Overnight, it was announced Irish singer-songwriter and activist Sinéad O’Connor has passed away at the age of 56. The singer was best known for her hit ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, released in 1990.

In a statement to BBC, her family said: "Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time."

The quote
"You know I don’t speak French!" – Former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop’s response to speculation she’s been offered the role of Ambassador to France.

The stat
800,000
The fall in population in Japan in 2022, according to the latest figures released by Japan’s internal affairs ministry. It is the 14th consecutive year-on-year decrease in population.

Today in history
1940: Bugs Bunny officially debuted.

Some headlines from this morning:

Matildas player Mary Fowler won't play in tonight’s World Cup match against Nigeria after sustaining a mild concussion in a training session on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old striker was in the starting team for the Matildas' opening match victory against Ireland last week.

Veteran defender Aivi Luik also sustained a concussion in a separate incident to Fowler, and will also be unavailable. They've both recovered and have entered return-to-play protocols.

Matildas captain Sam Kerr will also be unavailable for tonight’s match.

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Prices were 6% higher for June than the previous year, according to the latest official inflation figures.

While the result is still high, it's below the peak of about 8% reached late last year and is the latest sign the cost of living crisis may be starting to ease.

However, rents are still growing at the fastest rate since 1988, fuelled by a severe housing shortage.

Quick refresher:
Inflation measures price growth. It summarises prices in around 90 categories (e.g. fruit, rent, furniture). When inflation is high and unpredictable, your money buys less.

Like many countries, Australia has been battling high inflation. The RBA wants inflation to fall back to 2-3%.

Note: 'Falling' inflation doesn't mean falling prices, it means prices are rising at a slower rate than before.

Yesterday’s numbers:
Yesterday’s update gave us figures for the June quarter (April-June). Over those three months, prices rose 0.8%, the lowest result in nearly two years.

Some prices actually fell, including transport and utilities costs, which have previously been among the fastest risers.

However, there were two areas of continued concern: rent prices and non-essential spending.

Rent prices:
Rents rose 2.5% in the last quarter, the worst result since 1988.

The main reason is that rental properties have been at record-low levels of availability, driven by a lack of supply.

Inflation was higher for units than for houses.

Non-essential spending:
Another category of concern is 'discretionary' (non-essential) spending, which includes travel, recreation and many retail items.

A year ago, inflation was dominated by price rises for essentials. Most essentials (except rent) are now slowing down.

By contrast, prices for discretionary items are growing faster than they were a year ago. This may concern the RBA because it suggests that, despite recent interest rate rises, some Australians are continuing to spend at a high rate.

Get all the news you need to know today in your ears on The Daily Aus podcast!

Louise Taylor has become Australia's first female First Nations Supreme Court judge.

Taylor, a Kamilaroi woman, was appointed to the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday as the territory's sixth judge.

Feeling the winter social slump? You're not alone. In a recent survey of young adults (18-25), 72% struggle to socially connect in winter. However, it's important to remember that staying socially active is just as crucial as being physically active for a healthy life.

With VicHealth's Reality Check initiative, we're here to remind you (and ourselves at TDA) to prioritise face-to-face moments. Joining a local sports team or scheduling regular dinners with your friends can break up the day-to-day routine and make a real difference. It may sound simple, but you might be surprised by the impact it can have on your overall well-being!

As mentioned above, the Aussies are playing tonight in the Women’s World Cup.

But have you heard of the other Aussie we should be keeping an eye on this World Cup?

His name is Alen Stajcic and he’s the former head coach of the Matildas. He was sacked in 2019 after an internal cultural review. It was controversial at the time – Sam Kerr said she believed Stajcic was “the best coach” to “lead us to the World Cup final”.

Then, during lockdown in Sydney in 2021, Stajcic received a call asking if he wanted to coach the Philippines women’s national team - a team that had never qualified for a FIFA World Cup. He accepted a short-term contract. He says when he started coaching, each player was only able to play 20 minutes at a time.

Fast forward to January 2022 and they became the first team in the Philippines’ history (men’s or women’s) to qualify for a FIFA World Cup.

Stajcic started receiving offers from other national teams, but he decided he wanted to see the team through to the World Cup. And then, on Tuesday, the Philippines beat New Zealand (a host nation) in a 1-0 victory.

After the win, Stajcic said it had “to be one of the biggest wins in the history of sport in the country.”

“It’s just staggering, miraculous, and unbelievable. What the players have done, it’s just mind-blowing.”