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Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has rejected criticism from the Coalition that the prime minister shouldn't be overseas, as the Reserve Bank prepares to hand down its interest rate decision tomorrow.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua at the invitation of King Charles.
It is the first time an Australian prime minister has visited the Caribbean since 2009.
Mr Marles says the prime minister's trip is in the national interest.
"He will be meeting the king, but he will also be meeting Andy Burnham, the prime minister of the UK; Mark Carney, the prime minister of Canada, and other heads of government from the Commonwealth. It is an important international engagement. It has always been attended by Australian prime ministers. I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting that he shouldn't be there. And obviously, the timing of this meeting has not been set by the Australian government. It has been set by the Commonwealth itself. And that is why the prime minister is attended it now."
More than 2,000 firearms are set to be handed over to police in the coming weeks, as one state's gun buyback scheme gets under way today.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced the scheme following the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in December, which killed 15 people and injured dozens more.
So far, only NSW and the ACT have signed onto the national gun buyback scheme - a measure recommended in the interim report of the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
Only registered guns are eligible for the scheme, but unregistered guns can be handed over as part of a federal amnesty scheme.
Chris Minns says many people in the state have come forward for the buyback scheme.
"(I am) pleased to report that nearly all the vacancies for the next month have been taken up. And we anticipate 2,430 firearms in just the next month will be surrendered to authorities. Now, we believe this is a necessary and important step to keep the people of New South Wales safe by taking guns off our street."
Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain says increased federal government funding for the country's firefighting fleets will boost their capacity to respond to fire risk this season.
Under the federal budget, $150 million over three years has been allocated to the National Aerial Firefighting Centre, to ensure aircraft can be rapidly deployed when needed.
Trent Curtin, the Commissioner of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, says there is an increased risk of fire due to below average rainfall and dry conditions.
"We're doing everything possible to build the capability to prepare ourselves to train and to get ready for the upcoming fire season. And we're asking today for communities right across Australia to prepare themselves for the upcoming fire season. If you haven't prepared your home, if you haven't downloaded a warnings app, or you haven't jumped onto your local fire service website to prepare yourself - and to prepare your family. Now is the right time to do that."
Cancer Council Australia says research has found that 50 per cent of lifetime UV exposure happens before age 20.
The Council is encouraging parents to model sunsafe habits citing research showing that children are 12 times more likely to use sunscreen and three times more likely to wear a hat when they see their parents do it first.
The message comes 45 years after the introduction of the Slip, Slop, Slap sun protection campaign that the Australasian College of Dermatologists describes as an enduring success.
The Council says two in three Australians will be diagnosed with a form of skin cancer in their lifetime.
Organisers of Taipei's Pride event say around 170,000 people took part in the celebrations over the weekend.
This year, the event took on a political tone, after recent police raids on a gay bar prompting some attendees to question the city's accepting reputation.
Taiwan was the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage in 2019, but Nikky Chang, who attended the parade, says discrimination persists.
"I think, for me, one of the more important things that still needs improving is our culture. People still often make jokes about homosexuality. If you go on Threads, you'll see a lot of comments posting mocking memes or saying very stereotypical things. So I think that, until people in Taiwan have an awareness of gender and understand that sexual orientation is not limited to heterosexuality, we need to keep raise awareness that homosexuality is normal."
Elvira Espinosa has became the first Ecuadorian swimmer to win an Olympic medal at any level.
The 17-year-old won a gold medal in the Women's 400m Freestyle - on the opening day of swimming at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.
South Africa's Leah Markgraaff secured silver, while Belgium's Célya Paques took bronze.
Dakar 2026 is the first-ever Olympic competition held on African soil.
Around 2,700 athletes are competing across 25 sports, with the Games scheduled to run until 13 November.
