Australia’s Labor party has promised a free medical advice line and expanded Medicare funding as cost-of-living pressures dominate the election campaign.
Australia’s Labor government has pledged to strengthen the country’s universal healthcare system with a free medical advice line and telehealth service if it wins the May 3 general election, where cost-of-living pressures are a key issue.
Centre-left Labor traditionally champions the protection of Australia’s Medicare system, setting itself apart from the conservative Liberal-National opposition, which emphasizes economic management and border protection.
The government has made Medicare a core election issue, pledging an extra $5.43 billion for the program in February amid concerns about declining bulk billing — a system where doctors bill Medicare directly, leaving patients with no out-of-pocket costs.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the new hotline would provide 24-hour access to medical staff for urgent care needs. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to formally announce the policy on Sunday in Sydney, a critical election battleground.
Peter Dutton, leader of the Liberal-National coalition and Albanese’s main rival, has pledged $5.76 billion in Medicare funding if his coalition wins on May 3.
Early voting began Tuesday, with polls showing Labor holding a narrow lead. The campaign has been dominated by cost-of-living promises and competing plans to boost housing affordability.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end t...
U.S. forces have struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two Navy ships, according to U.S. Central Command. ...
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, ...
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported.
Prescriptions for GLP-1 weight-loss medicines among U.S. children aged eight to 11 have increased more than 300-fold since 2019, highlighting both the growing burden of childhood obesity and the debate over how early these drugs should be used.
Australia has confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu in a mammal after the virus was detected in a dead long-nosed fur seal in South Australia, authorities said.
Malaysia is facing a sharp rise in dengue infections, with the capital Kuala Lumpur and the wider Klang Valley emerging as the main centres of concern.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 5,000 confirmed cases, with the death toll reaching 2,378, according to the latest government data.
The Democratic Republic of Congo says the number of confirmed Ebola cases has risen to more than 5,000, with more than 2,300 deaths. Delayed detection, weak surveillance, funding shortages and conflict have allowed the virus to spread faster than in any previous epidemic at the same stage.
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