Good morning. Today we report from the Northern Territory where one of Australia’s oldest independent Indigenous schools is dealing with a crisis, after a former principal was convicted of assaulting students.
Plus, we reveal Australians are buying “iron supplements” that contain barely any iron.
Australia have taken a dominant 2-0 Ashes series lead at the Gabba. And, it’s a case of what might have been for Oscar Piastri as his rival – and McLaren team mate – Lando Norris won the F1 world title in Abu Dhabi.
AustraliaA ‘proliferation’ of ‘useless’ iron products is being sold in supermarkets and online, pharmacy experts say.
Photograph: Strauss/Curtis/Getty ImagesWorldA mother cries at the coffin of her son, a Ukrainian serviceman who was killed in fighting with Russian forces near Pokrovsk. Photograph: Evgeniy Maloletka/APFull Story Composite: supplied/ AAP/AAP/ supplied
Where is four-year-old Gus Lamont?
Gus Lamont went missing in the Australian outback on 27 September. Despite one of the largest and most intensive searches for a missing person in South Australia, no trace has been found of the four-year-old. Tory Shepherd speaks with Reged Ahmad about how the child has seemingly vanished – and left only questions about what could have happened.
In-depth Illustration: Ben Sanders/The Guardian
In the latest of our The cost of care series, we take a look at how specialist doctor fees and out-of-pocket costs are forcing Australians into “impossible choices” when they can’t afford to pay. As Nastasha May discovers, the affordability pressures facing many people needing specialist care have led to advocates calling for urgent reforms and stronger protections for patients caught in a system “without effective guardrails”.
Not the news Illustration: Victoria Hart/Guardian Design
In the latest of our Kindness of strangers series, we hear from a reader who found themselves caught short without a place to stay when they arrived in Canberra for a medical school interview – only to find affordable accommodation fully booked. Looking lost, they were approached by a student who then said without hesitation that they could sleep at their dormitory – an act of generosity that has not been forgotten.
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Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters
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Sport Photograph: David Davies/PA
Australian scientists have been testing super enzymes that break down plastics and could revolutionise how we think about waste, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Hundreds of vulnerable people with disabilities in Victoria face an uncertain future amid group home closure fears as funding runs dry, ABC News reports. Australia’s airports are struggling with increased international arrivals amid concerns about how they’ll cope during the 2032 Olympics, the Age reports. Scientists have found a new marine species hiding in plain sight along Tasmania’s ancient coastline, the Mercury reports.
What’s happening today
Victoria | Parliamentary hearings begin for an inquiry into Victoria’s early childhood education and care sector.
NSW | City of Sydney will consider changes to outdoor dining rules.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
