Australia's home for the best coverage of the biggest breaking news events with specialised analysis of politics, business and sport and agenda-setting interviews with some of the world's leading experts, and change makers.

A bidding war over housing has broken out over housing, with both major parties using their official campaign launches to unveil what they hope will be game-changing housing policies.

So how do the two policies stack up?

A re-elected Labor government would make all first home-buyers eligible for the five per cent home deposit scheme, and is also promising to fund the construction of 100-thousand new homes specifically for first home buyers.

Meanwhile, the Coalition is promising it'll help "make home ownership achievable again" — the First Homebuyer Mortgage Deductibility Scheme will allow first home buyers to deduct interest on mortgage payments from their taxable income.

It only applies for new properties, and only for the first five years of the loan.

Meanwhile, The US Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, has boldly predicted the US will have found the cause of autism by September.

Mr Kennedy has launched a study to investigate what he calls the autism "epidemic", prompting concerns in the medical industry that it may only serve to promote spurious claims linking autism to vaccines, which Mr Kennedy has long supported.

Outgoing senior US health official Dr Peter Marks has said overnight that it amounts to giving people false hope. 

Recap the morning's news, politics and global affairs with the Breakfast Wrap

Australia's home for the best coverage of the biggest breaking news events with specialised analysis of politics, business and sport and agenda-setting interviews with some of the world's leading experts, and change makers.

Coverage and analysis of national and international events.

US President Donald Trump has abruptly backed down on his tariffs on most nations for 90 days, but has raised the tax rate on Chinese imports to 125 per cent.

It comes after Beijing announced US exports into China will now be subjected to an 84 per cent tariff, coming into effect later today.

Chinese state media has also foreshadowed action at the World Trade Organisation.

Meanwhile, stocks have surged to one of their biggest gains since World War II after US President Donald Trump paused his tariffs against most other nations.

Back home, the Coalition started this week walking back its pledge to cut thousands of jobs in the public service, instead saying the workforce would be slimmed through natural attrition and a hiring freeze.

The opposition leader and shadow treasurer, however, have kept up the attacks on Labor's management of the budget and economy.

And if you missed it, cyber criminals have targeted customers of some of Australia's biggest superannuation funds, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The multiple breaches were discovered earlier this month, but only made public days later.

AustralianSuper was one of the worst hit with scammers accessing up to 600 customer passwords to log into accounts. 

Coverage and analysis of national and international events.

Australia's home for the best coverage of the biggest breaking news events with specialised analysis of politics, business and sport and agenda-setting interviews with some of the world's leading experts, and change makers.

The prime minister and opposition leader faced off last night for the first debate of the election campaign.

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton were faced with questions from undecided voters on their cost-of-living promises, immigration policies, as well as health and education funding.

Meanwhile, two weeks after promising a plan to lower power prices, the Coalition has released its modelling for its gas reservation policy — claiming it would shave seven per cent off household gas bills while electricity bills would decrease by around three per cent.

The analysis by Frontier Economics also shows the plan could reduce industrial retail gas bills by 15 per cent.

Coverage and analysis of national and international events.

Australia's home for the best coverage of the biggest breaking news events with specialised analysis of politics, business and sport and agenda-setting interviews with some of the world's leading experts, and change makers.

The share market meltdown of the last few days has left many Australians wondering how this will affect their superannuation.  

The consumer advocacy body Super Consumers Australia says some super funds haven't been up to scratch when it comes to dealing with their members, and keeping them informed.

It comes as US President Donald Trump kicks off off the week threatening China with an additional fifty per cent tariff, doing little to ease global trade war concerns from rattled stock markets across the world.

While there was a temporary halt to Monday's downward slide after reports circulated that Mr Trump was mulling over a 90-day pause in tariffs for all countries except China,  the White House has rejected those reports as "fake news."  

Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers have revealed how military forces are expanding their control of the Gaza Strip, with Israel now controlling more than 50 per cent of the coastal strip. 

In a report out today from Israel-based non-governmental organisation "Breaking the Silence", soldiers have detailed how they have doubled the military buffer zone along the border with Israel as homes, farmland and infrastructure are razed.

And then on the campaign trail, Labor has unveiled a $1 billion commitment to expand mental health services, saying the funding will help plug current gaps in the system.

The Coalition's committed almost the same amount, including $500 million to restore the 20 subsidised psychology sessions per year that were available during the pandemic.

Coverage and analysis of national and international events.

Australia's home for the best coverage of the biggest breaking news events with specialised analysis of politics, business and sport and agenda-setting interviews with some of the world's leading experts, and change makers.