Majority back jobseeker rise, vapes to be banned, plea for help from NT town

Vaping ban | The government will ban the importation of nonprescription vaping products – including those that do not contain nicotine – in the most significant tobacco and vaping control measures in Australia in a decade. The health minister, Mark Butler, said that the tobacco industry was trying to create a “new generation of nicotine addicts” and he was “determined to stamp out this public health menace”.

Poverty package | A new poll suggests half of Australian voters support raising jobseeker from $50 a day, significantly more than the 28% who oppose a raise in the payment. Our Essential poll of 1,130 voters also finds more than three-quarters (78%) want the government to provide cost-of-living support in the budget, as opposed to just 22% who favour reducing debt by cutting services. The government is poised to increase jobseeker for people aged over 55.

Bank boost | Australia’s big four banks, forecast to post a combined $16.2bn six-month cash profit when they release their results over the next week, are seeing fatter margins as they lift lending rates. But the RBA is tipped to leave the cash rate steady at 3.6% at its monthly meeting today.

Super scourge | Employers will be required to pay superannuation on payday, rather than quarterly, under reforms aimed at cracking down on the scourge of more than $3bn of super that goes unpaid each year.

‘We need help’ | Residents of the remote Northern Territory community of Peppimenarti say they have been forced to flee their homes or endure violence, including stabbings and sexual assaults, amid claims the government has abandoned them.

Dominion demand | Dominion Voting Systems, which last month reached a $US787.5m settlement in its $US1.6bn defamation case against Fox News, is seeking wider accountability for the broadcast of Donald Trump’s election fraud lies and will “not … stop until we get it”, a co-founder says. We’re also reporting today that before he was fired by Fox, Tucker Carlson was caught being very critical of the company’s streaming service, Fox Nation, pictured above with star Roseanne Barr.

Flying free | Sales of private jets are likely to reach their record highest level this year. Many of the owners escape aviation taxes, and there are few curbs on the greenhouse gases emitted.

Sudan evacuation | TheBritish military will oversee another evacuation flight from Sudan as fighting between rival armies continues to rage in the capital, Khartoum, and medics warn the health system could collapse.

Banana drama | A South Korean art student who ate a banana that formed part of a renowned installation by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan in a museum in Seoul said he did so because he was hungry.

Parkinson’s plight | Michael J Fox has described Parkinson’s as a “gift that keeps on taking” in a television interview in which the 61-year-old actor talks about the disease he has lived with for more than 30 years.

Women’s football| Arsenal’s women – featuring Australia’s Steph Catley, pictured – lost to Wolfsburg in the Champions League semi-final this morning in front of a record 60,063 fans.

Formula One | Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, has called on Formula One to act to prevent a recurrence of a “boring” Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Women’s sport | The announcement last week that Nine will broadcast all 48 games of this season’s NRLW competition pushes the visibility of women’s sport to levels never seen before, writes Megan Maurice.

Economy | The Reserve Bank board meets and will announce its monthly decision on interest rates at 2.30pm.

Canberra | The health minister, Mark Butler, is speaking at the National Press Club.

Monarchy | Anthony Albanese leaves for the UK for King Charles’s coronation on Saturday.

Quick crossword

Cryptic crossword