8 Tuesday news bites (August 16)

Morning one and all! The week hurtles on and we’ve prepped your morning with all the news you need to know about … and some you’ll want to know about. In any case, this morning’s selection has been brought to you by Rick:

1. Reports a man has been arrested in the US over Maddie Pulver collar bomb hoax

There are reports just breaking that a 52-year-old Australian man has been arrested in Louisville, Kentucky by the FBI in relation to the recent collar bomb hoax which saw Mosman school girl believe she had a live bomb strapped to her neck for 10 hours. NSW police have not yet confirmed but are holding a press conference later.

Victorian MP Anna Burke told ABC News 24 yesterday that she was concerned with the direction the asylum seeker debate was taking and that the Government could not necessarily guarantee the safety of the 800 asylum seekers Australia would be sending to Malaysia. “I think we have to have a more rational debate about this asylum seeker crisis. I personally think Manus Island is basically going back to something we said we wouldn’t do, which is the Pacific Solution,” she said, referring to the Government’s plans (if accepted by Papua New Guinea) to reopen Manus Island as a processing centre. This all comes as the High Court is due, next week, to have the full bench hear evidence in the case to have the deportation of asylum seekers to Malaysia halted permanently.

3. Abbott says farmers should have land protected from miners, rejects Greens bill that would achieve that

As the Coal Seam Gas debate takes the nation to the inevitable question: what’s more important, mining royalties or the environment and landholder rights, Tony Abbott invoked a popular Australian movie to explain that someone’s home (and arable farming land) was their castle and they should be able to refuse access to miners if they wish. As it stands, this is not the case. But Mr Abbott said he supported the mining industry and this was why he rejected the idea of supporting any Greens proposals on the matter because they wanted to ‘shut mining down completely’.

4. Daniel Morcombe’s parents thank Australia for overwhelming support.

As a nation turned out in red, Bruce and Denise Morcombe made the journey to the ‘muddy jungle’ where it seems their son is buried. Somewhere. It was a journey they weren’t sure they could take. They fronted news crews to thank the country for 8 years of support. “On Saturday that last moment of hope I had that he was alive went,” said Daniel’s mum Denise. Bruce paid special tribute to the SES workers who continue to search for Daniel’s body. The Daniel Morcombe Foundation will continue.

5. One of world’s richest men chides America for not taxing him enough

He’s in the league of the super-wealthy but United States investor Warren Buffett – worth about $50 billion – says he hasn’t been taxed enough. More to the point, that he and those of his ilk have escaped the shared burden. Writing in an opinion piece for the New York Times he said: “Our leaders have asked for “shared sacrifice.” But when they did the asking, they spared me. I checked with my mega-rich friends to learn what pain they were expecting. They, too, were left untouched. While the poor and middle class fight for us in Afghanistan, and while most Americans struggle to make ends meet, we mega-rich continue to get our extraordinary tax breaks.” Powerful. He went on to explain the problem: “Last year my federal tax bill — the income tax I paid, as well as payroll taxes paid by me and on my behalf — was $6,938,744. That sounds like a lot of money. But what I paid was only 17.4 percent of my taxable income — and that’s actually a lower percentage than was paid by any of the other 20 people in our office. Their tax burdens ranged from 33 percent to 41 percent and averaged 36 percent.”

6. And … people are having surgery to get Pippa Middleton’s bum.

Well, this was bound to happen eventually. After all that hype surrounding the other great royal asset it seems many people (three in one day at one place) are booking in to get their own Pippa booty sculpted. There’s no suggestion Ms Middleton had surgery herself but perhaps a padded under-garment or two. There’s a very good portion of a TV documentary in the United Kingdom dedicated to this speculation, you know.

7. Women spend about 5 hours a day gossiping.

And they’re asleep for about eight hours, so that’s a fair chunk of time. New research has shown women most like to wag their tongues about shopping, food, sex, children, other people’s children and relationships. Is there research into how obvious some research is? The most crushing revelation: some 36 per cent of women polled (by a UK wine company, FYI) couldn’t be trusted to keep a friend’s secret. Hmmm.

8. Jessica Alba gives birth to daughter, Haven Garner Warren

The actress already has a three-year-old daughter Honor Marie and was apparently quite chuffed with the growing brood. She announced the birth on her Facebook page: “Hi Everyone, Hope you’re enjoying the weekend. Cash and I are so excited to announce the birth of our daughter, Haven Garner Warren. She was born on Saturday, weighed 7lbs [3.2kg], and was 19 inches [48cm] long. Healthy and happy! Big Sister Honor couldn’t be more excited about the new addition to our family. Thank you for all of your support during my pregnancy. It means the world to me.” And, in related news, Hillary Duff is, err, up the duff as well. Her and hockey playing husband Mike Comrie are quite excited.