Dutton refuses to specify what Coalition’s $21bn of pledged defence spending would be used on

Opposition leader insists costings will be released prior to the election as Andrew Hastie says ‘America-first’ US means Australia’s defence must be prioritised

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has refused to specify where an additional $21bn in pledged defence spending would be allocated, nor where the money would come from, committing only to releasing the Coalition’s costings before the 3 May election.

After announcing the Coalition’s policy to spend an additional $21bn over five years, lifting defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, Dutton was questioned over where the money would come from and what specific capabilities it would be directed to.

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Married at First Sight Australia groom applies for restraining order against on-screen bride

Ryan Donnelly alleges that Jacqui Burfoot has made ‘vicious’ and ‘malicious’ claims about him online

A Married At First Sight groom claims he was left fearful after his estranged on-screen bride tried to destroy his life by posting about him online.

Ryan Donnelly and Jacqui Burfoot were paired together in this year’s season of the hit Australian reality TV series but chose to separate during an insult-laden final vows ceremony.

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Number of births in US increased by 1% in 2024, according to CDC data

Small increase amounts to 3.6 million births and an increase in the women aged 40-44 giving birth

The number of births in the US increased slightly in 2024 to roughly 3.6 million, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The small increase of 1% in the number of births comes amid a long-term decline that began during the Great Recession, in about 2008. The provisional data was released on Wednesday.

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More than 80% of the world’s reefs hit by bleaching after worst global event on record

An ashen pallor and an eerie stillness all that remains where there should fluttering fish and vibrant colours in the reefscape, one conservationist says

The world’s coral reefs have been pushed into “uncharted territory” by the worst global bleaching event on record that has now hit more than 80% of the planet’s reefs, scientists have warned.

Reefs in at least 82 countries and territories have been exposed to enough heat to turn corals white since the global event started in January 2023, the latest data from the US government’s Coral Reef Watch shows.

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