We’ve rounded up all the latest stories from Australia and around the world- so you don’t have to go searching.
1. Knox grammar: arrest warrrant issued.
By ABC News.
An arrest warrant has been issued for a former Knox Grammar School teacher who failed to appear at the royal commission into child sexual abuse.
Christopher Fotis was called to give evidence at the Sydney hearing on Tuesday, but did not show up.
Counsel assisting the commission David Lloyd said New South Wales Police was investigating, and Mr Fotis may be brought in to give evidence while in custody.
A version of this post originally appeared on ABC News and has been republished with permission.
Related content: Updates on the Knox Grammar school scandal.
2. Abbott says Indonesia is “carefully considering” his plea to save the Bali Nine inmates.
By ABC News.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he believes his Indonesian counterpart is “carefully considering” his position over the execution of two Australian men.
Related content: This is what the Bali 9 duo’s last day on earth will look like.
Mr Abbott telephoned Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo last night to appeal for clemency for convicted Australian drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
He said he would not reveal the details of the conversation.
“Suffice to say that the president absolutely understands our position and I think he is carefully considering Indonesia’s position,” he said.
“I don’t want to raise hope that might turn out to be dashed.
“I don’t want to reflect on Indonesia or my friend, president Joko Widodo.
“I want to ensure that as far as is humanly possible I am speaking out for Australians and for Australian values. But I’ve also got to respect and defend Australia’s friendships, and one of our very best friendships is with Indonesia.”
A version of this post originally appeared on ABC News and has been republished with permission.
3. English couple charged with the murder of their 11-month-old son.
Trigger warning: This post deals with child abuse and may be triggering for some readers.
A couple from Telford in the United Kingdom killed their 11-month-old son, a court has heard.
Oliver Sargent collapsed at home, and was found by his parents, Ashlea Thomas, 21, and Paul Thomas, 29, The Daily Mail has reported.
He was rushed to hospital in an ambulance, where he was found to have a three inch fracture to the rear of his skull, as well as brain and eye bleeds.
Doctors discovered historic injuries, including fractures to Oliver’s ribs and collarbone.
His parents claimed the injuries were a result of Oliver being knocked over by the family dog, Rocco.
The couple were arrested under suspicion of causing grievous body harm whilst Oliver was still alive. After Oliver tragically passed away, the charges were elevated to murder.
The trial is expected to last another five weeks.
4. University of Queensland Press rejects Campbell Newman’s memoir.
The Courier Mail has reported that The University of Queensland Press has said they would refuse to publish Newman’s memoir, as it would go against their values.
In an e-mail to the author of the memoir, former MP Gavin King, UQP publisher Madonna Duffy cited Mr Newman’s decision to axe the Premier’s Literary Awards as the reason for the rejection.
“It would be both a betrayal to the Queensland literary community and to our own values to publish his memoir,” Mr Duffy wrote.
In 2013, the Newman government attempted to cut funding from the company, but later reversed the decision.
The author’s memoir was in disbelief over the decision, saying “they are a publishing house, they are not a political outfit.. It’s just an extraordinary political move and to me really petty.”
UQP Chief Executive Greg Bain backed the publisher’s decision, stating that UQP “has a long history of nurturing new voices and we are not in the business of damaging that hard-earned reputation.”
5. Increase in the number of sexual offenders charged in Australia.
In 2013-14, the amount of sexual offenders charged in Australia increased by 19%, The Guardian has reported.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show people charged with a principal charge of “sexual assault and related offences” increased to 7,175 in 2013-14 from 6,006 the previous year.
A total of 93% of offenders were male. The report showed that youths charged with sexual assault increased from 1,369 to 1,855 over the year, a 36% rise.
Drug offences are also on the rise, as 351.4 people per 100,000 were charged with illicit drug offences in 2013-14, in comparison to the 322 charged in 2012-2013.
Other offences, including homicide, property damage, extortion and robbery have decreased.
6. Girl’s body found at Australian man’s home.
By ABC News.
Trigger warning: This post deals with sexual abuse and murder and may be triggering for some readers.
Philippine police have found the remains of a 12-year-old girl at the former home of an Australian man who is already facing charges of rape and cybercrime.
The body was discovered in a house once rented by Peter Gerald Scully, 51, in Surigao City in the country’s north.
Scully’s former partner, a Philippine woman, reportedly told authorities he accidentally killed one of his victims in 2013.
The discovery came a few days after Scully was arrested and charged with sexually abusing young girls and uploading videos of sexual acts online.
He was arrested at his rented house in Malaybalay City after a three-week police stakeout, local online news site Rappler reported
A version of this post appeared on ABC News and has been republished with permission.
7. Daniel Johns loses his licence.
By ABC News.
The lead singer of rock band Silverchair, Daniel Johns, has been disqualified from driving for more than three months after pleading guilty to mid-range drink-driving.
Johns, 35, was stopped by police in his home suburb of Merewether, in Newcastle, on October 28.
The Newcastle Local Court was told his blood-alcohol reading was 0.126.
He had his licence suspended at the time, and was recently referred to a traffic offenders program.
Today, Magistrate David Day sentenced him to a further 14 weeks’ disqualification.
A version of this post originally appeared on ABC News and has been republished with permission.
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Top Comments
The one about the Queensland premier and his memoir made me laugh. So many cliches going through my mind right now, "talk about karma!" "Be kind to people on the way up because you may meet them on the way down", and "don't bite the hand that feeds you!"
No.5 is a bit ambiguous. Does it mean that crime of that type is on the rise? or that more people are reporting it? or that the police are doing a better job than before? I don't understand the point of the post.
It's saying they're charging people with sexual crimes more often. That in itself isn't ambiguous. Hopefully it means the crimes are being reported more often and being taken seriously more often, not that the crimes are happening more often. That could be easily ascertained though, by looking at the reporting rate etc.