TRANSCRIPT:
- Rescue workers continue their search for survivors of a deadly mudslide in Colombia.
- The federal government puts increased pressure on the illegal tobacco trade.
- Novak Djokovic plays down injury concerns ahead of his match on day one of the Australian Open.
Rescue workers in Colombia continue their search for survivors after a mudslide was brought on by heavy rains, killing at least 34 people and injuring dozens.
The avalanche covered a busy roadway connecting the cities of Quibdo and Medellin in the northwest of the country.
Rescuers and rescue dogs from across Colombia have been dispatched to the scene to search for injured people.
Relatives of victims, like this man, are anxiously waiting for news about those still missing.
"My brother, my sister-in-law and two of my nephews, who are missing, were travelling, and my nephew, who is in the San Roque hospital, has appeared. I would like to ask for help to go there to look for him because his name appears on the list they sent me.”
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Supporters of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party are heralding the victory of presidential candidate William Lai Ching-te as a win for democracy.
Current Vice-President Dr Lai secured nearly 5.6 million votes, just over 40 per cent of the ballot, and has vowed to safeguard the island's de-facto independence from China, rejecting its sovereignty claims.
Beijing has responded in a statement on state media network CCTV, saying the election result does not represent "the mainstream public opinion on the island".
In Taipei, this voter expressed uncertainty about the prospect of a minority government but said that it showed the democratic will of Taiwan's people.
"I am somewhat concerned about the fact that none of the three parties has achieved a majority in parliament. However, I think this is also another choice made by the Taiwanese people. Since we had a majority in the previous eight years, and now for the next four years, the Taiwanese people have chosen not to have a majority, I trust the new government will continue to work on negotiations and bring another aspect to our new democracy."
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The federal government is putting increased pressure on the illegal tobacco trade, announcing an $188.5 million dollar boost in funding to support law enforcement agencies to stem smuggling and illicit tobacco sales.
The ABF will lead commonwealth, state and territory agencies in a coordinated approach to disrupt and deter the illicit trade to stop the sale of illegally imported cigarettes.
Leader of the National Party David Littleproud has told Channel 9 the funding is a step in the right direction, but more also needs to be done to address easy access to vapes.
"This is a good move and one that we were moving towards when we were in government, and I congratulate the government for this. This is about $3 billion worth of foregone excise, that should be put back into our economy put back into the health system and into education. But I think there's more that needs to be done particularly a point of sale, when you see that only 8% of people who vape actually have a prescription and you've got a prescription model at the moment, it's not working."
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The National Farmers Federation says the government's review of major supermarkets will offer much-needed transparency.
The review will examine the code of conduct of supermarkets, and investigate record profits made as well as spiralling grocery costs.
Former Labor minister Craig Emerson has been appointed by the federal government to lead the review, which will examine the gap between what is paid to farmers for produce and what customers pay at the checkout.
National Farmers Federation President David Jochinke has told channel 7 Australian farmers welcome the review.
"Farmers want to have more transparency to understand how the supply chain works so they can make better decisions but also we've seen a huge disparity between farm gate and the checkout we want to make sure that consumers getting fair value for their purchasing as well"
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In tennis, world number one Novak Djokovic has played down concerns about a wrist injury before kicking off the night session on day one of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.
Djokovic will level up against Croatian Dino Prizmic.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was hampered by the wrist issue during his straight-set loss to local favourite Alex de Minaur at the United Cup this month, his first defeat in Australia for six years.
But Djokovic says he doesn't expect his injury to impact his performance going forward.
“My wrist is good. I had time from the last match against de Minaur in the United Cup to my first match here to recover. So I've been training well. Practice sessions pain-free so far. It's good. It's all looking good. Let's see how it goes.”
