ABC新闻:澳大利亚百亿经济刺激计划出炉 全球确诊新冠肺炎突破35万例

Federal parliament has passed the government's multi-billion dollar stimulus package, with the treasurer calling it the most significant support for the Australian economy since war time. Eighty-four billion dollars worth of assistance was rushed through parliament in a single day, with MPs sitting late into the night to prop up workers and businesses devastated by COVID-19 . The measures come as large lines of people were seen queuing outside centrelink offices yesterday, but the first direct payments won't reach people's wallets until April 27. The government is expecting up to a million people will be in need of the financial lifeline, and that's on top of the 700-thousand who are already on newstart payments.

Globally, COVID-19 has now infected more than 350-thousand people, and killed 15-thousand. More than 98-thousand people are reported to have recovered from the illness so far, mostly in China. 462 people have died in Spain in the last 24 hours — it's highest daily death toll. And a in Germany a spokesman for chancellor, Angela Merkel, says her first coronavirus test — after possible exposure — has come back negative.
A 12 year old boy from Bourke in north-western New South Wales has suffered serious injuries after he was stabbed in the chest. The boy was airlifted to the Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney where he remains in a stable condition. Police have charged a 24-year old man over the incident. The man's been refused bail and will appear in court today.