Thanks for being with us today. Here is the top headlines we have been following today:

Bigger surplus comes from lower spending, not more taxes: Chalmers The $6 billion better than expected budget outcome for 2023-24 has come from reduced spending rather than higher taxing, Treasurer Jim Chalmers says.

World-leading AI act vetoed A world-leading California artificial intelligence safety bill has been vetoed, blocking the most ambitious US proposal aimed at curtailing the growth of the new technology.

Airstrikes hit Beirut in first attacks on city centre since 2006 Beirut has been hit by an airstrike which, if verified as an Israeli strike, will be the first in the Lebanese capital since the 2006 war with Hezbollah. It comes as Israel also fired rockets into Yemen in response to rockets targeting Tel Aviv and amid reports Israel is proposing to send troops into Lebanon.

Australia’s productivity deadlock persists Productivity levels have fallen, with labour productivity returning to the weak trend seen in the five years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid a surge of workers entering the care economy, labour productivity fell by 0.8 per cent across the economy in the June quarter, according to the latest quarterly report from the Productivity Commission.

Misinformation bill censures public opinion, Coalition claims The revised misinformation bill will encourage social media operators to censure public opinion and should be opposed, says the Coalition. “This bill is a bad bill, and it was a bad bill from the start,” opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said. “This is the second time Labor have had a go at this, and they failed dismally with the first round.”

Hezbollah flag wavers should have already been arrested, says Dutton Protesters waving Hezbollah flags and holding portraits of slain terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah over the weekend should have already been arrested, says Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

COVID-19 report delayed until late October Release of the national COVID-19 review has been delayed until late October, after the government agreed to a 25-day extension to enable it to be made available to the more than 2000 groups and people who made submissions.