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:
After a week of war, Trump demands Iran's 'unconditional surrender'
US President Donald Trump demanded Iran's 'unconditional surrender' on Friday, a dramatic escalation of his demands a week into the war he launched alongside Israel, which could make it more difficult to negotiate a swift end to it.
Israeli airforce pounds Beirut, Lebanon death toll rises
Israel pounded Beirut's southern suburbs with airstrikes on Friday, stepping up a war with Hezbollah that has forced hundreds of thousands of Lebanese from their homes and killed more than 200, according to a health ministry toll.
US releases Epstein-related FBI interviews mentioning Trump
The US Justice Department released FBI records on Thursday that summarise interviews of an unidentified woman who made accusations against President Donald Trump.
Hezbollah warns Israeli residents to evacuate towns near border
Lebanon's Hezbollah warned Israeli residents to evacuate towns within 5 km of the border between the countries in a message posted on its Telegram channel in Hebrew early on Friday.
US House rejects war powers resolution, backs Trump on Iran war
The US House of Representatives rejected an effort on Thursday to stop President Donald Trump's air war on Iran and require that any hostilities against Iran be authorized by Congress, backing the Republican president's military campaign.
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has received a phone call from Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., during which they discussed the situation in the region amid ongoing military escalation.
Dubai Humanitarian says it remains fully prepared to adapt and scale its support in response to the needs of its member organisations and partners.
The UAE air defences said it has intercepted 9 ballistic missiles detected in the region on Friday. Of the 112 drones detected, 109 were intercepted with 3 falling within the country's territory.
