Wednesday's news in under 5 minutes

1. Gammy’s Thai mum may be arrested

The 21-year-old Thai woman who is baby Gammy’s surrogate mother may face charges, reports News Limited.

The Thai Ministry of Public Health says it is coordinating with other agencies in a crackdown against medical facilities and agencies linked to commercial surrogacy that the ministry calls “illegal”.

It seems the payment made to Gammy’s mother of $15,000 as the surrogate was in contravention of Thailand’s human trafficking laws.

Meanwhile, the woman said yesterday in a media conference that she would like Gammy’s sister back if the sex charges against Gammy’s biological father are proven true.

“I want her back because she is my baby. She was in my womb,” she said.

“If (the allegations) are proved to be true, I would like to bring my daughter back to Thailand.

2. News Michael Jackson allegations

A man who testified in court that Jackson never molested him has now filed an 111-page document in the Los Angeles Superior Court accusing the pop star of graphic sexual abuse over a seven-year period.

The Australian choreographer, Wade Robson, 31, claims Jackson sexually abused him from the age of seven through to 14.

Radar Online reports that the documents state Robson only remembered about the molestation after having two “breakdowns” which resulted in him seeking therapy.

3. Lin Family trial

The trial of Lian Bin ‘‘Robert’’ Xie, the man accused of the violent murder of his relatives the Lin family, has begun.

Lian Bin ‘‘Robert’’ Xie is accused of murdering Min Lin, 45, Yun Li Lin, 44, their sons Henry, 12 and Terry, 9 and Ms Lin’s sister, Yun Bin ‘‘Irene’’ Lin, 39, at their home on July 18, 2009.

Mr Xie, 50, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of murder.

He is married to Kathy Lin, who is Mr Lin’s sister.

Sky News reports that Mr Tedeschi QC said ‘‘this was a crime motivated by intense bitterness and hatred’’.

The assailant used a hammer-like object attached to his wrist by a rope. The victims were killed by repeated blows to the head and four of the five were also asphyxiated. Mr Tedeschi QC claimed there was a ‘‘furious struggle’’ with the two young boys in their bedroom.

Post-mortem reports showed 12-year-old Henry survived for about 30 minutes after the attack and nine-year old Terry was alive for up to two hours before he died.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIs43RbnDes&feature=youtube_gdata

4. Ceasefire in Gaza

Israel withdrew all of its troops from the Gaza Strip as a 72-hour ceasefire with Hamas began, Sky News Australia reports.

Hamas reportedly fired 16 rockets over the border just minutes before the ceasefire came into effect while Israeli planes carried out at least five airstrikes.

Meanwhile, a mobile game that invites users to “drop bombs and avoid killing civilians” in Gaza has been pulled from the Google app store after a public backlash.

The game, which had been downloaded 1,000 times since it launched on July 29, sparked outrage comments on the Google app store review page as well as on Facebook.

5. Fighter jets escort plane to airport

British police have arrested a man on suspicion of making a hoax bomb threat after two military jets escorted a Qatar Airways plane into Manchester Airport.

The BBC reports the pilot was handed a note about a possible device on board. Armed police boarded the Doha to Manchester plane and arrested the 47-year-old man.

There were 269 passengers and 13 crew on board.

6. Racial Discrimination Act changes dumped

Tony Abbott has announced the Government has dumped its proposed changes to 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.

The ABC reports Mr Abbott said he had made a “leadership call” to abandon the changes, because they had become a “complication” in the Government’s relationship with the Australian Muslim community.

“When it comes to counter-terrorism, everyone needs to be part of Team Australia,” Mr Abbott said.

7. Online bullying

Twenty percent of children aged eight to 17 were exposed to online bullying last year.

The figures come as the Federal Government plans reforms to set up an e-safety commissioner who would hear complaints from parents about online bullying.

The Australian reports that cyber bullying is growing fast and affects more than 500,000 schoolchildren a year.

8. Love at first flight

Social media has brought together two romantics who met on a plane and were separated at customs.

Irishman Jamie Kelly launched a hashtag on twitter #loveatfirstflight to find the woman – and they have now been reunited.

For more, see this post.

9. Nine-year old stabbed by 12-year-old

A 12-year-old boy has attacked and stabbed a 9-year-old boy in a playground in the US.

Michael Connor Verkerke was repeatedly stabbed by the boy in the trailer park playground.

The boy turned himself in by calling police, according to The Grand Rapids Press.

10. Mother jailed after having sex with son while partner watched

In a shocking case, a mother in the UK has been jailed having sex with her 12-year-old son while her partner watched and directed her over a webcam.

The woman confessed the abuse while she was speaking to a domestic violence charity about her partner.

The Daily Mail reports the boy told police how he could hear his 39-year-old mother being told what to do as she gave him a ‘sex lesson’. The woman was jailed for three years and three months.

11. Worst kid’s book ever?

A children’s book aiming to encourage kids to be accepting of gun-toting parents has drawn international criticism.

The book, My Parents Open Carry, claims to provide “a wholesome children’s book that reflects the views of the majority of the American people, ie that self-defence is a basic natural right and that firearms provide the most efficient means for that defence”.

The authors, co-founders of the pro-gun group Michigan Open Carry, say the story will help parents who carry a gun and sometimes struggle with how to best explain the reasons to their children.

Children’s publisher Elizabeth Laws told The Huffington Post it was the first time in 25 years that “a children’s book leaves me speechless”.

12. The best age is….

Here’s a reason to feel good about yourself.. well, if you happen to be 29.

Researchers have discovered 29-year-olds are more popular than any other age group. At 29, humans will have an average of 80 friends – 30 percent more than the average across other ages.

Your popularity has peaked because you’re still in touch with your old school friends, but you’ve been in the workplace long enough to have forged strong bonds with your colleagues.

Lucky you, 29-year-olds. Enjoy the (brief) moment.

13. Lego’s Science Minifigures

Lego have debuted their female scientist minifigures after a 7-year-old girl complained that there were not enough female figures.

“I want you to make more Lego girl people and let them go on adventures…ok!?!” Charlotte Benjamin wrote in her letter to the company according to 7 News, Denver.

The Research Institute play set range was created in response and features three female scientists: an astronomer, a paleontologist and a chemist.

 14. Woman dies completing a ‘bucket list’ item

A Welsh cancer survivor has been killed while completing an item on her ‘bucket list’.

51-year-old Geraldine Jones was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 but recently beat the disease, the South Wales Evening Post reports.

While she was ill, Ms Jones made a list of things to do before she died  — and that list included ‘riding a horse on Llangennith Beach’ in South Wales, according to the Telegraph.

The mother-of-two embarked on that ride on 27 July — but fell off the horse and sustained fatal head injuries.

15. Parenting researcher warns creating a culture of bullying

A parenting researcher says authoritarian parents and teachers may be unintentionally teaching our kids to bully.

Fairfax reports that Dr Justin Coulson, who will speak at The National Centre Against Bullying conference in Melbourne today, argues behaviour like yelling and threatening is breeding a bullying culture among children.

“Most adults don’t see it as bullying, they see it as discipline… But discipline means to teach. It does not mean punish, hurt, make afraid or distress,” Dr Coulson said.

“The research has been telling us for decades that approaches like this don’t work and that they actually model aggressive behaviours and our children copy that and become bullies.”

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