Good morning.
The Middle East crisis is again threatening to boil over as Israel’s air defence systems intercept missiles fired by Iran in response to escalating airstrikes by Israeli forces against the suburbs of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut.
The housing market is cooling off after the government’s changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount. But that doesn’t mean the obstacles confronting first home buyers have vanished.
Alexander Zverev has conquered the clay court at Roland Garros to win the French Open men’s title. Plus: take our Arias music quiz to find out how well you’ve kept up with years of Australia’s chart toppers.
Australia
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Order in the court? | A high court justice has accused the Samuel Griffith Society of a US-style attempt to stack the judiciary with conservatives – creating a new front in Australia’s culture wars.
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Housing crisis | Australia’s housing market is cooling as Labor’s reforms kick in but, with a Sydney flat with a broken shower still costing nearly $1m, first home buyers are still being squeezed.
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Survival songs | A priceless book of Yiddish songs from the Holocaust lay in a Sydney cupboard for decades. After almost being thrown in the recycling bin after its owner died, it has now been rescued.
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‘It’s a rare moment’ | Sydney’s newest bushland park has been created at the site of an old abandoned quarry atop an ancient volcano, transforming an industrial site into a peaceful green escape.
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King’s Birthday | Among the recipients of top honours is former leader of the Australian Democrats Natasha Stott Despoja, recognised for her work on South Australia’s royal commission into family violence.
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‘One of our own’ | The One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, told a rally in support of Ben Roberts-Smith that the former SAS soldier charged with war crimes in April is a person “I respect and I admire”.
World
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Middle East crisis | Israel says Iran has launched missiles towards its territory after Tehran threatened to respond to escalating Israeli airstrikes against Beirut’s suburbs; and the UK is readying sanctions against Israel to deter proposed illegal West Bank settlement.
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Russia-Ukraine war | A Russian drone has damaged a building used to store spent nuclear fuel close to the disused Chornobyl nuclear power plant, in what Ukraine’s president called a deliberate attack; Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met key allies in London as he aims to build on strikes against Russia.
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Speech condemned | Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, has been accused by historians and campaigners of “grotesque stupidity” after he sought to link immigration to the D-day anniversary.
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World Cup tensions | A diplomatic war of words has broken out over the US visa status for several members of Iran’s 2026 World Cup delegation, with just days to go until the tournament kicks off.
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Mass en masse | More than a million people filled Madrid’s streets to join Pope Leo in an open-air mass where the pontiff urged followers to dedicate themselves “to the poor, to those who suffer”.
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Going sky high | There are warnings air fare rises are “inevitable” as airlines around the world face spending an extra $140bn on jet fuel this year after the US-Israel war with Iran choked off oil supplies.
Full Story
Why diphtheria is spreading in remote Indigenous communities
Australia is facing the largest outbreak of diphtheria, dubbed a “disease of poverty”, in living memory. For decades, the highly contagious and life-threatening bacterial disease was almost eradicated but now it is spreading in remote Indigenous communities around the country. Nour Haydar speaks with Sarah Collard and Douglas Smith about what is being done to stop the spread of the disease.
In-depth
Australia’s endangered spiny crayfish can be found in pockets across a massive range, from the far north of Queensland to South Australia, from rainforests to alpine bogs. But global heating is drying out the creeks the spinies call home and making their habitats more susceptible to bushfires. Graham Readfearn speaks to those fighting to save this relic of Australia’s ancient past.
Not the news
We’ve delved into all the Aria charts since 1988 to find out who Australians can’t stop listening to – as Australia’s chart history reveals big changes to our listening habits and highlights how local artists face a fight to be heard. So, how well have you been listening? Take our quiz.
Sport
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Tennis | Alexander Zverev has won his first grand slam after holding off Flavio Cobolli in a tense five-set French Open final; Serena Williams has played down a potential singles return before doubles at Queen’s.
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World Cup | The Socceroos playing on football’s biggest stage in my adopted country would normally have me racing to book tickets – but not this year, Tom Hawking writes.
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Motorsport | Kimi Antonelli held his nerve to win a chaotic F1 Monaco GP after a late red flag, with Australian driver Oscar Piastri finishing fourth.
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Football | Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen is conscious after collapsing on the pitch during an international friendly.
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Cricket | England ended New Zealand’s brief resistance to seal victory at Lord’s in first Test.
Media roundup
The surge in date centre investment in Victoria and New South Wales is eclipsing the economic impacts of Australia’s early 2010s mining boom, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. A leading domestic violence expert is calling for abusive partners to be held to account for suicides sometimes called “slow femicides”, the Age reports.
What’s happening today
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Public holiday | Today is the King’s Birthday public holiday in ACT, NSW, the Northern Territory, SA, Tasmania and Victoria.
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Sport | The selection trials for the Australian swim team for the Commonwealth Games are set to begin at Sydney’s Olympic Park.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
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