Morning Mail: AFL tells Sportsbet to ditch AI players; Anne Aly reveals death threats; and Musk’s electoral play

Morning everyone. Our exclusive lead story reveals how the AFL has told its commercial partner, Sportsbet, to stop promoting its products with AI-generated images and memes of players without their consent.

Elsewhere, the small business minister, Anne Aly, has laid bare the scale of abuse facing women in politics after revealing that she has received 19 death threats in the past week alone; figures show Elon Musk has donated US$366m to rightwing political campaigns in the current US election cycle; and Josh Hazlewood stars as Australia beat South Africa in the first Test.

Australia

• Vintage Hazlewood | Josh Hazlewood proved his enduring worth to Australia taking 6-49 as he spearheaded the dismissal of South Africa for 206 to wrap up a dominant win in the first Test in Durban by 214 runs.

• Exclusive | The AFL has told its official gambling partner, Sportsbet, to stop featuring its high-profile athletes in AI-generated social media content without player permission.

• Wildlife crisis | Flying foxes are starving en masse across New South Wales and parts of Victoria, with wildlife rescuers responding to a surge in reports of “exhausted and emaciated” adults and skeletal pups and blaming habitat loss and a dry winter.

• Assaults rise | The sexual assault of Australian children has accelerated sharply since the pandemic, surprising researchers who expected rates to have fallen but instead found attacks on boys had risen 15.7%.

• Aly death threats | Anne Aly has condemned as “racist” and “misogynistic” comments in parliament calling for her to be “stoned in the square” – while revealing she has received 19 death threats in the last week alone.

World

• Cash for access | Kimberly Guilfoyle has stepped down as US ambassador to Greece after weeks of allegations that she sought payment from a Trump donor in exchange for access to administration officials.

• A Musk win? | Elon Musk has become the biggest political donor of the 2026 US midterm elections cycle, funnelling about US$366m into political groups and campaigns as he backs conservative candidates and rightwing causes. Here are 10 midterm election contests that are a bit under the radar but worth watching.

• Saudi strikes | Saudi Arabia has launched a series of strikes on a strategic oil depot on the outskirts of Yemen’s capital Sana’a in an escalation of the conflict between Riyadh and the Iran-backed Houthi forces.

• Terror warning | Extremists holding anti-immigration opinions are becoming increasingly likely to consider terrorist attacks against immigration centres and asylum hotels in the UK, the head of MI5 has warned.

• French protests | More than 160,000 schoolchildren, students and trade unionists have marched in cities across France as protests over high school education continued into a third week and many denounced policing tactics.

Full Story

How Firmus went from Australia’s AI ‘fairytale’ to flop

Our business editor, Jonathan Barrett, speaks to Matilda Boseley about the botched float of tech company Firmus and what it says about the AI investment bubble.

In-depth

The Reserve Bank’s cash rate is at a 15-year high and is squeezing consumer confidence as households struggle with ever-higher bills. Luca Ittimani examines whether the RBA’s rate hikes are working and whether higher unemployment is a price worth paying to beat inflation.

Not the news

Katie Cunningham is engrossed by Turned On: Dirty Sexy Money, a reality TV series which follows a group of Gold Coast-based adult content creators, each of whom earn enough to rank among the top 1% of users on OnlyFans.

Sport

• Rugby league | Australia start as firm favourites to win the Rugby League World Cup when it kicks off tomorrow night with the hosts taking on New Zealand in Sydney – but home success is not guaranteed.

• AFL | Nick Blakey, one of five Sydney players embroiled in the Pullman Hotel scandal, has been granted his wish to join North Melbourne on a busy penultimate day of the trade period.

• Football | The next round of Champions League matches are under way in Europe this morning with the pick being Manchester United’s visit to Atlético Madrid. Follow it live, plus Arsenal v Lille.

Travellers in Port Macquarie will have fewer flights to Sydney to choose from after Rex announced cuts, the News reports, while the Central Western Daily flags the same problem for Orange. Schools are shut and roads are closed as Alice Springs braces for more violent storms, NT News reports. NSW right faction Labor MPs are unhappy about potential electoral blowback from voters over the plan to increase tax on trusts, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

What’s happening today

• Courts | A judgment in Sydney on the challenge by the resource company Regis against Tanya Plibersek’s decision to protect part of the McPhillamys gold project is due.

• Canberra | Palau’s president, Surangel S Whipps Jr, will give the Pacific’s view on climate, energy and geopolitics at the ANU, while Jordan’s King Abdullah will meet Anthony Albanese.

• Energy | The resources minister, Madeleine King, will addresses the National Press Club at 11.30am.

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Brain teaser

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