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Good morning!
From 8am AEST today, the Met Gala red carpet begins on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
This year’s theme? “Costume Art“.
Get the group chats ready!
I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “ Bondi holds many complicated and conflicting feelings for me currently, it was somewhere where my parents had started their history together…I had actually spent a lot of time there with my children… and now Bondi holds a really, really heavy weight in our community's heart.”
Daughter of Bondi terror attack victim Reuven Morrison, Sheina Gutnick, giving evidence on the first day of public hearings for the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
The stat: 27. The number of planets that UNSW scientists have discovered which orbit two stars instead of one.
The big question:
Do you think Australia is headed for a recession in the next six months?
Yesterday’s results: 40% of you exercise 3-4 times a week, while 37% of you said you exercise five times or more. 6% of you said you never exercise during the week, and 17% of you said you exercise 1-2 times per week. [2,865 votes]. Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research.
Quick hits
🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, Emma and Billi explain the alleged murder of Kumanjayi Little Baby.
💶 Want to unpack how the RBA’s decision this afternoon impacts you? Sign up to TDA Finance here to make sure the explainer is in your inbox on Wednesday morning.
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I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has dismissed suggestions Australia could lease submarines from Japan if the AUKUS deal fails, during a visit from the Asian nation's leader. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in Canberra on Sunday ahead of talks with Anthony Albanese at Parliament House. The visit marks 50 years since the signing of a treaty which established relations between the two countries. Talks are expected to focus on energy and defence, but Wong downplayed reports the Government wants to negotiate a Japanese back-up for AUKUS – the $368 billion submarine deal with the U.S. and UK. "We have a clear AUKUS plan, that is our focus," she told Nine on Monday. A deal on critical minerals is expected, while Takaichi is likely to seek assurances from Australia about gas supplies. It is the first time a Japanese PM has visited Australia since 2022.
A British tanker has reportedly been hit in the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump said his country would start helping ships stranded in the Gulf. Trump said starting Monday, his “Project Freedom” plan would aid ships and crews that are running low on food and other supplies. Hundreds of ships and as many as 20,000 seafarers are stranded near the vital waterway, according to the International Maritime Organisation. Soon after Trump’s comments, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker had reported being hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait. The agency said all crew were reported safe in the incident. Iranian officials described Trump’s announcement as delusional, and said any U.S. interference in the Strait, “will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.”
Together with AAP.
Recommendation of the day
What happens when disaster relief meets Tinder?
A typhoon hits the Philippines, the Americans arrive, and suddenly rooftop parties are more organised than the relief effort.
SAVIOR is the world premiere debut play from comedian Happy Feraren with Griffin Theatre Company – a razor-sharp satire on the ego, excess and ethical gymnastics of international aid. Think Utopia meets The White Lotus, but make it humanitarian.
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I’ve got 1 minute
The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to raise the cash rate at its meeting this afternoon.
The cash rate is what the RBA charges banks for short-term loans. It affects interest rates across the economy, including home loans.
It comes a week after the Australian Bureau of Statistics announced the rate of inflation was 4.6% – a three-year high.
How it works
The RBA uses the cash rate as a tool to fight rising inflation.
If it deems inflation too high, it can increase the cash rate to try to limit spending. The higher the cash rate, the more expensive it is to borrow. With fewer people spending and borrowing, there is less upward pressure on prices, and inflation eases.
The RBA’s preferred measure of inflation is the trimmed mean, which excludes volatile prices, such as petrol, to better understand longer-term changes in prices. Currently, this is 3.3%, outside of the RBA’s target range of 2-3%.
Cash rate changes
At its most recent meeting in March, the RBA board increased the cash rate from 3.85% to 4.1%.
It said this was due to inflation caused by the U.S-Israel war with Iran.
Reporting by Lucy Tassell.
Want to know more? Subscribe to TDA’s weekly finance newsletter for a breakdown tomorrow morning.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Three people have died in an outbreak of a disease caused by exposure to infected rodents on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
The World Health Organisation said one case of hantavirus has been confirmed, with five more cases suspected.
One passenger is currently in intensive care, and two crew members “require urgent medical care”.
Here’s what you need to know.
Hantavirus
Hantavirus is a dangerous infectious disease spread by rodents. Humans can contract it if they come into contact with urine or faeces from an infected rodent.
The virus can cause a range of symptoms. Early signs include fever, muscle aches and fatigue, typically appearing one to eight weeks after infection.
People then develop a cough, shortness of breath and tightness in their chest.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 38% of infected people with these respiratory symptoms die.
In some cases, people develop haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, an illness causing bleeding and kidney failure.
There have been no reported cases of hantavirus in humans in Australia. However, it is still possible for rodents to carry the virus in Australia.
Cruise update
The ship, the MV Hondius, was sailing from Argentina to Cabo Verde, a country made up of several islands off the north-west coast of Africa.
Three passengers died on board the ship from the virus, one infected passenger is in hospital in South Africa, and two infected crew members remain on the ship.
The cruise ship company, Oceanwide Expeditions, said it was awaiting clearance from authorities in Cabo Verde to allow people to disembark for medical care.
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
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Give me some good news
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has named its 2026 Hall of Fame inductees.
Six Aussie acts – Jenny Morris, Kate Ceberano, Spiderbait, The Living End, Vika & Linda, and the late Gurrumul – will be honoured at a Hall of Fame ceremony in Sydney next month. The event will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of the ARIA Awards, the highest honour in Australian music. ARIA CEO, Annabelle Herd, said the inductees “represent the depth, diversity and enduring influence of Australian music across generations. Each of these artists has shaped how Australian music is heard and understood at home and around the world.”
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA titbit
Image Credit: REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon.
How well do you sleep? Well enough to win a power-napping contest?
The city council in Seoul, South Korea, held its third annual power nap competition on Saturday, and rest assured it was no snooze-fest.
The competition started at 3pm with participants sleeping in the Han River park.
An 80-year-old man won the competition, with judges even testing people’s heart rates to make sure their sleep was deep enough.
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
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