Victorian Labor is promising free pads and tampons in state schools to manage possible embarrassment and help with the cost of living.

All Victorian state schools will supposedly have the hygiene products in female, unisex, and accessible bathrooms from term three next year.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy said the program will be an Australian first.

A young apprentice died in a Melbourne factory last month just minutes after a Victorian WorkSafe inspector finished a safety visit at the site.

Dillon Wu is believed to have suffocated while working alone inside a large metal tank at the Marshall Lethlean transport tanker factory in Melbourne's outer east on October 4.

A WorkSafe report from the same day shows an inspector was on site at Marshall Lethlean from 8:00am to 9:45am, and the 20-year-old died at around 10am.

A 17-year-old boy was detained in a remote Queensland police station for 11 days, while more than 40 other children are being held for undetermined periods in police custody because there is no room in the state’s youth detention system.

After 11 days in police custody at the Mount Isa watch house, the boy faced court on Tuesday and was released on a community-based order.

Australia’s first tool library operating out of a public library will allow members to borrow power tools and household items.

The Brisbane Tool Library is based out of the State Library of Queensland and is run like a normal library, except for an annual membership fee.

Library coordinator Samantha Wigman said sharing tools saves money, space, and the environment, and is proving popular with the community.

A lawyer representing a proposed class action says Indigenous women were coerced into sterilisation without proper and informed consent.

Following an independent review in January 2017, the Saskatoon Health Region apologised for the past forced sterilisation of Indigenous women.

At least 60 Indigenous women are pursuing a class-action lawsuit, alleging they were forced into sterilisation over the past 20 to 25 years in Saskatchewan.

Astronomers say they have detected compelling evidence of an alien world orbiting one of the closest stars in the neighbourhood.

Alien super earth planet dubbed Barnard’s Star b is thought to be 3.2 times the mass of the Earth, and one of the closest planets to the solar system ever found - located just six light years away.

Astronomer Jon Honti of the University of Southern Queensland said the findings push the boundaries of what’s possible with current technology.

A federal anti-corruption commission now appears to be a live option, with legislation to establish a body that would investigate corruption likely to be introduced into Parliament before Christmas.

The election of independent Kerryn Phelps in the Wentworth by-election has boosted the numbers of crossbenchers in the House of Representatives who have put the establishment of a federal integrity commission at the top of their wish list.

Education Minister, Dan Tehan, has announced an immediate review into limitations on freedom of speech at universities, leaving many Australian universities questioning what has prompted this review.

The review, lead by High Court chief of justice, Robert French, will consider existing material on free speech, such as codes of conduct, enterprise agreements, policy statements and strategic plans.

Universities Australia chair, Margaret Gardner says the review is unnecessary and has been driven by media reporting.

Brisbane City Council joined the ranks of public agencies requesting consumers’ metadata from telecoms companies, prompting calls of ‘Big Brother’ from the council’s Labor opposition.

According to the telecoms industry, the request includes details of numbers called by phone users, their location, the length of calls, email addresses and other information they are obliged to keep for two years under 2015 national security laws.

Brisbane City Council is the only Queensland council requesting this information.