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The Loop: Boy killed in hit-and-run, Labor makes pay increase submission, are you smarter than a spelling bee champion?

Hello. It's Friday, June 3 and you're reading The Loop, a quick wrap-up of today's news.

Let's start here

A 73-year-old woman has handed herself in to police after a fatal hit-and-run involving a toddler in Melbourne's west.

Police said the woman who handed herself in was cooperating, and that it did not appear she was speeding or driving recklessly.

Superintendent John Fitzpatrick said the road was not well lit and detectives were trying to establish whether the woman realised she had hit three-year-old Ethan Nguyen.

Ethan was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital in a critical condition but died overnight. (AAP: Luis Ascui)

Early investigations have indicated Ethan ran onto the road and was hit by a sedan, and police believe he was dragged under the car for 20 to 30 metres. 

Neighbours and family members have today visited the site of the crash, where they laid floral tributes to Ethan.

"As you can imagine the family are absolutely overwhelmed with the death of that young child, so we'll provide them with all the support and welfare they need from our perspective, but they currently have family and friends around them," Superintendent Fitzpatrick said.

What else is going on

  • Labor has officially backed a pay increase of at least 5.1 per cent for "low-wage earners" in a formal submission to the Fair Work Commission. Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said the new government had taken its first step today to end the previous government's "deliberate" policy of low wages (but it's really up to the Fair Work Commission to determine what any wage increase will end up looking like)
  • A group of Ngunnawal traditional owners have used the 30th anniversary of the Mabo decision to announce their intention to lodge a native title claim over the entire ACT and parts of NSW. In a press conference this afternoon, the traditional owners said anthropological research was currently being undertaken into their genealogical links to the boundary over which they intended to lay claim

What Australia has been searching for online

  • Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The no-longer-senior-royals have watched Trooping the Colour celebrations with their young children and other family members, but not on the palace balcony because the monarch decided only working members of the royal family should have that honour. Kinda looks like Prince Louis wanted to join them.
"MUUUUUM, you said there would be troops in colours and they're ALL WEARING RED" (Reuters: Hannah McKay)
"TURN IT DOWN NANNY" (Reuters: Hannah McKay)
"We better get ice cream after this." (Reuters: Hannah McKay)
  • NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics have come from behind to defeat the Golden State Warriors 120-108 in the first game of the finals series. They'll face off again on Sunday night (US time).

One more thing

For the first time in history, the Scripps National Spelling Bee came down to a blistering lightning-round decider.

Harini Logan, a 14-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, beat 12-year-old Vikram Raju from Denver, Colorado, after she managed to spell 21 words correctly in 90 seconds over Vikram's 15.

So, reckon you can correctly spell the same words these finalists faced? We've put together a little quiz to see if you're smarter than a champion spelling bee finalist — give it a crack here.

You're up to date

Catch you next week for more editions of The Loop.

ABC/wires

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