Pacific Sport Diplomacy: Fiji has formally joined Australia’s Pacific Rugby League Partnership, signing on alongside PNG, Samoa and Tonga, with a $250m, government-funded push for grassroots rugby league, school programs, violence prevention and youth initiatives, plus more NRL/NRLW matches staged in Pacific island nations. Gambling Regulation: Labor’s last-minute gambling reforms are now in parliament, including a crackdown on betting inducements and limits on commissions for affiliate agents, after a Senate committee report said the package was “too little, too late” and not an evidence-led public health response. Human Rights & Transnational Repression: Human Rights Watch alleges China is pressuring Uyghur Australians visiting Xinjiang, including interrogations and demands to monitor diaspora activists, raising fears of chilling effects on rights in Australia. Disability Policy: NDIS changes are expected to pass this week amid disability community alarm, with senators arguing cuts will harm participants and shift costs elsewhere. Justice System & Legal Need: The Law Council warns proposed law-making could increase demand on courts and tribunals, arguing governments must consider downstream justice impacts. Public Safety & Firearms: NSW’s gun buyback is set to start in November, with compensation tiers and a national response framed around preventing another Bondi-style attack, while farmers and shooters criticise the scheme’s fairness. Data Centres: NSW has unveiled a “nation-leading” datacentre pathway with faster assessment for proposals meeting energy, grid, water and environmental principles, but no automatic rejection for non-compliant plans.