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Today's Briefing
AI & TechnologyGoogle just declared war on the future of search. At its I/O developer conference, the company unveiled Gemini 3.5 Flash and a fleet of AI agents designed to handle tasks, not just answer questions. The shift is stark: Google is betting its next wave on agents that book, buy, and browse on your behalf — not chatbots that merely chat. The headline product is Gemini Spark, a 24/7 agentic assistant that integrates directly with Gmail. You can now talk to your inbox, ask it to summarise threads, draft replies, or flag what matters. Google's AI Studio also lets anyone build Android apps in minutes — no coding required. Meanwhile, Gemini Omni can transform images, audio, and text into video. The old Google Search experience? Effectively over. Google also announced audio-powered smart glasses, taking a page from Meta's playbook. And its Genie world model can now simulate real streets using Street View data — a glimpse at AI that understands physical space, not just text. Australian Business & FinanceLabor's proposed tax overhaul is spooking the startup sector. Founders and investors are warning the changes could chill capital flows and push early-stage companies offshore. The policy aims to close loopholes, but critics say it risks punishing innovation at precisely the wrong time. Developers are gaming the affordable housing scheme, funnelling luxury apartments through a system meant to boost supply for ordinary Australians. Projects in affluent suburbs are winning approval under rules designed for essential worker housing. The gap between policy intent and market reality is widening. In South Australia, drought-stricken farmers are seeing green shoots after rain — literally. Years of hardship may finally be easing in the Riverland and Mallee regions. World Markets & Global BusinessEbola is spreading faster than initially feared in eastern DR Congo. The WHO warns the outbreak may be outpacing containment efforts, with fear gripping communities. There's no vaccine available for this strain — a worrying gap as case numbers climb. A Jackson Pollock painting sold for a record $181 million at auction, underscoring how trophy art remains a magnet for global wealth even amid economic uncertainty. In Spain, two people died and babies were reportedly among the injured in a shooting — a reminder that instability flares without warning. The Big PictureVanuatu has accused both Australia and China of "undermining" its sovereignty, even as it signs security pacts with both. It's a pointed rebuke to Canberra's Pacific strategy — and a signal that smaller nations are no longer content to be pawns. Australia's influence in the region is being tested. The Musk-Altman OpenAI trial revealed an uncomfortable truth: both men once held similar ambitions for the organisation. Musk claimed Altman "stole" a non-profit, but courtroom evidence showed their visions weren't so different. The case exposes the messy, ego-driven origins of the AI race. Scroll down for the full digest and today's top AI, world, and Australian stories.
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