Good morning. A new Guardian investigation cuts through the entrenched secrecy around the British royal family’s money and wealth. The Inland Rail project is in strife, still. The dust is far from settled on the Trump arraignment. And traces of the last ice age have given us a “warning from the past”, scientists say.
Let’s get into this morning’s major stories.
Australia
Voice referendum | Key yes campaigners have accused the Coalition of “turning its back” on Indigenous people and ignoring the majority of its constituents with yesterday’s decision to oppose the voice to parliament. Read what Lorena Allam, our Indigenous affairs editor, has to say.
Exclusive | The “regional” visa pushed by Coalition frontbenchers Sussan Ley, Dan Tehan and Anne Ruston as a win for rural Australia actually allows migrants to move to cities.
Petrol prices | Opec’s surprise cut to global oil production is expected to add 5c to the average fuel price in coming weeks. If that’s got you considering alternative travel options, the Greens say a year-long free public transport trial for all Australians would cost the government $2.2bn.
Spyware | The government is facing pressure to ban Services Australia from using Israeli spyware that cracks the passcodes on people’s phones as part of investigations of alleged welfare fraud.
Scams | Booming banks should do more to protect customers, advocates say. Australians have lost more than $95m to scams so far this year, while the big four are expected to make more than $33bn in profits, largely thanks to interest rate rises.
World
The cost of the crown | The Guardian’s new investigation series reveals the royal family took more than £1bn in income from controversial estates. King Charles and the late queen’s income from the Lancaster and Cornwall duchies grew sixteenfold during Elizabeth’s reign.
Donald Trump | Over in the states, the circus around the ex-president’s hush money case continues. Despite his indictment, Trump is still the most popular Republican. And, as our analysis notes, the legal pathway of escalating 34 regular falsifying business records charges to felonies is uncertain.
Putin’s paranoid lifestyle | A senior security officer who defected last year has given rare insight into the Russian president’s day-to-day, confirming details of a secret train network, identical offices in different cities, a strict personal quarantine and escalating security protocols.
Ice sheet collapse | A study has found ice sheets can collapse at 600 metres a day, far faster than feared. Findings from sea floor sediment formations from the last ice age give a “warning from the past”, scientists say.
Full Story
The case for the four-day work week
The Easter break is making this is a four-day work week for many of us. But what if every week was like this? Today on Full Story, Greens senator Barbara Pocock and Guardian Australia chief political correspondent Paul Karp speak to Laura Murphy-Oates about successful trials in Australia and around the world – and why it might work.
In-depth
It’s been twelve days since the NSW election, and no one’s in a hurry to apply for the job of opposition leader. (One MP said it was as if the Liberal party has become “catatonic”.) But with speculation that former PM Scott Morrison could soon announce his departure from federal politics, attention is focused on his seat of Cook. Anne Davies and Tamsin Rose today examine the complex game of political musical chairs being played out in the southern suburbs of Sydney.
Not the news
More in former PMs. A new play by Joanna Murray-Smith, one of Australia’s most produced playwrights internationally, tells the story of Julia Gillard’s misogyny speech. As Cassie Tongue writes, “Murray-Smith’s work often centres the inner lives of women, and their tension with the people and societies around them.” But despite an electrifying performance from Justine Clarke, this work fails to reckon with the complexities of Gillard’s legacy.
The world of sport
‘In the best place it’s ever been’ | With increased visibility around men’s netball and role models in the national team, more and more boys are hitting the court.
Golf | Will expensive changes to Augusta’s 13th hole prove unlucky for some? Ewan Murray investigates.
Football | Follow the Premier League action in the West Ham v Newcastle match over on our liveblog. Oh, and the Copa del Rey semi-final: Barcelona v Real Madrid.
Media roundup
As reported by ABC, Fiji prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka is looking into a Pacific leader’s claims he was spied on by the Chinese government during a Fiji visit. The Fin predicts the week’s final trading session will see the ASX slip. And apparently you all took my weather advice seriously yesterday – the Australian says that nearly two-thirds of Australians will stay home this Easter.
What’s happening today
Inland Rail | Ministers Catherine King and Katy Gallagher will speak to media about a review that savages the Coalition’s past handling of the project. In two years its predicted price tag has almost doubled, to more than $30bn.
ABS | Figures will be released on international trade, jobs and wages.
Sydney | The Royal Easter Show starts today.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here. And finish your day with a three-minute snapshot of the day’s main news. Sign up for our Afternoon Update newsletter here.
Prefer notifications? If you’re reading this in our app, just click here and tap “Get notifications” on the next screen for an instant alert when we publish every morning.
Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android.
The Morning Mail is taking a break over the long weekend – we’ll be back with you on Tuesday 11 April. Stay well.
