Guzman y Gomez has scuttled plans for an ambitious expansion in the United States and will immediately shut its existing stores in Chicago, in a development that has sent its share prices soaring.

The Australian-owned Mexican-style fast food giant will instead focus efforts on local growth after it struggled to compete in an already-saturated US market.

Founder and chief executive Steven Marks said he could not justify further investment in the US after GYG's weak financial performance in the region had "not been acceptable".

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"I have always been confident in the differentiation of our food and guest experience, however this was not translating to an improvement in sales momentum," Marks said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

"Having spent the last three months in the US, I realised this was going to take significantly more time and capital than we had expected.

"In assessing the trajectory of the current network, the board and I have concluded that the business is unlikely to deliver the performance that would justify continued investment of shareholder capital."

GYG will close its eight stores in Chicago immediately.

The business praised its US staff for their "passion, professionalism and conviction" and said the team would be supported throughout the exit strategy.

GYG had failed to establish a strong share of the market in the US, with the likes of Taco Bell and Chipotle dominating the country's Mexican fast food industry.

Marks said the Australian market tells a very different story and assured investors the local network of stores are performing solidly.

GYG shares soared by 20 per cent after Marks made the announcement.

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Before today, the underperforming US expansion had weakened the company's share price, falling more than 40 per cent over the past 12 months.

The Mexican-inspired fast food chain is on track to open 32 restaurants in Australia this financial year.

It currently operates around 250 restaurants in Australia. Marks said the brand is eyeing a national target of 1000 stores.

GYG expects to deliver an operating profit of about $85 million in the 2026 financial year, a year-on-year growth of 29 per cent.

The cost of exiting the US market will result in a one-off impact of at least $42 million to its 2026 full-year results.

"We have a long runway ahead of us in Australia as we progress towards our long-term target of 1000 restaurants and segment underlying EBITDA as a percentage of network sales of 10 per cent," Marks said.

"Concentrating our capital, focus and infrastructure behind this opportunity is the most effective way to compound shareholder value over the long-term."

However, the company's decision to abandon its US expansion does not diminish GYG's "global appeal", Marks added.

The brand is performing well in Japan and Singapore.

"Beyond Singapore and Japan, we continue to believe there will be the right opportunities, in the right markets, with the right models," Marks said.

"When those opportunities arrive, we will be ready.

"Today's decision is about the US specifically, it is not a statement about GYG's global potential."

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has refused to rule out changes to what the Coalition have branded a "death tax".

The federal budget will place a 30 per cent tax on discretionary trusts from July 2028, including discretionary testamentary trusts, which take effect after a person dies. 

Labor has been fielding questions about the so-called death tax during its nationwide campaign to promote the budget, which it has dismissed as a Coalition scare campaign.

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But the Sydney Morning Herald reported the government was open to changes.

Questioned about his stance at a press conference today, Albanese did not rule out whether he was considering a carve-out for discretionary testamentary trusts.

Instead, he said they had planned to hold consultations before the tax reform legislation is introduced to parliament in the second half of the year.

"Let's be very clear that we've said, when it comes to some of the misreporting that's there, we're not interested and there's no measures in there that are going to hurt inheritances," he told reporters today.

"On trusts, there'll be a consultation period about that, and we made that clear on budget night."

A discretionary testamentary trust is created under a will and takes effect when the trustee dies. The assets are still legally owned by the trustee, allowing beneficiaries to receive income or capital from the trust while avoiding paying extra income tax.

Under the budget's proposed changes, any testamentary trust that takes effect after May 12 will be subject to the minimum 30 per cent tax rate when it comes into effect in two years.

There are currently a little over 10,000 testamentary trusts, according to the latest data from the Australian Tax Office from 2022-23.

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The government are reportedly not considering carve-outs for changes to the capital gains tax discount, but is holding consultations with the start-up sector.

Earlier today, Labor MP Andrew Charlton admitted concerns over the capital gains tax were "valid" but that was why Treasury would hold consultations.

"It's a valid point, because that new regime doesn't interact well if you have a really low capital base, because you've got nothing to inflate off, so there are real concerns out there," he said.

"The government recognised those concerns, the treasurer recognised them before the budget."

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the government is panicking about the reaction to the budget and carve-outs would not be enough.

"We want an axe," he said.

"What they're saying now is they're saying we'll have a carve-out for tech entrepreneurs but not for a hairdresser, not for a fitness instructor.

"There's a panic and they're scrambling for the exit because they hadn't realised what they were doing."

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Nationals Leader Matt Canavan said the government is "desperately now trying to plug holes in a budget that proved leaky".

"They haven't been able to justify exactly why they are making these changes," he told Sky News.

"They've clearly done them either with an ill intent, a hidden agenda, or they just were totally ignorant of why these or how these changes would affect people's wills and testaments."

The government has failed to gain the Coalition's support for their trio of tax reform – discretionary trusts, capital gains tax discount and negative gearing – and needs the support of the Greens for the legislation to pass.

Greens Senator Nick McKim said changes will not meaningfully address the housing crisis or intergenerational inequity and criticised the grandfathering of negative gearing.

"The way that we are going to approach this is that we'll wait to see the legislation, we'll have a look at it, we'll have a look at all the detail, we'll listen to the debate and then we'll work these processes," he said.

"We want to see this package fairer and we want to see the balance of this package right."

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The 26-year-old left his $380,000 contract to prepare to face England and Ireland.

Two former childcare workers have escaped conviction despite admitting to yanking a toddler by their arm and pushing the same child against a wall.

Julie Gay Minter, 55, and Bhawna Joshi, 28, admitted to assaulting an 18-month-old in their care at a western Sydney childcare centre in October 2025.

Minter ripped a basket out of the child's hand and dragged him into an upright position by his right arm, forcing him to stand on his tiptoes.

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Her colleague Joshi later backed the same toddler into a wall, pushing him into it.

The woman was seen on CCTV after a parent dropping off her child witnessed an incident involving Minter and reported it to the childcare centre.

Both carers were originally charged with five counts of common assault apiece.

But the prosecution withdrew all but one charge for each woman, for which they pleaded guilty, in separate proceedings at Sydney's Blacktown Local Court on Wednesday and today.

The victim had reportedly been misbehaving, but was acting in an age-appropriate manner, court documents show.

Judges handed Minter and Joshi two-year community release orders, essentially good behaviour bonds, without criminal convictions.

"Becoming annoyed with children who are behaving unpredictably requires patience, skill and care and needs to be learned", Judge James Howard told Joshi.

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"You have responsibility and care for children … allowing that to happen is of some concern."

Both workers were fired after being charged – Minter, who worked in childcare for 20 years, will not return to the industry.

In today's proceedings, Judge Kirk Dailly took Minter's loss of employment into account, emphasising the 55-year-old's "dedication to (her) own family and the children of others".

"Children will still be children, and they will still ruffle the feathers of parents and even childcare workers every now and then," Dailly said.

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"It was overstepping the mark slightly and shouldn't have been done."

The centre which employed the women, Little Zak's Academy in Doonside, closed weeks after the allegations came to light and has not reopened.

That centre made more headlines after a parent alleged their autistic son was locked in a storage shed by another worker in a separate incident not involving Minter or Joshi.

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Oil was applied to the sauna walls, but it was not suitable for the heated conditions.

The Australian government is unaware of plans for the remaining group of so-called ISIS brides to return home as reports emerge they are on their way to the airport.

Six women, their children and grandchildren have now left the Al Roj camp in Syria for Damascus, the ABC reported.

Nine.com.au understands the government is not aware of any group booking tickets or making plans to return home at this stage.

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Earlier this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated that the government was not providing any assistance to the cohort, and anyone suspected of breaking the law will face the full force of the law when reports emerged they would likely return home soon.

Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek repeated that statement to the ABC this morning.

"I can tell you they will face the same consequences as their first group, which is if there are any crimes they are accused of, they will be taken into custody and treated with the full force of the law," she said.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor called on the government to do whatever it could to stop the group from entering Australia.

"The government should be doing everything in its power to prevent these people from coming because they turned their backs on our country to support a terrorist organisation," he told reporters today

"One that has been guilty of extraordinary atrocities, including on Australians."

Last month, four women and nine children boarded flights from Damascus to Sydney and Melbourne.

Three of the women – 53-year-old Kawsar Ahmad, her 31-year-old daughter Zeinab Ahmad, and 32-year-old Janai Safar – were arrested upon arrival and later charged.

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The mother and daughter were charged with slavery-related offences, while Safar was charged with joining a terrorist organisation and travelling to a declared conflict zone.

All three currently remain in custody pending future court dates.

They are all part of the wider group of 34 Australians – 11 women and 23 children – who have spent the last seven years at the camp due to their alleged links to Islamic State fighters.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has only been able to legally ban one of the women from returning to Australia.

She is expected to remain behind in Syria. Her children will likely join the second group in returning to Australia.

A group of Australians travelled to Syria and Iraq to either join or support ISIS from 2012 to 2019.

The federal government has been making plans for their return since 2013.

A group of children of a convicted ISIS terrorist were repatriated to Australia in 2019 under the Morrison government and a second group of women and children were repatriated three years later under the Albanese government.

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Thousands of childcare workers around the country could walk off the job on July 15 after union members voted in favour of mass industrial action.

Early childhood educators will down tools for one day in protest of the 2026 Federal Budget, which did not include the billions of dollars in funding needed to support an ongoing 15 per cent pay increase.

Over 20,000 educators from 1000 centres in Australia had signed an open letter demanding the government to permanently lock in the pay increase.

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Hundreds of union members endorsed the walk-outs at a meeting earlier this week in response to the budget.

Childcare workers say they won't be able to survive on the industry's minimum wage as the cost of living bites.

"Educators are making it clear: they will not accept going backwards," the United Workers Union (UWU) said in a statement.

"Without action, many educators face a pay cut before the full Fair Work Commission outcome takes effect.

"This isn't about asking for something new, educators are fighting to stop losing pay they already have."

The UWU has members in every state and territory who plan to stop work and join a rally on July 15.

Around 500 childcare centres in Victoria alone signed the letter.

Union member and Goodstart early educator Clare said that while the one-day strike will be difficult for families, it will help shape a more stable and thriving sector.

"While the walk-off in the interim will be really hard for families to navigate, the long-term impact that it will have on our sector, and the future generations of children and families coming into our services, we will have a higher-quality educational services that really amplify children's learning," Clare said.

"Right now it will be hard, the long-term impact will be magnificent."

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The federal government delivered a 15 per cent pay rise for early childhood educators in December, which amounted to an extra $160 per week for the average worker.

The $3.6 billion in funding, which has already "improved retention, reduce vacancies and bring more stability to the sector" will run out in November.

This year's budget did not extend this worker retention payment.

Greens senator Steph Hodgins-May claimed early childhood educators had been "shafted" in the budget.

"Thousands of early educators are now facing a Christmas pay cut because Labor refused to extend a payment they themselves boast that the sector depends on," she said.

"These are workers already leaving in droves because of burnout, low wages and now uncertainty about their future. Labor looked at that crisis and decided to make it worse."

Minister for Early Childhood Education Jess Walsh said the government would have "more to say later this year on the next steps to support this workforce" when discussing the budget's early childcare policies on May 15.

Nine.com.au has contacted Federal Minister for Education Jason Clare for comment.

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Millions of people across south-eastern Australia can expect a blast of wintry weather, including high winds, snow and rain, next week.

The calm conditions over the past days will give way to more volatile conditions as two pools of cold air high in the atmosphere move over southern regions, reports weather data firm Weatherzone.

The first one has begun sweeping across southern parts of Western Australia and South Australia before it advances into south-eastern states from early next week.

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That will be followed by a second one that is forecast to reach the country's south-west around Wednesday or Thursday.

"While rain won't be too heavy as the first system crosses WA and SA later this week, there is potential for heavy rain and severe weather over south-eastern Australia next week as it causes a low-pressure system to develop," say forecasters.

Some computer modelling of the expected conditions points to heavy rain developing over parts of Victoria, NSW and Tasmania on Tuesday and Wednesday. But parts of these states could also be in for thunderstorms, snow and blustery winds.

Meteorologists say it's too early to say what the precise strength and timing of the new weather system will be.

There are already signs of a major change in weather conditions for south-eastern states.

The Bureau of Meteorology today issued damaging surf and wind warnings for the NSW North Coast, urging people to avoid the seas and beaches over the coming hours.

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The late Queen Elizabeth II was "very keen" for former prince Andrew to be named Britain's trade envoy in 2001, according to documents released that show his appointment received little scrutiny from government ministers.

The government released confidential papers related to the appointment on Thursday in response to legislation passed by Parliament after lawmakers accused the King's brother of putting his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein ahead of the nation. The former prince was stripped of his royal titles, including Duke of York, last year and is now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

"The Queen is very keen that the Duke of York should take on a prominent role in the promotion of national interests," the head of Britain's trade body wrote to two senior cabinet ministers on February 25, 2000.

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The Queen worried about her son

The involvement of the late queen confirms previously held beliefs that the monarch had a soft spot for her second son, which may have influenced her lack of decisiveness in dealing with allegations about his links to Epstein. Royal commentators have for years suggested that the queen should have moved quicker to remove her son from royal duties, and her failure to do so tarnished the monarchy.

Mountbatten-Windsor served as Britain's special envoy for international trade from 2001 to 2011, when he was forced to give up the role because of concerns about his links to questionable figures in Libya and Azerbaijan.

If nothing else, the documents suggest Elizabeth worried about him, said Craig Prescott, an expert on constitutional law and the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London.

"It's like, in a sense, if the queen makes it clear that that's her wish, that's the end of the argument,'' Prescott said.

"Her Majesty's civil service, as it was then, would have to deal with it on that basis."

Lawmakers approved a motion in February demanding publication of the documents after the former prince was arrested and questioned for several hours on allegations he shared government reports with Epstein while he was trade envoy.

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Documents suggest Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed with little due diligence

Trade Minister Chris Bryant said in a written statement to lawmakers that "we have found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken" before Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed to the role of special trade envoy.

"There is also no evidence that this was considered. This is understandable since this new appointment was a continuation of the royal family's involvement in trade and investment promotion work following the Duke of Kent's decision to relinquish his duties as vice-chairman of the Overseas Trade Board," he said.

He said that the government was co-operating with Thames Valley Police on their investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor and possible misconduct in public office.

Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles late last year as the US Justice Department prepared to release millions of pages of documents related to its investigation of Epstein. Those files showed how the wealthy financier used an international web of rich, powerful friends to gain influence and sexually exploit young women and girls.

Nowhere has the fallout from the document release been felt more strongly than in the UK, where the scandal has raised questions about the way power is wielded by the aristocracy, senior politicians and influential business owners, known collectively as "the Establishment."

Mountbatten-Windsor has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

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Officials suggested not offering the former prince golf trips

There were hints, however, that some had misgivings about giving Mountbatten-Windsor the high-profile trade role, where his effectiveness relied on his credibility.

The back and forth suggested that while officials may not have questioned his appointment, they were involved in making suggestions about what he shouldn't be allowed to do in the role.

Kathryn Colvin, head of protocol at the Foreign Office, wrote in a January 2000 memo that Andrew's private secretary "asked that the Duke of York should not be offered golfing functions abroad".

"This was a private activity and if he took his clubs with him he would not play in any public sense," she wrote.

Another document, a government memo sent to UK trade staff around the world, warned that Mountbatten-Windsor's "high public profile" will require "careful and sometimes strict media management".

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EXCLUSIVE: The family of a young Adelaide man say they are desperately trying to get him home to Australia after he was found unconscious on an isolated road in Indonesia.

Exactly what happened to 23-year-old Jaxen Day remains unknown.

His father, Allan Day, told nine.com.au that Jaxen was found unconscious by a local fisherman late last month on the Indonesian island of Lombok, east of Bali.

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"He was just lying on the road and his motorbike was right beside him," Allan said.

"Neither had a mark or scratch on them. Nothing."

The fisherman managed to alert a nearby security checkpoint, and, from there, he was taken unconscious to, and rejected by, two medical clinics in Kuta, Lombok, before a third accepted him and he was placed on a saline drip.

It wasn't until Jaxen did not regain consciousness for several hours that staff at the clinic realised the seriousness of the situation, Allan said.

"He was in a coma, but they didn't realise it because there were no marks on him."

Staff put out a post on a local Facebook page asking if anyone knew the injured Australian.

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Jaxen had travelled extensively in Asia, and was supposed to be taking this trip with a friend, but their plans fell through at the last minute. For the first time, he was travelling alone, Allan said.

Luckily, the online appeal was spotted by someone at the hostel where Jaxen was staying. 

Recognising the 23-year-old, they alerted the hostel manager, who rushed to the clinic and immediately called Allan in Australia.

Allan was out walking when he received the devastating call.

"The hostel manager said 'Your son's here. He's in a coma, he's got to get to a hospital'," Allan said.

"It was absolutely horrible, I just thought, is this a dream, what's going on?

A dedicated hostel staff member rode in the ambulance with Jaxen, staying by his side all night at a hospital while the young Australian underwent emergency, life-saving brain surgery. 

Back in Australia, consulate staff rushed through emergency passports for Jaxen's parents, allowing them to board a flight the next day.

When they arrived in Lombok, Jaxen was yet to regain consciousness after his surgery. 

"We were basically told he is in a lot of danger, this is life-threatening stuff," Allan said. 

Jaxen remained unresponsive for some time, wrapped in tubes and wires. 

On the fourth day after his surgery, medical staff stopped his parents at the door of the ICU to show them a video they had just filmed. 

In the footage, Jaxen opened his eyes and spoke his own name.

"We fell absolutely fell apart, because we didn't know if he was going to wake up," Allan said.

Allan said Jaxen's doctors were just as puzzled about his brain injuries as they were.

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"The neurosurgeon showed us scans of his brain and he said the only way he could see how that sort of damage could occur is if his head was fiercely shaken – because it's all internal, there's no external trauma at all," Allan said.

"Something has happened to cause that injury but we don't know what."

Allan said the only other injury Jaxen had was a broken collarbone, which was not picked up for days.

For now, Jaxen's family are choosing to focus on his recovery, which is expected to be long and arduous.

The severe trauma initially left the right side of Jaxen's body paralysed, including his eyelid, arm, and leg. 

A month after the operation, Jaxen is still not able to use his right arm, though he has begun to regain some movement in his right leg. 

While his cognitive ability is improving, he was still suffering from lapses, his father said.

Despite the setback, his doctors have expressed hope that, with rehabilitation and time, he can fully recover from his injuries.

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The family now faces a logistical and financial nightmare. 

Jaxen did not have travel insurance, making a specialised medical evacuation flight financially impossible. 

His parents, who are both retired with limited funds, are working with commercial airlines to bring him home as soon as he is deemed fit to fly.

Jaxen's hospital bills in Indonesia have already climbed into the many tens of thousands of dollars, and the family is bracing for the substantial costs of long-term rehabilitation once they return to Australia.

Jaxen's best friend, Luka Jackway, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help the family. 

"Jaxen is a quiet and determined young man who is kind, caring and compassionate," Luka said.

"He is motivated and independent, recently completing his studies to teach English as a foreign language. Jaxen has been travelling throughout Asia with the intention of teaching in Cambodia as his next venture."

Allan said seeing his son clinging to life had crystallised what was important.

"I can tell you that nothing motivates you more than the love of your child," he said.

"You don't realise how strong that is until something like this happens, but you would do anything, you would just do anything."

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