A parliamentary inquiry heard claims from one former employee that partners pursued ‘revenue growth at all costs’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKPMG partners leaked client information and mishandled the whistleblower who raised the alarm, an inquiry has heard. Top global and Australian managers, three law firms and government regulators all missed the signs.The firm has admitted unethical internal leaks but initially refused to hand over its investigations to regulators. Its London-headquartered international arm has issued a general apology but denied responsibility. Continue reading...

27 Jun 2026 20:00 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

As a host of countries move to rein in social media use by children, could this be technology’s big tobacco moment? Continue reading...

27 Jun 2026 05:00 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

The monarch’s declaration does not tell us much, except that his bill is lower than for people with much smaller fortunesThe veil of secrecy that surrounds the royal finances was nudged aside a little on Thursday to allow the release of a new piece of information. We learned for the first time how much the king’s annual tax bill comes to.This was not a full tax return. It was a two-sentence declaration, stating his tax payable amounted to £12.9m in 2024-25, and a slightly smaller sum the year before. His total tax payable since accession comes to £30m. Continue reading...

26 Jun 2026 17:23 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

The monarch says how much he pays the Treasury but did not reveal the wealth behind it. Britain still lacks proper scrutiny of royal cashKing Charles has become Britain’s first monarch in modern times to reveal how much tax he pays on his private income: £24.6m over the past two years. This is not a victory for transparency but a win for those who wish to keep the curtain drawn firmly over the royal finances.What is presented as a radical move is in fact more obfuscation. The monarch says he has paid millions in tax, but has not disclosed the income, gains or deductions behind the bill. The royals are funded by taking a cut of crown estate profits – public money that would otherwise go to the Treasury. That amount is decided by three royal trustees: the prime minister, the chancellor and the keeper of the privy purse.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

26 Jun 2026 17:09 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

But with rumours about a certain workshy Windsor circulating this week, are we actually encouraging joblessness with an overly generous safety net?Finally, some part of our struggling state is getting a massive budget increase – and it’s not even the welfare bill, like normal. Or maybe it is? The monarchy’s core funding is going to double to £100m. Also mentioned under cover of the same info dump is the fact that the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace is currently coming in at £369m, but the King and Queen don’t want to live there when it’s done.Personally, I’m a big fan of the gaiety the Windsors add to this nation, willingly or otherwise, but I do worry: are we enabling a culture of dependence that isn’t actually great for any of the people involved? Does the royal economy need rebalancing, if it is simply impossible to own an absolutely vast private network of land and high-end properties without somehow still needing a top-up from the state? You’ve heard of the poverty trap – will no one think of the royalty trap?Marina Hyde’s new book, What a Time to Be Alive!, is out in September (Guardian Faber Publishing, £20). To support the Guardian, order your signed copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may applyMarina Hyde is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

26 Jun 2026 11:50 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Changes due to take effect next year for stocks and shares Isas have become clearer, prompting concernThe way you can invest in Isas will change next April, and for under-65s that will mean a reduced limit on the amount of money that can be saved tax-free in a cash Isa.This week, the new rules became clearer, prompting concern among investors that they may have to pay tax on some of their holdings. Continue reading...

26 Jun 2026 06:00 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Stores over-stock their shelves, then toss out what they don’t sell. Meanwhile, workers struggle to make ends meetTo most grocery shoppers, rotisserie chickens look like a mouth-watering and easy option for dinner. But whenever I pass by the rotisserie case in a supermarket, I see chicken carcasses piled up in the trash, their once glistening juices congealing into a slimy jelly. It all started when I was working as a cashier in a chain supermarket. One day, I was chatting with a colleague about the behind-the-scenes secrets that shoppers didn’t see. The deli employee said, “Last night we tossed out about sixteen birds.” He explained that managers wanted the rotisserie chicken case to be full at all times because a full case looked appetizing, while a half empty one looked sad. Keeping the case full was an all-day affair. Workers arrived before dawn to season and roast dozens of birds. (One employee burned his arm while maneuvering chickens into the oven. He quit soon after.)The seasoning and roasting continued throughout the day. As birds disappeared from the display case, workers replaced them. Finally, the store closed, and the leftover chickens were thrown out.Ann Larson is the author of Cleanup on Aisle Five: Essential Work, Poverty Wages, and the View from Behind the Supermarket Register. She is a fellow with the Economic Hardship Reporting Project. Continue reading...

26 Jun 2026 12:00 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN