1. Peter Greste reaction
A YouTube video showing the reaction of Peter Greste’s parents, upon hearing his guilty verdict, has been released by ABC. Greste has been sentenced to seven years in jail, and his parents are clearly devastated.
Greste’s parents, Juris and Lois, are Queensland-based, and have previously spoken to the media about how they are coping. Juris Greste told the 7.30 Report, “You find strength and skills that you never knew you had, and dare I say we’re drawing on each other and capabilities that we’ve never had to call upon.”
Previously, Mamamia reported…
The Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has reacted swiftly to the news that Australian journalist Peter Greste was sentenced to seven years in jail by an Egyptian court after being found guilty of aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood.
“We are all shocked by this verdict and that includes the Prime Minister.”
“We will initiate contact at the highest level,” she said.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is in Egypt, described the sentences as “chilling and draconian”. He has raised the case with the Egyptian Foreign Minister.
Peter Greste’s parents have indicated they will appeal the decision.
Egypt’s ambassador has been called for a meeting with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade this morning.
For more read this post here.
2. Sudanese woman set free from prison in Sudan
The Sudanese woman sentenced to death for apostasy while pregnant has been freed, after the Supreme Court overturned her verdict.
Meriam Ibrahim walked out of prison in Khartoum yesterday. She had been sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging because she would not renounce her Christian faith.
She has been taken to safe house. “Her family had been threatened before and we are worried that someone might try to harm her,” said Mohaned Mostafa, one of her team of lawyers.
For more read this post here
3. Breast milk mix up mega fail
The family whose newborn was involved in a breastmilk scare over the weekend has been once again the subject of a mix-up.
The three week old was undergoing an HIV test after a nurse mistakenly gave him the wrong bottle of breast milk.
On radio yesterday the hospital’s acting executive director Keith Love revealed that the woman whose breast milk was accidentally given to the baby was healthy.
However the family of the baby had not been informed yet. Mr Love told Fairfax radio, “The results are all clear. We will be communicating it officially, immediately.”
The Brisbane Times reports that 4BC radio host Patrick Condren asked Mr Love if he wanted to put his interview on hold so he could tell the boy’s worried parents.
“So you can ring that family who are sitting at home just waiting to hear that. Can you do that for me?” Mr Condren said.
“If you want to put me on hold, I’m happy to do that,’ Mr Love said.
4. Second infant undergoing tests
Meanwhile The Courier Mail reports that a second infant will undergo blood tests after being given the wrong breast milk at the Logan Hospital. The mother of the second infant said yesterday that her baby would undergo HIV and hepatitis test next week.
The hospital has said that the midwife responsible for the mix up no longer worked at the facility.
5. Inquest into baby death
An inquest into the death of a newborn baby in Adelaide has heard that the obstetrician told the baby’s father “we got him out a bit too late”.
The Advertiser reports that George Darcy Key was born with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy and was later found to have severe diffuse cortical necrosis and a white matter injury. He died several weeks after he was born in 2011.
The inquest will examine whether an under-sized palcenta could have been determined during pre natal examinations.
The inquest heard yesterday that midwives appeared panicky on the day of George’s birth when they could not get hold of their obstetrician, Dr Basil Antonas, but did not give them the option if using a different doctor.
Dr Antonas was performing an emergency caesarian section at a different hospital. George was born by caesarian section later that same night.
6. ABC to be ‘gutted’
Fairfax Media has a report that a review announced by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull earlier this year has recommended all ABC TV programs except News and Current Affairs will be outsourced.
The review also proposes sells off the ABC outside broadcasting vans. It says the savings to the national broadcaster would be around $70 million
7. Nigeria says 219 girls still missing
An inquiry into the kidnapping of girls from a Nigerian village has concluded that 219 girls are still unaccounted for. A government fact-finding committee appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan reported the militants initially took 276 girls, but 57 escaped — either as the trucks drove away or soon after.
On Friday President Goodluck renewed his vow to rescue the 219 young women.
8. Haircut hits the high court
A New Zealand schoolboy has appeared in the High Court in Wellington yesterday, as he battles his suspension for refusing to cut his long curly locks.
Lucan Battison is refusing to cut his hair, saying if it were about a female student things would be different.
For more read this post here.
9. Father of child bride granted bail
The father of a 12-year-old girl who forced his daughter to marry a 26-year-old man and gave her sex advice has been granted bail under new NSW bail laws.
The 61-year-old has been charged with procuring a child under 14 for unlawful sexual activities and being an accessory before the fact to sexual intercourse with a person under 14.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Magistrate said the case against him was ‘‘abhorrent, disgusting and disgraceful’’.
The man is reported to have told police that he would allow his eight-year-old daughter to marry. ‘‘It’s a sexual intercourse ceremony, it’s not a marriage,’’ Magistrate Margaret Quinn said.
‘‘Why were they sleeping on the floor together and having sexual intercourse?’’
The 12-year-old girl’s 26-year-old ‘husband’ has had his student visa cancelled and been placed in immigration detention. He has already been charged with 25 counts of sexual intercourse with a child between 10 and 14 years.
10. Michael Schumacher files offered for sale
Medical files relating to F1 legend Michael Schumacher are being offered for sale.
According to the BBC, the Manager of Micahel Schumacher Sabine Kehm said it was unclear whether the documents were genuine.
She said they were “clearly stolen” and warned that criminal charges would be pressed if such “confidential files” were bought or published.
Schumacher, 45, was placed in a coma after a skiing accident in December but has now left hospital.
11. Children kept inside due to parent’s fears
A study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies has found that parents in poorer areas were keeping their children inside due to fears about traffic and the safety of their neighbourhoods.
The Herald Sun reports that over a week ‘cotton wool’ kids are being kept inside for up to three hours.
Psychologist Jodie Benveniste told The Herald Sun that parents’ fears of stranger danger were harming children.
“The key is to equip children with skills to help them be independent,” she said.
11. Key to a successful marriage
A successful author and marriage expert has revealed the key making your marriage work – flirt with other people and lead independent lives.
Julia Crouch has told the Mail Online that a successful partnership allows you to, “Flirt with other people – it’s fun, and your other half should trust you enough for you to do so.”
She also said that you should lead “pretty separate, independent lives”, laugh together, say I love you and “keep yourselves as fit and attractive as you can – don’t give up because you’ve got all cozy together.”
12. Frisbee banned
There are some long faces in the canine world this morning, with the news that after some due diligence the time-honoured sport of Frisbee catching has been deemed too dangerous for the doggies of the world.
The Kennel Club in the UK has backed a decision by a country dog show to ban Frisbee catching on the grounds that it puts pets in danger of injury.
The Scruffs dog show in Cumbria scrapped both the ‘highest Frisbee catch’ and the ‘highest biscuit catch’ categories amid fears for the participants’ well being.
One of the show’s organisers, told the BBC, “We did some due diligence and reluctantly agreed that we should scrap the Frisbee category and amended the biscuit catching category so that the dogs are sitting down.”
In a move that kept some tails wagging, the award for the dog with the most appealing eyebrows went ahead.
13. Claims that KFC asked a 3-year-old to leave because of her facial injuries may be false: new report
A woman’s claim that her disfigured 3-year-old granddaughter was kicked out of a Jackson KFC in May was made up, an investigation has reportedly found.
Kelly Mullins made headlines earlier this month for claiming a KFC employee ordered little Victoria Wilcher out because of her severe scarring, which was caused by a mauling by three pit bulls.
“They just told us, they said, ‘We have to ask you to leave because her face is disrupting our customers,’” Mullins told WAPT-TV.
Mullins raised more than $135,000 and was given $30,000 from KFC itself after making the claims.
But the Leader-Call reports that a review of surveillance tape found that Mullins and Victoria did not even visit the location in question, and no one matching the description of Mullins or little Victoria visited either KFC restaurant in Jackson.
A review of transactions at both restaurants found the items that Mullins said she had ordered weren’t included in the same order at any point, the newspaper reported.
The official findings of the investigation are expected next week.
14. News of the World hacking verdict
Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson has been found guilty of plotting to hack phones during his time as editor, and now faces the possibility of jail following the high-profile trial.
But the jury has cleared ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks of all charges. She — along with her husband Charlie, who was also cleared of one count of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice — walked free today from the trial at the Old Bailey in London.
Retired managing editor Stuart Kuttner was also cleared of being part of a conspiracy.
The jury has not come to a unanimous verdict on remaining bribery charges against Andy Coulson, the ABC reports. It is also still considering charges against former News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office by paying police officers for two royal directories.
The defendants had all denied the charges.
What news are you talking about?
Top Comments
About the mix up with the breast milk, it concerns me that mix ups happen in Hospitals full stop, but I have to say that it wasn't that long ago we were asked to express milk for other babies in Hospital. Some mums couldn't produce enough milk. I was expressing for two other mothers with my first born, it was common practice back then.
Of course it was before the Aids thing, but to the best of my knowledge no baby suffered from this. What about wet nurses?
The exposure risk is relatively low for breastmilk, but I agree that it shouldn't have happened. HIV is a relatively new disease and pretty much no one in the west uses wet nurses anymore so, moot point?
I wouldn't let my child drink someone else's breastmilk, I have no idea what they put into their bodies.
I have donated breast milk to the milk bank at KEMH. I had to be screened before donating and tri-monthly while donating. And since I was feeding my baby too, I was careful about what I ate/drank. And it is generally not an issue for most people as the milk is given to premmies 32 weeks and earlier and those mums are extremely grateful. The argument that you don't know what I put into my body irks me because obviously I am putting in good stuff to enable me to feed my baby and have leftover milk. There aren't too many addicts and alcoholics lining up to donate milk.
It might obvious to you that you're putting good stuff in your body. It's not obvious to me, as I don't see it. I'm sure the mother who benefitted from that would be very grateful, it's just not something I would do.
Drugs and alcohol aren't always the problem, do you eat diary? Eggs? Milk? Gluten? Because my daughter had reactions to all of those things. Feel free to take my comment on my choice super personally though.
Wet nurses were the only options for hundreds and thousands of years. Admittedly you would want the mother screened but after that, it is great. I would also be interested to see if antibodies from another person actually boosted the immune system and caused less reactions. Just a thought. My husband was wet nursed by a gypsy in Italy in the 1960s as his mother had no milk. didn't do him any harm!
11. RE: "Cotton wool" kids. I don't think parents are really wrapping their kids in cotton wool when they feel they live in dangerous areas. There were three drive-by shootings in my suburb last year, there are neighborhood kids that rove in packs looking for smaller weaker children to beat up and idiots in souped-up cars who think that the speed limit is a challenge and 80 k p/h on a suburban road is okay. I keep my daughter inside unless I can sit outside with her and keep an eye on her. Only someone who hasn't lived in a dangerous area would assume it's "cotton wool" and not a genuine fear for your childs safety and well-being.
If you live in Sydney 's west, what has changed? I grew up around bankstown, Fairfield , Chester hill and it was pretty safe back then. We had European refugee kids and no problems. What has changed today? What are the background of these gutless kids who are only strong if they have superior numbers or weapons.
Imported American gang culture is to blame, IMO. I think background has little to do with it, it's upbringing not skin skin colour.
Incidentally, I don't live in Sydney's west. I live in Tasmania.
Nice try Blake. Your agenda is pretty clear...again!