ABC News is reporting that Australia's largest energy retailer, Origin Energy, is racing to determine the full extent of a massive data breach affecting 4.8 million customers. It said cybersecurity experts warn that the stolen information, including names, addresses and phone numbers, could be used with artificial intelligence to facilitate sophisticated and highly targeted scams, such as passing identity checks and authorizing fraudulent transactions. Professor Richard Buckler from UNSW advised customers to be "alert but not alarmed" and to avoid clicking on unsolicited emails and texts, noting the biggest danger is opportunistic scammers exploiting anxiety around the breach.
The Trump administration has confirmed a new 12.5 percent tariff will be placed on Australian exports to the United States, effective later today AEST, ABC News said.
In other international news, ABC News is reporting that U.S. authorities are scrutinizing two Chinese research ships that frequently dock in Australia, concerned they could be covertly deploying equipment and conducting intelligence gathering. It said a Freedom of Information request for documents on the ships' port access was denied on national security grounds. The ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran has also pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel, with Iran-aligned Houthi rebels now involved, threatening energy shipments from a second direction. The "fear factor" from this conflict, combined with the impending end of Australia's fuel excise in August, is impacting small and medium businesses, particularly in the tourism sector, ABC News reported.
Domestically, ABC News is reporting that an upcoming eight-week hearing by the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) threatens significant damage to the state's Liberal Party. It said text messages between former Premier Gladys Berejiklian and a parliamentary colleague indicate she was warned about the looming corruption scandal. Meanwhile, funding for local government is emerging as a major policy debate at Labor's National Conference, with some party figures concerned about voter frustration potentially boosting support for One Nation. Strengthening government action to reduce gambling harm is also a focus for the conference.
ABC News is also reporting that Chinese electric vehicle company BYD has dramatically narrowed the sales gap with market leader Toyota in Australia within a year, potentially poised to overtake it. It said this rise is seen as a litmus test for global automotive market trends. Additionally, social media has been flooded with conspiracy theories regarding Australia's new national mobile alert system, AusAlert, ahead of its first test message, prompting ABC News Verify to address these claims.
King Charles III officially opened the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with a ceremony described as a "love letter" to the city, ABC News said.