Good morning.
Amid higher interest rates and soaring living costs, new data shows how the percentage of income that Australian mortgage holders are spending on their loans has rocketed to levels not seen since before the 2008 global financial crisis.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is warning that an mpox outbreak in Africa resembles the early days of HIV. And, it was thought a giant stone at England’s Neolithic Stonehenge monument originated in Wales – but archaeologists now say it came from much further away.
Australia
Housing pressure | Mortgage holders are spending well over 20% of their pre-tax income on their loans, representing one of the highest levels on record, data compiled by the Commonwealth Bank shows.
Paul Brereton | The perceived conflict that resulted in the anti-corruption commissioner recusing himself from decisions on robodebt referrals was an apparent “close association” relating to his service in the army reserve.
London stabbing | An 11-year-old girl who was stabbed eight times in Leicester Square this week is an Australian national visiting London with her mother at the time of the attack.
Exclusive | As it seeks to keep pace with scientific advances, the government is set to announce an inquiry looking to modernise human tissue laws last comprehensively reviewed 50 years ago.
Online advertising | More than half of cryptocurrency-related ads on Facebook analysed by Australia’s consumer regulator were scams or violated Meta’s policies, a court has heard.
World
Gaza crisis | There are reports Israeli forces in Gaza are “using Palestinian civilians as human shields” against possible booby-traps – the IDF says the use of human shields is banned, that orders had been “clarified” to troops on the ground, and the allegations would be reviewed. Meanwhile, Hamas is unlikely to take part in a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks.
Russia-Ukraine war | Ukrainian forces are continuing to advance into Russian territory, says Volodymyr Zelenskiy. And with foreign troops on his territory, how will Vladimir Putin respond to the Kursk invasion?
Mpox alarm | There are calls for increased vaccinations and testing, as the World Health Organization declares that an mpox outbreak in Africa is a public health emergency resembling the early days of HIV.
‘Genuinely shocking’ | New analysis has found that the largest “bluestone” at Stonehenge was dragged or floated to the site of the Neolithic monument from the very north-east corner of Scotland.
Imane Khelif | JK Rowling and Elon Musk have been named in a cyberbullying lawsuit filed in France by the Olympic champion boxer who was the subject of a global gender eligibility row.
Full Story
Why is no one counting murdered Indigenous women and children?
The report from parliament’s inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and children is due to be released today – for one Bourke family, it’s another step on a long road for police accountability. Lorena Allam speaks with Nour Haydar about the families who won’t stop fighting for justice – and why it’s time for reform. Plus: the violent patterns that haunt Indigenous women.
In-depth
Peak bodies have argued that the revenue from gambling advertising flows through to grassroots teams and sport development across Australia. But experts told an inquiry that tobacco companies made similar claims before governments and commercial entities stepped up with sponsorships. So, would banning gambling ads damage children’s sports – and could a partial ban work?
Not the news
Sauna has long been a way of life in northern Europe, where friends and family routinely gather to sit, chat and sweat before dunking themselves in cold water or snow, then repeating. In the past few years Australia’s once limited sauna options have expanded, bringing the joy of stripping off and sweating it out to the mainstream – and, just maybe, changing Australian attitudes to public nudity.
The world of sport
Surfing | After conquering a famed 50-foot wave, Australian blind surfer Matt Formston is seeking Paralympic inclusion.
Football | Ten potential breakout stars who could light up the Premier League this season. And Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal prepare for battle in La Liga’s next epic tale.
Cycling | Dutch delight as Puck Pieterse takes stage four of the Tour de France Femmes.
Media roundup
The ABC is reporting that patients are having to stay in hospital care units longer because doctors are rationing IV fluids amid a critical global shortage. The energy regulator says renewables could dominate the electricity grid within the decade – if the grid gets the right upgrades, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. A secret government report reveals that taxes, licences and permits are weighing down businesses in Victoria more than in other states, reports the Age.
What’s happening today
ACT | The report from parliament’s inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and children will be released this afternoon.
Diplomacy | New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon is due to touch down in Australia for a two-day visit.
ABS | The latest labour force and average weekly earnings figures are set to be published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. And check out the full list of our local and international newsletters, including The Stakes, your guide to the twists and turns of the US presidential election.
Prefer notifications? If you’re reading this in our app, just click here and tap “Notifications” on the next screen for an instant alert when we publish every morning.
Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
