PM

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has hailed today's controversial election for a constituent assembly as the 'biggest ever vote for the revolution'. But the opposition, which boycotted the vote, said only 12 per cent of voters turned up. The election was marred by violence, with at least 10 people killed. Girish Gupta, a Reuters correspondent in Caracas and the creator of the Veneuela Econ app, spoke to PM.

After struggling through a year of barely being paid and surviving on government benefits, many dairy farmers who supply Murray Goulburn have had enough and are breaking up with a milk company they once loved. In what's been dubbed 'dairy's big switch,' a horde of farmers will stop supplying Murray Goulburn with milk in August and send their produce to a range of other processors.

There's a question mark tonight over Victorian Liberal MP Julia Banks' citizenship status and by extension the Turnbull Government's slim hold on power. Julia Banks is an Australian citizen, but her father was born in Greece. If she's found to be Greek and therefore ineligible to sit in parliament, a by-election would be called. Given her seat is ultra-marginal, that could trigger disastrous consequences for the Government.

Britain says it's discussed the possibility of conducting joint 'freedom of navigation' operations with Australia in the hotly-contested South China Sea. The decision to test Beijing's claims is likely to stoke regional tensions, but the Turnbull government won't be drawn on its precise plans.

Victorian Upper House Labor MP Khalil Eideh has been refused entry to the US. He was travelling as part of a joint parliamentary study group looking at drug laws. Mr Eideh is a Lebanon-born Muslim and reportedly has strong links to Syria.

Australia's beef industry has been buoyed today by news that Japan is likely to announce a dramatic increase in tariffs on US beef. Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is set to invoke what's known as 'a snapback', a measure designed to protect Japan's domestic cattle producers from rapid rises in imports. It's welcome news at a time when the industry is reeling from China's decision to suspend some Australian beef imports.

New figures show more than half of South Australia's 250 patched bikie gang members are behind bars. The State Government says a combination of new anti-gang laws and police operations are behind the surge. But one criminal expert questions whether laws to crack down on organised crime across the nation, are actually fulfilling their purpose.

The Queensland Government says it's not at all surprised by national data which shows regional parts of the state have some of the highest rates of methamphetamine use. It comes as ministers talk up a crackdown on parents who use the illegal substance saying it's one of the biggest contributors to child protection issues. But the state opposition and drug experts are not convinced by the strategy.

There are pretty strong and dire predictions about how many humans will lose their jobs to robots over the next 50 years. This has prompted Australian researchers to assess 25 national cities and assess which are best prepared for the rapidly changing global economy. Sydney came out on top, but the mayors of smaller cities say they won't be left behind.

A new report released today says the crocodile industry is worth over $100 million, more than four times the previous estimate. The NT Government commissioned the report, and says it wants to see an expansion of egg collection programs in remote communities.