Morning everyone. Our top story this morning highlights the plight of asylum seekers detained on Manus and now stranded in Papua New Guinea who face being made homeless this week because they can’t afford to pay their rent. We also look at new rules banning life insurance companies making people pay higher premiums based on genetic testing, we investigate an unusual trend in the New South Wales local elections, the US presidential debate begins in a couple of hours and the Socceroos are frustrated again.
Australia
Marsupial match | The greater glider and the koala are facing off in Australia’s marsupial of the year vote but there are hopes the brush-tailed phascogale (above) – the males of which “mate themselves to death” – could win over voters.
Exclusive | Asylum seekers stranded in Papua New Guinea have been threatened with eviction if an alleged $110,000 rental arrears debt is not paid, leading to urgent calls for the Australian government to intervene to prevent them becoming “homeless”. Nurul Chawdury, who fled Bangladesh and arrived in Australia by boat in 2013, told us: “Our situation is dire, we are miserable.”
Insurance policy | Life insurance companies will be banned from discriminating against people based on genetic testing under federal government moves designed to encourage greater use of predictive technology in preventative health.
Uni broadside | The chair of Universities Australia will today accuse both sides of parliament of using the tertiary education sector as a “political plaything” in a scathing critique of Labor’s proposed international student cap.
Town can ‘heal’ | The regional New South Wales town of Bungendore will finally get a high school after four years of legal headaches after the announcement of the $71m project by then state deputy premier John Barilaro.
World
Harris v Trump | Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are making their final preparations for their first televised debate as a new poll gives her the edge in the race for the White House. You can follow the debate lead-up live here and here’s all you need to know about the format. It kicks off at 11am AEST.
Missile delivery | Russia has received new ballistic missiles from Iran for use in Ukraine and is likely to use them, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, announced in London overnight as he prepared to travel with the UK foreign secretary to Kyiv.
‘Forced’ adoption | South Korea has found new evidence that mothers – primarily single mothers – were forced from the 1950s to give up their children for adoption in countries including Australia, Denmark and the United States.
Diddy rap | A man who accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting him has won a $100m judgment after the rapper, music producer and businessman failed to contest the allegations in a civil courthouse in Michigan.
South Africa killings | A South African farmer and two of his employees have been accused of killing two women and feeding their bodies to his pigs.
Full Story
David Pocock on the threat of election deepfakes
Independent senator David Pocock tells Reged Ahmad why he thinks time is running out to address the threat of election AI deepfakes.
In-depth
Gone are the days, it seems, when local elections were all about garbage collection and mowing the nature strip. The forthcoming polls in New South Wales feature two groups campaigning on broader issues: one called We Vote for Palestine seeks to wedge the main parties for their broad support for Israel and another called Better Council is attacking the Greens for being so radical that they can’t “properly provide services for residents”. Catie McLeod and Mostafa Rachwani took to the streets to find out more.
Not the news
The latest target for Nicholas Jordan’s regular taste tests is that all-important staple, the supermarket choc-chip cookie. When he was a kid he would have dreamed of being able to eat 15 cookies in one sitting, but on this assignment he was “bludgeoned with mediocrity” while another reviewer vowed never to eat another one again. Find out which one came out on top.
The world of sport
World Cup qualifier | Graham Arnold insists the Socceroos’ hopes of qualifying directly for the 2026 World Cup aren’t dead yet but was once again left to lament missed chances in a costly 0-0 draw with Indonesia in Jakarta.
Cricket | Mitch Marsh will lead Australia into a series of T20 and ODIs against England this week with a squad packed full of new faces to face the old enemy.
Football | The Stockport assistant coach Andy Mangan has been denied a move to Real Madrid after being refused a work permit because of Brexit.
Media roundup
The Age has a photo of the Wikileaks founder in Melbourne with his father as they prepare to bid for a US presidential pardon. Australia is spending more on private schools and less on public ones than the global average, according to figures in WAtoday. The Melbourne tobacco wars are about to spread into South Australia, the Herald Sun claims.
What’s happening today
Technology | Meta executives will answer questions at the inquiry into adopting artificial intelligence.
Education | Universities Australia’s chair, Prof David Lloyd, will speak at the National Press Club.
Victoria | A pre-sentence hearing for an Indigenous leader and family accused of fraud.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
