Morning everyone. There were signs of determination and desperation in Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton’s fractious final election debate. We assess their performance last night, survey crucial seats up for grabs and look at some big issues that have – so far – barely ranked a mention on the campaign trail.
Meanwhile, the death toll from a SUV ramming attack in Vancouver has risen to 11 – and there are warnings Gaza’s population is on the brink of a new catastrophe as food aid runs dry. Plus: we meet the man helping to keep the world’s busiest railways running from a shed in Melbourne.
Staying on track |From Dubai to Hong Kong, train operators rely on Prof Ravi Ravitharan (pictured) and his team at Monash to help maintain their rail networks’ reliability. Sowhy is it so hard to get a contract in Australia?
Election looms large |Peter Dutton has stoked a culture waras the final week of the election campaign begins, saying welcome to country ceremonies are “overdone”; Labor and the Coalition have beennotably silent on some key policy areas.
Analysis |As Labor and the Coalition fight to win over mortgage holders, the growing popularity of third parties and early votingcomplicates their election campaign strategies.
‘Incredibly brazen’ |The ACCC has been asked toinvestigate allegedly misleading claimsmade by Australians for Natural Gas, a pro-gas group with directors including a Liberal candidate running in the federal election.
‘A critical juncture’ |Feral cats kill 1.5 billion Australian animals each year, but Kangaroo Island has taken a stand in a bold eradication programinvolving drones, AI and one long fence.
‘Darkest day’ |Investigators are exploring possible motives after11 people were killed and dozens of others injuredwhen a driver ploughed an SUV intoa Filipino community eventin Vancouver.
Gaza crisis |Soaring prices of basic foodstuffs, diminishing stocks of medical supplies and evaporating food aidthreaten newly catastrophic conditionsacross Gaza as Israel’s blockade continues, aid agencies warn.
Russia-Ukraine war |Russia has continued its assault on Ukrainewith a series of drone attacks and airstrikesmere hours after Donald Trump cast doubt on Vladimir Putin’s readiness to end the conflict.
Jiggly Caliente |Noted drag queen and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Jiggly Caliente – real name Bianca Castro-Arabejo –has died aged 44 after a “severe infection”, her family has confirmed.
Vatican mourns |Thousands queue to visit Pope Francis’s tomba day after his funeral; how Michelangelo’s love and humilitycould influence the Sistine Chapel conclave.
Gina episode 5: The portrait
It’s the portrait of Gina Rinehart that launched 1,000 memes, went viral globally and became Australia’s Mona Lisa. But it’s also a symbol of how wealth intersects with other areas of life, including art and sport – and what happened when the national netball team was confronted by part of the Hancock family legacy. How does Rinehart use her money to control her image –and what would she rather you don’t see?
Gina Rinehart’s father, Lang Hancock – known for his racist comments about Aboriginal people, including that he believed some should be forcibly sterilised – always denied claims that he fathered two daughters to Aboriginal women who lived and worked at Mulga Downs station while he was a young man. But now, previously unreported documents offer an insight into Hancock’s relationship with two children who were removed from the station under government policies that created the Stolen Generations. They lend weight toclaims that Rinehart has Aboriginal half-sisters.
In the latest of ourKindness of Strangersseries, David shares his tale of desperation about being stuck on the road in a period when hitchhiking was turned upside down. Giving up hopes of a lift, he tucked himself up and took a nap; when he woke up, his luck changed whena convoy of strange-looking trucksapproached carrying a giraffe, an elephant and some lions.
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Football |Liverpool have been crowned Premier League championswith four games to spareafter a 5-1 rout of Tottenham; The Matildas forward, Caitlin Foord, scored against Lyon to help send Arsenalthrough to the Women’s Champions League final.
AFL |Carlton have proven their mettleto show there is light at the end of the tunnel, Jonathan Horn writes.
Cycling |Tadej Pogacar and Kim Le Courtclaimed Liège-Bastogne-Liège glory.
NFL |Australia’s Jeremy Crawshaw wasdrafted by the Denver Broncosafter five seasons with the University of Florida.
Surfing |Australian Isabella Nichols securedthe biggest victory of her surfing careerat Bells beach.
High school students in Victoria are shunning the “hell” of ATAR-scored final exams andflocking to the vocational VCEin their thousands, theAgereports. Experts claim mental health payouts for workerscould soon become impossibleunder proposed changes by the Minns government, theSydney Morning Heraldreports. A band of citizen scientists ishelping to stop the decline of kelp– the “rainforests of the sea” – in Tasmanian waters, theMercuryreports.
VIC |Jury empanelment in the trial of Erin Patterson is expected to begin in Morwell.
VIC |Mass is being held at St Patrick’s cathedral in Melbourne to mark the death of Pope Francis.
NSW |The Bondi Junction coronial inquest begins in Lidcombe.
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And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
Quick crossword
Cryptic crossword