Australia's Labor pledges new Medicare hotline ahead of election
Australia’s Labor party has promised a free medical advice line and expanded Medicare funding as cost-of-living pressures dominate the election campaign.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that a general election will be called soon, with voting set for May.
Speaking to a local radio station, he confirmed the announcement is imminent but did not specify a date.
Ahead of the election, Albanese’s government passed a Senate bill introducing tax cuts to ease the cost of living. Starting in 2026, taxes will drop by 5 Australian dollars ($3.14) per week, increasing to 10 Australian dollars ($6.29) in 2027. The opposition Liberal-National Coalition, however, has pledged to repeal these cuts in favor of a fuel excise reduction if elected.
The election, expected by May 17, will determine lawmakers for the House of Representatives and the Senate. Voters will decide on 150 House seats and 40 of the 76 Senate seats.
In 2022, Labor won 77 seats, while the opposition secured 58.
Russia launched a major missile and drone assault on Kyiv overnight on April 24, killing at least twelve people and injuring 90, including children and a pregnant woman, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
In an expansive interview marking his first 100 days back in office, President Donald Trump sketched out an agenda that touches everything from punitive tariffs and China policy to cease-fire hopes in Ukraine and an overhaul of domestic programmes. Below are the highlights.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 23rd, covering the latest developments you need to know.
For three generations, the Liebigs built railcars in Görlitz. Now, the factory that shaped their lives will produce parts for battle tanks.
A deadly explosion at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port has left at least 40 dead, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, halting operations at one of the country’s most vital trade hubs.
Amazon says it never planned to display Trump-era tariffs on product pages, disputing a report that drew a sharp response from the White House.
Nearly 39,000 people have been deported to Mexico since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, and 33,000 of them are Mexican nationals, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday.
Prince William and Princess Kate marked their 14th wedding anniversary Tuesday with a rare joint appearance on Mull and Iona, their first major public trip since the princess’s cancer treatment.
Estonia’s defense minister Hanno Pevkur says the U.S. will keep its 80,000 troops in Europe, calling bases like Ramstein and Naples crucial to NATO’s eastern shield and American power projection despite Washington’s growing Indo-Pacific focus.
Mark Carney walked into the Prime Minister’s Office on Wellington Street Tuesday morning, his first official act after steering the Liberals to a decisive election triumph and reclaiming the reins of Canada’s government.
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