Morning everyone. Our top story today scrutinises the millions in public funding banked by Pauline Hanson’s One Nation since the last election. We speak to former candidates who ask: where has all that money gone?
The US and Iran are in indirect talks to extend their ceasefire beyond next Wednesday but the alarm over the war will see Labor unveil a $53bn boost to defence spending today. We also look at whether Gina Rinehart will call a truce with her family, and if WhatsApp chat groups for young parents are a judgy hell or helpful heaven.
Australia
Katy Perry and Ruby Rose. Composite: Emma McIntyre / Phillip Faraone/Getty Images
-
Perry investigation | Police are investigating claims Katy Perry sexually assaulted the Australian actor Ruby Rose at a Melbourne nightclub more than a decade ago, allegations the American pop star strenuously denies.
-
Rinehart rift | After a court ruled that Gina Rinehart must pay Wright Prospecting millions in royalties from the Hope Downs iron ore complex, her son, John Hancock, says he wants to bury the hatchet and reunite his family. But will his mother’s determination to win the legal fight mean she accepts the offer or doubles down? And who are the Wright family – and does it all mean Rinehart will lose her position as Australia’s richest person?
-
Defence boost | Labor will spend an extra $53bn on defence over the next decade, using the nation’s latest military blueprint to create new special investment programs to fund increases in capability using private capital.
-
Delivery doom | Legislation that would crack down on ebikes and e-scooters in Queensland could curtail food delivery services and potentially end shared e-vehicle schemes, industry figures warn.
-
Power plan | Amazon has entered power agreements with nine new renewable projects in New South Wales and Victoria as the technology company seeks to source renewable power for its datacentre operations in Australia.
World
Governments face a choice between more debt or more pain for voters. Photograph: Wim Wiskerke/Alamy
-
Debt warning | The US and Iran have been in indirect talks aimed at extending the two-week ceasefire beyond next Wednesday, while Donald Trump is still some way from getting a better deal with Tehran than Barack Obama did a decade ago. As Wall Street scaled a fresh all-time high, the IMF warned the war risks triggering a rise in global debt levels, forcing governments to choose between cushioning a cost-of-living shock and maintaining sound public finances. The UK chancellor, Rachel Reeves, stepped up her criticism of the war, calling it a “mistake” that had not made the world safer. Follow developments live.
-
Exclusive | The world’s top 100 oil and gas companies banked more than US$30m every hour in unearned profit in the first month of the US-Israeli war in Iran, according to exclusive analysis for the Guardian. Closer to home, our economics editor says there’s one chart that explains why Qantas and Virgin have slashed routes and hiked fares.
-
Church schism | The ongoing squabble between the Trump administration and the Vatican over the war in Iran took another twist overnight when Pope Leo shared a message of peace and healing after the latest broadside from the White House.
-
Mountain toll | A 35-year-old ultramarathon champion from Scotland has died while attempting to beat the record for a race through the remote areas of the highlands to the most north-westerly point on mainland Britain.
-
Tourist skewered | A scammer has been arrested in Rio de Janeiro for selling a kebab to an unsuspecting British tourist for nearly £1,500 (around $2,845) – the latest in a spate of brazen beachside swindles.
Full Story
Composite: Lukas Coch/AAP
Angus Taylor’s Trumpian immigration plan
Political reporter Dan Jervis-Bardy speaks to Reged Ahmad about why the Liberal leader is borrowing from One Nation’s playbook, and how the policy could backfire on the Coalition.
Full Story
Angus Taylor’s immigration plan
Sorry your browser does not support audio – but you can download here and listen $https://audio.guim.co.uk/2026/04/15-26258-fs_taylorimmigration_20260415_ds_1650.mp3
In-depth
Former One Nation officer Jennifer Game near her home at Brighton in South Australia. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/The Guardian
Pauline Hanson’s star is on the rise: her populist, rightwing party now regularly outpolls the Liberals and Nationals as she capitalises on growing discontent with the major parties. But alongside One Nation’s soaring popularity, Hanson is facing growing scrutiny about how it spends the millions it receives in taxpayer dollars. As insiders lift the veil on the party’s HQ, former candidates have told Guardian Australia they are yet to see their share of the more than $6m the party banked after the last election.
Not the news
‘My chats never turned noxious,’ Wendy Syfret writes. Photograph: MirageC/Getty Images
Despite a reputation for increasing anxiety, Wendy Syfret found WhatsApp group chats for new mothers to be “24-hour, nonjudgmental spaces where I could ask advice, celebrate small victories or just vent”.
Sport
Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlovic celebrates an early equaliser. Photograph: Michaela Stache/Reuters
-
Football | Bayern host Real Madrid and it’s Arsenal v Sporting in the last of the Champions League quarter-final matches this morning.
-
AFL | The Lance Collard case has exposed questions about class and privilege, causing Jonathan Horn to wonder if the player has been treated fairly.
-
Golf | LIV Golf executives have been called to a meeting in New York amid growing speculation over the future of the Saudi Arabia-funded rebel tour.
Parents in NSW will be asked to rate their public schools in an effort to boost enrolments, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The body of Jaryd Dawson, the older brother of Adelaide Crows captain Jordan Dawson, has been found after he went missing on Tuesday, the Advertiser reports. Garbage collectors are choosing to pick up only from streets selected at random as part of their campaign for a pay rise, the Age claims. And a pub in the Noosa hinterland has become a culinary destination after being taken over by a Michelin chef, the Courier Mail says.
What’s happening today
-
Business | Santos has its annual general meeting at 10.30am in Adelaide while ABS releases employment figures for March at 11.30am.
-
Canberra | Richard Marles will address the National Press Club at 11.30am.
-
Sydney | A judgment is due at 3pm in a challenge against protest laws at the NSW supreme court.
Sign up
Enjoying the Morning Mail? Then you’ll love our Afternoon Update newsletter. Sign up here to finish your day with a three-minute snapshot of the day’s main news, and complete your daily news roundup.
Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email
And 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 [email protected]