A new proposal from the US Food and Drug administration would allow sunscreens in the US to include an active ingredient already commonly used in Australia, Europe, and parts of Asia.

Bemotrizinol is a chemical that provides broad-spectrum protection against both ultraviolet A and B rays. It "has low levels of absorption through the skin into the body, and rarely causes skin irritation," the FDA said in a news release today.

The FDA regulates the safety and effectiveness of sunscreens. New products can be brought to market through an over-the-counter drug review process that sets conditions about how and when they are "generally recognised as safe and effective" for their intended use. Identifying and assessing active ingredients is a key part of the GRASE framework.

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DSM Nutritional Products LLC, with headquarters in both Switzerland and the Netherlands, has submitted a request that the FDA add bemotrizinol as a new active ingredient permitted for use in sunscreens in the US, the FDA said.

The FDA has opened the request to public comments and will conduct a safety and effectiveness assessment under the GRASE framework before determining whether to issue a final order to add bemotrizinol to the active ingredient list for sunscreens.

"Bemotrizinol would be a welcome addition to the current array of effective sunscreen active ingredients already available to American consumers" Dr Karen Murry, acting director of the Office of Nonprescription Drugs, said in a statement.

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The majority of skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet radiation, which comes from the sun as well as tanning beds or sun lamps.

Staying in the shade and wearing UV-protective clothing, hats and sunglasses can all reduce exposure, but sunscreens, chemical or mineral, are also important tools to protect skin.

Chemical sunscreens – such as avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, ecamsule, homosalate, octisalate and octinoxate – bind to the top layer of skin and transform UV rays into heat that disperses. Mineral sunscreens, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, form a protective barrier between the skin and the sun.

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Former political staffer Brittany Higgins has been bankrupted by her former boss, bringing the former politician one step closer to discovering where the former staffer's $2.4 million compensation payout went.

Ex-Liberal senator Linda Reynolds launched bankruptcy proceedings in October against Higgins after she successfully sued her for defamation.

Federal Court judge Michael Feutrill today made orders to sequestrate Higgins' estate under the Bankruptcy Act after a series of minor setbacks and technical difficulties that slowed the process.

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The date of the act of bankruptcy was backdated to October 8.

"(The estate will) be handed over to the trustee of the bankruptcy who will take control of her affairs and deal with the creditors in due course," Reynolds' lawyer Rachel Ross told reporters outside the court in Perth.

Reynolds' high-profile defamation victory over Higgins concerned a series of social media posts the former defence minister believed damaged her reputation.

Reynolds was awarded damages of $315,000 plus $26,109 interest after Western Australia's Supreme Court in August found some of the posts were defamatory.

Higgins was also ordered to pay 80 per cent of her former boss' legal costs, which are estimated to be more than $1 million.

Reynolds' lawyer, Martin Bennett, previously said the bankruptcy would allow Reynolds to find out how much of Higgins' commonwealth settlement remained as she attempted to recoup her legal costs for the defamation case.

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Higgins apologised to Reynolds after the former defence minister emerged victorious from the duo's high-profile five-week defamation trial.

Justice Paul Tottle found Higgins' social media posts carried an array of imputations.

They included that Reynolds engaged in a campaign of harassment against Higgins, mishandled her rape allegation and engaged in questionable conduct during Bruce Lehrmann's aborted criminal trial for rape.

The 360-page judgment made factual findings about the events involving Reynolds and Higgins, including her alleged 2019 rape and the events in the years after it.

Higgins made 26 false or misleading statements in media interviews after her alleged sexual assault, the judgment said.

She alleges former co-worker Lehrmann raped her in the senator's ministerial suite.

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A Federal Court judge overseeing a defamation case launched by Lehrmann against Network Ten found Higgins was, on the balance of probabilities, raped by her former co-worker in the office.

Lehrmann has lost an appeal against that finding but has flagged taking the case to the High Court.

He denies the rape allegation, and his criminal trial was derailed by juror misconduct.

Higgins' husband, David Sharaz, was also served with a bankruptcy notice by Reynolds and is expected to declare bankruptcy.

He was also found to have defamed the former politician and was ordered to pay $85,000 in damages plus interest and costs.

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Melbourne motorists will finally reap the rewards of the long-awaited West Gate Tunnel project, after a decade plagued by scandal, project delays and cost blowouts.

The $10.2 billion project promises to get more than 9000 trucks off local roads and save drivers up to 20 minutes on travel time when it opens on Sunday.

Built as a partnership between the state government and toll company Transurban, the twin tunnels will give drivers an alternative to the West Gate Bridge when they need to cross the Yarra River.

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The tunnel runs from the West Gate Freeway through to Yarraville, which then connects to a new bridge over the Maribyrnong River.

Project director Scott Hodder said it was "three significant projects all wrapped into one".

"The scale of this project is immense …this is the biggest of its type at the moment in Australia," he said.

In addition to the tunnel itself, the project features a widening of the West Gate Freeway from eight lanes to 12 lanes and an elevated road above Footscray Road.

It also features a 2.5km cycling path and new connections to Wurundjeri Way.

Drivers can choose entry and exit points at Footscray Road, Dynon Road, Citylink and Wurundjeri Way.

The tunnel, which will be a toll road until at least 2045, is expected to rake in billions of dollars from drivers on CityLink.

Drivers will pay a toll rate between $2.05 and $10.47 depending on the time of the day they use the road, which exits they use and what type of vehicle they're driving.

Drivers will pay more during peak hours from 7am to 9am on weekdays, in a bid to discourage congestion.

The trip prices will also increase from January 1.

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The project cost taxpayers $5 billion more than it should have and is being delivered at least three years late.

It was pitched to Victorians by former premier Daniel Andrews in the lead up to the 2014 election.

Six months later, the project was reannounced with a $5.5 billion price tag.

Victoria's then premier said Transurban would pay for two-thirds of that and asked the Commonwealth to fund the rest.

They said no in 2016, but Labor signed the deal in 2017 with an inflated $6.7 billion cost.

In 2019, Victoria's Parliamentary Budget Office estimated the deal would net Transurban an additional $37 billion dollars in tolls – mostly from CityLink.

Later that year, it was revealed Treasurer Tim Pallas had shares in Transurban at the time he signed the deal.

Construction grounded to a halt in 2019 after toxic chemicals were found.

Work restarted two years later, but only after Victorians chipped in another $2 billion to help cover a $4 billion blowout.

The project will be open from the morning of Sunday December 14.

Tolls will be waved for motorists on the tunnel on weekends throughout January to celebrates its launch.

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Matthew Daniel Gregory admitted to making fake profiles to share the abuse material.

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Attorney-General Michelle Rowland is now the second minister to refer herself for an expense audit as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese seeks advice from the independent expenses body.

Federal politicians have come under scrutiny for their use of family travel expenses, which left taxpayers footing a $1.1 million bill in the 2024-25 financial year. 

Rowland has today announced she has referred a $21,685 family trip to Western Australia to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA).

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"The Attorney-General has referred a trip from 2023 to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority for advice," a spokesperson said in a statement. 

Communication Minister Anika Wells has also referred herself for an audit after it was revealed she spent $100,000 on a trip to New York, $4000 to fly her husband to the cricket and another $3000 on a family ski trip under family reunion allowance. There is no suggestion of any improper use of expenses by Wells.

The federal government has brushed away criticisms about family reunion travel, which is an entitlement for parliamentarians to fly their family out to them while they are away from home on official business.

These are paid for by the taxpayer. 

Their expenditure technically falls within parliamentary rules but has been criticised for failing the pub test, as many of their constituents struggle to keep up in the cost-of-living crisis. 

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This afternoon, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he asked the IPEA for advice.

"It's important that, as parliamentarians, we're not deciding things for ourselves because that would bring obvious criticism," he told reporters this afternoon.

"I've asked IPEA for advice. At least two members of parliament have referred themselves for the details of their audit, but in addition to that, I've said to IPEA, 'Please give us some advice,' and we will take that on board."

Albanese failed to answer when exactly he sought advice from the IPEA and said he asked for advice "publicly". 

"I have said that publicly and asked for that advice from IPEA," he said.

The prime minister spent $30,253.08 on family travel expenses in the last financial year.

Out of all the parliamentarians, Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell charged taxpayers the highest amount of $45,926.84 in family travel during the same time.

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The woman who was raped by the youngest son of AFL great Stephen Silvagni has confronted him in court, saying his "evil" actions violated not only her body but also her trust.

The woman stared down Tom Silvagni, 23, this morning as he appeared in the Victorian County Court on a video link from prison.

Silvagni barely reacted as the woman laid out how his crimes and series of lies changed her life forever.

"You didn't just violate my body that night, you violated my trust," she told Silvagni.

"It's actually terrifying that someone you thought you knew and trusted could do something so evil."

Tom Silvagni was found guilty of two counts of rape on December 5 following a two-week trial.

There had been a suppression over his identity since he was first charged with rape in June 2024, with his lawyers arguing publication could lead to the deterioration of his mental health.

But Judge Andrew Palmer lifted the order yesterday, ruling it was no longer necessary given the trial had been run and Silvagni would be under close watch in custody.

Silvagni had repeatedly denied he digitally raped his friend's girlfriend at his Melbourne home in the early hours of January 14, 2024.

The jury was told the woman had consensual sex with her boyfriend at the house before he organised an Uber and left the property shortly before 2am.

Silvagni then lied, telling the woman her boyfriend would be returning upstairs because his Uber had been cancelled.

But it was Silvagni who went into the dark bedroom a short time later and pretended to be the woman's boyfriend as he digitally raped her.

She managed to move away and ask directly if he was Silvagni but he still claimed to be the other man.

Silvagni then grabbed both of the woman's hands, pinned her down and digitally raped her a second time while she told him to stop.

The woman managed to get a hand free and felt his hair, which was longer than her boyfriend's, and that's when Silvagni stopped and ran from the room.

He returned a few minutes later and acted as if nothing had happened, instead asking her if she was OK and requesting a hug before she left.

In the days that followed, Silvagni fabricated an Uber receipt to make it look like the woman's boyfriend had left his home after 2.30am.

Silvagni admitted forging the receipt but said he did so because he panicked after being falsely accused of rape.

But the jury rejected his story, finding him guilty of the two rape charges on December 5.

Silvagni's lawyer, David Hallowes SC, today told the court they accepted the offending was serious but argued his client was a young man from a loving family with no prior convictions.

He told the court Silvagni had suffered additional punishment from the extensive media attention, following the suppression over his identity being lifted.

Silvagni should also receive a lighter sentence because his time in custody would be more difficult due to his poor mental health and risk of suicide, Hallowes said.

Judge Gregory Lyon remanded Silvagni in custody ahead of his sentencing hearing on Wednesday.

The maximum jail term for rape is 25 years.

Silvagni's father breaks down while vowing to 'stand by' son

AFL great Stephen Silvagni broke down in tears while giving his family's first public statement since Tom Silvagni was convicted of rape last Friday.

Stephen said he and his family "firmly stand behind" their son as he "continues to maintain his innocence", while addressing the media outside the Victorian County Court this morning, following the pre-sentence hearing.

"Jo and I, together with our family members and friends, are so disappointed with the outcome," Stephen read as his wife, television personality Jo Silvagni, stood by his side.

"We love and support our son. Our son continues to maintain his innocence and we stand firmly by him.

"We will be considering our options to appeal and shall not be making any further comments on this case.

"Our goal is to clear his name and bring him home. We ask for our privacy and to be respectful."

Stephen finished by saying, "We're very grateful for our great support and families," before he burst into tears and walked away.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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Mongrel Mob president Teina Williams, 34, must serve at least 17 years for murder.