Morning everyone. The end of the Iran war “can’t come soon enough” for Australia, Jim Chalmers said last night, as the government considers allowing more ethanol to be used in petrol and farmers warn of higher food prices. And as bombing continues in the Middle East, and Lebanon faces an “existential threat”, our poll shows many Australians think we should start distancing ourselves from the US.
Elsewhere, the Married at First Sight star Mel Schilling has died, we look at why people are paying large sums for unnecessary health tests spruiked online, and Alice Zaslavsky has a recipe for fish in the bag.
Australia
‘Queen of reality TV’ | Mel Schilling has died aged 54 “surrounded by love”, her family announced overnight, as tributes flowed for the Australian dating expert and Married at First Sight relationship coach.
Price warning | The federal government will consider an increase in ethanol levels in fuel to boost fuel supplies as farmers warn food prices will soon jump amid threats of economy-wide shocks from the oil crisis. We also have seven charts that show how the crisis is affecting Australia.
Exclusive | Only one in four Australians approve of the US-Israel war on Iran, and just a third have backed the decision to send a military plane and troops to the region, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll. It also found Australians want the government to forge closer ties with so-called “middle powers” such as Canada and Japan, with about a third wanting to distance from the US.
‘Do better’ | A new national body to reduce rates of family and sexual violence toward Aboriginal women and children will launch in Canberra today after years of campaigning by Indigenous women’s safety advocates.
Preference problem | The Liberal party’s decision to preference One Nation above Labor at last Saturday’s South Australian election will hand seats to the populist party, analysts say.
World
‘Existential threat’ | Pakistan’s military leadership has been attempting to broker negotiations between the US and Iran, after the White House confirmed that Pakistan’s army chief spoke to Donald Trump. Sources said the vice-president, JD Vance, was being put forward as a probable chief negotiator from the US side, while the Americans think Iran’s speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is a man they can do business with. The violence nevertheless continues, after Iran hit Tel Aviv with a missile bringing a vow from Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel will continue striking Iran and seize parts of southern Lebanon to create what it called a “defensive buffer”, a move Hezbollah has called an “existential threat”. Follow developments live.
Gender | Transgender girls and women who are part of Girlguiding groups in the UK have been given until September to leave the organisation, under new rules introduced after a court ruling on gender last year.
Russia strikes | Russia has launched a fresh wave of missile and drone strikes on civilian areas across Ukraine, killing at least five people, as Moscow appears to be stepping up a spring offensive.
Voting ‘cheat’ | Donald Trump has described voting by mail as “cheating” at an event in Memphis just days after casting a mail‑in ballot himself.
Twin gorillas | A second set of mountain gorilla twins has been born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in what conservationists called an “extraordinary” event for the endangered primates.
Full Story
Can Australia avoid the worst of the oil shock?
Business editor Jonathan Barrett and political editor Tom McIlroy join Reged Ahmad to discuss the scale of the economic pain to come, and whether the government will use this moment as an opportunity for bold reform.
In-depth
Three controversial health tests – full-body MRI scans, blood tests for testosterone levels and the Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) or “egg-timer” test for women, are being spruiked by online influencers. Our health writer Natasha May investigates why people are prepared to pay for what many doctors say are unnecessary tests, and what the risks might be.
Not the news
If you’re not completely confident about preparing fish, en papillote or “in bag” cooking could be for you. Alice Zaslavsky takes you through how to make flathead baked in paper with roasted potatoes and peppers.
Sport
Rugby union | Southern hemisphere players play an integral part in European club rugby, writes Daniel Gallan, but the financial clout of Europe remains dominant heading into the Nations Championship.
Women’s Champions League | Arsenal are playing Chelsea in the quarter-final first leg.
Football | Iran faces missing the World Cup, Asian Champions League fixtures are in disarray, and European nations have cancelled planned games in the Middle East as a result of the war.
Media roundup
The Australian claims that Pauline Hanson has been given a $100,000 pay increase after Barnaby Joyce’s defection officially made One Nation a minor party. A cruise terminal, nuclear plant and wildlife refuge are among dozens of different visions Geelong residents have for Point Henry’s future, the Mercury reports. . And the ABC reports that the first international flight tickets have gone on sale at Western Sydney airport.
What’s happening today
Canberra | Andrew Hastie speaks at the ANU Securing Our Future national security conference at 8am.
Economy | Inflation figures are due at 11.30am.
Media | ABC journalists will walk off the job for 24 hours for the first time in 20 years.
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.
