Morning Mail: One Nation sleepovers at Rinehart’s revealed, Japan trips getting more expensive, and more AI alarm

Want to get this in your inbox every weekday? Sign up for the Morning Mail here, and finish your day with our Politics, really newsletter. Good morning. Today we launch The Populist: a podcast about how One Nation is gaining ground in Australia. The four-part series follows senior correspondent Sarah Martin as she uncovers the inner workings of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation – a party that has imported the modus operandi of the global populist right, including Trump-style attacks on the media. The Populist asks who One Nation really stands for and what influence its billionaire benefactor Gina Rinehart has over the party.Elsewhere there’s speculation over the intended target of a Russian drone strike near the Ukraine-Poland border. And tech titans, including Elon Musk, say they’ll back calls to pump the brakes on AI development.‘Red lines’ legislation | David Pocock is among crossbench MPs who will pressure Labor to ban Australian goods from being used by the Israeli military.Sleepover at Rinehart’s | One Nation’s Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce stayed overnight at Gina Rinehart’s Brisbane mansion after fundraising events, with Joyce conducting a live television interview about politics from the $20m home. He did not declare the hospitality to parliament because the billionaire is a “long-term friend”.End of the road? | The Japanese yen has now reached its highest level against the US and Australian dollars in six months. Is the era of budget-friendly trips coming to an end for Australian travellers?‘They can get to incredible numbers’ | Rabbits are the biggest threat to Australia’s native species. And due to good rainfall and growing resistance to viruses, rabbit populations are booming.Sea lion death | South Australia has recorded the first death of an endangered Australian sea lion from H5 bird flu, amid fears for the protected species of which less than 12,000 remain nationwide. Continue reading...