Home disadvantage: risks in housing markets

Rising bond yields threaten global housing markets, marking a shift from the pandemic-era resilience that kept prices high despite interest rate hikes. Unlike 2021, households now lack excess savings, and the increased prevalence of variable-rate mortgages makes the market significantly more vulnerable to rising borrowing costs. Simultaneously, Australia’s social media ban for under-16s remains largely ineffective, as teenagers bypass restrictions through simple workarounds, highlighting the fundamental limitations of age-assurance technology and enforcement. Meanwhile, the Israeli television series *Fauda* serves as a cultural study in trauma, using fiction to process the events of October 7th. By recreating the carnage, the show acts as a stage for grief and a reflection of hardened public sentiment, demonstrating how narrative media can articulate complex emotional realities that dry news reports often fail to capture.