Dutton says Coalition will pay to match Labor’s $8.5bn Medicare boost by cutting thousands of public service jobs

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Opposition leader claims plan to reduce workforce by nearly all jobs added under Labor would save $6bn annually

Peter Dutton claims the Coalition would pay for a $8.5bn boost to Medicare by cutting thousands of public servant jobs, providing yet another different answer on the Coalition’s as-yet-undefined plans for the public service.

After weeks of contradictory statements from senior shadow ministers about how many positions the Coalition would cull if it wins government, Dutton has now stipulated his plan could save $6bn annually – potentially representing nearly all of the new positions created under Labor.

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‘Extremely capable’ weapons on Chinese warships off Australia’s east coast, NZ government says

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New Zealand defence minister Judith Collins says department has ‘never seen a task group of this capability undertaking this sort of work’

New Zealand’s defence minister has warned that Chinese warships located off the east coast of Australia are armed with “extremely capable” weapons that could reach Australia.

The three vessels, known as Taskgroup 107, undertook two live-fire exercises in the seas between Australia and New Zealand last week, causing commercial flights to be diverted in the skies above.

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Europe Prepares to Face Russia as Trump’s America Steps Back – The New York Times

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  1. Europe Prepares to Face Russia as Trump’s America Steps Back  The New York Times
  2. How Europe is trying to shield Ukraine from Trump  Al Jazeera English
  3. European Leaders Draft Peacekeeping Plan for Ukraine With U.S. Forces as ‘Backstop’  The Wall Street Journal
  4. Europe’s Message to Trump: Don’t Abandon Ukraine  Bloomberg
  5. Not So Fast on Ukraine  The American Prospect
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The Right U.S. Strategy for Russia-Ukraine Negotiations – Foreign Affairs Magazine

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  1. The Right U.S. Strategy for Russia-Ukraine Negotiations  Foreign Affairs Magazine
  2. Whiplash: Trump orders U-turn after 3 years of U.S. support for Ukraine in war with Russia  USA TODAY
  3. 3 Years Into Russia-Ukraine War, Trump Ushers in New World for Putin  The New York Times
  4. After 3 brutal years of Russia-Ukraine war, resolution rests on shoulders of 3 men  ABC News
  5. Trump’s Ukraine betrayal will make it impossible for anyone to trust the U.S.  MSNBC
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Trump names conservative podcaster Dan Bongino as FBI deputy director

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Selection of former Secret Service agent and author means two staunch Trump allies lead the principal federal law enforcement agency

Dan Bongino, a former US Secret Service agent who has written bestselling books, run unsuccessfully for office and gained fame as a conservative pundit with TV shows and a popular podcast, has been chosen to serve as the FBI’s deputy director.

President Donald Trump announced the appointment on Sunday night in a post on his Truth Social platform, praising Bongino as “a man of incredible love and passion for our country”. He called the announcement “great news for law enforcement and American justice”.

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Hezbollah, Once Dominant in Lebanon, Shows New Signs of Weakness – The Wall Street Journal

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  1. Hezbollah, Once Dominant in Lebanon, Shows New Signs of Weakness  The Wall Street Journal
  2. Report: Hezbollah tells operatives to allow Lebanese army to take control of border area  The Times of Israel
  3. Hezbollah facing financial squeeze as supply lines from Iran are severed  The Washington Post
  4. Rising Tensions in Lebanon: Hizbullah Signals a Potential Return to Civil War  Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
  5. Hezbollah could enter Lebanese political landscape, Rawad Taha reports  FRANCE 24 English
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Watch: Israeli jets that killed Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah fly over stadium holding his funeral – The Times of India

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  1. Watch: Israeli jets that killed Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah fly over stadium holding his funeral  The Times of India
  2. Huge crowds gather in Lebanon for funeral of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah  NPR
  3. Mourning Hassan Nasrallah  New Lines Magazine
  4. Israel Performs Parade-Like Fighter Jet Flyover For Arch Enemy’s Funeral  Yahoo
  5. New York’s Vigil for That Terrorist—What’s His Name?  The FP
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Sag awards 2025: Timothée Chalamet, Demi Moore, Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña win major categories

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Screen Actors Guild awards go to Shōgun and Conclave ensembles, while Jane Fonda gives a rousing political speech while accepting a life achievement award

Timothée Chalamet has won best actor in a surprise upset at the 2025 Screen Actors Guild awards for his performance as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, with Demi Moore and the ensembles of Shōgun and Conclave also winning big.

Chalamet won best male actor in a leading role, his first in an awards race that has been led all season by The Brutalist’s Adrien Brody, who has picked up the Golden Globe, Bafta and Critics’ Choice awards and is still widely predicted to win the Oscar next week.

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Pope Francis in critical condition with early kidney failure but remains alert as prayers pour in – The Associated Press

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  1. Pope Francis in critical condition with early kidney failure but remains alert as prayers pour in  The Associated Press
  2. Pope Francis Suffering From Kidney Failure in Addition to Pneumonia  The New York Times
  3. Pope Francis in critical condition with early kidney failure but remains alert, AP explains  Yahoo
  4. Pope Francis in critical condition with pneumonia and kidney issues, Vatican says  NBC News
  5. Pope Francis shares written message while continuing hospitalization  Fox News
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Government-led internet shutdowns hit record high in 2024 – Axios

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  1. Government-led internet shutdowns hit record high in 2024  Axios
  2. Government-imposed internet disruptions hit record high globally in 2024  Straight Arrow News
  3. Conflicts trigger globe’s highest rate of internet shutdowns in 2024: NGO  Al Jazeera English
  4. India saw second-highest number of Internet shutdowns in 2024: Report  The Times of India
  5. Report: In record year of internet shutdowns, Myanmar leads  Voice of America
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How Trump could be derailing a major global climate report – The Washington Post

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  1. How Trump could be derailing a major global climate report  The Washington Post
  2. Outcry as Trump withdraws support for research that mentions ‘climate’  The Guardian
  3. Trump bars federal scientists from working on pivotal global climate report  CNN
  4. Scoop: U.S. to pull delegation from UN climate science meeting  Axios
  5. Countries warn against delaying global climate assessment after US exit  Reuters
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German AfD sees record gains but still shut out from power – DW (English)

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  1. German AfD sees record gains but still shut out from power  DW (English)
  2. Germany’s far-right may be frozen out of power, but the AfD is now a powerful force  CNN
  3. Germany: Merz says it’s ‘five to midnight’ for Europe and calls for unity – live  The Guardian
  4. Meet Germany’s Far-Right Leader, a Study in Contradictions  The New York Times
  5. Alice Weidel took the German far right to new heights. Here’s how she did it.  POLITICO Europe
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