Good morning. Australian academics are tearing up their US travel plans amid fears they may be refused entry or detained under policy changes by the Trump administration.
As US-led ceasefire talks falter, a Russian missile attack on a crowded city street in the Ukrainian city of Sumy has killed dozens of civilians on their way to Palm Sunday church services.
Plus: The Australian F1 driver Oscar Piastri has stormed to victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix, and the track star Gout Gout has won the 200m Australian title in astonishing fashion.
Australia
Mental health | Ramsay Clinic Thirroul, NSW’s sole women’s-only clinic dedicated to trauma, has ended its “gamechanging” focus amid a larger shortage of psychiatrists across the state.
‘Deeply concerning’ | Australian academics are deciding not to attend US conferences for fear of being detained, while others are dealing with terminated grants and contracts amid Trump policy changes.
Explainer | Labor and the Coalition have announced major housing policies. But would either approach actually help first home buyers? Read our report on a big day for both parties’ campaigns and the 10 things we learned from each of the Labor and Liberal campaign launches.
Gina | Gina Rinehart became the richest person in Australia in 2011 when her fortune was estimated at $10bn (it’s now estimated at $40bn). Read how Rinehart makes her money – and how she spends it. Plus – listen to our Full Story episode, see below.
Exclusive | Labor would provide health workers with training to care for LGBTIQA+ Australians in a $10m skills package alongside a new accreditation program, in an election promise expected today.
World
Russia-Ukraine war | At least 34 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in a Russian ballistic missile strike in the Ukrainian city of Sumy as people were going to church for Palm Sunday; Sumy attack may force Washington to get tough with Vladimir Putin, Dan Sabbagh writes.
Sudan violence | Paramilitaries in the Darfur region have murdered more than 200 civilians, including aid agency staff, in a wave of attacks in refugee camps and around the city of El Fasher.
Gaza crisis | A Palestinian paramedic who has been missing since a massacre of medics and rescue workers by Israeli troops in Gaza is being detained in Israel, according to the Red Cross.
US politics | Donald Trump’s tariffs adviser, Peter Navarro, says “we’re great” after Elon Musk called him “moron”; US stock markets are expected to recover after Trump drops tariffs on mobiles; Trump is “fully fit” and manages high cholesterol, the White House doctor says.
Diplomatic push | The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, will visit Vietnam today as he begins a tour of south-east Asia in a bid to strengthen ties with neighbouring countries amid an escalating trade war.
Full Story
Gina episode 3: Love and money
Gina Rinehart has been Australia’s richest person for the last six years in a row. But where does her money come from? In episode three, we unpack the bitter rivalries, court battles and family conflicts behind the Hancock fortune – and consider a fundamental question: is Gina Rinehart a mining heiress or is she a self-made mining magnate?
In-depth
What does China really think about Donald Trump? Isabel Hilton writes that the new trade war might be economic bad news for Xi Jinping but ideologically and politically it is a gift. A “determination to fight to the end is both rooted in China’s recent history and in concern for its future”.
Not the news
The 90s Hollywood It girl Ione Skye doesn’t hold back. Whether she’s discussing menopausal hormone treatment, her marriage to the musician Ben Lee, or recounting her sexcapades with male and female celebrities, for 54-year-old Skye, there’s no such thing as too much information. As Janine Israel discovers, the Sydney-based actor’s aptly named memoir Say Everything is raw, revealing, disarming and horny.
Sport
Motorsport | The Australian F1 driver Oscar Piastri of McLaren has surged to victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Athletics | Gout Gout’s winds of change are whipping Australian athletics into a frenzy, Jack Snape writes after the young runner stunned again to win the 200m Australian title with his rival Lachie Kennedy disqualified.
Football | Virgil van Dijk’s header sank West Ham to edge Liverpool closer to the Premier League title; Rayan Aït-Nouri’s early strike led the way as the Wolves pile pressure on Ange Postecoglou.
Golf | The final round of this year’s Masters tournament is under way at Augusta.
Media roundup
The Russian ambassador to Australia has quietly packed his bags and left Canberra amid uncertainty about a new replacement, ABC News reports. Almost 500,000 people have visited the exhibition of the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama at the National Gallery of Victoria – a record number for any ticketed art show in Australia, the Age reports. South Australian taxpayers have funded a new multimillion-dollar bailout for their state’s embattled medical research institute, the Advertiser reports.
What’s happening today
NSW | The final day of a committal hearing for an SAS soldier charged over alleged war crimes in Afghanistan is scheduled to be heard today in Sydney.
SA | Victim impact statements are expected to be heard in relation to the death of Melissa Hoskins.
NSW | The Royal Easter Show continues in Sydney.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
