Good morning. Thomas Morgan here with your AM NewsMail.

Victorian fire authorities are continuing to battle a series of major blazes across the state, a day after confirming the first fatality in the bushfire emergency. We'll get to coverage of the latest developments there in a moment.

Also making headlines: how residents in an American city are reacting after an immigration raid turned deadly, our reporter's analysis of a face-to-face interview with the Taliban, and why Australia still doesn't have any Michelin star restaurants.

Victorian bushfire emergency: Authorities are bracing for another day battling blazes across the state. It comes after police confirmed a man's death in the Longwood fire near the central Victorian town of Seymour. Follow the latest developments on our live blog.

Community standing strong: The town of Harcourt is rallying around those who have lost everything after three local businesses and 47 houses were razed by bushfire on Friday evening. As locals like Patrick Pratt, above, pick through what remains of their homes, ordinary community members are doing what they can to help them.

Keep up to date with the latest information on ABC Emergency or tune into your local ABC Radio station.

On the ground in Minneapolis: Our North America correspondent Phoebe Hosier visits a community on edge after last week's fatal ICE shooting of a mother-of-three. It's not the first time the city has been enraged by a death at the hands of law enforcement, and like with George Floyd, Renee Nicole Good's death is now sparking an all-too-familiar national conversation.

Inside Afghanistan: Meanwhile, the ABC has also been granted access to the Taliban-controlled country and given the chance to interview the organisation's chief spokesman. As our South Asia correspondent Meghna Bali writes, Zabihullah Mujahid's comments expose the Taliban's gap between narrative and reality as Afghans grapple with the overlapping crises of poverty, hunger, displacement and loss.

Iran protests: The death toll from weeks of demonstrations against Iran's theocratic government has topped 500, a leading US-based human rights group says. More than 10,600 people have also been detained. The US President Donald Trump is reported to be briefed tomorrow on how he could intervene.

Cuba tensions: And while Mr Trump weighs up his involvement in the Middle East, his administration continues to ramp up its efforts in the Americas. The president is warning Cuba to strike a deal with Washington "before it is too late".

• Bondi vigil: Thousands have attended an emotional service at the world-famous beach to honour those killed in last month's terror attack. Among the touching moments was a rendition of Waltzing Matilda being performed in tribute to the youngest victim, 10-year-old Matilda.
• 'Crucial time in Australian sport': Female athletes have told a landmark study by ABC Sport they are underpaid, discriminated against, and mistreated. The study shows that while progress has been made, there are still significant challenges that need to be addressed.
• Weight loss jab: Wegovy is set to be added to the PBS, but only those with severe obesity will be eligible. That will drastically cut the cost of treatment for people at the highest risk, but the government won't say what the cost will be to taxpayers.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Can't shake that intrusive thought? Radio National's All In the Mind looks at why that could be a sign of OCD, and how the disorder presents itself. 

— That's Tony Schifilliti, the head chef at Sydney restaurant Sixpenny, remarking on how Australia is struggling to gain attention on the global culinary stage.

And one reason for that: you can't find a single Michelin-starred restaurant in Australia. The guide helps foodies find some of the best dining spots in every corner of the globe, but there's a reason it has never ventured down under.  So should the taxpayer foot the bill to help change that?

The first day of kindy can often be a nerve-racking experience, and not just for children. Any parent will tell you they worry for how their kids may cope with the transition.

That's why our lifestyle team has put together this helpful deep dive looking into the ways parents can make settling a child into care or kindy a lot more gentle.

And that's it for today. Thanks for reading our first NewsMail of 2026. We'll be back tomorrow with more.

Thomas and the ABC News Digital team.

Firefighters continue to battle fires across the state after the grim news that a person had been found dead and at least 390,000 hectares burnt. Follow live.