TRANSCRIPT:
- A man shot dead by police in Townsville;
- Tasmanian's leaders make their final appearances before counting begins in the state election;
- A teenage Socceroos star signed by UK Club Watford.
A man has died after being shot by police in Townsville earlier today.
Queensland Police say the shooting happened just before 10 this morning, when officers responded to reports of a man allegedly armed with a machete and a knife.
Their statement says that initial information indicates the man advanced towards police whilst armed and was shot in the chest.
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Tasmania's Liberal and Labor leaders have made their last public comments before counting begins in the state election that's tipped to result in another minority government.
Election-eve polling has predicted a close race, with neither Labor nor Liberal parties forecast to reach the 18-seat mark required for majority government.
Labor leader Dean Winter has spoken from a cafe in Hobart alongside candidate John Kamara, saying he was happy with what his party had campaigned on.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff also has declared himself satisfied - but also frustrated.
"I am confident that we have put our very best foot forward. I don't believe we could have done much more. We've been very disciplined. We've had an election just 15 months after the previous campaign, an election we did not want, Tasmanians did not want, but given the circumstances, we embraced."
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Former Australian prime minister-turned-ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd says he's confident issues with the AUKUS submarine contract will be resolved.
Mr Rudd has told the Aspen Security Forum Australia is working with the Pentagon on the US Defense Department's review of the submarine project, which has sparked concerns about both the future of the alliance, and whether or not the President's foreign policy demands will be counter-productive in the region.
But the Ambassador has stressed his close relationship with US undersecretary of defence Elbridge Colby, who is leading the review - and says the US and Australia have had a long and productive relationship for at least a hundred years.
"Every major war in the 20th century, into the 21st century, we're the crazy guys in the foxholes next to you. So I think history does speak for something. And our alliance - and alliance obligation to the United States - have endured over 15 Prime Ministers, including yours truly, and 15 American presidents. Labor Party, conservative party in Australia, Republican and Democrat. We take a long historical view of these things."
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The latest figures show more Australians are retiring with hefty mortgages as spiralling home prices delay their entry into the housing market.
Census data shows the number of those who own their home outright has halved in the past 20 years, while the proportion of over-65 households with a mortgage has more than tripled, some with mortgage debt that's greater than their superannuation nest egg at retirement.
National Seniors Australia estimates that around one in five Australians are still paying off mortgages in retirement.
And housing costs were by far the leading reason over-60s contacted the National Debt Helpline's chat service last financial year, with one in three users feeling the pain from mortgage payments, council rates, rent or strata costs.
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The first group of Australian tanks has been handed over to the Ukrainian army to support its defence against Russia's invasion.
Defence Minister Richard Marles says the tanks will add to Ukrainian firepower and complement other military equipment donated by allies.
Australia says it will also deploy a Wedgetail aircraft to Europe in August to protect the corridors to Ukraine through which aid is delivered.
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Ukraine and the United States are in detailed talks on a deal involving US investment in Kyiv's domestic drone production.
Confirmation of the talks has come from Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who says a political decision on the deal had been made by Zelenskiy and President Donald Trump, and that officials are now hashing out the details.
Svyrydenko says the deal would lead to the US, Ukraine's biggest military backer in its war with Russia, purchasing Ukrainian drones.
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A whip from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is among the latest movie props to fetch a cracking price at an entertainment auction.
The whip was used during the Holy Grail trials that Ford's character goes through at the climax of the 1989 film.
It's been sold by Heritage Auctions for a staggering $US525,000 - or $A809,000.
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Teenage Socceroos striker Nestory Irankunda has signed a five-year contract with English Championship outfit Watford.
The Hornets have announced the signing on their website.
Named as one of goal.com's 'top 50 wonderkids' in March last year, Irankunda was an unused substitute twice for Bayern Munich.
