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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is promising a re-elected Labor government would advocate for a real wage increase for Australia's three million lowest paid workers.
In a submission to the Fair Work Commission as part of its annual wage review, the Labor Party is arguing that the minimum and award wages be increased in an economically sustainable way.
It says a real wage increase should be consistent with inflation returning sustainably to the Reserve Bank’s target band of between 2 and 3 per cent.
Mr Albanese says advocacy for Australians on low income is a key point of difference between him and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
"There is a stark contrast at this election between the government that wants people to earn more and keep more of what they earn. We want wage rises and tax cuts. Those opposite us want wages to go down and taxes to go up. They have consistently in their entire time in office, they never made a single submission calling for wage increases for those Australians on the minimum wage."
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The Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton, says he would be better than Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in dealing with U-S President Donald Trump.
The White House says Mr Trump has been receiving phone calls from world leaders seeking exemption ahead of a new wave of tariffs to be announced in coming hours - on what Mr Trump has called Liberation Day.
A lot remains unknown about the scope of the new trade tariffs and how they will actually be implemented, but businesses, consumers and investors have expressed concerns about an intensifying global trade war.
Mr Dutton says Mr Albanese is perceived overseas as being weak.
"I have been very clear that my job as prime minister would be stand up for our national interest. And I don't care whether it is President Trump or any other world leader. My job is to stand up for Australians. And I have the strength and the experience to be able to do that. The Prime Minister is seen as a weak leader here in Australia. He is seen as a weak leader by our international partners as well. That is just the reality of it. That is the way he conducts himself. So I will make decisions that are in our country's best interest - in relation to tariffs."
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Flood-hit communities in Queensland and New South Wales continue to experience heavy rainfalls.
The Bureau of Meteorology is warning that will the flood risk will continue to last for weeks to come.
Flooding in the region is considered the worst in more than 50 years.
The movements of ex-tropical cyclone Dianne has triggered evacuations in rural communities in Queensland and New South Wales - with impacts also forecast for remote communities near the Northern Territory's Alice Springs and Uluru.
Dean Narramore, from the Bureau of Meteorology, says the higher water levels in the river systems will lead to more flooding.
"We're likely to see renewed river level rises in many of flood-affected regions, particularly through inland parts of Queensland today through tomorrow; after the widespread 30 to 50 mm that have fallen overnight and this morning. And we could even see further rises and flooding in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales, particularly where we expect those 50 to 100 mm falls occur. Already overnight, we've seen falls of around 6mm around Saint George (in Queensland)."
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The United Nations has dismissed as ridiculous a claim by Israel that there is enough food in the Gaza Strip to last for a long period of time.
No aid has been delivered to the Palestinian enclave since March the 2nd.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has said it would not allow the entry of all goods and supplies into Gaza until Hamas releases all remaining hostages.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says the closure of all 25 bakeries in the enclave supported by the World Food Programme shows just how dire the situation is.
"I'm sorry, as far as the U.N. is concerned, that's ridiculous. I mean, we are at the tail end of the supplies that came in through the humanitarian route. You know, WFP doesn't close its bakeries for fun. If there's no flour, if there's no cooking gas, the bakeries cannot open."
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An Indigenous-led program that’s already helping hundreds of First Nations people quit smoking and vaping is about to go national, thanks to a new $4.7 million grant.
The Which Way? Quit Pack has been developed by a team at the University of Newcastle, led by Wiradjuri woman Associate Professor Michelle Kennedy.
Professor Kennedy says each pack will include Nicotine Replacement Therapy items like patches and gum; as well as community-developed resources, links to apps like My QuitBuddy, videos on managing cravings, and even socks in the colours of the Aboriginal flag.
"So into the new study, we'll be making some new brochures, a range of new videos and content to explain what to do when you get a craving, working through things like your smoking triggers, addressing previous challenges in quitting and how people can think about those and draw on those to make their own plans for the future. We also always add something that builds pride in culture. One of the favourites is socks, and they have red, black and yellow socks in their box as well."
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In sport, the Australian Olympic Committee has announced the organisation's new CEO will be former Labor senator Mark Arbib.
He replaces Matt Carroll whose eight-year tenure ends next month.
Mr Arbib was the Federal Minister for Sport for the two years until 2012.
A-O-C President Ian Chesterman says the appointment ensures the Olympic Movement in Australia is in great hands, and that the organisation is well-positioned to maximise the opportunities on the road to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and beyond.
