Wednesday's news in under 5 minutes

1. Royal Commission

The Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse has begun again – examining abuse at four of the Salvation Army homes in the 1960s and 70s – two in Queensland and two in New South Wales.

The shocking evidence is said to be at the ‘severe end’ of the cases already put before the inquiry. The cases include boys forced to eat their own vomit, beatings that broke limbs, sexual abuse and even children locked in cages.

The Salvation Army has received 474 claims of child abuse.

The hearings continue today.

2. Murder Investigation

Police have confirmed a murder investigation is under way after the discovery of two decomposed bodies under a tree in the sand dunes at Pottsville. “This is a murder investigation but it is too early to speculate on who is responsible for these deaths,” Det Supt Wilkins said.

Although badly decomposed and yet to be formally identified, police believe they are that of the 35-year-old Greg Hutchings and his daughter, Eeva Dorendahl-Hutchings.

3. Boys die in overheated car

A mother in the US is on trial for homicide after she allegedly left her two sons to die in an overheated car while she had sex and did drugs with a man in another vehicle.

For more on this read this post here “Heather Jensen trial”.

4. Construction Industry Corruption

The Abbott government has flagged elevating its promised judicial inquiry into union corruption and including fresh corruption claims at the builder’s union in its scope.

This has come after an ABC investigation has revealed that a Sydney crime figure on bail for serious drug offences uses a construction company involved with the development at Barangaroo – one of to launder illicit profits.

5. Teenager kills mother and sister

A teenage boy has been charged with the murder of his mother and  twelve-year old sister in Toowoomba.

The bodies of the woman and her daughter were discovered in their home yesterday after someone inside the house called police and an ambulance for help shortly after 9am.

They took away a 16-year-old boy who spent the day in police custody before being charged with two counts of murder last night.

6. Fetal abduction trial

Julie Corey, 39, was arrested in 2009 for the murder of Darlene Haynes and the kidnapping of her unborn child, who survived.

Assistant District Attorney Dan Bennett said during opening statements that evidence would prove Corey faked her own pregnancy and then cut out Haynes’ unborn baby, after beating and strangling Haynes to death in the apartment that they shared.

Corey, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, has been in prison since her arrest, awaiting trial.

7. Genital mutilation

A father in Sydney who has been charged with organising the female circumcision of his nine-month-old daughter in Indonesia almost two years ago faced court yesterday.

According to documents tendered to the court, police allege the accused took his infant daughter to Jakarta, Indonesia in 2012 so she could undergo female circumcision.

The man is yet to enter a plea and will remain on bail until he appears in Downing Centre Local Court on March 25.

8. Boy’s remains found

Police in the Northern Territory have said that human remains have been found near where a boy was taken by a crocodile while swimming with friends on the weekend.

Evidence of the missing 12-year-old boy taken by a crocodile near Jabiru has been found by search crews.

Sergeant Steve Constable would not say what the evidence was, but that it was enough to move into a “search and recovery” phase.

9. Former Olympian slams drunken violence

Lisa Curry has called for stronger punishment for drunken violence after her daughter’s friend was hit by a ‘cowards punch’ on the weekend.

The former Olympian has blasted the culture that contributes to the violence calling for tougher penalties and for venues to take responsibility.

On Facebook she has written:

“A friend of my daughters was king hit over the weekend….he is in hospital with a fractured scull after falling and hitting his face onto the concrete…. he’s lucky compared to those who are killed,”

“I’d say a month or more in jail would sort them out….. or the head injury ward in hospital….

10. Pregnant Binge Drinkers

Researchers from the University of Newcastle have conducted a study that has found more than half of women who reported a history of binge drinking – defined as having five or more drinks on a single occasion – continued the practice during pregnancy.

The study found women who drank alcohol at least once a week without bingeing, which could include having one or two drinks, were also highly likely to continue drinking into pregnancy.

It found 44 per cent of weekly drinkers maintained their drinking while pregnant.

11. Child care waiting lists

A Productivity Commission report has revealed that more than 16 per cent of children need but cannot access a childcare place.

Parents of over half these cases say the main reason they want additional access to education and care is to allow them to meet work commitments.

Labor has accused the Coalition of trying to get rid of the $5 million Child Care Accessibility Fund -which was created by the Gillard government to help families who cannot access a childcare place.

12. Rock’n’Roll Pope

Dressed in white robes, he can be seen smiling at the camera while waving his right hand with an accompanying article titled ‘The times they are a-changin”.

What news are you talking about today?