New ABS data reveals property investor lending fell sharply by nearly 9% in the June quarter, with investors pulling back from established homes while investments in new builds reached record highs following tax changes and interest rate hikes.
Nearly 2.2 million Australians, or one in 10, live below the wellbeing poverty line, with very low life satisfaction doubling since 2014, according to ABS data. This surge, linked to Covid lockdowns and soaring cost of living, correlates with increased alienation and lower support for multiculturalism, impacting social cohesion.
Global crypto adoption declined in Q1 with retail volumes falling 11% year-over-year to $979 billion, marking the second consecutive quarterly contraction and sharpest pullback since the 2022 bear market. The decline was driven by a stronger US dollar, higher interest rates and a risk-off environment, coinciding with Bitcoin's 22% price drop from its late-2025 peak above $126,000. Advanced economies including the US, South Korea, UK and Germany posted steepest declines, while Turkey, Latin America and South Asia showed resilience.
