He sought compassionate bail, claiming his godmother had died – she didn’t exist.

The federal government pledged to give every single first homebuyer in Australia the chance to afford a house with a five per cent deposit ahead of the party's campaign launch today.

In a plan to tackle the housing crisis, Labor vowed to cut out Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) for first-time buyers and expand an income and price-capped program to make smaller deposits a universal option if re-elected.

After the Coalition made a barrage of cost-of-living announcements aimed at easing pressure on mortgage holders and helping Australians buy their first home, it's expected Labor will dial up the economic pressure with their own sweeping policies.

Watch the Labor party launch their election campaign above

READ MORE: Dutton promises $12k mortgage relief for one group of Aussies

Five per cent deposits for first homebuyers

Labor's proposed plan would raise the price cap for properties eligible under this existing scheme to include higher-priced homes in places like Sydney and Melbourne and will scrap the income test.

In Sydney, the property price limit would be raised from $900,000 to $1.5 million and in Melbourne, the limit changes from $800,000 to $950,000.

READ MORE: Single mum left $30k out of pocket after developer pulls the pin

If re-elected, PM Anthony Albanese said it would allow a Sydneysider to buy a $1 million apartment with a $50,000 deposit or a Queenslander to buy a $850,000 property with just $42,000.

The government expects this will save Australians an average of $23,000 on Lenders Mortgage Insurance and cuts the time needed to save for a deposit.

The federal government also said it will invest $10 billion into building 100,000 homes reserved for first homebuyers to address the housing shortage.

READ MORE: Bondi Junction stabbing survivor living with 'mental trauma' one year on

This package will include $2 billion in grants and $8 billion in zero-interest loans or equity investments.

"I want to help young people and first homebuyers achieve the dream of home ownership," Albanese said today.

"When a young person saves a 5 per cent deposit, my government will guarantee the rest with their bank."

If re-elected, these changes would be put in place from January 1, 2026.

Minister for Housing Clare O'Neil said this plan will ensure young Australians are no longer "bearing the brunt of the housing crisis".

"We want to help young Australians pay off their own mortgage, not someone else's," O'Neil said.

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An investigation is under way after a man was shot in Melbourne's CBD early this morning.

Police were approached by a man with a gunshot wound on Collins Street at around 6.30am today.

The man, aged 20, was taken to hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

READ MORE: 'Unimaginable grief': One year ago, six were killed in a 'senseless' attack

READ MORE: Labor promises five per cent deposits for all first homebuyers

A crime scene has been established at Collins Street as police probe the incident.

Police said a dark-coloured Ford Territory was seen driving towards officers on Collins Street, but fled the scene after one officer drew a gun.

"Police were then approached by the victim, who had sustained a gunshot wound," a spokesperson for Victoria Police said.

Police believe both parties are known to each other however circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unknown.

No arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has footage or any other information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Scene examinations continue at two locations as part of the inquiries.

Police, a rescue helicopter and St John are also involved.

The Coalition has kicked off its 2025 federal election campaign in Sydney with several major cost-of-living measures announced.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton today already unveiled his plan to deliver a once-off $1200 tax relief and used the campaign launch to announce his landmark tax policy to ease mortgage stress.

Watch the Liberal Party's federal election campaign launch above

At today's official campaign launch, attended by three former Liberal prime ministers, Dutton responded to Labor's housing plan with a pledge to provide annual mortgage interest rate relief on up to $650,000 of a home loan.

READ MORE: PM Anthony Albanese remembers victims of Bondi Junction attack

Mortgage relief of up to $12,000 for first homebuyers

The opposition leader today declared himself as the "prime minister who restores the dream of home ownership".

Dutton then unveiled his plan to allow first-time homeowners of newly-built properties to deduct mortgage interest payments from their taxable income.

Dutton said an elected Coalition government would implement this major tax change which could save the average household with a taxable income of $120,000 around $12,000 per year for up to five years.

The scheme is limited to five years, is against only the first $650,000 of a home loan and is means-tested with income caps of $175,000 for singles and $250,000 for couples.

"We will allow these deductions for five-years, provided you continue to live in that home for that period," Dutton said.

READ MORE: Labor promises five per cent deposits for all first homebuyers

Once-off $1200 tax relief for millions of Aussies

Ahead of today's official campaign launch, Dutton responded to Labor's housing plan with a pledge to give 10 million Australians a $1200 tax cut in the next financial year.

Dutton said an elected Coalition government would deliver a once-off Cost of Living Tax Offset for eligible Australians earning up to $144,000 when they lodge their tax return.

Around 85 per cent of all workers would be eligible for this temporary tax relief.

Around half of all taxpayers would receive the full $1200 offset, which would cost the government $10 billion.

These tax cuts would also save families with two incomes up to $2,400.

Dutton said this once-off tax relief policy would be vital support for families struggling against a tough economic climate.

"A Coalition government will first provide help to families by cutting fuel by 25 cents a litre – a saving of about $1500 a year for a two car family," Dutton said today.

"And then by giving back up to $2400 per family whilst we clean up Labor's mess. Labor's 70c a day is a band-aid on a bullet wound."

Dutton used his policy announcement to take aim at the federal government's modest tax cut announced in the 2025 Federal Budget, which amounts to around 70c per day.

"Our Cost of Living Tax Offset will put more money back into the pockets of millions of Australians at a time when they're being crushed by skyrocketing grocery bills, rent, mortgage repayments and insurance costs," he added.

READ MORE: Bondi Junction stabbing survivor living with 'mental trauma' one year on

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said the Coalition is committed to delivering a "comprehensive" plan to rebuild the economy and to target cost of living.

"The Coalition's approach is different – we will provide temporary and targeted cost of living relief while we get our economy back on track," he said.

"We will restore responsible economic management, deliver a plan to lower electricity and gas bills, and restore prosperity for working Australians."

Scrapping family car and ute tax

Dutton said the Coalition will axe Labor's family car and ute tax, which he said would save families $9700 for choosing a RAV4 hybrid model or $14,400 for a Ford Ranger.

"Australians shouldn't be penalised for choosing to buy a petrol, diesel or hybrid vehicle over an EV," he said.

"Indeed, we will save Australians an average of $2,300 per vehicle."

Using super to buy a house

The opposition leader also reaffirmed his earlier promise to allow Australians to pull up t $50,000 from their superannuation accounts to pay for a house deposit.

He said Australians should be able to access their retirement funds whenever they want.

"Your super is your money – not the government's," he said.

"We will also work with the prudential regulator to ease rigid and overly-strict lending criteria," he added.

"And that will result in tens-of-thousands more Australians being able to get a home loan."

A $20 billion 'Regional Australia Future Fund'

The Coalition has pledged a $20 billion fund to invest in regional, remote and rural Australian communities.

Nationals Leader David Littleproud championed this policy today at the Liberal Party's campaign launch and said the Coalition would ensure no Australian is left behind.

Littleproud said the multibillion-dollar fund would invest in childcare, improving healthcare access and funding roads and infrastructure in regional communities.

"I got into politics in regional Queensland because I was sick of seeing young people go over the divide," Littleproud said.

"It's time to bring them home and to keep them home – to know that they have a future in regional Australia, because you're going to have a government that believes in you, and that's the legacy that Peter Dutton and I intend to leave for regional Australia."

Meanwhile, the federal government announced a plan to tackle the housing crisis with a $10 billion package to deliver 100,000 affordable homes to first homebuyers.

Labor also said it would raise the income and price cap to make all first homebuyers eligible for a five per cent deposit on a property.

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The wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, Jillian Shriner, is no longer in police custody after an officer-involved shooting with Los Angeles police that took place on Tuesday.

Jillian Shriner was released after posting US$1 million ($1.6 million) bond, according to a report by the Associated Press.

While police said earlier in the week that she was booked for attempted murder of a peace officer, there was no decision on potential charges against her by prosecutors as of Thursday.

READ MORE: 'Unimaginable grief': One year ago, six were killed in a 'senseless' attack

The incident occurred in the East LA neighbourhood of Eagle Rock.

Officers were attempting to track a suspect in an unrelated hit-and-run in the yard of a residence and observed a woman in a "neighbouring residence armed with a handgun", according to police.

The woman was later identified as Jillian Shriner.

"The officers ordered Shriner to drop the handgun numerous times; however, she refused. Shriner then pointed the handgun at the officers, and an Officer-Involved Shooting occurred," an LAPD statement reads.

"Shriner was struck by gunfire and fled into her residence. She later exited and was taken into custody."

In an updated statement on Thursday, the LAPD said its investigation found evidence "such as a shell casing and video footage", which showed Shriner "repeatedly ignored police commands to disarm", and "fired her weapon at LAPD officers".

Shriner, who had been struck by gunfire, fled into her residence, according to police.

She later exited the home and was taken into custody.

A 9 mm handgun was recovered from inside the home, police said.

Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics transported Shriner to a local hospital, where she was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, the LAPD said. No officers or other community members were injured during the incident, police said.

CNN has reached out to representatives of Shriner and Weezer for comment.

Last month, Shriner shared a post to her verified Instagram in which she disclosed that she was being treated for cancer and had undergone surgery. She thanked "the incredible oncology team" at Glendale Advent Hospital, "who pulled me through a complicated operation without a hitch".

Shriner is the author of four books, including her best-selling 2010 memoir, "Some Girls: My Life in a Harem", which detailed her experience living in the harem of Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei.

She and Scott Shriner, the bassist for the rock band Weezer, have been married since 2005. Weezer was recently added to the Coachella Festival lineup for this weekend and performed at the Mojave tent on Saturday.

"She's alright, thank you for asking," Scott Shriner told the New York Post on Friday afternoon. "See you at Coachella!"

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The victim was lured into a game of hide-and-seek that ended her childhood.

Five games of premier rugby saw 411 points, including 63 tries.

The ocean of water that fell on Queensland's south-west last month is now surging through the vast network of desert rivers and creeks that give the Channel Country its name.

The water will travel thousands of kilometres before it eventually reaches Australia's lowest natural point, Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre.

The lake hasn't been completely dry in years, but this amount of water will be enough to fill it – a phenomenon that only happens a few times a century, last occurring in 1999-2001 and before that in the historic flooding of 1974.

READ MORE: Six dead after helicopter crashes into New York's Hudson River

In its wake, the water leaves hundreds of thousands of lost cattle and sheep, thousands of kilometres of destroyed fencing and private roads, and ruined machinery.

"The water's receding, people are getting back into their houses and sheds and seeing this deep, stinking mud that's covering everything… it's almost hard to fathom how much destruction there's been across that vast area," Dr Jennifer Silcock, an ecologist at the University of Queensland, said.

"Out there at the moment, most people are just really dealing with the aftermath and it's pretty devastating.

But in this harsh 'boom and bust' country, what is destructive will also be regenerative.

Within weeks, bare floodplains will be transformed into lush, green gardens of native grasses, teeming with insects and birdlife.

"It's just an amazing renewal. What was bare ground becomes this wildflower garden," Silcock said.

'Boom and bust' country

The Channel Country is the last unregulated large river system in the world and the community has fought hard to keep it that way, resisting proposals for irrigation and mining.

"What we've got in the Channel Country is so unique and so special," Silcock said.

"The local residents and the traditional owners and the community and conservationists and ecologists have all worked together to try to keep these rivers as untamed and wild as they can be, because they're just such an amazing ecological system that we've got, and we're really seeing that expressed at the moment."

Out there, cycles of deluge and drought are natural and anticipated.

"This flooding is something that these communities and the livestock and the pastoral industry absolutely depend on," she said.

"That's why the Channel Country is regarded as being some of the best fattening country for cattle in Australia.

"But I think the speed of it and just the scale of it took people by surprise, the rainfalls were above what was predicted."

She said as the climate warms, intense rainfall events are likely to become more frequent and less predictable.

"Obviously, we're dealing with huge amounts of uncertainty because it's unprecedented what's happening with the climate, and that's probably partly why the forecasts are going to start to really struggle to get it right, because what the forecasts are based on is prior events and prior data collected over the last century and a bit more and we're sort of in uncharted territory now."

When will the water reach Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre?

Ordinarily, floodwater from north Queensland moves slowly across the landcape, filling the intricate web of tributaries that feed and swell the Diamantina and Georgina rivers and Cooper Creek, sometimes taking months to reach the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre basin.

Much of it evaporates before it even gets there.

"The water travels very, very slowly because it's got to fill up a whole network of water holes in the river channels," Silcock said.

"In some places, the flood plain is more than 50 kilometres wide."

Once the water reaches the lake there is nowhere further for it to flow and the basin explodes into life.

"When it's booming, there's life like you just wouldn't believe out there… everything's attracted to that water," Silcock said.

Seed that has lay dormant in the soil for up to a decade germinates, populations of shrimp, fish, and insects thrive, attracting huge flocks of migratory birds.

But the water is shallow, and evaporates quickly in the intense outback heat, returning the basin to a vast salt pan. 

This time, the record-breaking rainfall in March came on the back of five years of above-average rainfall, meaning the muddy torrent of water is travelling south faster than it would if the land was dry and the basin is already wet and green.

"It's been pretty wet since about 2019, so there would have been some water coming down into Lake Eyre quite a bit over the last five years," Silcock said.

"But filling Lake Eyre is a totally different thing because it takes so much water to fill it.

"In terms of this amount of water I would imagine it will get fuller than it has been for some years and it could have water in it for a couple of years from now."

For most Australians, who have never visited the Channel Country, now would be an extraordinary time to see it, she said.

"Once all the roads are open and repaired it'll be an amazing time to see the floodplains, the big floodplains of the Cooper, the Thompson and the Barcoo as well up further north around Longreach, and then heading down through the Cooper around Windorah and south of Windorah down to Innamincka, all that country's going to be so green and so full of life."

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