Monday's news in under 5 minutes

1. Philip Seymour Hoffman dead

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has been found dead in a New York City apartment of a reported drug overdose. The Wall Street Journal have reported that the 46 year-old Oscar winner was found Sunday morning inside of his Greenwich apartment.

It has been reported that the actor had struggled with drug problems, most recently checking himself into a rehab facility for heroin back in May.

2. Curriculum reviewer’s contentious views

The man chosen to review the national school curriculum by Education Minister Christopher Pyne has openly written of his views that the sexual practices of gays, lesbians and transgender individuals are ”decidedly unnatural” and has questioned whether students ought to learn about such relationships at school.

In a book he wrote in 2004, Kevin Donnelly also seems to suggest that only heterosexual teachers have a right to teach students about sex.

The SMH report that the book, called Why Our Schools Are Failing criticises aspects of state curriculum he believes have contributed to declining standards in literacy and numeracy in Australian schools. He blames ”political correctness” and the ”left-wing academics, teacher unions and sympathetic governments” that have created curriculums with politically correct material.

A spokesman for Mr Pyne told the SMH that Mr Donnelly had been ”specifically asked” to ensure the curriculum was balanced and diverse.

3. Drownings

A four-year-old boy is in a critical condition after nearly drowning at a river in Myrtleford just before 8pm last night. He is being treated at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

The incident follows a five-year-old boy who tragically drowned yesterday in Melbourne’s Lysterfield Park Lake. The lake is a popular swimming and water sports area.

4. Dylan Farrow abuse claims

Reports today that Woody Allen cannot be prosecuted on child molestation charges as the statute of limitations on accusations by Dylan Farrow has passed.

The Connecticut prosecutor who investigated Woody Allen more than 20 years but did not file charges, told AP that it’s now too late as the statute of limitations on accusations by Dylan Farrow has passed.

Frank Maco had said in 1993 that he lacked evidence to prosecute Allen but suspected the abuse did occur.

For more on Dylan Farrow’s open letter about Woody Allen’s alleged abuse read this post here.

5. Mothers torment over bullying

A Mother has written of her torment over the suicide of her fourteen-year old son after he committed suicide. Josh Taylor died last year after relentless bullying on his Brisbane school bus. His mother has made a heartfelt plea. Read more on this  “Why is there no justice for my son?”

6. Hot cars

A 10-month-old baby girl has been rescued after being left in an unattended car for up to 30 minutes in Canberra yesterday.

Police say bystanders forced their way into the car after they noticed the baby crying hysterically in the back of a car parked outside a hardware store. The child’s father had gone into the store and left the child sleeping with the car’s window slightly down. At the time the temperature at the time was 37 degrees Celsius.

It comes at the same time as the Victorian Government launch a new ad warning people of the dangers of leaving kids in hot cars.

The campaign will use the tagline “no exceptions, no excuses,” to remind parents and guardians about the risks of leaving children in cars in hot weather.

7. Amanda Knox

Amanda Knox faces being incarcerated in a federal prison ten minutes from her parents’ house for the duration of any extradition battle between the US and Italy reports in the UK have said.

If Italy makes an extradition request, and the case is argued in US courts, she would be detained by US Marshals and sent to a federal detention centre.

“She’d be held wherever the federal detainees in that area are held. She would be treated as any other extradition detainee,” Professor Julian Ku told the UK Telegraph.

Over the weekend Amanda has appeared on Good Morning America saying that she has written to the family of Meredith Kercher ‘The very fact that they don’t know what happened is horrible”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4hafGvxj9o

8. Childcare fees

A report out today shows that the hourly cost of long day care has increased by 50 per cent since 2007.

”Childcare now costs the average parent about an extra $70 per week per child than it did before Labor took office – for the exact same number of hours,” Assistant Education Minister Sussan Ley told the SMH

Early Childhood Australia chief executive Samantha Page said wage increases over the six-year period would account for a ”fair proportion” of the cost change. But she said Labor had not adequately funded a 2012 national quality framework, that included reforms such as standardising child-to-staff ratios.

Opposition education spokeswoman Kate Ellis told the newspaper that the Coalition was being ”sneaky” and that Labor had worked to reduce costs for parents by increasing the childcare rebate, which pays a maximum of $7500 a child, each year.

9. Driveway safety

The Federal Government will today release a report on voluntary driveway safety design principles. In NSW alone three young children have been killed by their reversing parents in the past three months.

More than half of those behind the wheel in a driveway fatality were a parent of the child killed, with more than a third likely to be the dead child’s father.

The driveway safety design guidelines public feedback summary is advocating six voluntary design principles to make driveways safer.

10. Milk recall

A QLD dairy has recalled some of its milk products because of E.coli contamination, warning people could fall ill if they drink it.

The affected products, all with a use-by date of February 12 or 13, are widely available for sale in Queensland at Coles, Woolworths, IGA and corner stores.

The products include:

* One, two and three litre bottles of Gold top Farmers Choice pasteurised milk with a use-by date of February 13;

* One, two and three-litre bottles of Red-top low fat milk, with a use-by date of February 12, and;

* 300ml, 500ml and one, two and three-litre bottles of Blue-top full-cream milk with a use-by date of February 13.

Queensland Health advises people who have already consumed the milk who are worried about falling ill to seek medical advice.

11. Won’t vaccinate? Lose your benefits.

The Government may cut family benefits or childcare rebates for families who refuse to vaccinate their children.

News limited report that the government has confirmed it is conducting an audit with the intention of a review of childcare payments to conscientious objectors.

Half of the 80,000 children not vaccinated in Australia are children of conscientious objectors.

12. Are they twins?

A chance meeting via YouTube might have brought long lost twins together. A French fashion designer – raised in Paris, Anaïs Bordier was watching a YouTube video when she saw a face that looked uncannily like her own. She found out that the woman in the clip was born in South Korea on the same day as her and adopted out – just like she was.

The two fuelled by the thought they may be twins set about to make a documentary and to have DNA tests to see whether they really were sisters. They are planning on revealing the result in their film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RqbVydGf9c

13. Neknominate deaths

Two young men have died in Ireland as a result of the Neknominate drinking craze.

According to Newstalk.ie 19-year-old Jonny Byrne jumped in a river as a part of a nomination – but died. His body was recovered early yesterday morning.

Meanwhile Ross Cummins, 22, was found unconscious in a house in Dublin in the early hours of Saturday morning. Cummins was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead shortly afterwards, the Irish Mirror reported.

The paper said it was understood he was drinking spirits at the time of his death.

14. Thai vote

Millions of Thais voted yesterday despite ongoing political protests.

However there are concerns that the election could push the nation deeper into political turmoil and leave the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra paralyzed for months.

Anti-government protesters prevented voting in 45 out of the country’s 375 constituencies in Bangkok and southern provinces which are opposition strongholds.

What news are you talking about today?