Sunday's news in under 5 minutes.

Investigations into the disappearance of 3-year-old toddler Chloe Campbell are continuing today. She was returned to her mother early yesterday after being found by police in a showground across the road from her home in Childers, Queensland.

Family friends have revealed to the Sunday Mail that a threat made against Chloe’s father, Garth Campbell, two months ago may be linked to Chloe’s disappearance. Melissa Small, a friend of the family, suggested that if someone had taken Chloe, it was likely to be the same person/ people associated with the threat made to Mr Campbell in a bid to “scare” him into silence.

After the incident occurred, the threat was officially reported. Investigations into this theory are currently underway.

Suggestions a family friend was potentially behind her disappearance have also been made. Another friend stated, “too many things point to the fact they must have known the girls were sleeping in the lounge on the holidays. Someone would have to have known that.’’

2. Earthquake hits Solomon Islands. Unlikely to reach New Zealand. 

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Solomon Islands at 6:14 AM (EST) today. This follows on from flash flooding 10 days ago that left more than 20 people dead, and a 6.1 magnitude tremor felt yesterday.

The intergovernmental Oceanic Commission has now called off the tsunami alert for the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea. Civil Defence tsunami experts have also stated a tsunami threat to New Zealand is unlikely.

No reports of significant damage have yet been made.

3. Cyclone Ita is heading South.

A cyclone warning has been issued for a 1000 kilometre stretch of the coast in Northern Queensland. The category 1 storm is currently 40 kilometres north of Townsville, and is moving south parallel to the coast.

Gusts of up to 100 km/h and high tides are expected between Townsville and Mackay today. The cyclone should move towards the Coral Sea and away from Queensland early next week.

4. Reports that Abbott government is considering a rise in pension age. 

The Abbott government has been pre-emptively accused of breaking a pre-election promise stating there would be no changes or cuts to pension rates. Treasurer Joe Hockey this week revealed the need for a reconsideration of the current pension system, due to the unsustainable nature of the current model.

In a speech made in Washington DC Mr Hockey stated the pension system needed to be “prioritised for the most vulnerable”. He also told ABC TV, “It may be that my generation has to work for an extra three years and we need to redesign our systems to manage that fact”.

In 2009 Labor introduced changes to see the pension age rise from 65 to 67 between 2017 and 2023. It is understood the Abbott government are considering raising the pension age to 70.

5. Abbott government considering cuts to the ABC.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the expenditure review committee are considering proposals to cut down the ABC’s budget. If such cuts are made, the Prime Minister would be going against a pledge made on the night before the 2013 election. “No cuts to education, no cuts to health, no changes to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS, ” Mr Abbott had stated.

Mark Scott, the managing director of the ABC, told a Senate estimates hearing earlier this year that he- and the ABC audience -would hold Mr Abbott accountable if he broke this pre-election promise.

6. Adelaide man pleads guilty to endangering four-year-old son’s life. 

A 27-year-old man from Gilles Plains, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, has pled guilty to endangering his four-year-old son’s life. A courtroom yesterday heard of the squalid conditions the boy, weighing just 8.3 kilograms, was subjected to. His father admitted to locking the boy in his room for 12 days straight, his only source of nourishment being the “bickies,” Vaalia sachets and long-life custard, shoved under the door each night. Sergeant Daniel Guzej, in his witness statement, stated the boy’s “skin tone was blue and almost translucent” and described him as “crying out in pain” and being found “completely naked”.

The boy has since been taken into the care of Families SA. His father has been remanded in custody for sentencing. The boy’s mother, 23, has not yet faced court, but has denied all charges of endangering life and criminal neglect.

7. A Pakistani judge dismisses attempted murder case against toddler.

Judge Rafaquat Ali Qamar today dropped charges against a 9-month-old boy accused of killing police officers  during a neighbourhood brawl in Lahore, Pakistan.

The authorities had demanded the boy be tried in court, despite pleas from his family emphasising his young age and inability to have murdered another.

Defence lawyer Irfan Tarar said the toddler’s family are very pleased with the Judge’s decision.

A slip of the tongue by Prince William has people speculating about whether another baby is on the cards for The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The pair met Cynthia Read, the lady commissioned to make the lace shawl that New Zealand gifted to baby George, yesterday. Upon receiving the gift, William stated, “You might have to make another one soon”.

The pair is set to sample wines from New Zealand’s Otago region at Amisfield winery today.