We’ve rounded up all the news you need to know today — so you don’t have to go searching.
1. Pregnant asylum seeker returned to Nauru without an abortion.
A pregnant asylum seeker who was transferred to Australia for an abortion has reportedly been returned to immigration detention on Nauru.
The Somali woman, an alleged raped survivor, was brought to Australia this week for an abortion, ABC News understands.
But the 23-year-old has not yet had the procedure, and human Rights lawyer George Newhouse told ABC’s Lateline program last night that the woman, known as Abyan, had been flown back to Nauru already.
“We’ve found that she’s been taken to Honiara and from there apparently to Nauru,” Mr Newhouse said on the program.
There are conflicting accounts around Abyan’s desire to proceed with the abortion; yesterday, the Immigration Department reportedly claimed the young woman had chosen not to proceed with the procedure.
2. Federal government to legalise medicinal cannabis.
The Federal Government has announced it will legalise the growing of medicinal cannabis.
ABC News reports the Narcotic Drugs Act will be amended to allow cannabis to be grown for medicine or science, and to ensure Australia is not in breach of international drug treaties.
Under the new scheme, states will be allowed to make own decision on whether to allow growing of drug, ABC News reports.
Labor has called for a nationally consistent scheme, however.
3. Russell Brand’s comedic attack on Malcolm Turnbull.
British comedian Russell Brand has launched a comedic attack on the Australian Prime Minister.
During an appearance on Network Ten program The Project, 40-year-old Brand was asked by FiFi Box what he thought of Malcolm Turnbull.
“Why do you put really, really rich people in charge of your country for, who want to build a thing called a tax shield?” Brand said — a reference to the Coalition giving some rich private companies an exemption from tax disclosure requirements.
“[H]e’s got money in the Cayman Islands but there’s nothing wrong with it… Having your money in the Cayman Islands is like putting your d*ck into custard,” Brand cheekily continued.
“We all want to do it, but there’s no rational reason to do it.
“If your d*ck’s in a bowl of custard you’re doing it for a reason.”
4. Jailed NZ mother is facing deportation
A New Zealand-born mother in jail for drug offences is facing deportation from Australia.
Kelly Blacker, a mother of six who has lived most of her life in Australia, is appealing the Australian Government’s decision to revoke her permanent residency, begging Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to soften his stance on deportations.
ABC News reports there is no guarantee her children could return to New Zealand if their mother is deported there, and her four youngest children may face a future separated from their mother.
5. Study finds parenting style linked to violent video games
A new study has linked children’s playing of violent video fames with a particular parenting style.
The research, from Iowa State University in the US, surveyed a number of eight to 12-year-old children and their caregivers and examined three types of parental styles: restrictive, warm and anxious-emotional.
News.com.au reports that the study found children of emotional and anxious parents — who are overprotective and tend to show elevated emotions during interactions with their offspring — were more likely to play violent video games.
What’s making news in your world?