Your noon Briefing

Welcome to your noon digest of what’s been making news and what to watch for.

Hello readers. Here is your noon Briefing on what’s been making news and a long read for lunchtime.

Former PM Kevin Rudd attending a breakfast to mark the 10th Anniversary of the National Apology to AustraliaÕs Indigenous Peoples at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

PM’s ‘Chinese punch’

Kevin Rudd has accused Malcolm Turnbull of egregious behaviour towards China and publicly “punching the Chinese in the face”. The former prime minister seized on comments Mr Turnbull made in December that “the Australian people have stood up”, accusing him of derailing the relationship with our largest trading partner. The Prime Minister is currently in Europe discussing the possibility of a future EU-Australia free trade agreement.

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Ron Medich has been found guilty of murdering Michael McGurk.

Medich guilty

Property developer Ron Medich has been found guilty of ordering the murder of his former business partner Michael McGurk. After almost two weeks of deliberation, a jury this morning returned guilty verdicts on both the murder count against Medich and a separate charge of intimidating Mr McGurk’s widow, Kimberley. Medich had pleaded not guilty to both charges.

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Task Group Taji pictured on parade at the Gallipoli Army Barracks before being deployed to Iraq, Brisbane 18th of April 2018. Around 300 personnel will be sent from Brisbane. (AAP Image/Josh Woning)

Morale buster

We send our military personnel into theatres of horror and uncertainty. We cannot imagine the pressures or the difficulties, not to mention the terror and grief they have confronted over recent decades, writes Chris Kenny, so let them display their symbols.

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Sharee Markson and Barnaby joyce

Behind the Media

The conversation gets interesting when Sharri Markson, the 34-year-old national political editor of Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, turns her mind to sexism in Canberra. Don’t miss Stephen Brook in conversation with the controversial Canberra scribe in his Behind the Media podcast.

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John Monash and the John Monash Centre, to be opened this Anzac Day.

The long read: John Monash a leader without peer

One of the dramatic and defining events in Australia’s evolution to independence and control of its military forces came in May 1918, writes Paul Kelly, when John Monash became the first Australian to be appointed commander of the entire Australian Army Corps.

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Comment of the day

“This next election is a choice between two of the worst options in Australian electoral history.”

Dominic, in response to ‘Malcolm Turnbull, Coalition hit back ahead of May budget’.