Julian Assange has been released from a British prison to seal a US plea deal. The WikiLeaks founder is due to be sentenced at a hearing on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific, before returning home to Australian soil. Foreign affairs and defence correspondent Daniel Hurst tells Nour Haydar what led up to the release and what happens now

Thirty years ago, 164 children born in inner-city Melbourne were selected to take part in a longitudinal study into inequality. Tracking the twists and turns of each child’s life into adulthood, the study examined issues such as housing, income, health and job opportunities. And asked – what really determines someone’s fate? Inequality reporter Stephanie Convery tells Jane Lee why inequality in Australia is ultimately a policy choice.

The Australian government rolled out the red carpet for China’s premier, Li Qiang, last week. And while both countries were keen to signal that relations were positive, protests and an attempt to block the view of an Australian journalist hinted at tensions sitting just beneath the surface. Jane Lee speaks to Guardian Australia’s foreign affairs and defence correspondent, Daniel Hurst, about the changing ties You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

In this year’s presidential election, there is hardly a more divisive issue than immigration. Earlier this month, Joe Biden signed an executive order to temporarily limit asylum claims on the southern border, but just two weeks later he announced a citizenship pathway for hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses. In his speech, he said: ‘I’m not interested in playing politics with the border or immigration; I’m interested in fixing it.’ As he faces accusations of being both too hard and too soft on the issue, will his political gamble pay off? Jonathan Freedland is joined this week by Dara Lind, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council

Peter Dutton wants to use the cost-of-living crisis to the opposition’s advantage. And while Australian households are under a huge amount of financial stress, polls show people feel Labor isn’t doing enough to help them where it hurts most. Bridie Jabour speaks to editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor and head of news Mike Ticher about why Australian politics is defined by the cost-of-living crisis

After months of speculation, opposition leader Peter Dutton revealed his party’s nuclear policy – naming seven power plant sites across the country but leaving many questions unanswered. Climate and environment editor Adam Morton and chief political correspondent Paul Karp join Nour Haydar to discuss the problems with the Coalition’s nuclear policy You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

Dozens of young female students in Victoria last week had innocuous photos of themselves taken from social media and manipulated into graphic nude images using artificial intelligence.Investigations reporter Ariel Bogle speaks to Nour Haydar about the dangers of deepfakes

Anthony Albanese came into government promising a new way of doing politics. Two years on, some of the gloss has come off the Labor government as the Coalition gains momentum in the polls. Political reporter Amy Remeikis tells Jane Lee why Labor is struggling in the polls and why we could expect an election before the end of the year

For women in violent or abusive relationships money can be a key factor that determines whether they stay or leave. Reporter Kate Lyons speaks to Nour Haydar about what she found after sitting in on financial abuse counselling sessions – and what needs to change to stop abuse

On Tuesday, Hunter Biden was found guilty on all three criminal charges relating to buying a handgun while being a user of crack cocaine. His father – the US president – was firm in his support for his son but also in his belief in the justice system. After Donald Trump was convicted in a New York court last month, rightwing pundits and Republican politicians were lining up to accuse the Biden administration of rigging the justice system for political advantage. Yet now the courts have convicted Biden’s own son. Jonathan Freedland is joined by Susan Glasser of the New Yorker to look at how the right has decided to spin this latest conviction