We’ve rounded up the headlines from across the world — so it’ll only take you a couple of minutes to catch up on the most important news around this afternoon.
1. Women’s funeral stopped because her family refused to “edit out” photos of her wife.
A minister of a church in Lakewood Colarado has stopped the funeral of 33-year-old Vanessa Collier because she is gay — and was pictured kissing her wife in a slideshow to be shown at the service.
Collier’s family and friends were outraged after Paster Ray Chavez told the family the pictures of Collier and her wife Christina Higley, who she raised two children with, needed to be removed during the service, according to Jezebel.
The family refused, and the funeral was cancelled just 15 minutes after it was scheduled to have begun.
Her loved ones said the move was ‘humiliating’ and ‘devastating’ after being forced to pick up the casket and shift to a mortuary across the street to bid her farewell in peace.
Pastor Ray Chavez, the man who cancelled the services, has refused to comment, according to the Daily Mail.
But Ms Higley posted a heartfelt message to Facebook expressing her despair over the incident.
“I’m not asking anyone to go against their own beliefs and religion. I only hoped we could find a house of God to celebrate my beautiful wife and her life (HER WHOLE LIFE) and lay her to rest in God’s arms. Is it too much to ask for?,” she wrote in the public Facebook post.
“How would Ray Chavez explain to them why our family photos were inappropriate for her services to be conducted in that house of God?”
2. Labor opposes Medicare cuts.
By ABC NEWS
The Federal Opposition has confirmed it will try to block a cut to the Medicare rebate for short consultations. FromMonday, the rebate for appointments lasting less than 10 minutes will be cut from $37.05 to $16.95.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) said in many cases doctors would have to pass the cost onto patients.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor would move to disallow the $20 cut when Parliament resumed next month, adding the change would be damaging for patients.
“Our position is unequivocal, it’s in black and white,” he said.
With Labor joining the Greens to support a disallowance motion, only another four votes are needed from the crossbench.
This article appears on The ABC, and has been republished here with full permission.
3. Islamic State video purports to show boy executing ‘Russian spies’.
The Islamic State has just released a chilling video purporting to show a young boy executing two men, the ABC reports.
The video showed the two men, who purportedly work for Russian intelligence services, apparently being shot dead by the child.
The video was narrated in Russian and in it, men said they were told to collect and transmit information about IS fighters in Syria.
Two sisters captured by ISIS resort to strangling one another to avoid a life of sex slavery
In the video the two men kneel before a man and the child, who has long hair and is dressed in a black sweater and military-style trousers, and who then stepped forward and shot both men several times until they collapsed.
4. 500 join hunger strike at Manus Island.
Water pumps at Manus Island detention centra have broken, leaving detainees without access to functioning showers — and sparking protests that some fear might culminate in another riot.
At least two men in detention have stitched their lips together, 500 men have embarked on a hunger strike and detainees and staff face weeks without running water, according to The Guardian.
The Guardian reports it could be weeks before water is available again as unrest grows.
5. 1.5 million nappies seized by Venezuelan government.
News Corp has reported confiscation of more than 1.5 million nappies and other supplies by the government of Venezuela after the warehouse was accused of hoarding to boycott the economy.
Other supplies that were taken from the warehouse located in western Venezuela included sanitary napkins, shampoo, toothpaste, milk powder and pet food.
The country has suffered from a shortage of basic goods due to an economic war by private firms.
6. Seeking a rich sugar daddy? No thanks.
Well, here’s a story that restores some of our faith in humanity: A website which seeks to set up young students who aren’t so well off with rich sugar daddies seems to be really struggling, according to Jezbel.
SeekingArrangement.com released a statement saying it was now offering students a $3000 allowance, as well as ‘job opportunities and mentorship from wealthy benefactors’.
You can read more about these “sugar daddy” sites right here.
Catch up on more headlines in this 90-second video by the ABC: