Thursday afternoon's news in under 5 minutes.

We’ve rounded up all the most important headlines around this afternoon, so it’ll only take a few minutes to get your afternoon news fix.

1. Oral contraceptive pill linked to brain tumours: study.

A Danish study has found that young women who take hormonal contraceptives, including the Pill, for five years or more may be at risk of developing a rare type of brain tumour.

Researchers identified a possible link between contraceptive use and glioma risk, but say more research is required.

Gliomas are a rare type of cancer that affect women of reproductive age.

Director of clinical Services & Medical Director at Family Planning NSW Dr Deborah Bateson said that the research would not affect clinical practice in Australia.

“Even with a modest increase in risk of up to 2-fold associated with hormonal contraceptive use found in this study, the absolute risk remains very, very low,” Dr Bateson said.

She praised the research but said that a number of other factors, including Body Mass Index and other reproductive factors such as menopause, would need to be taken into account in further studies.

“Women need always to be informed about the risks and the benefits of all contraceptive choices to make an informed choice about the best option for them so it is important that we continue to generate evidence about the impact of contraception on health,” she said.

2. Sydney siege: Counter-terrorism specialist says weapons used by police may have contributed to death Katrina Dawson.

By ABC

A former member of the Australian military’s elite domestic counter-terrorism unit has publicly questioned the choice of weapon used by police in last month’s Sydney Lindt cafe siege.

Hostages Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson and gunman Man Haron Monis died in the final moments of the December 16 siege.

Today a coronial inquiry into their deaths confirmed Ms Dawson died after being hit by fragments from a police bullet.

Mitchell McAlister, who spent two years as a tactical assaulter with 2nd Commando Tactical Assault Group, said he believed the threat posed by the lone gunman did not require a military counter-response.

But he said he had serious issues with the weapons used by the NSW Police Tactical Operations Unit (TOU).

He said he believed the choice of weapons have contributed to the death of Ms Dawson.

Writing in the American online journal SOFREP, a magazine presenting news and analysis from former special forces operatives, Mr McAlister said the same weapons would not have been used if the Federal Government had called in its own specialist elite counter-terrorism unit.

Mr McAlister is a former member of Tactical Assault Group – East (TAG-E), the Special Forces counter-terrorism unit based at Holsworthy Army base just west of Sydney, and within an hour’s drive of the city’s CBD.

TAG-E is part of the 4RAR commando unit set up to specifically deal with domestic counter-terrorism situations.

The Tactical Assault Group was first established in response to the bombing outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney in 1978 and became fully operational in 1980.

Mr McAlister noted that in nearly every image – apart from those of the snipers – police TOU operators were seen using M4A1 carbines.

He noted that the weapons fire heavy 5.56mm rounds that would have “dangerous effects in a dense and enclosed environment” such as the Lindt cafe. The cafe’s interior is made entirely out of marble.

He said if his 2nd Commando regiment counter-terrorism team was used, they would have had a wider range of weapons to choose from that would have been more appropriate in the Lindt cafe situation. “We specifically tailor our choice of weapons to the task at hand,” he said.

“As a force element whose focus is specifically on resolving incidences through the use of force rather than negotiation, it is our duty to understand what weapons are suited to what environments.

A version of this post originally appeared on ABC News and has been republished with permission.

3.  Ministers defend PM Tony Abbott in wake of Andrew Bolt’s criticism of Prince Philip knighthood decision

By ABC

Federal Government ministers are backing Tony Abbott in the face of fierce criticism from long-time friend and conservative commentator Andrew Bolt.

Bolt has turned on the Prime Minister, saying Mr Abbott’s decision to award Prince Philip a knighthood could be fatal to his leadership.

Mr Abbott has promised to consult more as the storm over his decision to award the country’s highest honour to the Queen’s husband continues to grow.

Bolt told Macquarie Radio he thought the knighthood decision could end Mr Abbott’s leadership.

“This is just such a pathetically stupid – gosh, I didn’t mean to be that strong because I actually like Tony Abbott very much – but this is just such a very, very, very stupid decision, so damaging that it could be fatal,” he said.

“I thought it was verging on fatal already but this is too much. This is a friendless decision, where his friends would feel stupid defending it.”

Bolt said he decided to break his holidays and make the comments because he was “just so flabbergasted” by Mr Abbott’s move.

“You cannot think what the point is – damaging, laughing stock, helps his enemies, doesn’t win over anyone – all those things are bad,” he said.

But Cabinet ministers have jumped to the Prime Minister’s defence this morning. Speaking at an event at the Australian Open, Health Minister Sussan Ley used a tennis analogy.

“Sometimes you can be down match point and still recover,” she said.

“Sometimes you can make a silly drop shot in the middle of a game and you can win that game and go on to win that match.”

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has also weighed in. “The Prime Minister enjoys the strong support of his party room.

He enjoys my very strong and unequivocal support,” he said.

A version of this post originally appeared on ABC News and has been republished with permission.

4. Teenager forced to wear a coat to school dance – because her arms were showing.

A Utah high school student was forced to cover up at her school dance after being told the sleeveless dress she was wearing was too revealing.

Gabi Finlayson, 15, was told by a school official that her knee-length dress (picture) violated the school’s strict dress code, News.com.au reports.

The teenager told KUTV in the US she was “embarrassed” and “insulted” but didn’t want to make a scene so put on a coat she had in the car.

“Somehow my shoulders are sexualised. Like it’s my responsibility to make sure the boys’ thoughts are not unclean.”

1200 students attended the event, four were made to cover up.

5. Parents outraged over Texas’ school’s “poop inspections”.

Parents have called for the sacking of a group of teachers at a Texas elementary school after they ordered students to “pull down their pants” for a “poop inspection”.

News.com.au reports that the teachers — fed up with finding faeces on the gym floor — separated the children, aged 10-11, into groups of boys and girls and forced them to take off their pants to see if the staff could “find anything.”

Mother of one of the students, Maria Medina, said she felt her daughter had been “violated” and wanted the teachers fired.

“I was furious … I mean, I was furious,” Mrs Medina said.

“If you can’t do your job or you don’t know what you’re doing, you need to be fired. You shouldn’t be here.”

Catch up on more news in this 90-second news post by the ABC:

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