Good morning. As campaigning for the federal election gets under way, Guardian Australia is launching a new, six-part podcast series examining the life and influence of Australia’s richest person, mining boss Gina Rinehart. Gina explores how Rinehart became an Australian success story – worth almost $40bn – and how her power and political influence have grown in line with her wealth.
Meanwhile: Donald Trump has expressed his frustration over attempts to bring peace to the Ukraine conflict, saying that he is “pissed off” with Vladimir Putin. And rescuers are continuing a desperate search for quake survivors in Thailand and Myanmar.
Australia
World
Full Story
Gina episode 1: Becoming Mrs Rinehart
Gina Rinehart is Australia’s richest person – and as her wealth continues to rise, so does her power and influence. But what does she want? In the first episode of Guardian Australia’s new podcast series, senior correspondent Sarah Martin explores the impact Rinehart could have on Australian politics. Life began for Rinehart in the vast expanse of the Pilbara. To understand her story, we delve into her past and how her unique childhood under the influence of Lang Hancock shaped her.
Full Story
Full Story
In-depth
A new report into principal wellbeing has detailed “really inappropriate” student behaviour as educators point to an alarming cultural shift playing out in the classroom. The data has laid bare a dramatic rise in physical assaults, use of weapons and threats within schools. Caitlin Cassidy explains why Australia could lose an “entire generation” of school principals as they grapple with depression and anxiety due to growing workloads, violence and bullying.
Not the news
Photograph: Trent Mitchell/The Guardian
From Cyclone Alfred driving wild seas and a seagull eclipsing the moon to Kylie Minogue performing on a trapeze and Ramadan celebrations in Sydney: our picture desk looks back at some of the best images to appear across Guardian Australia’s content during the month of March.
after newsletter promotion
Sport
Under new plans to address the housing crisis, state agencies could be named and shamed over the time they take to approve housing developments, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Experts claim immigration numbers are likely to plummet as people on short-term visas leave Australia en masse, the Age reports. South Australian farmers are selling off stock and fearing for their futures amid tough dry conditions, the Advertiser reports. Victoria’s planned surgery waitlist grew by more than 9% in six months as health budgets were cut, ABC News reports.
What’s happening today
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. You can 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.