Tuesday's news in under 5 minutes.

We’ve rounded up all the latest stories from Australia and around the world – so you don’t have to go searching.

1. Eight-year old boy in a critical condition.

The boy was playing was playing with friends on Prince Street around 5pm yesterday when he was struck by a car.

He has been airlifted to the Sydney Children’s Hospital in a critical condition.

The driver of the car, who is on his P Plates, is assisting police in their inquiries.

2. Party room to decide who will be next Speaker.

The Prime Minister, Tony Abbott has said that the party room will decide who will be the next Speaker when they meet on Monday.

The ABC reports that both Phillip Ruddock and Victorian backbencher Russell Broadbent have expressed an interest in the role. Victorian Liberal Tony Smith and South Australian Liberal Andrew Southcott  along with Queensland Liberal Teresa Gambaro are also being named as potential candidates.

Sharman Stone announced she was not interested in Bronwyn Bishop’s former role.

Related content:  The PM’s tweet that won’t go away. 

3. Medicare Levy hike may cost families $2000 a year.

A proposal to raise the Medicare levy – put forward at last week’s COAG meeting will cost the average family household between $2000 and $4000 a year if it goes ahead.

News Limited reports that the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling found the proposal – which could raise up to $14 billion in annual revenue would see the average working age household be forced to pay an extra $1923 a year.

Those on higher salaries, reports News Limited, and for those families who have private health insurance, it could be more than $4000 more a year.

4. Chemotherapy patients given wrong dose after typo at Adelaide hospital.

Ten seriously ill patients with acute myeloid leukaemia have had their treatment compromised after they were given half the needed chemotherapy dose after a typo.

The Advertiser reports that the patients were admitted to the RAH and Flinders Medical Centre last year for intensive chemo but received only half the dose recommended for optimal treatment.

The dosing error continued for six months and affected the second and third rounds of chemotherapy given to new patients.

SA Health Minister Jack Snelling said it was a “rare incident”

One of the patients told The Advertiser he was angry at the way the state government had handled the terrible mistake.

On Saturday Premier, Jay Weatherill said the patients were being provided with “whatever assistance they needed”.

The man, who underwent three rounds of chemotherapy at the Flinders Medical Centre and was underdosed in two of the treatments said:

“Well, we have had no support, we haven’t heard a word, not a single word other than our specialists looking after us in the normal way,” the man said. “Has anybody done anything else other than that first meeting? Hell no. Not a single thing. No ‘how are you doing?’ Nothing. I am completely hopping mad.”

5. Two-year old died with oxycodone in her system.

A West Australian coroner investigating the death of a two-year-old girl has been unable to explain how the little girl died with oxycodone in her system.

Armanie-Bree Elliott was staying at a women’s refuge with her mother in May 2012 when she was found unresponsive in her cot reports the ABC.

The girl’s mother Brooke Elliott admitted that she was a heroin user, but that she had never used or purchased oxycodone.

The coroner said that Armanie-Bree died from pneumonia and the effect of oxycodone had possibly contributed, but that he was unable to determine how she came to ingest the drug.

“All the credible evidence available to me, including an assessment by the Department of Child Protection following the death and [forensic pathologist Dr G A Cadden’s] examination of the deceased, indicated that Ms Elliott was a devoted, responsible mother whose life revolved around the deceased,” he said.

“That evidence is inconsistent with the notion that she administered oxycodone to the deceased at any time.

“In all these circumstances, I am unable to find to any degree of satisfaction where or how the deceased ingested the drug of where it came from.”

6. Former-PM investigated over child abuse allegation.

British police are investigating claims that former UK Prime Minister Edward Heath abused children were covered up in the 1990’s.

The BBC reports that a retired detective has alleged that claims were made but not followed up.

Sir Edward died in 2005. He was British PM in the 1970’s.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said, “It is alleged that a criminal prosecution was not pursued when a person threatened to expose that Sir Edward Heath may have been involved in offences concerning children.”

“In addition to this allegation, the IPCC will examine whether Wiltshire Police subsequently took any steps to investigate these claims.”

7. Mum who breastfeeds her 7-year old daughter says she is made to feel like a paedophile.

An Australian mother who breastfeeds her year one daughter – the little girl is just about to turn seven- has said that she is made to feel like a ‘paedophile’ because of her extreme breastfeeding practices.

52-year old Maha Al Musa, from Byron Bay in NSW has told Nine’s Inside Story that she believes the criticism of her is an attack on females.

“This isn’t about breastfeeding children. This is about attack and disrespect of the feminine.”

Writing on Facebook she addressed the constant attacks she endures:

“So many people commenting on breastfeeding an older child as “wrong” In their comments they keep saying

Oh I support breastfeeding a baby or toddler BUT an older child is wrong
 Well hang on a minute!!! You cant have it both ways – you either support breastfeeding or you dont???????????????????”

Maha – who has openly shared images of her breastfeeding her daughter says she has raised “three beautiful healthy intelligent well-adjusted children and that’s all that matters to me.”

She announced on Facebook last week that her daughter – due to turn seven soon has said she is keen to cut back on breastfeeding possibly just dropping down to night feeds.

8. Amal Clooney defends Peter Greste’s colleague.

Peter Greste’s colleague Mohamed Fahmy has retained the services of Amal Clooney to defending him against terrorism related charges in Egypt.

Fahmy was arrested along with two other Al Jazeera English journalists, Peter Greste and Egyptian Baher Mohamed on 29 December 2013, and charged with several offenses. The major charges against them included belonging to a terrorist organisation and broadcasting false news and reports of civil strife in Egypt.

Mrs Clooney has said that she is defending him as she believes he is innocent.

Mrs Clooney says not a single shred of evidence has been offered to support claims the men fabricated news stories and were linked to the Brotherhood.

” We will seek an assurance that President Sisi will deliver on his promises to pardon the journalist if any guilty verdict is announced, or else deport Fahmy to Canada as previously agreed.”

She said a guilty verdict must re-energise international efforts.

“If the court delivers another guilty verdict, the US, UN and other key international actors should urge Sisi to immediately step in,” she said.

9. Balloons released at father’s grave fly home.

13-year-old  Saige Seibold, released a bunch of balloons from the gravesite of her father in Sterling, Oklahoma, in the US.

Saige’s father had died from pacreatic cancer and died in May at age 43.

Her mum Sandy told KFOR that she thought it might be helpful for her daughter to send balloons “to heaven,” and they attached a handwritten note asking whoever found it to please contact them.

Initially the balloons got tangled in a power line before wind carried them off.

But the teenager was amazed when, at  they arrived home several hours later and 40km away there were the balloons, tangled in a fence.

“It felt like a message from him,” says Sandy. “This has given us a lot of peace and good feelings about where he’s at.”

Do you have a story to share with Mamamia? Email us news@mamamia.com.au
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