Immigration Crackdown: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hits back at One Nation and the Coalition over tougher rules for people without valid visas, arguing the plan would be “diabolical” for the economy and pledging net migration targets of 245,000 this year and 225,000 next. AI and Social Media: Albanese meets Apple boss Tim Cook and pushes for global AI guardrails where “humans remain in control”, while also touting Australia’s under-16 social media ban and warning AI risks need mitigation. AI Policy Clash (US): Donald Trump says he’ll create an “AI force” and appoint an “AI czar”, resisting new regulation and pointing to existing criminal and civil laws. Family Violence Law (Victoria): Victoria Labor promises life imprisonment as the maximum penalty for rape and new offences targeting family violence “loopholes”, including criminalising offenders who abandon victims needing urgent medical help. NSW Guns Debate: NSW Liberals propose freezing the gun buyback and rolling back parts of firearms restrictions, drawing sharp criticism from police minister Yasmin Catley. Regional Health Safety: Two SA regional hospital helipads remain unusable after CASA guideline issues, with long-term fixes still being planned for Victor Harbor and Murray Bridge. Crime and Courts: A mother in Victoria is charged after allegedly placing a listening device in her son’s pocket following bruises after school. Aboriginal Justice: NSW Tasmania and NSW coverage includes a review after an AI-assisted parole decision cited fake case law, and an NSW hospital abuse allegation story from an Indigenous man seeking justice. Housing/Property: A South Yarra mansion tied to the Smorgon dynasty sells at private auction as Victoria’s clearance rate rises. Entertainment: Strictly Come Dancing 2026 pairings are revealed, including Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin and a new all-female couple with Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu.