The 2026 Sydney Royal Easter Show has revealed its showbag lineup, featuring 418 options ranging from $5 to $38. Sick children from Westmead and Randwick Children's Hospitals received an exclusive preview of this year's offerings, which include top sellers like the Dairy Milk Family Deal, Australian Women's Weekly, and Bluey showbags. The show opens Thursday, 2 April, with the Bertie Beetle showbag named best value at just $5.

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Proton beam radiation therapy for children with cancer remains unavailable in Australia nearly a decade after it was promised, forcing families to travel overseas for treatment. Over $100 million in taxpayer funding has been spent on establishing a treatment centre in Adelaide, but the project was cancelled in 2024 following a dispute with the supplier. Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston has tabled a petition with 27,000 signatures in Parliament demanding the life-saving treatment be made available domestically, while some families continue to be denied government grants due to bureaucratic red tape.

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Australia's economy grew 0.8% in the December quarter of 2025, reaching 2.6% annual growth - the strongest pace since March 2023. The Australian Bureau of Statistics attributes the growth to construction sector demand, consumer spending during end-of-year sales, and major events including the Ashes cricket series and Oasis concerts. Treasurer Jim Chalmers and opposition shadow treasurer Tim Wilson debate government spending levels while acknowledging risks from the Middle East conflict, as Foreign Minister Penny Wong coordinates the return of stranded Australians through consular crisis response teams.

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Dr Steven Lin, a 41-year-old disgraced dentist from the Central Coast, was shot dead by police in Potts Point after attacking two women in an apartment building. An officer opened fire when Lin threatened them with a knife. The two women were hospitalised with serious but stable injuries.

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Two armed men poured fuel over a Glenroy tobacconist and set the front counter on fire around 10pm, with workers inside managing to extinguish the blaze before the offenders fled in a white sedan later found burning nearby. The shop had been sold just days earlier, with reports the new owner refused to pay money to an illegal tobacco gang. The business has been repeatedly targeted in Victoria's ongoing tobacco turf wars, including previous arson attacks and drive-by shootings.

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Israel and the United States have conducted extensive military strikes against Iran, targeting over 1,700 sites including a compound where clerics were meeting to select a successor to the slain Ayatollah. Iran has retaliated by firing missiles and drones across the Middle East, striking targets in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and other Arab nations, prompting the U.S. State Department to urge American citizens in 14 Middle Eastern countries to evacuate. The Pentagon reports destroying all 11 major Iranian naval vessels, while the UAE has intercepted over 1,000 Iranian projectiles since Saturday, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and low-cost suicide drones.

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Two armed men poured fuel over a Glenroy tobacconist and set the front counter on fire around 10pm, with workers inside managing to extinguish the blaze before the offenders fled in a white sedan later found burning nearby. The shop had been sold just days earlier, with reports the new owner refused to pay money to an illegal tobacco gang. The business has been repeatedly targeted in Victoria's ongoing tobacco turf wars, including previous arson attacks and drive-by shootings.

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Two armed men poured fuel over a Glenroy tobacconist and set the front counter on fire around 10pm, with workers inside managing to extinguish the blaze before the offenders fled in a white sedan later found burning nearby. The shop had been sold just days earlier, with reports the new owner refused to pay money to an illegal tobacco gang. The business has been repeatedly targeted in Victoria's ongoing tobacco turf wars, including previous arson attacks and drive-by shootings.

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Five people were arrested across Melbourne's east in an overnight police operation. Two 36-year-old men from Cranbourne were tracked from Glen Waverley to Mount Waverley, where they abandoned an allegedly stolen car and attempted to flee on foot before being caught. Separately, a 19-year-old man from Wyndham Vale was arrested and charged with multiple offences after police discovered guns, a sword and cocaine at his home.

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The Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park will proceed with heightened security measures, including armed police carrying semi-automatic rifles, consistent with protocols used at the Boxing Day Test and Australian Open. Organisers expect record crowds exceeding half a million people over the four-day event, with attendees advised to allow extra time for bag checks at entry gates. Grand Prix officials confirm that security arrangements remain unchanged despite ongoing Middle East conflicts.

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