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Saturday's news in under 5 minutes.

We’ve rounded up all the most important headlines around this morning, so it’ll only take a few minutes to get your morning news fix.

1. Tony Abbott set to scrap his signature Paid Parental Leave Policy next week.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is expected to put his $20 billion Paid Parental Leave Scheme on the back burner next week as Parliament resumes in Canberra.

Reports indicate that many cabinet ministers are nervous ahead of this possible major shift, which would see the PPL scheme put on hold until the budget is back in surplus so the government can pay for a new family package to boost access to childcare.

The decision to drop this signature policy comes amidst speculation that Mr Abbott is set to face the hardest few weeks of his leadership yet. The Courier Mail have described this as a “make or break” time for his leadership, as several senior ministers have warned of a worsening situation within the LNP.

Despite this, Mr Abbott remains adamant that he will lead the LNP to the next election, with Treasurer Joe Hockey yesterday declaring his support for the PM.

“I would just say to people; we do not want to become a carbon copy of a bad Labor government,” Mr Hockey said.

The PM is expected to make the announcement to scrap the PPL as early as Monday next week, as hinted at by Social Services Minister Scott Morrison.

Read more: Was the Paid Parental Leave Scheme ever going to happen or was it just a con to get women voting for Tony Abbott?

2. Bali Nine: Indonesian A-G says latest applications won’t delay executions.

By George Roberts for ABC News

A spokesperson for Indonesia’s attorney-general says the applications for a judicial review filed by two Australian drug smugglers on death row will not prevent them being executed.

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Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were sentenced to death for their part in organising the 2005 Bali Nine heroin trafficking attempt.

Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

On Friday the pair filed requests for reviews of their death sentences, after they were denied presidential pardons.

But a spokesperson for attorney-general Muhammad Prasetyo said that would not stop the Bali Nine ringleaders being executed.

Tony Spontana said an agreement between government departments and the courts meant their application for a review should be rejected anyway.

“The applied norm is that the judicial review doesn’t stop the execution process, the convicts have received the president’s decree which declines their clemency request,” he said.

Chan and Sukumaran are among a group of drug smugglers who could face a firing squad within weeks.

Read more: Bali Nine’s Andrew Chan will face the firing squad.

A version of this post originally appeared on ABC News and has been republished with permission.

3. Accused balcony murderer Gable Tostee gives advice on how to pick up women.

Gable Tostee, the Gold Coast playboy who has been charged with the murder of New Zealand tourist Warriena Wright, has been dishing out advice on how to pick up women.

The accused, who was released on bail in November after promising to stay away from online dating site Tinder, has used an online bodybuilding forum to respond to another user asking for advice on dating women.

“For 39 years old (probably 2-3 years older),” The Courier Mail reports the man wrote, “I think she is a solid 7-7.5 (out of 10).”

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Tostee also suggests the user tell the woman, “I can do things to you that will make you feel 21.”

Gable Tostee.

It has been alleged that Tostee, who came into contact with Ms Wright while she was holidaying in Australia, plied her with homemade vodka before the pair engaged in violent and kinky sex.

However Tostee’s defence team say that he felt threatened as Ms Wright became increasingly violent and ignored his pleas to stop.

Ms Wright died when she fell from Tostee’s balcony. Tostee has claimed he locked her outside to prevent her from attacking him.

Read more: Gable Tostee has been charged with murder.

4. Is the Australian summer too hot for sport? Experts are concerned temperatures are affecting players.

By ABC News.

Scientists are warning the viability of Australia’s $12 billion sports market is being threatened by global warming and extreme weather events.

Last year, extreme heat wreaked havoc at the Australian Open, with players forced to endure temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius on the courts.

A new report from the Climate Institute said policies for dealing with extreme heat were variable and often inadequate and should be urgently reviewed.

Failure to do so could lead to an athlete’s death, the report warned.

“We really need to take heat seriously in Australia. Unless we change the way we play sport, there will be deaths,” environmental health expert Dr Liz Hanna said.

“When we exercise, heat generated increases 10-fold, so scheduling physical activity – particularly endurance activity – in hot months definitely becomes a health risk.

“For athletes … their body is their tool of trade, and it’s unfair for us to risk the tools of their trade by forcing them to engage in physical activity for hours on end in highly threatening and risky environments.”

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You might also like: 16 ways to be prepared for extremely hot weather.

A version of this post originally appeared on ABC News and has been republished with permission.

5. The polls are open in the Queensland election – but the Premier may lose his seat.

By ABC

After the shortest campaign allowable, today Queenslanders will be the first Australians to vote in a January election since 1913.

Premier Campbell Newman could be among the members losing their seat if polls in his seat of Ashgrove are correct.

The Liberal National Party’s (LNP) enormous parliamentary majority (73-9) gives it an almost unassailable lead, and expectations are the party will be returned to government.

But a predicted strong swing to Labor means a returned LNP will be missing many from among its ranks.

Premier Campbell Newman could be among them if polls in his seat of Ashgrove are correct.

Mr Newman has promised $18 million in funding for the seat, contingent on his re-election.

That was three times more than the LNP promised to any nearby seat, and triggered allegations of pork-barrelling that the Premier refused to acknowledge during the campaign.

A version of this post originally appeared on ABC News and has been republished with permission.

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