Morning Briefing
One Nation is polling as Australia's most popular party by primary vote — a genuinely unprecedented moment in Australian politics — and it's happening while Labor grapples with falling house prices, a wobbly AUKUS narrative, and a crypto market in freefall. It's a chaotic news day, and that's before you get to Bitcoin shedding nearly a quarter of its value overnight.
What Matters Today
- One Nation hits record primary vote: New Redbridge polling has Pauline Hanson's party sitting higher than any other on primary votes — a first in Australian political history. The Liberals should be deeply uncomfortable. Guardian AU
- AUKUS under pressure: Labor is increasingly sensitive about defending one of the most expensive commitments in Australian history, with "secondhand subs" criticism and Trump's unpredictability making the sales pitch harder by the day. Guardian AU
- Bondi hero charged with assault: Ahmed al Ahmed — who became a national hero after disarming a gunman in the 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack — has been charged with assault and is denying the allegations. Complicated. SBS News
- Australian housing cooling — but how cold? Prices were already sliding before the budget, and economists are split on whether chronic undersupply will eventually rescue the market once rates ease. Labor is stuck in a political no-win on this. Guardian AU
- Putin rules out direct Zelensky talks: The Russian president says there's "no point" meeting Zelensky face-to-face, shutting down the Ukrainian leader's public call for direct negotiations. The war grinds on. BBC World
- Xi heading to Pyongyang: Xi Jinping will make a rare visit to North Korea — weeks after meeting both Trump and Putin. The diplomatic chess is moving fast and Kim is suddenly very relevant again. BBC World
- Melbourne finally gets tap-and-go on public transport: Almost a decade after Sydney, Melburnians can now use phones and cards instead of Myki on select services. Better late than never, Victoria. Guardian AU
Markets
Wall Street had a strong session — S&P 500 up 1.72% and NASDAQ up 1.51% — driven by a better-than-expected US jobs report (third consecutive beat) boosting confidence the economy can handle current rates. The ASX 200 bucked the trend, slipping 0.64%, likely dragged by a weaker AUD and risk-off flows locally. Speaking of which, the Aussie dollar is getting smacked — down 1.69% to 0.705 — reflecting diverging rate outlooks between the RBA and the Fed. The big story though is crypto: Bitcoin is down nearly 24% to around $61.5k and Ethereum has cratered over 32% to $1,603. Gold also sold off hard, dropping 4.48% — suggesting a broad risk and safe-haven unwind rather than a simple rotation. Something to watch closely.
Worth a Read
- Anthony Head has died aged 72. Giles from Buffy, Hendricks from Ted Lasso — a genuinely beloved actor who brought quiet gravitas to everything he touched. Worth pausing on today. Guardian AU tribute here.
- The Everest guide who survived six days eating chocolate and chewing ice is the feel-good survival story you need right now. Dawa Sherpa was spotted alive by a cleaning crew slowly sliding down the mountain. BBC World has the full story.
- SETI updates its protocols for announcing alien contact — yes, really. The alien-hunting community has released new guidelines on handling potential signals from intelligent life to prevent misinformation spirals. Given the current media environment, honestly fair enough. Guardian AU.
- Trump is meeting AI company leaders next week to discuss US investment in their firms. Given the market volatility and his administration's track record of chaotic policy, this one is worth watching — AI infrastructure spending has been one of the few bipartisan bright spots. BBC Tech.