Morning everyone. Petrol stations are having a big surge in demand and Australia is facing the “biggest energy crisis in its history”, but there’s not been much progress on peace talks with Donald Trump again threatening Iran and Pete Hegseth praying for violence against his enemies.
The crisis is also leading economists to cut growth forecasts for Australia, transgender women have been banned from women’s events at the Los Angeles Olympics, and we find out why sperm get lost in space.
Australia
Lost in space | Sperm in space are likely to get disoriented and lost while struggling to find their way to an egg, according to researchers at Adelaide University whose study adds to interest in how humans might reproduce and breed animals in extraterrestrial habitats.
Petrol rush | Petrol stations are reporting a surge in demand of up to 25% in the past fortnight alone on top of big spikes earlier in the Iran war, as Anthony Albanese comes under pressure to devise a national plan to cushion Australia against what the energy minister, Chris Bowen, called the “biggest energy crisis in history”. And transport advocates are calling for the rollout of electric buses across Australia.
Growth threat | Economists are slashing growth forecasts for this year and the next as the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran sets up a major inflationary spike across the world.
Teacher accused | A high school teacher in Sydney has been accused of grooming a teenage girl and offering money for her to produce sexually explicit material.
‘Very destructive’ | Small towns on the coast of Western Australia – including Exmouth, Carnarvon and Denham in the world heritage-listed Shark Bay – are expected to face “very destructive” winds and potential flash flooding today as Tropical Cyclone Narelle makes landfall again.
World
‘Begging for a deal’ | Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is “begging to make a deal” but nevertheless urged Iranian leaders to negotiate an end to the near month-long conflict in the Gulf before it’s “too late”. It came as Israel says it killed a naval commander and several senior officers in a strike on the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. The US president launched another jibe at Nato, deriding the UK’s navy as “toys”, while his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, prayed during a religious service at the Pentagon that there be “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy”. Check out our visual guide to how some ships still make it through the strait of Hormuz. Follow it live.
Euthanasia fight | A Spanish woman who spent months fighting her father for the right to euthanasia after being sexually assaulted and becoming paraplegic is expected to end to her life within hours.
‘Absolutely insane’ | Passengers across the US have vented their fury after their travel plans were upended as the latest Department of Homeland Security shutdown triggered widespread staffing shortages at airports.
PM’s rap | Nepal’s rapper turned politician Balendra Shah, who is about to be sworn in as the new prime minister, has issued his first post-election message via rap, urging unity.
Trans ban | The International Olympic Committee has banned transgender women and DSD athletes from women’s events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and future Games.
Full Story
Australian politics podcast: poll shows we don’t want the war on Iran
Josh Butler and the Essential Media executive director, Peter Lewis, discuss the latest poll showing disapproval of the war and ask if voters are blaming the government for being dragged into the conflict.
In-depth
The energy shock from the war in the Middle East and skyrocketing prices of petrol and diesel have upended travel plans for the Easter school holidays and beyond all over Australia. Catie McLeod speaks to would-be travellers who are “not going anywhere” and tourist bosses who hope the crisis will ease.
Not the news
With 5.17 million YouTube subscribers, 27-year-old Jonah “Jojo” Singer is a superstar in the world of ASMR. That’s short for autonomous sensory meridian response, a form of soothing content popular on social media. At his studio complex in Sydney, he tells Jenny Valentish how he struck gold.
Sport
Football | David Squires satirises Fifa boss Gianni Infantino as Australia prepare to host his latest brainchild, the Fifa Series.
Formula One | Our F1 correspondent, Giles Richards, describes how Max Verstappen ordered him out of a press conference at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Football | It’s a huge morning of World Cup playoff action with Italy facing Northern Ireland as they try to avoid missing the third tournament in a row. Follow the action live here, and a host of other ties here.
Media roundup
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Pauline Hanson has offered the Coalition a preference deal in the Farrer byelection. Labor has intervened to secure regional fuel supply chains in what the Age claims is one of the most drastic market interventions since the second world war. Towns on the coast of WA are braced for Cyclone Narelle, the West Australian reports, but the footy must go on.
What’s happening today
Media | Interlocutory hearing in news organisation class action lawsuit against Google at the federal court in Melbourne.
Defence | Defence minister Pat Conroy and his German counterpart will make announcements at RAAF Amberley and at Rheinmetall Defence Australia.
Hobart | Dark Mofo to announce its 2026 program.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
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