Friday's news in under 5 minutes.

1. Tragic last weeks of toddler Daniel Thomas

Little Daniel Thomas disappeared in 2003 – but his body wasn’t found until 2008. What he endured in the seven weeks before he died has now been revealed, after an inquiry was called when his body was discovered buried underneath his mother’s house five years later.

A coroner’s findings have now been released, which reveal that babysitter Mandy Martyn – who was responsible for Daniel’s care at the time of his disappearance – killed the toddler. Shockingly, the boy’s mother, Donna Thomas, has also been implicated.

Coroner Jacinta Heffey told the Victorian Coroners Court, “His death was caused by Mandy Martyn, who inflicted the injuries that led to his death… Thomas contributed to his death by her inaction and her failure to protect her son.”

Daniel is believed to have faced abuse from his babysitter including being tied to a bed, forced to lie spread-eagled on the floor, blindfolded, gagged with bits of cloth, and slapped. He was also put in cold baths, and locked under the house for periods of time.

News.com.au reports that before living with Ms Martyn, Daniel had not experienced such cruelty. The coroner found that, “From September 2003, when his mother took him to live with Mrs Martyn until his death about seven weeks later Daniel was exposed to cruelty amounting to torture.”

Despite the fact that Ms Thomas had not inflicted the majority of the abuse herself, the coroner said that, “Notwithstanding this, she remained under the same roof as someone who systematically mistreated her own son and she was manifestly failed to protect or console him. She chose to do nothing and allowed the abuse to Daniel to continue.”

Daniel’s father Kevin Ruffels has revealed that he always blamed Mandy Martyn, saying outside the court, “She was obviously the one all along we thought was the main suspect so I hope she goes to hell.”

2. Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan has been named

The Australian soldier killed in a non-combat related incident in Afghanistan has been named as Lance Corporal Todd Chidgey. The 29-year-old was from Gosford, NSW. He was killed by a single gunshot wound at Kabul International Airport earlier this week.

His comrades have described him as a “brilliant bloke to know and work with.”

“He was loyal to the core and would do anything for his mates. A consummate professional and a dedicated soldier, Lance Corporal Chidgey was one of the hardest working members of the Regiment, who never sought recognition or reward.”

Lance Corporal Todd Chidgey went on six tours of duty to Afghanistan between 2008 and 2014.

3. UNHCR issues warning to Australia on asylum seekers

The UNHCR has released a rare statement commenting on Australia’s asylum seeker policy, expressing concern over rumours that the the 153 Tamil asylum seekers caught heading to Australia this weekend have been handed over to the Sri Lankan military.

According to Fairfax, the UN said that they looked on the situation “with profound concern recent reports in the media and from the community in relation to the interception at sea of individuals who may be seeking Australia’s protection”.

They emphasised that “requests for international protection should be considered within the territory of the intercepting state, consistent with fundamental refugee-protection principles.”

In light of reports that the asylum seekers may have been asked no more than four questions to determine their refugee status, the UN also noted that all asylum seekers needed to be “properly and individually screened for protection needs … through a substantive and fair refugee status determination procedure”.

Meanwhile, Tony Abbott has described Sri Lanka as a “society at peace”, speaking to 3AW on Thursday morning.

“I want to make this observation, Sri Lanka is not everyone’s idea of the ideal society but it is at peace,” Mr Abbott said. “A horrific civil war has ended. I believe that there has been a lot of progress when it comes to human rights and the rule of law in Sri Lanka.”

4. Australian-born baby transferred to Christmas Island

14 asylum seekers were transferred from Adelaide to Christmas Island yesterday – among them an Australian-born baby.

Over 70 babies have been born on Australian shores, as their asylum seeker mothers are permitted onshore to give birth. Once the children are deemed to be old enough – which is usually about eight weeks old – they are sent back to Christmas Island.

A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Scott Morrison, said that the four families transferred from Adelaide Hills Inverbrackie detention centre “have no further medical treatment required and have been deemed fit to return to Christmas Island.”

5. Queensland police believe they have found the body of 28-year-old Tia Landers

Queensland police believe they have found the body of a woman who was reported missing last month.

The ABC reports that 28-year-old Tia Landers was reported missing at Deception Bay last month – and a body believed to be hers has been found in a shallow grave near state forest Beerburrum.

A 42-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman have been charged with murder, and are due to appear in Redcliffe Magistrates Court on June 4.

6. Oscar Pistorius’ defence say he has “split personality”

Oscar Pistorius’s defence has tried to show the court that he suffers from a metaphorical“split personality”, and that he was merely acting out of fear when he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp; not anger.

The defence said that there were “two Oscars”: his public persona, and his private one. Medical expert Wayne Derman told the court, “You’ve got a paradox … Of an individual who is supremely able and an individual who is significantly disabled.”

The 27-year-old Paralympian has pleaded not guilty to deliberately shooting and killing model Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year.

7. Clive Palmer says ASIO is spying on him

Clive Palmer is refusing to use the computers and phones provided for him at Parliament House – and has instead installed his own technology, because he fears that ASIO is spying on him.

Palmer told The Herald Sun, “Yes I think people in my position are normally spied upon because we’re making national policy which affects a lot of vested interests.”

ASIO has refuted the claims, with a spokesman telling News Ltd, “ASIO does not have the resources, the need, or the inclination” to monitor Mr Palmer.

8. Pregnant woman falls in front of train

A pregnant woman in China fell in front of a train, as shocked onlookers watched.

31-year-old Yue Yan Mai from Beijing – who is five months pregnant – was hurrying home when the incident occurred. “I’m a bit unsteady on my feet because of the pregnancy which sometimes leaves me feeling a bit ungainly,” she said.

When she looked to see if a train was coming she “just toppled over”.

“It was a combination of being tired and having more weight than I’m used to. Suddenly I found myself lying in front of the train. To say it was terrifying would be an understatement.”

Thankfully, the train’s driver reacted quickly and slammed on the emergency brakes. Due to his speedy reaction, and the fact that the front of the train was slightly raised off the ground, Yue Yan Mai was only trapped under the train for a short time – and escaped unharmed.

9. Parents of Peter Greste describe the horror of visiting him in prison

Australian journalist Peter Greste’s parents have visited their son in jail for the first time since he was arrested – and for the first time since he received his seven-year jail sentence. Lois and Juris Greste described the experience as “horrendous”.

“It was a horrendous experience,” Mr Greste told ABC’s PM. “Had we had a small bucket between us as we were sharing hugs it might have even overflowed with tears, with tears and sobs.”

“His mood is very sombre. His mood is obviously very very sombre, facing the prospect of having to end a career that anybody could have been proud of to this point.”

Greste and his Al Jazeera colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Bahr Mohamed have received long prion sentences, after a court controversially found them guilty of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood.

10. Monica Lewinsky says she was the “most humiliated woman in the world”

Monica Lewinsky has given her first television interview in over 10 years, and revealed how she reacted to the intense public scrutiny after her affair with President Bill Clinton was revealed.

In the interview, which was filmed for National Geographic documentary, The ’90s: The Last Great Decade?, she says “I was the most humiliated woman in the world.”

“To be called stupid and a slut and a bimbo, and ditzy and to be taken out of context, it was excruciating.”

“I was a virgin to humiliation of that level, until that day,” Ms Lewinsky said during the interview. “I mean it was just violation after violation.”

11. Japan to cull cute mascots

Japan is about to get a whole lot less kitsch.

Fairfax has reported that Japan’s finance ministry has decided that cuddly, adorable mascots need to be killed of – telling local authorities that they need to cut back on their mascot use.

The finance ministry said that the cuddly, life-size “yuru-kyara” – or “laid-back characters”) – have “no clear purpose”. Mascots in Japan can be used to publicise everything from towns, to attractions to safety messages regarding standing clear of trains.

“A majority of them were created for vague ‘public relations purposes’ and some of them were created just ‘because others have introduced mascots’,” the ministry said.

12. Tragedy strikes at the World Cup

An overpass in Brazil has collapsed, killing one person and crushing a bus carrying commuters, one car, and two trucks.

Ten other people involved are injured, authorities say.

The overpass was part of an expansion for the World Cup infrastructure plan.

One person is reported dead, many injured after an overpass collapsed in World Cup host city http://t.co/kOZvQoiGLB pic.twitter.com/yHEAWreu8w

— Mashable (@mashable) July 3, 2014

13. Man who left toddler in back of car sexting other women

Justin Ross Harris – the man charged with intentionally murdering his son Cooper, when he claimed that he accidentally left him in the  backseat of the car on a hot day – had two life insurance policies on his son.

News.com.au has reported that Cobb County Police Detective Phil Stoddard told the court that the life insurance policies on Cooper were worth $US2,000 and $US25,000. The detective also said that Harris has searched for the term “how to survive prison” on the internet before Cooper died.

On the day Cooper died, it was also discovered that Harris had been sexting six other women, including a 17-year-old girl.

Harris has been charged with murder and child cruelty, and may also be charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and misdemeanour illegal contact with a minor.To read previous updates on this story, click here: Was this little boy’s death a horrible mistake? Or something more sinister?

14. Kieran Loveridge gets 3 additional years behind bars

Kieran Loveridge, the man who fatally punched Thomas Kelly will spend an additional 7 years behind bars for causing the death of the 18-year-old. Loveridge was sentenced for 4 years in 2012, after Police charged him with murder. In March 2013, he offered to plead guilty to manslaughter.

More to come.

15. Palmer United Party candidate attacks Tony Abbott on air

The Palmer United Party’s Jacqui Lambie, a senator in Queensland, has delivered a scathing attack of Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Today this morning.

Senator-elect Lambie said Tony Abbott had used his daughters during the election campaign to help win him votes. She said she was worried about his “three gorgeous girls”.

“I understand there is times when our families will be caught in pictures and on TV monitors, but there’s a fine line between that and parading them for your own self purposes and … to forge your own career. Parading them the way he did was way over the line.”

The Tasmanian Senator also isn’t happy with the proposed $7 co-payment at GPs, arguing, “Let’s face it. That’s not a co-payment, it’s a tax on people who are dying. We won’t be putting a $7 tax on people who are sick and who are dying.”

She also questioned what the Liberal Party’s policy said about the Prime Minister.  “You’ve got to ask what sort of person we’re dealing with. Where’s his humanity?”

Lambie also revealed her own aspirations for the nation’s top job, saying, “You don’t go into politics if you don’t want to go all the way. If you don’t have those aspirations, maybe you shouldn’t be here in the first place.”

The Senator will help hold the balance of power in the Senate from next week.

What news are you talking about today?