In this bulletin;
- The Treasurer says Medicare to be a major focus of tonight's federal budget, as the Opposition attacks Labor for wasteful spending.
- U-S President Donald Trump flags further tariffs - targetting countries that buy oil from Venezuela.
- And in sport, NRL'S Daly Cherry-Evans says he WON'T renew a contract with long term club Manly.
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers says strengthening Medicare will be the centrepiece of tonight's budget.
The Labor government has flagged it will deliver a deficit for the first time in three years, but maintains the budget will balance essential service delivery with responsible economic management in the face of global turmoil.
Measures to ease the cost-of-living burden will include a $150 power bill rebate and lowering the price of medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Speaking outside parliament house this morning, Dr Chalmers said there will be a major focus on health.
"It's not just energy rebates, it's also cheaper medicines. But really one of the centrepieces of this budget is Labor's efforts to strengthen Medicare. The budget is about strengthening Medicare and the election is Australia's opportunity to protect it and safeguard it against Peter Dutton. "
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Opposition Treasurer Angus Taylor has also held a news conference ahead of the budget.
He says Labor is failing to address the economic pain felt by Australians, and has accused the government of wasteful spending.
The opposition has promised to fast-track gas approvals and address energy prices if elected - and vowed to cut 36,000 jobs from the public service.
Mr Taylor says the government has let the public service get too big, at a cost to households and businesses. Opposition Treasurer Angus Taylor has also held a news conference ahead of the budget.
"This government has made a tax grab on the private sector on this country - households and businesses - of around $400 billion dollars, and he's squandered that. And that's why we've opposed more than $100 billion dollars worth of spending since Labor came to power. And we've said, the public service has got too big. "
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Russian and U-S officials have wrapped up talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at progressing a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The meeting was expected to focus on, among other issues, an agreement to stop maritime fire in the Black Sea to allow the free flow of shipping.
It follows talks with a Ukrainian delegation on Monday and is part of a wider push by U-S President Donald Trump to end the three-year-old war.
A White House source has told Reuters that progress had been made in the talks, and spoke of a "positive announcement" to come in the near future.
Earlier today, President Trump held a cabinet meeting, where he said he expects to sign a revenue-sharing agreement on critical minerals with Ukraine soon.
"Well, probably they have been influenced to get this thing settled because Ukraine wants to see it settled. I think they have to have it settled and Russia wants to see it settled. Europe is giving the money to Ukraine as a loan. We were just pouring money into Ukraine. It was a very unfair situation. So we made a deal on rare earths. But most importantly, we want to stop the killing that's going on, with 2,500 on average, mostly soldiers a week are being killed and they're Russian and they're Ukrainian. And if we can stop it, that's a very important thing to me on a human basis."
As the meeting was under way, a Russian missile strike damaged a school and a hospital in Ukraine, wounding at least 88 people.
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The director of the Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land' has been beaten by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and detained by the Israeli military.
A lawyer for filmmaker Hamdan Ballal says he was one of three Palestinians detained in the village of Susiya.
Leah Tsemmel said she had not been able to speak to the trio, but was told by police they were being held at a military base for medical treatment.
Co-director Basel Adra said he saw two dozen settlers — some masked, some carrying guns and some in Israeli uniform — attack the village.
'No Other Land' depicts the struggles faced by Palestinian residents in the West Bank to stop the Israeli military from demolishing their villages.
The Israeli military today said it was looking into the incident, but made no further comment.
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And in sport...
The Manly Sea Eagles halfback Daly Cherry-Evans says he will not accept a last-ditch offer from Manly to stay at the club.
The Eagles' most-capped player has confirmed he was leaning towards playing on next season, but says it would not be at the Sea Eagles.
Manly bosses have revealed they plan to offer Cherry-Evans a new two-year deal to ensure he finishes at Brookvale.
But the 36-year-old told Channel Nine last night he had talked about the decision with his family and would not take up the offer.
St George Illawarra, Canterbury and the Sydney Roosters are all said to be interested in signing the halfback.
