Wednesday's news in under 5 minutes

1. Brisbane mother murdered

Police in Brisbane have released an image of a person of interest in connection with the murder of mother-of-three Anthea Mari in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Detectives are hoping to speak to Jacob Michael Smith, who is from the Gold Coast.

Smith was described as 180cm tall, of average build with dark-brown hair.

Police said that Anthea Mari lived in the house with her two daughters, aged 11 and 12, as well as two male housemates.

Her eldest daughter lived with her grandmother.

The Daily Mail reports the 34-year-old mother of three girls was a victim of domestic violence. She had revealed in a newsletter to a Catholic community group that she had “spent 15 years “in and out of domestic violence refuges, couch-surfing… and even sleeping in her car while raising her three children.”

“Don’t think you’re the only one. There are plenty of other women going through it, too,” she wrote.

The Courier Mail reports her Facebook page contains a heartbreaking post on the topic of domestic violence, saying: “If she flinches when you go to put your arm around her … Someone else’s hand once wasn’t so sweet.

Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.

2. Permanent cease-fire for Gaza

After weeks of talks in Cairo there are hopes this morning that a permanent ceasefire agreement has been reached in Gaza.

A Hamas spokesman said: “An agreement has been reached between the two sides and we are awaiting the announcement from Cairo to determine the zero hour for implementation,” Reuters reports.

Israeli government officials said it would ease its blockade of Gaza to allow in aid and building materials.

A reported 2,139 people, most of them civilians, including more than 490 children, have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began on July 8.

3. Meningococcal Vaccine disappointment

Meningitis experts have expressed their extreme disappointment at a decision by the Pharamceutical Advisory Committee to reject the new Meningococcal B vaccine for the national immunisation plan.

The two main strains of meningococcal disease in Australia are the B and C strains. The National Immunisation Program includes a vaccine for the meningococcal C strain but not for the B strain.

Bruce Langoulant Chairman of the Meningitis Centre Australia told Mamamia: “The vaccine which is available by prescription remains out of reach for the majority of vulnerable Australians. It costs over $500 for a baby aged up to 12 months.”

He vowed to continue fighting to have this vaccine including on the NIP.

“Prevention by vaccination has been the key to the successful fight against HiB, Meningococcal C and Pneumococcal meningitis. We hope we will continue to have the support of our Australian political leaders and see this new meningococcal B vaccine on the NIP in the not too distant future.” He said.

Over 250 cases of meningococcal disease are diagnosed throughout the country each year —  and while most cases of meningococcal disease are seen in infants, young children, teenagers and young adults people of any age can be infected.

4. Man freed on parole rapes schoolgirl

The Herald Sun reports a man who had just been released by the Youth Parole Board raped a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Caulfield.

The 20-year -old man has been charged with rape, assault with intent to rape, threats to kill and other offences.

5. Mother and daughter trapped in Egypt for a year

A Melbourne woman who has been trapped in Egypt for more than a year with her five-year-old daughter has pleaded for Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to step in.

For more, read this post.

6. Concerning study for pregnant women

A link between ADHD and mothers who used antidepressants during pregnancy has been published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

The study found children whose mothers used antidepressants during pregnancy – but not those who used them before – had almost double the risk of developing ADHD.

But the authors of the study and all experts warned pregnant women not to stop their medication without first talking to a doctor.

News Limited reports the President of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Professor Guy Goodwin raises valid concerns about the study.

“It remains possible, even likely, that the effect observed is due to increased genetic risks of psychiatric disorder in the offspring of the women prescribed antidepressants, rather than the effects of the drugs,” he said.

7. Sydney café shuts

The café at the centre of a racist incident has shut its doors according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

The Forbes & Burton cafe closed their doors last week and will reportedly remain closed.

The owner of the café, Steven Hu, refused to hire a black barista, saying he did not think his customers wanted their coffee made by a “black man.”

The café owner’s actions prompted customers to boycott the café and one member of staff to quit. It was reportedly the subject of several egg attacks and flour bombs as well.

8. Ambulance officer’s kindness touches thousands

An ambulance officer who has left a note for a grieving family saying he paid their parking fine is being called ‘Australia’s kindest man’.

News Limited reports Marc Primrose found the parking fine in the ambulance he had used to transport Melbourne woman Rosemary Morgan’s mother just before she died.

He paid the fine himself so it would not incur late fees. Mrs Morgan told News Limited Marc Primrose was an “amazing” person.

“For a complete stranger to do something like this was just amazing,” Mrs Morgan said. “It’s been the little things like this that have helped us after mum’s death.”

9. Iphone 6

Leaked drawings of the Iphone 6 have confirmed the launch date of the newest apple device.

A box showing showing the expected announcement date of Tuesday 9 September has been uncovered by a French blogger.

10. Call to ban e-cigarettes indoors

The World Health Organisation has said electronic cigarettes should be banned indoors.

In a new report the organisation said the devices should be regulated to “minimise content and emissions of toxicants”. It called for a ban on e-cigarettes that contain fruit, candy-like and alcohol-drinks flavours, as well as advertising and sales of the products to minors.

Reuters reports that it advised that vending machines selling electronic cigarettes should be removed in almost all locations.

It urged a range of “regulatory options”, including prohibiting e-cigarette makers from making health claims – such as that they help people quit smoking – until they provide “convincing supporting scientific evidence and obtain regulatory approval”.

11. Judge says women need to stop drinking so much for rape convictions to improve

A UK Judge has said the rape conviction rate will not improve until women stop getting so drunk.

Judge Mary Jane Mowat said she had presided over back-to-back rape trials “where the victim had been so drunk she couldn’t remember what had happened.”

According to The Daily Mail, she said: “I’m not saying it’s right to rape a drunken woman, I’m not saying for a moment that it’s allowable to take advantage of a drunken woman.”

“But a jury in a position where they’ve got a woman who says ‘I was absolutely off my head, I can’t really remember what I was doing, I can’t remember what I said, I can’t remember if I consented or not but I know I wouldn’t have done’.”

“’I mean when a jury is faced with something like that, how are they supposed to react?”

12. Bullying study

A surprising finding in a bullying study shows it occurs younger than we ever realised — and is more prevelant in obese boys than thinner children.

The Dutch study reported that obese boys are more likely to bully and be bullied – and that this takes place before school starts.

“I was very surprised by how young these kids are,” Rachel Annuziato, an assistant professor for clinical psychology at Fordham University in New York City, told CBS News.

“I think our understanding of bullying is that it’s something that starts a little later cognitively and developmentally, but this suggests that isn’t the case. From the day kids walk into school, this is a concern,” she said.

She said that it seemed obesity increased the risk of being both a perpetrator and a victim for boys.

“Kids who are being picked on might start to think this is the way to fit in, to pick on other kids. That becomes their way to assert themselves after they’ve experienced bullying.”

13. Husbands who tell their wives they are fat are contributing to domestic abuse.

The UK’s shadow anti-domestic violence minister has said husbands who tell their wives they are fat may be guilty of domestic abuse.

The Daily Mail reports that Seema Malhotra said such abuse could be part of a wider pattern of “controlling behavior “which can be as bad as a physical attack.

“It can be part of a pattern of controlling behaviour that leaves people feeling fearful and terrorised in their own homes,” she said.

14. Parents’ top gripes about fellow holidaymakers

A study has revealed parents’ top gripes about other guests at hotels — and the main offender is parents not controlling their children.

Parents called for hotels to provide more baths in rooms, and child friendly menus, according to the survey.

 15. Miley Cyrus’ date visited by police

A homeless man accepted Miley Cyrus’ VMA award on Monday, giving a moving speech that had some of the crowd in tears.

But on Tuesday, police turned up to visit the man — 22-year-old Jesse Helt — at his mother’s house in Oregon, as it emerged he has a police record and an open warrant out for his arrest.

ABC News in the US report that court records reveal Helt was arrested for “criminal mischief” and “attempted burglary” — a charge later changed to “criminal tresspass” — in 2010. The burglary charge was changed to “criminal trespass” later that year.

A warrant was issued in 2011 for his arrest for violating the terms of his probation, The Daily Mail reports.

Helt was not home at the time of the police visit on Tuesday, but Detective John Williams with the Polk County Sheriff’s Department said he will ‘likely’ be arrested.

Cyrus, 21, defended Jesse on social media, tweeting: “People who are homeless have lived very hard lives. Jesse included.”

She tweeted that she hoped Jesse’s case “can be the start of a national conversation about youth homelessness and how to end it”.

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