Morning Mail: US goes to the polls; Australians among Spain train crash dead; and ‘shonky’ gig tickets

Morning everyone. Voting closes soon in the US midterm elections, in which the outcome is seen as a referendum on Donald Trump’s second term as president and which could have a significant impact on the remainder of his time in the White House. We have full coverage.

Victorian Labor’s union problem has deepened after the main public servants’ union said it would not support the party at this month’s state election, Snowy Hydro bosses bank huge bonuses, European flights hit by bomb threats, and concert tickets lead the Shonky awards.

Australia

• Shonky service | Concert tickets that surge to $1,650, an airline pocketing $75m of unused flight credits and a washer/dryer cycle that takes 25 hours have all made the dishonour roll in consumer advocacy group Choice’s annual Shonky awards.

• Labor blow | Victoria’s public servants union says it will not support Labor at this month’s state election, condemning the government for cutting public service jobs while spending $1.2bn on consultants.

• Spain train crash | Two Australians are among 69 people who died in last week’s high-speed train collision after Spanish authorities confirmed the identities of three more victims.

• Snowy windfall | Executives at the troubled Snowy Hydro company collectively banked bonuses worth a combined $751,925 in the last financial year, despite its renewable energy project blowing out to 12 times its original cost.

• Backpacker switch | Anthony Albanese has told his UK counterpart Andy Burnham he is looking at changing rules for British backpackers in Australia, after an increase in the number of travellers visiting popular hotspots such as Sydney.

World

• US midterms | Control of the Senate and House of Representatives, both currently held by the Republicans, is at stake as Americans head to the polls in US midterm elections, which are seen as a chance for opponents to rein in Trump’s untrammelled power. We have all the latest developments at our live blog. Find out here how to watch the midterms from Australia. With the first results expected from around 10am AEDT, will the predictions markets be proved correct?

• Planes threat | Four planes have landed safely after alleged bomb threats were made across Europe, including for two flights that departed from the UK, according to reports. Russia has bombed an aid distribution centre and neighbouring shelter in southern Ukraine, killing at least 31 ​people, while European military chiefs say any future peacekeeping troops stationed in Ukraine would be allowed to fire back if attacked by Russians.

• Climate road map | All countries can start to break their dependence on fossil fuels now without needing to wait for new technologies or economic changes, Brazil’s government has said ahead of a global climate summit.

• Football tragedy | The Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel has died as a result of injuries sustained in a collision with the Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono in their Spanish second division match on Monday.

Full Story

Has the tide finally turned on One Nation’s ‘crude and cruel’ political cartoons?

Matilda Boseley talks to marketing expert Toby Ralph about whether there’s a place for Pauline Hanson’s Please Explain in the current political climate.

In-depth

Tuesday’s rate hike – the fifth this year – was another tough blow for stretched households to absorb. Achol Arok talks to borrowers such as Avelima Satiu and her husband, Chris, who are both working two jobs to keep up with the payments on their house in south-west Sydney. Use our loan calculator to check how it could affect you. It’s also bad news for the Labor government as they battle growing voter discontent. Nicki Hutley points out that the Reserve Bank board was not unanimous about the need to hike as the public sector and business investmenty continues to carry the economy along.

Not the news

After a lifelong friendship imploded while they lived in a share house in their 20s, Hannah Goldstein spent a lot of time thinking about her friend and what she would be doing. The magic of social media algorithms reunited them and she has written a book about the experience.

Sport

• Rugby league | Reece Walsh has retained the Australian No 1 jumper ahead of James Tedesco for the Kangaroos’ World Cup semi-final against Samoa in Sydney on Sunday.

• Football | The Champions League action kicks off again in Europe this morning with a lot of focus on how Manchester United will fare against Roma.

• Cricket | As Glenn Maxwell retires from international cricket, we pay tribute to the Big Show with a Joy of Six in his honour.

Thousands are without power in southern Queensland after a storm ripped through the region, the Courier Mail reports. The Victorian Electoral Commission has recruited a nearly 50-strong security squad to patrol booths for this month’s state election, the Age claims. The drones behind Hollywood’s wildest stunts are landing on the Gold Coast as the Australian team that flew them tell the Bulletin how they pulled off their success.

What’s happening today

• Courts | High court judgment in Uber’s case against New South Wales state revenue commissioner.

• Economy | Living cost indices and household spending indicator released by the ABS at 11.30am.

• Defence | The Aukus inquiry final report is due out this morning, while Peter Garrett and Chris Barrie address the National Press Club about the issue in Canberra at 12.30pm.

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 Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter, where our political team brings you up to speed on the stories that really matter and what they mean for you. 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.