Good morning. CareFlight and police aircraft were expected to work through the night transporting injured soldiers from Melville Island, off the Northern Territory coast, after three United States marines were killed and at least five more injured in a defence aircraft crash.
Meanwhile, the head of Russia’s Wagner group was confirmed dead in a plane crash though forensic tests, the Australian government has dumped a project to modernise business records after it was projected to cost $2bn more than expected and hundreds of Australians are booking free naturopath appointments in lieu of more expensive healthcare.
Australia
Aircraft crash | The US military aircraft was carrying 23 personnel when it went down during a training exercise. Yesterday’s incident is the second in recent weeks involving a defence aircraft, after an Australian Taipan helicopter went down off the north Queensland coast in July, killing four.
Exclusive | Hundreds of free appointments with naturopaths have been booked through Woolworths subsidiary HealthyLife, as peak health bodies warn people are forgoing more expensive, evidence-based care due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Women in Stem | Female scientists are almost entirely omitted from Australian textbooks, a new study found, with researchers warning the “alarming” lack of representation could be contributing to the gender gap in the field of Stem.
Business | The Albanese government is abandoning an attempt to modernise the way businesses record public information such as the identity of company directors, after a review found the Coalition-era project would run more than $2bn over budget.
China | The detained Australian writer Yang Hengjun fears he could die in a Chinese prison from a worsening medical condition he says is not being properly treated.
World
Russia | The country’s investigative committee confirmed that the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was among 10 people killed in a plane crash.
Afghanistan | The Taliban have banned women from visiting one of Afghanistan’s most popular national parks, adding to a long list of restrictions aimed at shrinking women’s access to public places.
Greek fires | More than 600 firefighters, including reinforcements from several European countries – backed by a fleet of water-dropping planes and helicopters – are battling three major wildfires in Greece.
Museum thefts | An MP in the UK said suspected thefts at the British Museum have exposed the “insulting ridiculousness” of its refusal to return contested artefacts to their country of origin on security grounds.
US shooting | A gunman in Jacksonville, Florida, left messages of racist hatred before killing three black people inside a store at the weekend, authorities said as the FBI started investigating the attack.
Full Story
Will Anthony Albanese’s new plan reduce your rent?
An inquiry into the worsening rental crisis in Australia has heard moving testimony about the impact of unaffordable rent hikes, evictions and poor building standards on renters. Reporter Cait Kelly talks about what a new plan unveiled by the national cabinet to fix the crisis – labelled “smoke and mirrors” by the Greens – will do for renters.
In-depth
Cutting out salt from meals can slash your risk of heart problems and strokes by almost a fifth, the largest study of its kind suggested. Researchers found those who never add salt to meals were 18% less likely to develop atrial fibrillation – a heart condition – compared with those who always do.
The study suggested even those who switch their diet from always adding salt to “usually” adding it could see a big difference in their risk.
Not the news
Children are beautiful. They smell nice. When they were little they noticed things you’d long forgotten to notice, like moths or sticks or stop signs. They said stuff that made you gasp, that realigned the way you thought about the world, writes Tegan Bennett Daylight.
And then sometimes, she adds, they are also dickheads.
The world of sport
Women’s football | The Spanish football president Luis Rubiales vowed to fight on after his suspension after nearly all of the coaching team for the country’s women’s football team resigned. Meanwhile, the incident in which Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on live television has become a #MeToo flashpoint for Spain.
Rugby union | World Cup hosts France have sent an emphatic message with a 41-17 win over the Wallabies – their fifth successive defeat – on the eve of the tournament.
AFL | AFL legend Lance “Buddy” Franklin was given an emotional send-off by his teammates.
Premier League | Liverpool beat Newcastle 2-1; Man City beat Sheffield United 2-1; Aston Villa beat Burnley 3-1.
Media roundup
The Australian shares research that it says shows the Indigenous voice yes vote must win over 1.7m undecided voters in order to claim victory. The Sydney Morning Herald reports on an Australian couple fighting for their lives after a fall in Croatia. The Courier Mail has a letter from Margaret McMurdo to political leaders decrying the Queensland government’s new laws targeting youth crime as heavy-handed “madness.”
What’s happening today
Public hearings | Martin Pakula, the former Victorian minister for tourism, sport and major events, will be questioned over the state’s cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games at a federal inquiry sitting in Melbourne today. Meanwhile, a hearing in Sydney will consider the operation of commonwealth freedom of information laws.
Data security | A NSW constable is due to face court for the first time after being charged with allegations he unlawfully accessed data on the police computer system.
WA cabinet | The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is hosting cabinet in Western Australia as he declares the state isn’t a write off for the voice yes campaign, despite polling.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
