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🗞️ Alcohol ban
France just banned alcohol at its biggest national music festival because the heatwave is so severe that hospitals can't afford the extra admissions.
Pick & Scroll News
June 22, 2026
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Good morning. France just banned alcohol at its biggest national music festival because the heatwave is so severe that hospitals can't afford the extra admissions.
Temperatures are pushing 41°C across a third of the country, trains have been cancelled, schools suspended and parks are staying open overnight so people have somewhere cool to go.
Imagine telling Australians they can’t drink the next time we get hit with a heat wave.
All the headlines and more below...
KPMG MOVED TO FIRE WHISTLEBLOWER WITHIN A MONTH OF HIS DISCLOSURE
KPMG's former audit head Julian McPherson couldn't recall whether the firm had made a "definitive decision" to terminate the whistleblower who flagged that senior staff were sharing confidential client data to win work. The question was whether the whistleblower was pressured to sign a deed of release under threat of being fired.
KPMG withheld $600,000 of former CEO Andrew Yates' retirement payments pending the outcome of an external investigation. His final salary was $2.2M.
The allegations centre on KPMG staff accessing confidential information from audit clients including Lendlease to win consulting contracts. Lendlease's chairman told the inquiry there had been a "fundamental breach of trust" and that KPMG's access to their books had been "gravely misused." Former NSW premier Mike Baird, who served as an independent director until September, said the board was "too trusting" of management's assurances there was no substance to the claims. The allegations were first raised internally in 2024 but didn't become public until a Labor senator aired them in March.
KPMG initially refused to hand over documents to the Senate inquiry by claiming legal professional privilege. Baird and another board member said privilege shouldn't apply. Late Friday, the firm agreed to provide them confidentially.
AUSTRALIAN NEWS
Australian inflation is expected to edge higher in May as ABS data highlights second-round impacts from elevated oil, gas, fertiliser and dairy prices amid ongoing Middle East tensions. LINK
Australia has confirmed its first mainland case of the deadly H5 bird flu strain in a sick brown skua found near Esperance in WA, after infections killed millions globally. LINK
The preliminary capital city residential auction clearance rate has slumped to 47.4% as vendor confidence weakens, with 23.6% of auctions withdrawn and Brisbane’s rate falling to 33.3%. LINK
The Australian government has extended and lowered the fuel excise cut to 16 cents per litre until 2 August at a cost of $400M as Iran’s Hormuz toll threat risks higher petrol prices. LINK
MILK PRICES ARE THE CANARY IN AUSTRALIA'S INFLATION COAL MINE THIS WEEK
May inflation data drops Wednesday, and economists are watching home-brand milk closer than usual. Perishable goods show price rises first, and dairy ticked up in late April as higher oil, gas and fertiliser costs worked through the supply chain.
Just 11% of Australian firms were passing on higher fuel costs in May. Most absorbed them.
The question is whether businesses can actually pass these costs on. Weak consumer demand might force more margin absorption, which could mean inflation comes in below the RBA's 3.8% forecast by mid-2026.
Annual headline inflation is expected to ease to 4.1% from 4.2%, helped by a 12.3% monthly drop in fuel prices. But underlying inflation that strips out fuel is likely to edge higher to 3.5%.
Household spending collapsed 1.1% in April and card data shows activity outside fuel has flatlined in recent weeks. Even if the trimmed mean lands where the RBA expects, the bank will probably hold rates in August anyway.
COMPANY NEWS
Danone has agreed to buy TPG Capital-owned Made Group, the Melbourne drinks business behind Cocobella and Rokeby, delivering TPG nearly US$2B, as rival bidders Temasek and CIC miss out. LINK
Airbnb rejected the City of Sydney’s proposed levy, primary-residence rule and reduced 180-day cap on short-term rentals, arguing its listings are minimal and support struggling homeowners. LINK
The Iconic has completed a 3-year brand reset to restore awareness and trust and is now targeting growth after lifting unprompted awareness 70% and trust about 60%. LINK
Bupa has agreed to acquire Partnered Health Group to expand its Australian health services footprint, adding 68 primary care clinics and 3 urgent care clinics, subject to ACCC clearance. LINK
Wesfarmers is expanding its retail ecosystem through Kmart's trial homewares store, Bunnings' tradie brand merger and a 50/50 apartment manufacturing venture. LINK
SAP has predicted AI-driven coding will eliminate the company’s human software developers within 4 years as he argues investors will return to SaaS. LINK
2026 AUSCORP SALARY SURVEY
Since late 2022, your employer can no longer stop you discussing your pay. But most people still have no idea what the person next to them earns. We're trying to fix that.
This is our biggest survey yet and the more people who contribute, the harder it gets for anyone to be underpaid without knowing it. Anonymous, takes 2 minutes, and the results go straight back to the community.
TOGETHER WITH
Take what you’re doing offline and circle back on team wellness because real team bonding happens with puppies, not PowerPoint. Give your team an event they’ll actually look forward to with Puppy Yoga or Corporate Cuddles!
CHART OF THE DAY
Heat records have become commonplace in meteorological record-keeping, while new cold records have become few and far between.
ONE MORE SCROLL
Editor’s Pick: By 2030, AI's water use will match the needs of 1.3 billion people while its power use triples that of 650 million, UN University investigation warns.
Draft Pick: Japan marked the 1,000th match in the FIFA World Cup history with a commanding 4-0 win over Tunisia.
Doctor’s Pick: 15 best foods to eat when you’re sick.
TRUE OR FALSE?
Sharks existed on Earth before trees did.
Humans only use about 10% of their brains.
The Eiffel Tower can grow up to 15 centimetres taller during the summer.
Bulls are enraged by the colour red, which is why matadors use red capes.
A "jiffy" is an actual, measurable scientific unit of time.
Answers below
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ANSWERS
1. True. Sharks have been around for approximately 400 million years. The earliest trees (like the Archaeopteris) didn't appear on Earth until about 350 million years ago. Sharks even survived 4 of the 5 mass extinction events!
2. False. This is a widespread myth. Brain imaging scans (like fMRIs) show that humans use virtually every part of their brains, and most of the brain is active almost all the time - even while we are sleeping.
3. True. The Eiffel Tower is made of puddle iron. When the metal is heated by the summer sun, it undergoes thermal expansion, causing the structure to grow by up to 15 centimetres (about 6 inches) and even tilt slightly away from the sun.
4. False. Bulls, like other cattle, are red-green colourblind. What actually triggers the bull's aggression is the sudden, whipping movement of the matador's cape, not the colour of the fabric.
5. True. While it is commonly used as a casual expression for a short amount of time, a "jiffy" is a real unit of measurement. In physics, it is the time it takes for light to travel a specific distance (usually one centimetre), and in computing, it refers to the duration of one tick of the system timer.
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