Good morning. A Chinese academic visiting Australia on a research trip had his accommodation raided by Asio and the federal police, and was offered $2,000 in cash by a man purporting to be from “the federal government” for information on his networks and contacts in China. The academic left the country early after being surveilled across the country and said the episode was “heavy-handed and counter-productive.”
Meanwhile, mourning begins in Morocco after more than 2,000 people were killed in an earthquake, and a NSW man is told his tiny house will be demolished – even if it would leave him homeless. And India’s G20 summit is over, ending with a win for Russia.
Australia
Exclusive | News that a visiting Chinese academic was surveilled across Australia followed a meeting last week between the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the Chinese premier, Li Qiang – after which Albanese confirmed he had accepted an invitation to visit China later this year.
Tiny homes | A 38 year-old war veteran poured his life savings into a tiny house in Byron Bay. Now the council wants to demolish it.
Energy emissions | Victoria’s policy to ban gas connections for new residences would cut greenhouse gas emissions by almost a sixth, according to state government analysis. Meanwhile, stakeholders hope to influence the Albanese government before decisions are taken on clean energy investments.
Education | The NSW government suggested it will not merge any further public schools in regional areas after concerns the so-called “super schools” are failing to achieve improved outcomes.
Snakes | A man in his 60s died from a snake bite in central Queensland after helping to remove a snake which had coiled around his friend’s leg.
World
Moroccan quake | Rescuers in Morocco are trying to find survivors in the rubble of collapsed buildings as the country enters three days of mourning for victims of an earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people and left many more injured and homeless. Here’s our visual guide to the quake.
G20 summit | Russia’s foreign minister hailed the G20 summit in Delhi as a success after Moscow was shielded from criticism over the Ukraine war in a joint declaration. Meanwhile, Brazil’s president said Vladimir Putin can attend next year’s event without fear of arrest.
Sudan war | At least 40 civilians were killed and dozens injured in an airstrike by the army on a market in southern Khartoum, a local volunteer group said, marking the largest single-incident death toll since the war in Sudan began.
Brexit redux | The sight of hundreds of European Union flags waved during Rule, Britannia! at the Last Night of the Proms event prompted outrage from Brexiters and a call for the BBC to investigate.
TikTok tourists | Shop owners in a wealthy part of Amsterdam decried social media-inspired food tourism in their usually meandering area – and asked visitors to stop feasting on fries in the street.
Full Story
The chilling rise of AI scams
Criminals are cloning voices and making calls to trick victims into sending them money. How can they be stopped? Oliver Devane, a senior researcher at the computer security company McAfee, explains to Michael Safi how criminals are exploiting artificial intelligence to trick their victims – and how we can protect ourselves from falling for it.
In-depth
In a report this week, the UN warned that invasive species are costing the world at least $423bn every year and have become a leading threat to the diversity of life on Earth. Honed in New Zealand and exported globally, Elizabeth Bell’s techniques for creating predator-free zones are allowing native species to thrive again on islands from the Caribbean to the UK.
Visit any elimination project around the world, she says, and you’ll typically find a New Zealander involved somewhere. “They get the Kiwis in to kill everything,” Bell says, laughing, “and then do the fun stuff themselves.”
Not the news
Our lives are busier and more complex than ever. From awareness of bodily sensation to active contemplation, Nadine Levy explores how can we use mindfulness to get in touch with what truly matters.
If you want a life rich in meaning, she says, you must first learn how to do nothing.
The world of sport
Tennis | Coco Gauff battled back to stun Aryna Sabalenka and claim the US Open title. Medvedev and Djokovic have met again in the men’s final – follow the action live here.
World Cup kiss | The president of the Spanish football federation, Luis Rubiales, has announced he will resign, three weeks after he forcibly kissed a Spanish woman’s footballer after their World Cup victory.
Rugby World Cup | The Wallabies won at last; England beat the Pumas; France ambushed the All Blacks; South Africa overtook Scotland. Follow our live coverage of Wales v Fiji.
NRL | The Knights eliminated the Raiders; the Panthers crushed the Warriors; the Broncos blitzed the Storm.
AFL concussions | The tribunal hearing into Brayden Maynard’s role in the concussion of Angus Brayshaw will test the AFL on the “duty of care” it owes to its players.
Media roundup
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will face a divided caucus today ahead of a critical sitting week, according to the Courier Mail. The ABC travelled through the country speaking to voters about the voice referendum. NSW police are threatening to stop attending emergency calls relating to mental health incidents in protest against what their union calls “hostile” treatment at coronial inquests, the Daily Telegraph reports. The Age reports that Victorians back a pokies crackdown.
What’s happening today
Toowoomba rally | On the first day of the inquest into the death of Steven Lee Nixon-McKellar following an altercation with police in Toowoomba, community members will rally to mark the 547th Indigenous deaths in custody since the 1991 royal commission.
Parliament sits | Both houses of the federal parliament are sitting in Canberra.
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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.
