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:
Strike hits Beirut apartment block as Israel presses attacks
An Israeli strike hit an apartment block in central Beirut on Wednesday, Lebanese authorities said, further widening Israeli attacks in the capital beyond the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs where heavy bombardment continued.
Six killed in Swiss bus blaze after person reportedly sets themselves on fire
At least six people have died, and three others were injured in a bus fire on Tuesday in a small town in western Switzerland, in what police said may have been a deliberate act following reports that a person on board set fire to themselves.
Thailand's Phuket airport closes runway after Air India Express plane malfunction
Thailand's Phuket airport said on Wednesday it had temporarily closed its runway to remove a disabled Air India Express plane after it experienced a malfunction upon landing.
US says it destroyed mine-laying vessels as Trump warns Iran over strait
The US military says it "eliminated" 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday in a statement by its Central Command, as President Donald Trump warned that any mines laid in the strait by Iran must be removed immediately.
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