291k in super to six staff, with one missing out on $37k over three years. QCAT found this was worse than tax offences. Kemp was publicly reprimanded and could be struck off. And to make matters worse, his firm’s now in liquidation, so staff may never see their super: HR Leader

US inflation hit 2.7% in June, its highest level since February, as gas, groceries and tariffs pushed prices up. Trump’s blanket import duties are starting to bite, just as he’s slamming the Fed Reserve for not cutting rates. But Fed Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is in no rush, pointing to the risk of higher prices and a slower economy. But with Walmart and Nike hinting at price hikes, the pressure's building: AFR

Singapore's Centurion Corp is launching luxury student digs in Sydney with a rooftop infinity pool, sauna and ice bath. The $132m project near Macquarie Uni is gunning for wellness-obsessed, cashed-up internationals. With 1.09m student enrolments and a national accomm shortage, global investors are circling fast. Looks like student life just got a whole lot better: AFR

Albanese met Xi in Beijing, calling the talks “very constructive” but flagged concerns over surprise naval drills near Australia’s coast. The six-day China trip comes as Albo juggles ties with Washington on defence and Beijing on trade, walking the fine line between security partner and top customer: The Australian

Kraft Heinz’s: global break-up plan may put its Australia-NZ business back on the chopping block. The $1bn sale was paused after NZ flood damage in 2022, but UBS, KKR and PEP were all potential purchasers. As Kraft eyes a $30.5bn spinout of Kraft-branded groceries, attention could swing back to Heinz soups and Golden Circle juices down under: The Australian

CC Capital’s: $3.4bn tilt at Insignia still hasn’t firmed up, despite a supposed 1 July deadline for financing sign-off. It’s been six months since the US PE firm first circled, and investors are getting twitchy. Rival Bain Capital’s already walked, blaming market volatility. CC says it’s still working on it. Insignia’s trading at $4 vs the $5 bid. KWM is advising Insignia: AFR

Bega Group: has teamed up with Dutch FrieslandCampina to take another swing at Fonterra’s $4bn Mainland sale. They’re up against Lactalis, which already has ACCC clearance, and Japan’s Meiji. The Forrest family-backed Bega wants its brands back, but it’ll need offshore firepower to compete with the big cheese multinationals circling: AFR

Rio Tinto has tapped iron ore boss Simon Trott as its next CEO, replacing Jakob Stausholm. A WA native, Trott steps up as profits shrink and iron ore softens. His to-do list? Cut costs, simplify ops, and get lithium and copper pulling their weight. He’ll also need to fix Rio’s rocky ties with Mongolia: AFR

BHP has signed decarb deals with BYD and Pentagon-blacklisted battery giant CATL to electrify mining fleets and trial fast-charging infrastructure. The move comes as Albo visits China, with BHP says it’s aiming to hit net zero operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Rival Fortescue’s gunning for 2030 using homegrown tech: The Australian

The RBA wants to scrap surcharges on Eftpos, Mastercard and Visa, claiming it could save Aussies $2.4bn a year. While businesses are split, Tyro’s share price sank 10% on the news. Rough. But CEO Jon Davey says the move still “creates opportunities” for the payments group: Capital Brief

After being told he authorised $1.3k in dodgy Google Pay transactions, a 73-year-old from Bendigo is now taking NAB to court solo, citing fraud, system failure, and a refusal to be branded a liar. If successful, he could set a powerful precedent for digital scam victims: ABC News

Bunnings boss Michael Schneider wants privacy laws rewritten so retailers can use facial recognition to target repeat offenders. The call comes after the Privacy Commissioner found Bunnings breached privacy laws by scanning faces at 63 stores. Schneider says the tech helps tackle abuse and shoplifting, and Bunnings has appealed the ruling to the AAT: AFR

Dexus just dropped $40m on a Glendenning warehouse, eyeing a rezoning play to boost lettable space by 15%. The flip side? It’s planning to offload its Brisbane office holdings, doubling down on its strategy to back Sydney’s middle-ring industrial growth corridors: Capital Brief

Zuck says Meta will sink “hundreds of billions” into building AI data centres, starting with Prometheus in 2026 and a 5GW cluster named Hyperion. The move comes amid Llama 4 setbacks and staff churn. Meanwhile, Zuck’s also heading to trial this week in Delaware over $8bn in data privacy claims: Capital Brief

You know who else is betting big on AI? The one and only, Trump. He’s launching US$70bn in AI and energy investments, including data centres, power upgrades, and training programs to keep the US ahead of China. He’ll unveil the plan at a Pittsburgh summit. Blackstone alone is expected to announce a US$25bn data centre JV: Bloomberg