Morning mail: Biloela family reunion, emergency departments ‘dysfunctional’, Australian spuds

Tuesday: Murugappans expected to be released from detention on Christmas Island but are unlikely to return to their home town. Plus: translating international potato varieties

Good morning! There's good news today for the Biloela family and their supporters, with the family set to be released after nearly two years in detention on Christmas Island. We also have news on Australian emergency departments struggling with an overloaded system and more on the ongoing government mishandling of the vaccine rollout in the aged care sector. Hungry for more? Check out our recommended reads for everything you need to know about Australian spuds.

The Biloela family will soon be reunited on the Australian mainland, where the youngest daughter, Tharnicaa, is being treated in hospital after suffering sepsis and pneumonia while in detention on Christmas Island. The immigration minister, Alex Hawke, is set to announce today that the Murugappan family will be released from detention. Hawke will use his ministerial discretion to allow the family to return but the government is not expected to make any substantive changes to their visa status, which is still being argued in the courts. It's expected the family will be initially reunited in Perth while Tharnicaa is in hospital.