Middle East Risk: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned ASEAN leaders that Iran’s proposed tolling of the Strait of Hormuz would set a dangerous precedent for global trade, as diplomats push for de-escalation. Indo-Pacific Diplomacy: Rubio also met India’s S Jaishankar in Manila to accelerate an “almost complete” interim trade deal and advance defence agreements, while the Quad reaffirmed support for a free and open Indo-Pacific and ASEAN centrality. Housing Pressure: Research for the Australian Property Institute says Labor’s tax changes (negative gearing and CGT discount changes) are weighing more on home prices than recent RBA rate hikes, with clearance rates staying below 50%. Mortgage Stress: A new report finds 421,725 households in mortgage stress across the 80 most affected postcodes, with the sharpest deterioration in Perth and rising pressure in some blue-chip suburbs. ASX & Markets: ASX futures point to a rise as oil climbs on Iran tensions; investors await Australia’s June jobs data and key US earnings. Tech & Regulation: France passed a social media ban for under-15s but stripped out enforcement mechanics, leaving platforms’ verification approach to regulators. AI & Media: News Corp sued Brave over alleged AI scraping of copyrighted journalism, escalating the fight over content licensing. Energy & Industry: Councils urged China builders to fix Australia’s housing crisis, while a new off-grid gas data centre plan targets up to 2GW near Darwin.