Australians will go to the polls on May 18, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced, adding that voters "now is not the time to turn back" to Labor.
The election will pit Morrison against Bill Shorten, a former labour union leader.
Arthur Stevens reports from Melbourne:
Netanyahu says Iran no longer has uranium enrichment capacity
Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles after 20 days of US-Israeli air attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a news conference on Thursday.
US objectives in Iran have not changed, says Hegseth
The US objectives in its war against Iran have not changed since strikes started on February 28, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, and he accused the media of stirring up concerns that the country risked being locked in an open-ended conflict with shifting priorities.
Trump vows no more attacks by Israel on Iran gas field
US President Donald Trump said an angry Israel "violently lashed out" and attacked Iran's major gas field, a significant escalation in the US-Israeli war, but ruled out further such attacks by Israel unless Iran retaliated further.
Trump hails Japanese leader, says Tokyo 'really stepping up to the plate' on Iran
US President Donald Trump greeted Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warmly at the White House on Thursday and said he believed Japan was "really stepping up to the plate" on Iran.
Israel reopens key Gaza crossing amid new truce push
Israel reopened the Rafah crossing with Egypt on Thursday after nearly three weeks to allow some wounded Palestinians to leave for treatment, after Gaza medics said Israeli strikes had killed four people in the enclave.
