Thursday afternoon’s news in under 5 minutes: 15 January.

We’ve rounded up the headlines from across the world — so it’ll only take you a couple of minutes to catch up on the most important news around at the moment.

1. Alex McKinnon ‘disappointed’ over personal video being leaked.

A video emerged yesterday of former Newcastle Knights player Alex McKinnon standing for the first time since suffering a life changing spinal injury in 2014, as reported by Sydney Morning Herald.

The video depicts Alex with his fiancée Tegan Power at a rehabilitation centre on the Gold Coast.

McKinnon took to twitter today to share his gratitude for the overwhelming support he has received — but also said it was “disappointing a personal video was leaked and aired without our permission.”

2. Sydney siege: Fred Nile comes under fire for comments about hostages.

By ABC News

New South Wales MP Fred Nile is under pressure to resign after saying the “only man” involved in December’s Sydney cafe siege was the gunman.

Mr Nile made the comments on breakfast television, but later said he “misspoke” and intended to call the gunman a “coward” and praise a hostage who reportedly tried to seize his gun.

“Usually men try to protect the women and it seems that the men were trying to protect their own, saving their own skin, and leaving the women there,” he said.

“Where were the men? The only man really there was the man with the gun.”

This article appears on ABC, and has been republished here with full permission.

3. Belgiun bookstores selling Charlie Hebdo magazine sent warning letters.

By ABC News

Four bookshops in Belgium have revealed they have received letters warning of reprisals if they choose to stock the controversial first issue of Charlie Hebdo since the attacks.

“I recommend that you do not spread these cartoons of our beloved Mohammed in this despicable Charlie Hebdo magazine, at the risk of reprisals against you and your horrible business,” the letters said, according to the Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.

Belgian prosecutors said they were taking the letters sent to the bookshops two days ago “very seriously” and were analysing video footage and making other inquiries to find whoever wrote them.

“In the current context, this type of act is intolerable,” spokesman Laurens Dumont was quoted as saying by the Belga news agency.

This article appears on ABC, and has been republished here with full permission.

4. Homeless mad admits to raping and killing Melbourne woman.

A homeless man has admitted to raping and killing a Melbourne woman in a park as she was walking to work, news.com reports.

The man, Scott Miller, has pleaded guilty to two charges of rape and one charge of murder.

The victim, Renea Lau was 32. Her body was found by walkers in Kings Domain in the 28th of June last year.

Miller had fled Melbourne after the incident but was later arrested near Eden in NSW. He told police he was, “blind drunk and had been stoned for five days” when the attack occurred.

The record of this interview shows that Miller also said he was happy about going to jail because he deserved it.

5. Government ‘backflips’ on Medicare.

ABC news

Health Minister Sussan Ley has announced the Government will shelve plans to cut the Medicare rebate for short doctor visits.

“I have become aware of significant concerns and unintended consequences of changes to Medicare rebates scheduled to begin on Monday,” she told reporters in Melbourne.

“I am deeply concerned by the misinformation that is causing confusion for patients and confusion for doctors.

“As a result, I’m announcing today that the changes to level A and B Medicare consultation items will not commence on Monday as planned.

“The Government is taking them off the table.”

The rebate for GP consultations less than 10 minutes was due to be cut by around $20 from next Monday.

However, the move was set to be struck down by the Senate.

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

6. Adelaide one-punch murder charge to be downgraded to manslaughter.

By ABC News

A murder charge against an Adelaide man accused of killing another with a single punch in Rundle Street last year will be downgraded to manslaughter.

The accused man is in his 20s and cannot be identified due to a suppression order.

He was due to answer a murder charge during a hearing in the Adelaide Magistrates Court but the prosecution said it planned to downgrade the charge to manslaughter.

Forty-four-year-old Roberto Vallelonga died of head injuries after he was punched and fell to the ground on Rundle Street in May last year.

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

7. Brett Lee to retire from all forms of cricket

By ABC News

Former Australia Test fast bowler Brett Lee has announced he will retire from all forms of cricket following the conclusion of the Big Bash League (BBL).

Lee stepped down from international cricket in 2012 but has continued to play the Twenty20 format at the domestic level, most notably with Sydney Sixers in the BBL.

“It’s been an amazing and emotional 20 years and I’ve enjoyed every single moment of it,” Lee told a media conference in Sydney.

“I didn’t bother to do the math on it, but it’s a lot of ice baths, a lot of training sessions, a lot of cricket balls bowled, there’s a lot of flights.

“But there’s also been a lot of fun.”

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

Catch up on more headlines in this 90-second news update from the ABC: