In this bulletin;
- The Prime Minister to call the federal election this morning, as the Opposition delivers its budget reply, with a vow to slash immigration.
- Australia to provide an additional $11 million funding to humanitarian aid in Gaza.
- And in football, The Rabbitohs beat four-time premiers, the Panthers.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to visit the Governor General early this morning to call for the federal election,which is set to - held on May 3.
This means political parties will begin their official campaigns from today.
In Australia, voting is compulsory, and there can be penalty for citizens who don't cast their votes.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has replied to Labor's budget, saying Australia is having what he calls "a sliding doors moment". *
Mr Dutton has also outlined the Coalition's plan for the budget if the Coalition is elected in the upcoming election, including reducing immigration and ensuring people pay lower energy bills.
He also says his government will end Labor's Rewiring the Nation Fund and Future Housing Fund, and at the same time will cut public servant numbers.
"Tonight, I commit a Dutton Coalition Government to the following. We will introduce four critical pieces of legislation on the first sitting day of the next Parliament. 1. The Energy Price Reduction Bill; 2. The Lower Immigration and More Homes for Australians Bill; 3. The Keeping Australians Safe Bill; and 4. The Guaranteed Funding for Health, Education and Essential Services Bill."
He also announced $400 million in youth mental health funding if the Coalition is elected.
* Sliding Doors was a 1998 film that pondered the idea of near-misses and what-ifs, the incidents that can change the course of lives
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Education Minister Jason Clare has responded to the Opposition's budget reply, saying the Coalition will make Australians pay more tax.
"I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's true: if Peter Dutton wins the election, you will pay more tax. So the stage is now set. If Labor wins the election, your taxes will be lower; if Peter Dutton wins the election, your taxes will be higher."
Mr Clare also questions the lack of details about the nuclear energy policy in the Coalition's budget.
The Coalition has previously stated it would build nuclear reactors in seven sites. The Smart Energy Council says the Coalition's nuclear plan could cost $600 billion.
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Australia will provide an additional $11 million in humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza to address healthcare, food and water.
In a statement, Foreign Minister Penny Wong also announced that Australia will offer $7 million in food assistance for Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar, and their host communities in Bangladesh.
The federal government will also offer $3 million of aid to displaced civilians living on Thai-Myanmar border.
Another $5 million will be offered to women in Afghanistan to support their critical health needs.
Ms Wong says it's in Australia's interest to help others in crisis.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that a potential minerals deal with the U-S is taking time because the terms are constantly changing.
Speaking at a press conference in Paris, Mr Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine remains committed to securing a deal.
"But I would not want the United States to have the impression that Ukraine is against it (the mineral deal), in general. We have consistently shown positive signals - we support cooperation with the United States. We do not want to send any signals or encourage the United States to halt assistance to Ukraine or to stop sharing intelligence. It is crucial for us to maintain all of this, which is why we act constructively every day."
The Ukrainian President is in Paris for a summit on the Russia-Ukraine war alongside nearly 30 other leaders of different countries, as well as NATO and European Union chiefs.
The Paris talks comes at a crucial time in the more than three-year war, with escalating diplomatic efforts to negotiate ceasefires, driven by pressure from U-S President Donald Trump.
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A man has been arrested after allegedly stabbing five people in Amsterdam's centre.
Dutch police has said in a post on social media platform X, that the suspect was overpowered with the help of a citizen and taken to hospital with a leg injury.
Witnesses say that the alleged perpetrator had apparently stabbed people randomly.
A woman told Dutch radio that the attacker had stabbed a young woman in the back.
Police say the motive of the assailant was unclear and the incident remains under investigation.
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Now in sports, South Sydney Rabbitohs beat the Penrith Panthers with 28 to 18.
It's the first time since 2019 that the Penrith Panthers lost three straight games.
The absence of Nathan Cleary and Dylan Edwards, plus the injury of Scott Sorensen, had made it difficult for the four-time premiers to challenge the Rabbitohs.
