The 48-hour DVO danger period, pregnancy drug shortage, au revoir to the Paralympics

Good morning. Today we look at the dangers facing women in the first 48 hours after they seek the justice system’s protection from family violence.

Plus pregnant women in Australia are being forced to rely on older drugs vulnerable to supply chain disruptions – in part because of their “systematic exclusion” from clinical trials for new medicines.

A new report is warning of a potential chaotic future for the tourism industry as some of Australia’s most iconic sites face the continued threat of the climate crisis. And the curtains have come down on the Paris Paralympics with a stunning closing ceremony.

One day before Tara Costigan (pictured) was murdered, she turned to the courts for help.

She wanted protection from her ex-partner, Marcus Rappel. Rappel responded by driving to Bunnings, buying an axe, and killing Tara while she held their newborn baby in her arms.

The case is not unique. One in four convicted femicide offenders were listed on an intervention order prior to their killings, according to Monash University analysis.

Frontline workers say the time immediately after an order is obtained is one of high risk. Despite this, almost every police force in the country does not hold data on what happens to women in that timeframe. Experts say the intervention order system needs urgent reform.

During the Covid lockdown, Guy Montgomery began hosting silly spelling bee competitions on Zoom and YouTube. That idea evolved into a standup comedy show, then a TV show in his native New Zealand and, finally, an Australian version on the ABC. In the latest of our weekly Three Things interviews, he shares with us a holographic moon trophy with “sentimental value through the roof”, a zip-up travel essential, and why he is on to his sixth pair of Moscot sunglasses.

Forcing cafes to accept reusable cups, banning the release of helium balloons and phasing out plastic lollipop sticks are among ideas being considered in NSW’s plastics strategy, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. The US is pushing for the Aukus partnership to launch some world-leading new military technology projects before Joe Biden’s presidency ends, reports the Age. Taxpayers and telcos are spending almost $300m a year to guarantee access to payphones and landlines, even though fewer and fewer people are using them, reports ABC News.

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