Radio National Breakfast

Coverage and analysis of national and international events.

Ask any cricketer, and they'll tell you choosing a cricket bat is a deeply personal experience - it's sometimes likened to choosing a wand in Harry Potter.For the most part, bat choices are limited to a handful of major brands which dominate the market.But this Ashes series saw a new debutant.

It reeks of chlorine, sounds like kids screaming and is a summer essential for so many Australians.But the public pool is under threat with about 40 per cent of Australia's aging swimming pools set to close by 20-30.Some communities across the country have accepted that this summer will be another year without a local watering hole despite pressure from locals to keep them open.

It's been two and a half months since the US brokered ceasefire in Gaza came into effect and now some cautious signs of progress in the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory.The United Nations' Children's Fund says famine has been "pushed back" in Gaza but the UN warns the situation remains critical.More than 100,000 people are still facing catastrophic hunger and the global hunger monitor or IPC says the gains are very fragile warning famine could quickly retur

Olympic swimmer Cate Campbell shares her summer reading list with Barbara MillerCurrently reading:The Names by Florence KnappSummer list:Mabel by Sally HepworthThe Testaments by Margaret Atwood