news

Monday's news in less time than it takes to drink your coffee.


 

 

Former PM Julia Gillard.

1. Gillard says losing Labor leadership was “a pain that hits you like a fist”

A newly published interview with Julia Gillard about her final days as the Prime Minister of Australia has been released, in the new book Gravity — Inside the Prime Minister’s office during her final year and last days by author Mary Delahunty.

According to Delahunty, Gillard said on the morning she was removed from the role of Prime Minister, “This has been contentless, it’s been all about ego and personalities.”

News.com.au has reported that Gillard also spoke candidly about the personal toll that the fight for the Labor leadership had on her, and about the pain that she felt afterwards.

“I know, too, that you can feel you are fine but suddenly someone’s words of comfort, or finding a memento in the back of a cupboard as you pack up, or even cracking jokes about old times, can bring forth a pain that hits you like a fist, a pain so strong you can feel it in your nerve endings,” Gillard said in the interview.

“I know that late at night or at quiet moments of the day feelings of regret, memories that make you shine with pride, a sense of being unfulfilled can overwhelm you.”

2. 8-year-old girl beaten to death fell “through the cracks”

An eight-year-old girl was bludgeoned to death by her mother, using a vacuum pipe, and “left to die alone and in pain”. The girl was allegedly a victim of ongoing abuse, and the coroner found multiple scars, welts, broken bones and cigarette burns on her body.

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The little girl’s name was Faith.

The Courier-Mail has reported that coroner Jane Bentley has delivered the results of an inquest into the death of Faith – a girl from Cairns – three years ago. She said that the death of Faith “was caused by her mother and nobody else” – but also drew attention to the fact that this “defenceless child” had fallen “through the cracks” of child protection agencies.

The coroner said she had been “invisible” to authorities.

Faith’s mother was sentenced in August to seven years in jail.

Bishop Max Davis.

3. Australian bishop charged with child sex crime

A senior member of the Catholic Church who was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1998, has been charged with a child sex offence.

Bishop Max Davis is the first bishop in Australia to be charged with child sexual assault. He is also the most senior clergyman in the Catholic Church to ever be charged with a child sex offence.

The Church has said that Davis “emphatically denies” the charge.

The bishop has been charged with allegedly abusing a student in 1969 when he was a teacher, at St Benedict’s College in Western Australia.

For more on this news story, read this post here: Australian bishop charged with child sex crime.

4. Jewish leaders facing questions over alleged child sex abuse cover-up

A report in The Sunday Age has said that senior orthodox Jewish leaders are facing an inquiry over alleged cover-ups regarding child sex abuse claims.

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The Sunday Age has witness statements from the prosecution of former Bondi Yeshiva figure Daniel Hayman, which reportedly “indicate senior Jewish leaders failed to act on complaints of abuse and cast doubt over their public statements on the scandal”.

5. Sydney teenager “brainwashed” by extremist videos before leaving to fight in Iraq

A Sydney teenager – 17-year-old Abdullah Elmir – is believed to have been ‘brainwashed’ by extremist recruitment videos, before he left Australia to go fight in Iraq.

He told his parents he was “going fishing”, before fleeing the country to Turkey – with plans to enter Iraq next. The family’s lawyer, Zali Burrows, told Daily Mail Australia that it was likely the teen had been swayed after watching Jihadist recruitment videos, which offered an “inducement” to fight in Iraq.

Abdullah Elmir.

The ABC quoted Ms Burows as saying, “He’s obviously under surveillance … he has been for quite some time. We know this because certain people around the family have been approached by ASIO officers showing photos of him. If they were watching this kid, they knew he was planning to go overseas.”

Shockingly, Abdullah Elmir is the third Australian teenager this month alone, to leave their family to go fight in Iraq.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said that a terrorist group in Syria has publicly executed eight rebels fighting against both the jihadists and President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

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The jihadist group that carried out the execution – the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – is currently also carrying out a major offensive in Iraq.

6. Man who faced court over child pornography charges, found dead

A man who face court only a week ago on child pornography charges, has been found dead in north Queensland with his former partner.

45-year-old Wayne Hutchinson and 40-year-old Vanessa Cross were found on Saturday in bush land near the Little Mulgrave River in Goldsborough.

Hutchinson faced the court less than a week ago on 15 charges, including charges related to the alleged possession and distribution of child pornography.

At this stage, police say that the deaths do not appear to be suspicious.

Hutchinson was due back in court on August 13.

7. North Korea fires two ballistic missiles

According to AFP, North Korea has fired two missiles into the sea off the east coast – only three days after a similar exercise.

A spokesperson from Seoul’s military told AFP, “The North fired two missiles into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) at about 5am from the country’s east coast.”

The ‘Mark Binskin’ Facebook page.

8. Incoming chief of Australian Defence Force has identity embroiled in internet love scam

An exclusive report from the Sydney Morning Herald has revealed that an “internet love scam targeting lonely women” has been using the identity of incoming chief of the Australian Defence Force Mark Binskin.

The AFP and the Defence Department have launched an investigation into the scam, after reports that a ‘Mark Binskin’ was tricking women into handing over cash, while promising “I really love you” and “I promise you my life”.

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Apparently several high-profile figures from around the world have been used to trick women through Facebook into parting with cash.

The Facebook accounts in question have now been suspended, and one can assume that these fraudsters did not think their ‘get rich quick’ scheme through very thoroughly. Taking on the Australian Defence Force does not seem like the smartest decision they could have made.

9. High Court rules teenage boy does not have to cut hair

Samson Lucan Battison – the New Zealand teenager who took his fight for the right to have long hair all the way to the High Court – has been told he does not need to cut his hair before returning to school.

Lucan Battison has refused to cut his hair.

Justice Collins ruled that the decision to suspend him from his school, St John’s College, was unlawful and the school’s rule over hair length was “vague and uncertain”.

The ABC reports that the Battison family is entitled to costs and Lucan can continue his schooling.

The 16-year-old spoke to The New Zealand Herald about being allowed back in school just in time for the school ball, saying that it was, “Pretty cool I get to go. [There’s] really no reason why I couldn’t… It’s cool I get to see my mates after missing out on school.”

He says he will, of course, he tying his hair back in a bun – which will keep his hair off his collar, as mandated by school policy.

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Fore more on this post, read here: Teenager in High Court to avoid hair cut that would make his hair “boofy and turn into an afro”. 

10. SBS investigating pirate broadcasters of FIFA World Cup

SBS are investigating pirate broadcasters of the FIFA World Cup, which are undermining their exclusive broadcast deal, reports the SMH.

SBS’s legal team are currently seeking out operators that are illegally live-streaming coverage of the Word Cup from the Middle East and Europe to Australia, where SBS has a multimillion dollar contract with FIFA.

A spokeswoman for SBS said that so far the coverage had been ”incredibly successful and if a small number of people choose to pay for access through illegal means they are only doing themselves a disservice”.

11. Homeless man wanted for questioning over death of woman in Melbourne

Authorities are searching for a homeless man from Western Australia, in regards to the death of a woman who was found naked and beaten in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens this weekend.

The woman was aged in her 30s, and believed to have been from China. She has not yet been identified, and police are working to contact relatives of the deceased.

Police are currently searching for 42-year-old Scott Allen Miller. Detective Sergeant Favre said that, “Scott is a suspect in relation to the investigation and we believe he can assist us in relation to what was found at the crime scene.”

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Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. 

12. Cronulla Sharks player Todd Carney sacked for the third time

Cronulla Sharks player Todd Carney has had his $3 million dollar contract terminated, after a photo scandal on social media.

The NRL started investigating Carney after a lewd photo of him was published online on Saturday night. The graphic image appeared to show the Sharks player urinating into his own mouth while in the bathroom of popular Sutherland Shire nightspot Northies.

It is the latest incident to tarnish Carney’s career, which has been marred by alcohol-related issues including a drink driving charge in 2006. Carney joined the Sharks in 2012 after being dismissed by the Roosters, after he broke a club-issued alcohol ban.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison.

13. Scott Morrison silent on asylum seekers off coast of Christmas Island

Immigration Scott Morrison has gone quiet on the two boatlads of asylum seekers that are believed to be on board Australian vessels, just off Christmas Island. The government has so far refused to say whether the people onboard will be able to set foot in Australia – or even confirm their existence.

It’s been more than 24 hours since any civilian communication with a fishing trawler, that is believed to be carrying 153 people including 37 children.

At the time, the leaking boat was reportedly 300 kilometres from Christmas Island.

Labor MP Alannah MacTiernan has said staff on Christmas Island have been told to prepare for the possible arrival of the asylum seekers.

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14. Netherlands 2, Mexico 1 in World Cup

The Netherlands has scored twice against Mexico this morning, taking the team through to the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

Greece and Costa Rica are playing this morning – both teams have surprised punters by making it this far.

15. Adelaide school in ‘lockdown’ due to armed emergency

A school in Adelaide’s northern suburbs in in lockdown, due to a suspected home invasion in a neighbouring house.

According to the ABC, two men have reportedly forced their way inside a house at about 8.15am this morning – with one of them carrying a firearm. Prospect North Primary School and nearby streets have been locked down. The ABC reports:

Police have locked down Prospect North Primary School and nearby streets.

Armed Star Group officers are in the area and the police helicopter has been flown to the northern suburbs to help.

A reporter says police appear to have taken one person away from the scene.

16. Police “high-handed, calculated, humiliating and oppressive” when dealing with man charged with rape

The Sydney Morning Herald have published an exclusive report on the alleged ‘presumption of guilt’ that men who are charged with rape now face. Stephen Black, 46 — who was imprisoned for almost a year on false claims of sexual assault – is now suing the police because of this attitude.

Black said that when police were investigating claims from a teenage girl that he had raped her, they were “high-handed, calculated, humiliating and oppressive”. The same girl later made a false claim that she was gang-raped by a car full of men last year.

The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research recently found that high profile cases such as the trial of Hey Dad! Star Robert Hughes have encouraged people to come forward with historical reports of rape and assault. However, there has also reportedly been a shift in the attitudes towards people who face such charges, and a ‘witch hunt’ mentality.

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Lawyer Greg Walsh told the Sydney Morning Herald that there was a current attitude of “guilty until proven innocent”

“It’s a terrible climate,” he said. “The way in which sexual assault cases are being prosecuted, there is a real risk of miscarriage of justice. In this case, but f    or the false complaints that were made about other people, Mr Black might be languishing in prison for crimes he didn’t commit.”

17. High Profile Journalists demand the release of Peter Greste at the Egyptian Consulate.

Channel Ten’s Hugh Rimington, Sky News Anchor Tracey Spicer and Foreign Correspondent reporter Sophie McNeill have walked into the Egyptian Consulate in Sydney and demanded freedom for Australian Journalist Peter Greste.

The journalists hand delivered a petition with over 150,000 signutures, letters from Human Rights organisations and their colleagues to the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

A letter, which was read out by Rimington, Spicer and McNeill said “We call on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to immediately release the three Al Jazeera English journalists and all journalists detained for their journalism”.

McNeil later tweeted:

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18. Drug experts say a large amount of pregnant women are using Ice.

There has been a marked increase in the number of women using ice while pregnant in the last few years. Theresa Lynch, manager of the Royal Women’s Hospital Women’s Alcohol and Drug Service in Melbourne, has today said, “our service has seen an increase from 10 pregnant women using ice in 2012 to 15 percent using ice in 2015”.

At the Royal Women’s Hospital alone 15 babies were born to mothers who had used ice during their pregnancies. Barwon Health in Geelong also confirmed three deliveries where babies were exposed to amphetamine during pregnancy.
The consequences of ice use during pregnancy include babies being born less developed and with smaller heads. Pregnant women are also more prone to cardiovascular collapse, seizures and haemorrhages following ice use.
Experts believe the number of women using ice while pregnant will increase again this year.

19. Todd Carney breaks his silence

Former Cronulla player Todd Carney has broken his silence on the photo that ended his career.

Carney told Nine News: “It’s just disappointing for something that I didn’t know was out there, something that’s surfaced like this.

“And to receive the message on Saturday night, it’s just gut-wrenching, it made me feel sick straight away.”

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