Hello. It's Tuesday, March 29, and you're staying in The Loop with this quick wrap-up of today's news.
Let's start here
It's budget night. And, with an election due to be called any day now, this budget is expected to be a big one.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will reveal the key details and promises of this year's budget in a speech from 7:30pm AEDT, which you can watch live on ABC News, stream on ABC iView or follow on our live Budget 2022-23 blog.
- We already know that an almost $9 billion package to bolster Australia's cybersecurity and intelligence capabilities will be unveiled in an attempt to deal with changed strategic circumstances in the Indo-Pacific region, characterised in part by increasing cyber attacks
- The budget will include a one-off cash payment worth $420 for millions of Australians — more people than were eligible previously — to help with the rising cost of living
- That's part of a multi-billion-dollar cost-of-living package that is set to form the centrepiece of the budget ahead of the federal election
- We also know the government has been looking at temporarily reducing the excise on petrol, which has seen pump prices rising like crazy
- We're expecting a focus on things such as property prices, aged care, apprenticeships and the NBN.
Now, tonight's Loop won't be updated once the Treasurer makes his speech and the budget papers are revealed. So, if you're reading this after 7:30pm AEDT, here's the link that'll take you straight to our live blog where you can get the absolute latest updates as they come through.
What else is going on
- Multiple areas in northern NSW and surrounds have been ordered to evacuate as dangerous floods threaten properties for the second time in a month. The NSW government has acknowledged there were failures in the response during last month's emergency
- The Northern Territory's anti-corruption commissioner has announced he will investigate the decision to arrest and charge police officer Zachary Rolfe over the fatal shooting of Kumanjayi Walker in 2019.
What Australia has been searching for online
- Zendaya. Because, of course, she's trending online after hitting the Oscars red carpet yesterday — she can do no fashion wrong.
- Roman Abramovich. The Russian billionaire and Chelsea FC owner reportedly suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning earlier this month after a meeting in Kyiv, alongside at least two other Ukrainian peace negotiators.
News alerts you might have missed
- Analysis with David Mark: Tomorrow could be Graham Arnold's last game as Socceroos coach, with Football Australia considering changes ahead of knockout World Cup qualifiers
- The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has launched legal action in the Federal Court against Integrity Care over the death of neglect victim Ann Marie Smith.
Make sure your notification settings are up to date so you don't miss a thing, no matter what topics are most important to you. Head to the ABC News app homepage ➡️ Settings ➡️ Notifications and tailor your alerts to what you want to know.
One more thing
Actor Will Smith has published a written apology to Chris Rock after that Oscars incident yesterday, with the Academy confirming it's investigating the incident.
ICYMI:
Smith said his behaviour was "inexcusable" and that he was "out of line" — and that Rock's joke about his wife's medical condition was "too much to bear".
Rock joked that Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia — a hair-loss condition — could star in a sequel to GI Jane, the movie for which Demi Moore shaved her head.
The incident has sparked a strong reaction online — there's been plenty of discussion on the behaviour of both Smith and Rock, but also support for Pinkett Smith and others who live with alopecia.
You're up to date
See you again soon.
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