Morning Mail: Labor group's alarm at US military in Australia; food price warnings amid El Niño; and Radiohead return

• 'Chart a new course' | After revelations US military and weapons manufacturers control or have access to more than 100 bases across Australia, Labor Against War is urging the government to move its foreign policy away from "fading guarantees of the past".

• El Niño impacts | The most severe El Niño weather event on record threatens to push food prices higher this year, experts say, piling pressure on households already grappling with a cost-of-living crisis.

• Baja trial | The alleged killers of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, at a Mexican surfing hotspot in 2024 have gone on trial in Baja California.

• Stolen Generations | Indigenous Australians who were forcibly removed under assimilation policies have far greater physical and health challenges than the wider Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, a report reveals.

• Parliamentary scrutiny | Top bureaucrats want the government to ban video footage from parliamentary hearings being edited and shared on social media, in a bid to stop online ridicule and abuse.

• Everything in its right place | British band Radiohead will return to Australia to play a series of 16 shows in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney next year, marking the band's first tour of the country in 15 years.

World

• 'Grave moment' | Politicians around Europe have expressed alarm after the far-right Alternative für Deutschland swept to a historic state election victory in Germany; the German chancellor has vowed to stay in office despite the AfD win; and Europe's centre fears a nationalist wave after the AfD victory but only has itself to blame, Jon Henley writes.

• 'Butcher of Bosnia' | Thousands of mourners gathered in Belgrade for the funeral of Ratko Mladić, a Serbian general convicted for his role in the worst massacre in Europe since the second world war.

• Middle East crisis | The UK government looks set to announce a tougher stance in its relations with Israel - including a ban on the trade in goods and some services from illegal Israeli settlements.

• Going nuclear | A nuclear reactor built secretly during the rule of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad could have been used for nuclear weapons if completed, the UN nuclear watchdog has revealed.

• A pour return | French vineyards hit by severe drought and heatwaves are expected to report a 30-year low in wine production after the country's hottest ever recorded summer.

Full Story

How much control should we have over the algorithm?

As the federal government prepares to introduce digital duty of care laws, social media users could soon be given the option to turn off their recommendation algorithms entirely. But with the Coalition warning of internet censorship and big tech relying on these feeds for revenue, would an opt-out switch actually make platforms safer? Josh Taylor joins Reged Ahmad to unpack Labor's proposed crackdown on algorithms.

Full Story

How much control should we have over the algorithm? - Full Story podcast

Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $https://audio.guim.co.uk/2026/09/07-18720-FS_ALGORITHIMS_LH_002.mp3

00:00:00

00:15:06

In-depth

The excitement around such "GLP-1s" such as Ozempic and Wegovy has been difficult to miss: the medications have grabbed headlines around the world, with clinical trials suggesting they can help participants lose an average of 15% to 20% of their body weight. GLP-1 medications have been a gamechanger in the fight against obesity. But for a minority of patients, their impact is negligible. Researchers are now trying to work out why.

Not the news

For most bands, releasing a new album is cause for celebration. For Brisbane band Bugs, the moment is much more bittersweet. Jordan Brunoli, their bass guitarist, is in palliative care for colorectal cancer. While he may have just weeks to live, there's still the new album - Head Noise - and two live shows to play. The band reflects on their friendship, facing terminal illness, and making the most of their time together.

after newsletter promotion

Sport

• Tennis | Zheng Qinwen had an epic comeback against Iga Świątek and Mirra Andreeva beat Anastasia Potapova in the latest action at the US Open at Flushing Meadows.

• Olympics | There has been a warning over the future of the Olympic Games if the Brisbane 2032 program is not modernised.

• Football | Fitter, happier, more productive: Arsenal could hardly have started the new season better, Jonathan Wilson writes. Chelsea's midfield is proving a headache for Xabi Alonso, Jacob Steinberg writes.

• Cricket | Pakistan have launched an investigation into "discipline and conduct" during their highly dysfunctional tour of England.

• Rugby union | The Wallabies' Carter Gordon is set for a stint on the sidelines after breaking his leg.

More than 60 people in New South Wales have been diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer before they developed a single symptom via a new screening program, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Leaked messages have revealed details of a new $1bn treaty Anthony Albanese wants to strike with his Solomon Islands counterpart to combat Beijing's Pacific reach, the Age reports. Tasmanian officials are being urged to launch an immediate investigation into claims of alleged animal welfare breaches within the state's Atlantic salmon farming industry, ABC News reports. Hundreds of jobs at the Whyalla steelworks remain on the line despite more than $1bn of taxpayer funding, the Advertiser reports.

What's happening today

• ACT | Federal parliament is sitting today in Canberra.

• ABS | The Australian Bureau of Statistics is set to release its latest total value of dwellings data today.

• VIC | The AI Summit Australia continues in Melbourne.

Sign up

If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.

Brain teaser

And finally, here are the Guardian's crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.

• Quick crossword

• Cryptic crossword

If you have a story tip or technical issue viewing this newsletter, please reply to this email.

If you are a Guardian supporter and need assistance with regards to contributions and/or digital subscriptions, please email customer.help@guardian.co.uk