Guardian Australia

Morning Mail: Iran launches missiles against Israel, homebuyers squeezed, Alexander Zverev wins French Open

Want to get this in your inbox every weekday? Sign up for the Morning Mail here , and finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter 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. 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 . 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 . 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 . ‘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 . 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. ‘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” . Continue reading...