Foreign Interference Charges: AFP has charged a 27-year-old Russian-Australian man with attempting to engage in foreign interference, alleging he did military-style training in Russia, joined Ukraine’s forces, then tried to pass Ukrainian military information to people he believed were linked to Russian intelligence. NSW Liberal Corruption Fight: Former NSW Liberal minister David Elliott told ICAC a “cult” took over the party after branch-stacking by a religious-right faction, while Catholic Schools NSW’s CEO was sacked after his ICAC appearance. Cybersecurity Fallout: Origin Energy says a July breach affected about 900,000 customers, with bank account details and ID numbers among the data accessed. Housing Pressure: Australia has fallen further behind the 1.2m new homes target, with the deadline pushed to end of 2030 amid higher construction costs and interest-rate headwinds. AFL Scandal: Sydney Swans coach Dean Cox says the club’s culture has taken a hit as players face season-long bans over a hotel incident, with police investigation ongoing. RBA Rate Relief Watch: ANZ warns a mid-year inflation spike from petrol, rents and takeaway food could make rate relief harder. Environment Rules: New national environmental standards aim to tighten approvals and offsets, but have drawn mixed reactions. Penguin Bird Flu Alert: Testing is under way after dozens of little penguins were found dead, as Australia races to protect them from bird flu.