Gig Economy Clampdown: New minimum pay and safety rules for app-based food and grocery delivery workers kick in today, setting hourly floors (from $31.30 to $32 depending on vehicle) and requiring injury insurance cover, with platforms topping up pay if earnings fall short over up to 21 days. NSW Data Centre Push: NSW moves to fast-track data centre approvals for projects meeting environmental and resource-use standards, while shifting more electricity and water infrastructure costs onto developers; the state says demand from AI is already massive. Queensland Critical Minerals Boost: The Queensland Government starts deploying its expanded $250m Critical Minerals Fund, including $20m for feasibility and drilling at the Walford Creek project. AI Infrastructure Deals: Iren delivers a first 50MW AI cloud deployment to Microsoft; Firmus agrees to buy Benmax’s fabrication/design/projects business for $300m; Centuria and ResetData secure extra power and financing; Equinix launches managed infrastructure services in Australia. Defence & Pacific: Australia and Papua New Guinea advance the Pukpuk Treaty, with PNG recruitment into the ADF set to ramp up to “thousands” over the next decade. Cricket Shockwaves: Bangladesh’s historic nine-wicket Darwin win over Australia sparks squad-change talk ahead of the second Test. Gun Buyback Politics: South Australia again refuses to join the national gun buyback unless Canberra fully funds it.