Two people were arrested during a fiery clash between opposing protest marches yesterday in Melbourne's CBD.

A man and a woman were arrested after violence erupted outside Parliament House in Spring Street when women's rights protesters clashed with transgender rights activists.

Police used pepper spray to control the crowd as punches were thrown between the opposing rallies.

READ MORE: Behind Alex Dyson's six-year fight to unseat a Liberal MP

It's understood the initial protest was organised by Women's Voices Australia in protest of the Allan government's plans to overhaul anti-vilification laws to include the LGBTIQA+ community.

Trans-rights activists then staged a counter-protest.

More than 400 people gathered to protest yesterday and police initially formed a wall to separate the warring groups.

Missiles were thrown at police during the clash and four officers were treated for non- life threatening injuries, police said.

A 37-year-old woman was arrested for unlawful assault and wilful damage.

A 41-year-old man was arrested for indictable assault on police.

Both were released with intent to summons.

READ MORE: World leaders and prisoners bid farewell to 'pope among the people'

Some 40 protesters moved wooden pallets to block intersections and disrupt traffic and swarmed local retailers.

Police said 38 searches were conducted to remove prohibited face coverings and to search for weapons, however no weapons were found.

"Victoria Police respects the right for people to protest peacefully however we have zero tolerance for those who threaten the safety of the community and police," a police spokesperson said.

"Victoria Police also had to purchase water filled barriers to keep the groups separate and prevent further violence from escalating.

"Police will now review CCTV vision from the rally and will investigate any further offences detected."

Victoria Police said yesterday it had expanded its presence in the CBD in anticipation of the protests.

"Under the Control of Weapons Act, we have declared the area surrounding Parliament House a designated area for weapon searches," a Victoria Police spokesperson said.

"This will provide officers with powers to search people for weapons in the area on the day, as well as allowing police to identify people more easily by requesting they remove any face coverings."

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The house had been vacant for several years.

Russian authorities say they have detained a man described as a "Ukrainian special services agent" in connection with a car explosion that killed Russian General Yaroslav Moskalik on Friday.

The suspect allegedly purchased the car that exploded in Balashikha, less than 32 kilometres east of Moscow, according to TASS citing Russia's Federal Security Service.

The suspect's nationality is unclear; according to the FSB, he has a residence permit in Ukraine.

READ MORE: Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre dies

The FSB also accused him of planting an explosive device in the car, but said that it was detonated from Ukraine. Video published by TASS on Saturday appeared to show charred electronics and parts of the car.

Russia's Investigative Committee had previously said the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device packed with shrapnel.

Russian General Moskalik was deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

The influential Russian military blog Rybar said Moskalik was not in the Volkswagen car when it exploded but was close to it after walking out of a nearby building. CNN cannot independently verify this report.

Photos released by Russian authorities appear to show the suspect driving a dark green Volkswagen with licence plates that match those purportedly found at the site of the blast.

TASS video also showed the man being put into a van, and included footage of him apparently in custody describing his alleged recruitment by Ukraine's special services. It's unclear if he was under duress during the confession.

No one has claimed responsibility for the explosion. CNN has reached out to Ukraine's foreign ministry for comment on the suspect's alleged links to Ukraine.

Moskalik was killed on the same day US special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin to discuss efforts to end Russia's war on Ukraine.

After the three-hour meeting, US President Donald Trump initially voiced optimism that both sides were "very close to a deal".

But the next day, Trump questioned whether Putin wants a peace deal shortly after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican for Pope Francis' funeral.

In a Truth Social post sent as he returned from Rome after the meeting, Trump raised the prospect of applying new sanctions on Russia after its assault on Kyiv last week.

"There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days," Trump wrote.

"It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions?' Too many people are dying!!!"

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

A drink driver has blown three times over the legal limit after she was allegedly spotted driving erratically at a McDonald's drive-through in Victoria.

Police were called to the fast-food restaurant on Nepean Highway in Mornington about 11.45pm yesterday.

The 56-year-old female driver underwent a preliminary breath test which returned a positive result.

AS IT HAPPENED: World leaders join huge crowds to farewell Pope Francis

She was then taken to a police station for an evidentiary breath test, where she allegedly returned a reading of .149.

The woman had her car impounded and she will be charged on summons with driving offences, police said.

Former Triple J radio host Alex Dyson has discovered big cracks in the foundation of the once-safe Liberal seat of Wannon in south-west Victoria.

The independent candidate has twice challenged incumbent Dan Tehan for the electorate. He had whittled the margin in Wannon down to a thin 3.5 per cent ahead of this federal election, and it could be even closer on Saturday night.

A recent YouGov poll projected that Dyson, 36, could finally overtake Tehan by just over one per cent.

READ MORE: The major election promises Labor and the Coalition have made to try and win your vote

Speaking to 9news.com.au, Dyson is quietly confident, and is full of respect for the battlers who live in the region where he grew up.

"Just being from country Victoria gives me an affinity for fairness, which country people haven't felt in a long time," Dyson said.

"Whether it's people who live in town or farmers who have been overlooked, I just want to be an advocate for all of them."

Just 500 votes could be the difference this year in an electorate where Dyson said people have felt "neglected".

If elected, the former radio host has vowed to take decisive action to tackle the housing crisis.

But his own investment property profile came under the microscope last week after he confirmed he owns five homes and a small business.

In response, Dyson said he's not a landlord who has "pulled up the ladder" behind him and is happy to be "open and transparent".

"I think it's really important that people are open with it, I've talked about my journey as a young man confronting the Sydney property market and thinking, 'that's not something I can achieve'," he said.

"Instead, I [purchased] in my hometown in Warrnambool and prioritised smaller, more affordable rental properties.

"There is a tendency for people to pull the ladder up behind them, but everything I do usually comes from a place of fairness and empathy."

READ MORE: Where Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have been on the campaign trail

Climate policy remains a key issue among voters in regional areas.

Backed by Climate 200, which bankrolled the wave of successful teal independents in 2022, Dyson criticised both major parties for using climate change as a political football and said he'll treat it with a sense of urgency if elected.

"It does take a back seat sometimes, but I reckon it's something we can certainly address whilst using it as that opportunity to address cost of living issues as well," he said.

Liberal MP Tehan, an opposition frontbencher who is the shadow minister for immigration and citizenship, has held Wannon since 2010.

His campaign has focused on boosting small business ownership in his electorate by "cutting red tape" and has promised a $350,000 upgrade to Warrnambool's Premier Speedway.

Dyson said he's enjoyed a friendly political rivalry with Tehan but took aim at his voting history.

"It has been disappointing to see that his voting record shows he almost always votes against help for rural and regional Australia," Dyson said.

"I don't think that's because he doesn't want to, I just think that's because it's not his party's priority, unfortunately.

"And he is, like all major politicians, tied to the party and needs to vote in their direction."

In a statement to 9news.com.au, Tehan took issue with the claim he votes against rural interests, saying the Coalition has addressed issues impacting the regions, including in Wannon.

"I am proud to stand on my record of support for regional Australia and our plan to support regional Australia in the future," Tehan said.

"The Coalition government I was part of invested more than $120 billion to develop Australia's regions and Wannon has received more than $3 billion in discretionary grant funding since 2016."

READ MORE: 'He won by a nose': Peter Dutton named winner of third federal election leaders' debate

Dyson is a minor celebrity in his hometown after presenting Triple J's breakfast show between 2010 and 2016.

He turned his attention to politics when he first challenged Tehan's seat in 2019.

Dyson acknowledged having a public profile has been advantageous but, as history proves, not a sure-fire way to win.

The consecutive losses have cemented a firm sense of resilience.

"[The] frustration actually increases my determination that this change that I've been pushing for over three elections now really needs to happen," Dyson said.

And the possibility of a third defeat?

"I couldn't have worked harder this campaign," he said.

"We've knocked on over 20,000 doors, had conversations with our neighbours about the things they'd like to see changed.

"I'm looking forward to election day reflecting that hard work."

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Police were called just before 4am Sunday.

Guests can book encounters with native wildlife, including a night-time visit with kiwi.

They clinched the title after Melbourne City drew 0-0 with Adelaide United.

Opinion: Dogs are loyal, drooling little legends, but is there an alternative out there?

US President Donald Trump has met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since their stunning blow-up in the Oval office in late February.

Both the White House and Zelenskyy's office confirmed the meeting, which took place today in the hours before both men joined other world leaders and an estimated 200,000 Catholic faithful to farewell Pope Francis in St Peter's Square at the Vatican.

The Ukrainian Presidency shared striking images of the pair, seated without aides on relatively simple chairs amid the ornate surroundings of St Peter's Basilica.

AS IT HAPPENED: World leaders join huge crowds to farewell Pope Francis

Although no recordings were released, the apparently serious but civil meeting appeared to be a marked departure from the last time the pair met, when Trump and his Vice President JD Vance castigated the Ukrainian leader for not being sufficiently "thankful".

"You're not really in a good position right now." Trump said at the time. 

"You're gambling with World War III."

White House communications director Steven Cheung said the leaders "met privately today and had a very productive discussion" and that more details would follow. 

Zelenskyy's spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, said they met for about 15 minutes at St Peter's Basilica and agreed to continue negotiations later in the day. Teams were working to organise the follow-up conversation.

In the hours after the conversation between Trump and Zelenskyy, the US President shared his doubts Russia's Vladimir Putin wants to end his war in Ukraine.

He expressed new skepticism that a peace deal can be reached soon, only a day after he'd said Ukraine and Russia were "very close to a deal".

Trump said in a social media post as he flew back to the United States after Pope Francis' funeral that "there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days." Trump hinted at further sanctions against Russia.

"It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions?' Too many people are dying!!!" Trump wrote.

Trump arrived at the Vatican with his wife, first lady Melania Trump, and was seated in the front row, not far from French President Emmanuel Macron, for the outdoor service.

Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, both outspoken backers of Ukraine and key figures in European efforts for peace, were also pictured meeting with Trump and Zelenskyy.

After Trump was shown to his seat for the funeral, he was immediately followed out of St Peter's Basilica by Zelenskyy, who was met with a burst of applause from the audience.

The US-Ukraine meeting came amid an increasingly urgent White House effort to strike a peace deal.

Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after arriving in Rome that Ukraine and Russia should meet for "very high level talks" on ending the bloody three-year war sparked by Russia's invasion. 

His envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, and Trump said both sides were "very close to a deal". Putin did not attend the funeral.

Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy also came shortly after Trump issued his most definitive statement yet about the need for Ukraine to give up territory to Russia to bring the war to a close. 

He said in a Time magazine interview published on Friday that "Crimea will stay with Russia".

Russia seized the strategic peninsula along the Black Sea in southern Ukraine in 2014, years before the full-scale invasion that began in 2022. 

Zelenskyy wants to regain Crimea and other Ukrainian territory seized by Russia, but that demand has become a sticking point for Trump.

Referring to Crimea during the interview, which was conducted at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said, "everybody understands that it's been with them for a long time".

– Reported with Associated Press and CNN