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Good morning, this is Eleanor Ainge Roy bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Monday 7 August.

Five Liberal MPs have released an unprecedented joint statement in support of Dean Smiths marriage equality bill, attracting overwhelming support from advocates as the Liberal party prepares for a bruising debate in a special party-room meeting today. The outcome remains in play, as Malcolm Turnbull is under pressure from supporters of Smiths bill to allow a free vote and its opponents urge him to stick to the policy of of a plebiscite.

Smiths bill would redefine marriage as a union of two people, to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life and include all lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people and relationships. The MP Trent Zimmerman said delivering marriage equality would strengthen family life. We believe marriage to be a fundamental institution in Australian life and ensuring all couples have access to it will be beneficial to individuals, couples, families and the community.

An apparent military uprising has been quashed in Venezuela after a small group of men dressed as soldiers were reported to have attacked an army base, declaring themselves in rebellion against the government of President Nicols Maduro. The leader of Venezuelas ruling party, Diosdado Cabello, said the armed forces had quickly repelled the terrorist, criminal and paramilitary attack. But Phil Gunson, Venezuela analyst for the International Crisis Group, said observers were unsure whether the uprising was genuine. There is considerable doubt as to whether this is promoted somehow by the government as an excuse for a crackdown, he said.

Water regulations due to be reviewed and updated on 1 September have been postponed for another year by the New South Wales government after the controversy over allegations of water theft in the Barwon-Darling region of the Murray-Darling basin. The Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham has accused the NSW Coalition of running scared over the scrutiny of state water management in the wake of last weeks Four Corners program.

The British historian Mary Beard has faced a torrent of aggressive insults on social media after posting messages asserting the ethnic diversity of Roman Britain. Beard, a classicist at Cambridge University, entered the increasingly acrimonious debate that was sparked by a BBC schools video that featured a high-ranking black Roman soldier. Beard said the tone of the arguments had left her dispirited. It feels very sad to me that we cannot have a reasonable discussion on such a topic as the cultural, ethnic composition of Roman Britain without resorting to unnecessary insult, abuse, misogyny and language of war, not debate.

A leaked Google software engineers polemic against diversity has left female staff shaking in anger and forced the tech giant to defend its patchy record on racial and gender equality. The manifesto argues that the lack of women in tech and leadership is the result of innate biological differences between the sexes. After a number of female staff described their disgust at the document on social media, Google sent out a company-wide memo saying it did not represent the companys views.

Arsenal have beaten Chelsea on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Community Shield, the traditional opener to the UK season. After a sluggish start, the champions looked all set for a fifth Community Shield win when Victor Moses put them ahead, but Arsenals summer signing Sead Kolasinac equalised with eight minutes to go after Pedro was sent off.

Its that time of the AFL season when the repercussions of jumper punches, tummy taps and harsh tackles can have consequences well beyond a weeks suspension, writes Craig Little, after a weekend of indiscipline in key games.

The Football Federation Australia chairman, Steven Lowy, launched a withering attack on the self-interest of A-League club owners at the weekend, marking the conclusion of a phoney war that has been raging behind the scenes for months. With the arrival this week of a Fifa delegation to resolve longstanding governance issues, hostilities have been brought out into the open, writes Jonathan Howcroft.

The Guardian series No Fixed Address, launched to coincide with Homelessness Week, continues with Drew Rogers photo essay and affecting stories of how people in the Byron Bay region of northern New South Wales came to be without a roof over their head. Our datablog assesses the numbers on homelessness in Australia.

As dark clouds gather over the White House, Donald Trump has retreated to the safe space he knows best the campaign trail, where the cheers and adoration of a frenzied crowd soothe his battered ego. The Guardians David Smith joined Trump in West Virginia, where, despite the election ending nine months ago, Trump is still on the road and still bashing Hillary Clinton. Smith investigates why Trump has reverted to raucous, crowded rallies in his electoral heartlands when so many problems in Washington are crying out for his attention.

Pat McGrath is the worlds most influential makeup artist, regularly working on the faces of Rihanna and Kim Kardashian. Surprisingly, she doesnt wear much of the stuff herself, and is unafraid to tackle the thorny issues of modern-day beauty including race, wealth and the power of social media to promote unrealistic beauty ideals to the masses. The Guardians Sali Hughes sits down with McGrath to discuss beauty in the age of Instagram, and finds her smart, prone to outbursts of laughter and lavish use of the word darling. She has also just launched a makeup line with many products for women of colour, something she has struggled her whole life to find.

The Canberra Times splashes with fresh allegations about abuse in aged-care homes, revealing that the federal government has serious conccerns about alleged abuse and mistreatment at a number of ACT centres. The West Australian leads with the desert rescue of Briton Anthony Collis, who dug holes in the dirt to survive for three days after becoming stranded on the Canning stock route. The Australian says public servants could be disiplined for liking anti-government posts on Facebook, while the ABC has a quirky read on the practical difficulties of filling Canberras Lake Burley Griffin with water.

The Garma festival wraps up in Arnhem Land today, after a weekend of debate and cultural celebration.

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Morning mail: Liberals prepare for marriage equality showdown - The Guardian