The Australian and New Zealand entertainment industry has paid tribute to beloved stand-up comedian Cal Wilson, who died this morning after a "short illness".

Wilson, 53, was a familiar face on television screens with appearances on Spicks and Specks, Good News Week, Would I Lie To You and in her own stand-up specials.

She performed at the Melbourne Comedy Festival for 14 years and was a member of its board.

READ MORE: Australian journalist Cheng Lei freed from Chinese detention

Wilson was most recently co-host of Foxtel's Great Australian Bake Off, which was in production when she was first admitted to hospital.

Tributes for the performer have been flooding social media as the public and her colleagues comprehend the news of her death.

Rove McManus said he was "utterly devastated" and described Wilson as a "shining soul".

"Taken far far too soon from a world that adored her as much as she adored it," McManus said.

"We are a close bunch in the comedy business and Cal was one of everyone's favourites but also a stellar partner and mum.

"Sending all the love and light and support I can to her family especially right now."

The Block's Shayna Blaze said she couldn't comprehend the news.

"The most divine, radiant person who I have watched, admired and worked alongside.

"This is heartbreaking."

Actress Rebel Wilson said she was "very, very lucky" to work with Wilson on many projects.

"She was amazingly talented and amazingly kind," Wilson said.

Former Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott said it was "absolutely devastating".

"Cal you are such a beautiful person who always had time for everyone. Was always a pleasure any time I got to work next to you," he said.

Fellow comedian Nazeem Hussain said it was "completely heartbreaking news".

"Cal was the most kind and beautiful soul," Hussain said.

"Sending all our love to her family."

Wilson's management confirmed her death in a statement this morning.

"We are devastated to share the news that Cal Wilson, the much-loved stand-up comedian, writer and actor died today, surrounded by family and friends after a short illness at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney," Token Artists said.

"Cal's generosity, talent and friendship have been constants in the Australian comedy scene for the last twenty years.

"Cal was loved by her family, friends, fans and peers and a huge hole has been torn in the heart of our community.

"Cal is survived by her husband Chris and son Digby.

"The family are asking for privacy at this time."

Wilson was from Christchurch in New Zealand but moved to Melbourne in 2003 to star in the well-known sketch show Skithouse.

A painting of Wilson wearing a headdress made of doll parts and Christmas baubles featured in the 2023 Archibald Prize, taking out the Packing Room Prize.

Foxtel Lifestyle general manager Wendy Moore said her team were completely devastated to lose such "an amazing, vibrant person".

"Cal joined our Bake-Off cast last year and instantly brought her unique sparkle to the show," Moore said.

"Her professionalism, work ethic and genuine heart-warming humour instantly made her a favourite amongst cast and crew, as well as the Australian audience.

"We will all miss her so much and our hearts go out to her family and friends."

Advance voting is more than 40 per cent down from same stage of 2020 election.

The Police Minister says a boost in HQ staff includes police working on organised crime.

Voting in the Voice to parliament referendum is upon us, with some early ballots already being cast before on-the-day voting kicks off at 8am on Saturday.

There are hundreds of early voting centres already open across the country, while thousands will be in action on October 14 for referendum day.

This is what you need to know to find your nearest voting place – and how to snag a democracy sausage while you're at it.

READ MORE: Voice to parliament referendum: When, how and where do I vote?

Where to vote on referendum day

If you want to vote on referendum day, there will be around 7100 polling places open across the country on Saturday, so you shouldn't have too far to travel to vote.

You can find your nearest voting centre by entering your postcode, suburb or electorate into the interactive below.

READ MORE: Australia could wait almost two weeks for referendum result

Where to vote early

If you're planning on voting early, you have until 6pm on Friday to get yourself to an early voting centre.

There are more than 550 of those across the country. Again, you can find your nearest one by entering your postcode, electorate or suburb into the interactive below.

READ MORE: The referendum conspiracy theories to watch out for

Where to get a democracy sausage

One of the great traditions of election days, democracy sausages will be on offer at many voting centres on Saturday.

While there's no definitive resource containing all the sausage sizzle and cake stall plans, the good folks at DemocracySausage.org are once again compiling a list of polling places where referendum day snacks will be on offer.

Keep in mind it's not an official resource – their information is largely crowdsourced, so you'll need to take their list with a pinch of salt, splash of sauce, or whatever your go-to democracy sausage condiment is.

While crime has been a major focus, the biggest component has been absent in campaigning.

The landlords removed the tenants’ belongings from a shared shed and locked it.

Former Liberal MP Pat Farmer has finished his 14,500-kilometre run in support of the Voice to parliament with a passionate call from Uluru for Australians to vote Yes in the referendum on Saturday.

Having started in Tasmania six months ago – and worn through 14 pairs of shoes since – the ultramarathon runner completed the final 10 kilometres of his journey at Uluru at sunrise today, where he was met by a group including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

"Big country, a hell of a journey, but one that's probably the most worthwhile journey in my life. I feel this is my purpose, this and everything I have ever done in the past has added up to this point of time," Farmer said.

READ MORE: Voice to parliament referendum: When, how and where do I vote?

He called on Australians to take the time to read up on the Voice proposal before heading to the ballot box on Saturday, while also encouraging people around the country to "know and understand" Indigenous culture.

"Simply read the question and the Uluru statement," he said.

"If you read those two things, you can't possibly go any other way (than voting Yes)."

READ MORE: Why some brands are taking sides in the Voice debate

Farmer, who represented the Liberals in federal parliament for nine years, said he cried when he saw Uluru and recognised the significance of the moment.

"My eyes connected with my soul when I saw it and I felt my purpose in life," he told reporters.

Farmer isn't the only one to have teared up at Uluru over the past 24 hours.

Albanese also broke down on Tuesday night during an "Inma" ceremony when traditional owners sang, danced and presented him with a copy of the Statement from the Heart.

READ MORE: 'No Voice, no choice': NRL grand final hero backs Yes vote

Speaking this morning, the prime minister said he hoped Farmer's run would inspire Australians to support the Voice.

"An absolute inspiration for a guy who has run over 14,000 kilometres," Albanese said.

"What we're hoping Australians do isn't run 14,000km, just walk a few feet into a polling booth, and write three letters: Y-E-S."

He said there was "nothing to fear, everything to gain" from voting Yes.

Opinion polls, however, continue to suggest the referendum will struggle to gain enough support to be carried in Saturday's vote.

From prehistoric animals unknown to human eyes, to mamals great and small; these are the winners of a prestigious award for 2023.

When Sonya McIntyre-Reid told friends and family she was not going to buy anything she doesn't need during the month of October, they were surprised.

"I did have a lot of them laugh at me and say 'as if' and 'you're the biggest consumer there is'," she said.

It was the marketing agency owner's recent 30th birthday which sparked the realisation she wanted to overhaul her life.

LIVE UPDATES: 'They killed babies in front of their parents': Horror in Gaza

A self-confessed enthusiastic online shopper, she said she had parcels arriving at her Albury-Wodonga home on the NSW-Victoria border frequently.

McIntyre-Reid said she got into the habit of hiring a new frock for every event – including for all her 30th celebrations – and didn't want to re-wear them.

Scrolling on her phone while watching on TV in the evening saw her regularly purchasing clothes and make-up. A lot of the time, it was just a "distraction", she said.

Eating and drinking at cafes and restaurants was also a habit she started after the end of COVID-19 – but never stopped.

READ MORE: How a spot of gardening almost cost Glenn his arm

But since the start of the month, McIntyre-Reid has not spent any money on anything that's not essential.

She is even saying no when her colleagues ask her if she wants to go and get a coffee, instead using the machine in her co-working space to make her own.

She hopes to put the money she saves towards an overseas holiday.

So far, she hasn't slipped up.

"It's going really well and I feel like I've found my way around," McIntyre-Reid said.

"It's been a mindset shift.

'I've probably saved maybe $300 so far."

If McIntyre-Reid feels she needs a new outfit – such as for a glamorous event – she's going to rent it.

She said scrolling through rental sites such as The Volte gives her a similar hit to shopping – except she gives the item back.

A rental website, The Volte, is backing the "buy nothing" initiative.

It allows fashion fans to loan out their designer clothes to other people.

Not only does it help cut consumerism but it allows fashion fans to start a side hustle and make money from their outfits.

Australians buy 56 new items of clothing each annually with a similar amount discarded each year according to the Australian Fashion Council.

Over 200,000 tonnes of clothing is sent to landfill annually, fuelling climate change.

Australia is the second biggest consumer of fast fashion after the US.

The use of workers who are not properly paid plus the amount of dumped clothes shipped overseas are also related issues.

The Volte CEO Bernadette Olivier said shoppers must look beyond buying fast fashion in particular.

"We also can see through the growth of The Volte that Australian consumers are looking for alternatives to buying new clothes, especially for special occasions where a dress is bought and goes on to be only worn once or twice," Olivier said.

"On average a dress is rented out nine times on The Volte."

Campaigns to cut down on buying unneeded items isn't anything new, but is likely compounded by the cost of living crisis.

READ MORE: Aussie in Israel slams government

Aussie woman Tamara DiMattina set up Buy Nothing New Month to run each October more than a decade ago.

She says it's impossible to say how many people have joined the in initiative since then.

DiMattina claims she hasn't bought anything new for 20 years, relying on second-hand items in an effort to do her bit to combat climate change.

She urged other fashion lovers to also look at renting clothes rather than buying.

"Renting is fabulous. We need to get as much use from our stuff as humanly possible," she told 9news.com.au.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy's most advanced aircraft carrier, has blazed a blistering, nuclear-powered trail across the Mediterranean in its haste to support Israel.

Two satellite images of the 330-metre-long aircraft carrier have contrasted the wake trailing the vessel yesterday, a long tail of white water carved out from behind, and from normal operations in the Adriatic Sea last week, an almost imperceptible ripple.

"Big girl is MOVING," the military account Funker530 posted on X, formerly Twitter, as it tracked the Ford rapidly steaming toward Israel and Gaza.

READ MORE: Comedian Cal Wilson dies, aged 53

Standing a monster 76 metres tall, and weighing an estimated 100,000 tonnes when fully laden, four giant propellers can power the Ford to a top speed in excess of 30 knots (56km/h).

The Ford and its 5000 sailors and deck of warplanes arrived in the eastern Med this morning, to deter any actor looking to escalate or widen the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Known among US sailors as "the biggest, baddest warship" in the Navy, the Ford was accompanied by the cruiser USS Normandy and guided-missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt.

Two days ago the US ordered the Ford carrier strike group sail to the eastern Med, and take a position off the Israel and Gaza coastlines.

"The arrival of these highly capable forces to the region is a strong signal of deterrence should any actor hostile to Israel consider trying to take advantage of this situation," US Central Command head General Michael Kurilla said in a statement today.

READ MORE: How a music festival turned into Israel's worst-ever civilian massacre

The show of force signals the US is ready to respond to anything, from possibly interdicting additional weapons from reaching Hamas and conducting surveillance.

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which was previously scheduled to deploy from Virginia, may also join the Ford in the Med, Politico reported.

The Ford is the most expensive and largest carrier ever constructed and joined the US Navy fleet in late 2022.

According to a 2009 report, the cost of the nuclear giant was almost $21.7 billion.

Israel-Hamas war: What you need to know

• Israel continues to pound Gaza with airstrikes. More than 1000 are dead in Israel, and at least 900 in Gaza. An Australian grandmother has been killed at a kibbutz.
• Horrifying reports of babies being killed in front of parents and other atrocities are emerging from communities hit hard in the Hamas attack.
• The number of hostages held in Gaza is estimated between 100 and 150. American citizens are believed among the hostages.
• The US carrier strike force ordered to the eastern Med has arrived, and will act as a deterrent to "any actor hostile to Israel", US Central Command said.