Under-16 Social Media Crackdown: Parliament is set to tighten Australia’s kids’ social media ban by doubling maximum penalties for platforms that fail to block under-16 accounts, with lawmakers also pushing for stronger enforcement so the rules actually stick. Big Tech & Consumer Costs: A Labor-led inquiry into Australia’s payments system recommends the competition watchdog investigate about $2b in credit card fees charged by Visa and Mastercard, and also look at Apple Pay’s market power. Government Integrity & Privacy: Two EY employees have been charged over alleged unauthorised access to Commonwealth Bank systems involving Prime Minister Albanese’s personal banking details, raising fresh questions about insider risk controls in major contractors. Public Service Pressure in Queensland: Queensland has acknowledged vulnerable children were made to sleep on floors in child safety offices, with critics calling for duty-of-care scrutiny. Telecom Transparency: New ACMA rules standardising mobile coverage mapping have cut Telstra’s claimed coverage by almost 1 million square kilometres, reshaping how Australians compare network performance. Maritime Workforce & Skills: The government has announced grants under the Maritime Skills and Training Initiative to fund trainee and cadet sea time, targeting critical shortages in Australia’s maritime sector. Pacific Disaster Readiness: SPC and WFP trained Pacific humanitarian warehouse officers in Brisbane, building logistics capability for faster disaster response. Education & Antisemitism: New federal threshold standards will require universities to show how they prevent and respond to antisemitism and other racism, with accreditation linked to compliance from mid-July.