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TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin;
- WA becomes first state in Australia to ban plastic-lined takeaway cups;
- World Trade Organisation negotiations end early after failure to reach agreements;
- And in sport, Marissa Williamson-Polhman to make history as first Indigenous woman to represent Australia in Olympic boxing.
Noisy hecklers have targeted the Liberal candidate for the seat of Dunkley as the major parties make their last-ditch pitch to by-election voters.
Labor and Liberal have both downplayed expectations of victory in the hotly-contested vote, which was triggered by the death of Labor MP Peta Murphy last year.
Labor currently holds the southeast Melbourne seat by 6.3 per cent, with community leader Jodie Belyea fighting to retain it.
At the Langwarrin polling station, Frankston City Council mayor and Liberal candidate Nathan Conroy struggled to be heard over hecklers.
Hecklers heard in background of Conroy saying: "I'm extremely proud of the campaign because we don't shout, we don't roar, we don't have any negative ads against any candidate here, we don't shout people down. What we do have is a strong, positive campaign and I'm extremely proud of my family who have been through a lot over the last six weeks but also the parliamentary party and the volunteers."
Mr Conroy defended federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton's decision not to attend the electorate on election day, saying he had visited 5 times during the campaign.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had earlier made an appearance at a polling station alongside Ms Belyea.
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World Trade Organisation negotiations have ended early, after the summit in the United Arab Emirates failed to reach agreements on several major initiatives.
It is the latest sign of turmoil within the global body, with the 166-nation bloc struggled to reach consensus on fishing, agriculture and other issues.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has said the summit took place during the time of greatest uncertainty she can remember.
Although she didn't directly mention Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, she has previously highlighted the ongoing disruptions to shipping caused by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, related to the conflict.
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Reproductive care is set to become cheaper and more accessible in Queensland, after the government pledged 42.3 million dollars towards public access to fertility treatments.
Over 32 million dollars will fund assisted reproductive technologies like IVF, with a further 10.2 million helping women freeze their eggs and embryos.
Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has said women and girls' sexual and reproductive health are often overlooked aspects of overall wellbeing.
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Hundreds of millions of coffee cups are expected to be saved from landfill as the nation's first ban on plastic-lined takeaway cups takes effect.
Western Australia has become the first state to introduce a ban on single-use, non-compostable coffee cups with businesses who fail to comply threatened with thefty fines.
WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby said cafes can use compostable paperboard cups, which are excluded from the ban, or encourage customers to bring keep cups of their own.
The change is part of a wider push by the Cook government to reduce the prevalence of single-use plastics in the economy.
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The first Indigenous woman to represent Australia in Olympic boxing says she wants her story to make people think critically about First Nations kids in out-of-home care.
Ngarrindjeri woman Marissa Williamson-Polhman will make history when she wears green-and-gold for Australia at the Paris Olympics in a few months.
Ms Williamson-Polhman experienced homelessness from the age of 13, and says the support of her boxing coach Kel Bryant changed her life.
She has told SBS News she wants Australians to think about what young Indigenous kids can achieve from an early age, when they are properly supported.
"As someone who went through the foster care system and had a lot of placements and someone who ended up homeless quite frequently, I didn't really think that I would probably achieve anything in my life. I think it might hit me during the opening ceremony, or when I'm about to get punched in the face for my first bout."
