Labor has promised it will open 50 more urgent care clinics as part of its $8.5 billion Medicare boost.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today said the Labor government would spend $644 million to open the clinics if elected in the 2025/2026 financial year.

Once the extra 50 are opened, Albanese said it would mean most Australians would be within a 20 minutes of a clinic.

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It's the second healthcare pledge in two weeks, as the Coalition pitch instead on defence and national security.

"Whether your family needs urgent or ongoing health care, under Labor, Medicare will be there for all Australians, in every community," Albanese said.

"Four in five Australians will live within a 20-minute drive of a bulk-billed Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, once all Labor's clinics are open."

There will be 14 clinics opened in NSW, 12 in Victoria, 10 in Queensland, six in Western Australia, three in South Australia, three in Tasmania, one in the Northern Territory and one in the ACT.

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The federal government said it decided on locations based on an independent commissioning process.

Labor has already opened 87 Medicare urgent care clinics, Albanese said.

They provide bulk-billed care for urgent but non-life threatening issues with extended hours every day of the week, no appointment necessary.

Labor also promised free doctor visits for most Australians by 2030 as part of its multi-billion dollar Medicare vow.

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Albanese, who turned 62 today, said Labor will spend $8.5 billion across four years to commit to universal bulk-billing, which would make nine out of 10 GP visits free.

The PM estimated this would increase the number of 100 per cent bulk-billed practices to 4800 and save patients $859 million every year by 2030.

This proposal would mark the single biggest investment in Medicare since it was created in 1984.

Currently about 80 per cent of GPs do not accept bulk-billing for generic appointments.

The federal opposition pledged to spend at least $3 billion to buy an extra 28 Joint Strike Fighter jets.

"We're going to invest in defence, and we're going to rebuild the Defence Force, which has been run down under Labor," Shadow Health Minister Andrew Hastie told Sky News' Morning Agenda.

A flotilla of Chinese warships circumnavigating Australia has put defence capabilities in the political crosshairs.

Beijing gave Papua New Guinea notice of their presence, but not Australia.

"We need to demonstrate our own strength and our own resilience in this relationship in order to make it the mutually respectful relationship we want it to be," Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson told Sky News.

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‘My doctor couldn’t even put a number on the fractures.’

The Kiwi actor fears advances in technology will make criminals more money.

The former Marist Brother has already been sentenced three times for preying on children.

The man passed out after being Tasered by police.

Large crowds have overwhelmed a new discount store in Melbourne.

Police were forced to step in when angry customers swamped the Panda Mart warehouse after waiting in line for hours.

The discount retailer has been open for a few days in Cranbourne, in the city's south-east, but hundreds of people are still lining up all the way around the warehouse, trying to get inside.

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The wait got ugly yesterday afternoon when customers ran out of patience.

Groups of people were filmed trying to force their way into the store, some pushing against the glass doors and scrambling past staff to get inside.

As the crowd reached about 1000, police were called in to keep the peace.

Management were left with no option but to shut the doors and reopen this morning with security staff.

"I thought the doors were going to fall through, you know. It was crazy," staff member Jordan Alkemade said.

"But now with security and especially when we had police here yesterday, it's all good, it's all safe."

Panda Mart opened its first store in South Africa more than a decade ago.

They have locations in South America, the US and New Zealand.

They arrived on Australian shores with a discounted catalogue of more than 28,000 homeware products, many of them reportedly sourced from China's wholesale markets.

One shopper said it was like cheap internet shop Tumu "in real life", with social media users on TikTok also getting excited about the shop.

1400 monarch butterflies were released at the Auckland Botanic Gardens for conservation.

Both sides have been reminded to treat colleagues with respect and courtesy.

Motorists heading south between Napier and Hastings are asked to take alternative routes.

Retail theft and assaults have skyrocketed across Victoria, with organised crime syndicates responsible for the spike, police say.

Victoria Police and Crime Stoppers are teaming up to crackdown on repeat offenders they say are responsible for 70 per cent of offences.

Some sticky-fingered offenders have been caught more than 100 times for stealing from shops.

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"Retail crime costs us all, we're focusing on repeat offenders," Crime Stoppers Victoria chief executive Stella Smith said.

Thefts have jumped more than 32 per cent, with assaults linked to this offending rising by 12 per cent.

"Workers have been threatened with machetes, told the person has a gun. That's scary for workers," Smith said.

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Police also say there's a misconception that the economic crisis is fuelling the rise. Instead, police believe many criminals are stealing to fund organised crime.

Detective Superintendent Geri Porter said: "They will be tasked to go into shops, whether it's for clothing, alcohol, but they'll go in, select products they'll take back to a particular group and on sell."

These intricate rackets mean close to 70 per cent of retail crimes are committed by the same offenders.

Retail crime is costing the industry $9 billion every year.

Crime Stoppers has a page dedicated to repeat offenders online, and reports can be made anonymously.