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Thursday's news in under 5 minutes.

 

The real life Wolf of Wall Street calls Australian journalist a “f*ckwit”

Jordan Belfort, the real life Wolf of Wall Street has labelled 60 Minutes reporter Liz Hayes a ‘f*ckwit’ following an explosive interview that aired in Australia on Sunday evening.

In the segment, Hayes asked about the victims of Belfort’s illegal activity in a fiery exchange that led to Belfort walking out of the one-on-one interview. Hayes continuously and repeatedly pressed the case about why Belfort hadn’t repaid more of his huge book and movie proceeds to the people whose lives he ruined financially.

 

Belfort has now told Kyle and Jackie’O on Kiis FM that “If you saw the unedited version you would realise what an F-wit she [Liz Hayes] is because she kept asking me, literally 15 of the same question and then she started attacking the integrity of [my management company]”.

“Suddenly she started attacking… I’ve done probably a thousand interviews and I’ve had some really tough journalists that were unfriendly and not nice… But this was a very different sort of interview. This was a complete attack,” Belfort said.

 

Chris Pyne goes nuts at Bill Shorten

A video of Education Minister Christopher Pyne allegedly swearing at Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in parliament yesterday is going viral, with some viewers suggesting that Mr Pyne dropped the “C-bomb” during the short exchange.

The minister’s office says Mr Pyne actually said: “You’re such a grub,” News.com.au report.

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Take a look and tell us what you hear:

PM budget fight

The PM has threatened to call an early election.

 

 

 

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has threatened to call an early election if key parts of his budget are not passed through the senate.

Mr Abbott has said he would not accept attempts to “completely frustrate” the government.

“We’re happy to talk respectfully to the independents and the minor parties in the Senate, and obviously a certain amount of horse-trading is something that you just accept is part of the business,” he told 2GB radio.

“What we won’t accept, though, is an attempt to completely frustrate the business of government. I don’t believe that they will try to completely frustrate the business of government because, if there was an election again, hardly any of them would win their seats,” he said.

Meanwhile, State leaders have demanded that Mr Abbott call an emergency meeting of the Council of Australian Governments to explain $80 billion federal budget cuts to school and hospital funding.

Kevin Rudd deflects blame for insulation scheme

Former PM Kevin Rudd has made a surprise move at the Royal Commission into the failed insulation program.

Mr Rudd’s lawyers made a bid to make public his statement to the commission.

News Limited report that his lawyer, Bret Walker SC, has argued that the former PM was being gagged about his role in the Home Insulation Program that led to the death of four young men and that he wanted to tell the public “what happened as far as he is concerned”.

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Paralysed mother gets surprise from Good Samaritan

Jessie Bruton was given the surprise of her life.

A mother in the NSW town of Oak Flats has had the surprise of her life when she found a Good Samaritan had donated her a $45,000 four-wheel drive.

Jessie Bruton, 27, was left paralysed after pressure on her spine caused severe nerve damage while she was pregnant with her third son nine months ago.

The car – which was fitted with hand controls and big enough for her wheelchair — was left on her lawn with a note inside saying that they hoped the gift would make her smile.

Rolf Harris trial

Harris’s defence: “It takes two to tango.”

The trial of British-based, Australian-born entertainer Rolf Harris has heard evidence from the mother, the brother and a friend of one of the complainants against the entertainer.

Harris, 84, is facing 12 charges of indecent assault. Seven of those charges related to the complainant who was in the witness stand at Southwark Crown Court on Monday and Tuesday of this week.

He has pleaded not guilty.

The mother of the complainant has told how he once visited her home on his own when her daughter was 14 or 15, asked where her daughter was and then went upstairs, but she thought nothing of it because she trusted him.

A second witness – who was a friend of the unnamed witness who says Harris abused her – told the court that the woman had confided in her that Harris was a “dirty old man”.

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She thought she was probably still at school when the friend confided in her.

The brother of the woman has told the court that he confronted Harris about the abuse.

“I threatened physical violence,” the man, now in his early 50s, said.

“I told him why I was angry. I said: ‘You abused my sister sexually.'”

“He said ‘It takes two to tango.'”

The trial continues.

Stephen Sutton dies

Stephen’s farewell selfie went viral

The British teenager who inspired millions and raised over five million pounds for charity has died.

Stephen Sutton, 19, died peacefully in his sleep.

The teenager’s social media campaign went viral after he posted a farewell selfie in April and then coughed up a tumour and made a ‘miraculous recovery’.

For more, read this post here.

QLD Police rape concerns

The police in Brisbane’s inner west suburbs have been forced to issue a statement on rape due to the increasing number of sexual assaults in the area.

In the past year, there have been 24 reported rape and attempted rape offences in the inner west area compared to 13 in the previous year.

Inner West patrol group acting Inspector Corey Allen told News Limited that people tend to blame women for the sexual assaults, often because they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“But no-one really says, ‘Guys shouldn’t take advantage of girls when they’re drunk’. We need to turn the conversation around a bit to say real men don’t take advantage of drunk women.”

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Police hunt for man after sexual assault

The Sydney police are calling for witnesses to a sexual assault to come forward.

A 21-year-old woman was allegedly sexually assaulted on a Central to Penrith train by a man, who is about 30 years old, in the early hours of 3 May.

Investigators would like to speak to four witnesses seen in the CCTV footage.

The police said the witnesses were not involved in the attack.

Anyone with information should call Crime-Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Melbourne could be smoke free

A plan to make Melbourne one of the world’s first smoke free cities has been proposed by the Melbourne city council.

The plan would see smoking anywhere in the Hoddle grid bounded by Flinders St, Spencer St, Spring St and the Queen Victoria Market as illegal.

Melbourne City councillor Richard Foster told The Herald Sun that the final step would be an entirely smoke-free CBD, which could take effect before October, 2016.

Smokers would have to smoke in designated sheltered areas.

Cat saves boy from dog attack

A family pet has saved her owner after pouncing on a dog trying to attack the young boy in the US.

The footage captured on the family’s security cameras shows the young boy riding his bike when a dog savages him.

Tara the cat not only jumps on the dog but chases him down the street.

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The boy suffered no major injuries.

Baby survives 11-storey fall

A miracle baby

A one-year-old has survived an 11-storey fall from an apartment balcony. One-year-old Musa Dayib remains in a critical but stable condition in a hospital in the US, with two arm fractures, a fractured back and bruised lungs.

He has a ventilator to help him breathe.

“Kids don’t fall this far and make it often, especially without a serious brain injury,” said doctor Tina Slusher from the  Medical Center where Musa is being treated.

“You or I would’ve been dead. It’s definitely a miracle.”

Director tragically dies

Malik Bendjelloul, the director who won an Oscar for the acclaimed Searching for Sugarman, has died.

His brother Johar Bendjelloul told Swedish daily Aftonbladet that 36-year-old Malik Bendjelloul committed suicide on Tuesday after struggling with depression for a short period.

If you or anyone you know needs help please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. 

Kids injured after bouncy castle takes off

The inflatable house just took off.

Two boys have been hospitalised and a girl injured after an inflatable bouncy house was swept up in a gust of wind and carried almost two storeys high.

The children aged five, six and 10 were thrown out before the house reached heights of up to 30 metres.

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