The Loop: Monkeypox reaches Australia, phone voters warned about potential delays, now's the time to do Vote Compass

Hi there. It's Friday, May 20 and you're reading The Loop, a quick wrap-up of today's news.

Let's start here

On today's episode of The Absolute Last Thing We Need Right Now: Two cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in Australia (one in Melbourne and another in Sydney).

Dozens of cases of the viral infection have been either confirmed or are under investigation across the US, Canada, Europe and the UK in recent weeks.

It usually tends to be mild in presentation, but the alarm was raised because the disease is usually only found in west and central Africa, and rarely spreads elsewhere.

What else is going on

• Actor Craig McLachlan has discontinued his defamation proceedings against the ABC, Nine Newspapers and former co-star Christie Whelan Browne on the day the defence case was set to begin
• Changes to phone voting eligibility rules will be made to ensure all Australians with COVID-19 will be allowed to vote in the federal election, but people who do need to vote by phone have been urged to be patient due to the sudden jump in demand
• A Sydney court has heard evidence accused murderer Chris Dawson arranged for his wife Lynette's signature to be forged on life insurance paperwork after she disappeared.

What Australia has been searching for online

• Where to vote. It makes sense that this is trending at the moment — if you haven't voted already, you'll need to do so tomorrow. This personal voter pocket guide will help you find out where to go, how to cast your ballot if you're unfamiliar with the process, and remind you who's running in your electorate.
• Harry's House. Yep, Harry Styles' long-awaited third solo album is officially out and setting the internet (and my heart) on fire.

One more thing

In case you somehow got through this entire Loop without realising: Tomorrow's election day.

That means it's getting pretty close to your last chance to complete Vote Compass, our interactive tool that maps out where you fit on the political spectrum.

It doesn't take long at all to complete, really gets you thinking about the big issues, and is kinda fun to do, too.

So, if you're not one of the 1.3 million people who has already participated, check it out and see where you stand.

You're up to date

Thanks for reading.

ABC/wires