Wednesday's news in under 5 minutes

1. Ban phones in cars

There has been a call for mobile phones to be banned in cars completely after a Sydney model and beautician Sarah Durazza died in a car accident last year on a busy stretch of road in Sydney’s Mona Vale.

Magistrate Hugh Dillon said yesterday at her Coronial inquest that phones are a huge distraction for motorists. He will release the formal findings into her death in two weeks time.

“Frankly, If it was up to me I would ban mobile phones in cars all together,” The Daily Telegraph reports he said.

Mamamia has previously reported on Sarah’s tragic death here.

2. AFP warrants for Australian jihadists

The Australian Federal Police has issued arrest warrants for two Australians, Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar, who have joined ISIS in Syria and have published images of themselves on Twitter posing with severed heads of Syrian government soldiers.

The ABC reports that in one photo Elomar holds up two severed heads. In another, he presents one head to the camera, with another three on the floor beside him.

Attorney-General George Brandis told the ABC that there are concerns these men may be a threat to domestic security.

“There is evidence that they are trained in terrorist tradecraft to perform acts of domestic terrorism in the event that they return either to their home countries or go elsewhere after they have been in theatre.”

3. Ebola fears

There are growing fears worldwide about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade urging travellers to avoid areas of West Africa where the disease has broken out.

In a statement released yesterday DFAT warned “Australians in West Africa are advised to maintain strict standards of hygiene and avoid direct contact with patients with Ebola or unknown illnesses.”

“Avoid contact with any objects that could have been contaminated with bodily fluids. Travellers should avoid contact with wild animals and should not eat or handle raw or undercooked animal products, such as blood and meat.”

The current outbreak is the largest in history with more than 670 dead across several West African nations.

The warning comes as an infected man in Liberia was allowed to fly from disease-affected West African country to the major international travel hub of Lagos, Nigeria and an American man, 33-year-old doctor Kent Brantly contracted the disease in Liberia.

An American missionary Nancy Writebol is also known to be fighting the disease in Liberia.

4. MH17 and Russia sanctions

Australian police have been delayed for a third day in attempting to access the MH17 crash site due to intense fighting I the region.

This comes as the EU and the US announce new economic sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, targeting the oil sector, defence equipment and sensitive technologies.

The Guardian reports that the sanctions are the most extensive since the Cold War. The Guardian says the EU sanctions include a ban on any trade in arms and “related material” with Russia, both import and export, however the embargo will only apply to future contracts, and therefore would not affect the €1.2bn sale of two French Mistral helicopter carrier ships already agreed.

US President Barack Obama said this was “not another cold war”.

5. Known traffic problems where boy died

It has been revealed that that there were known traffic problems in the Hurstville road in Sydney where six-year old Ryan Leo was hit when he ran to his Taekwondo class on Monday afternoon.

Taekwondo World headmaster Incheol Yoo told The Sydney Morning Herald that he had called upon council to provide a drop off zone outside the scout hall where Ryan was killed.

The council told him the matter had been referred to the council’s senior traffic engineer for investigation.

Meanwhile his mother has released a tribute to her son saying in heaven there is no traffic, mummy loves you forever” .

6. Allison Baden-Clay’s lasting legacy

The cousin of Allison Baden-Clay plans to open up a Facebook page which can be an online community for victims of domestic violence.

The Courier Mail reports that Allison’s cousin Jodie Dann is a counselor of domestic violence victims.

She says “Nobody wants to talk about domestic violence – it’s too ugly. But that is how people die. “ “We have to start talking about it and get it out there.”

7. Boy faces surgery

A 21-month old boy who contracted meningococcal last year and faced numerous amputations has bravely fought back, but today he faces another challenge.

For more read this post here

8. Australia Zoo Tiger attacks zookeeper

A tiger at Australia Zoo has attacked a handler.

Juma a 10-year-old Sumatran tiger bit his handler when he was being moved from one area to another.

“First aid protocol was followed, the same as Australia Zoo renders all staff, and the keeper is going to be fine,” a spokesman said.

“Juma the tiger is fine as well.”

9. Prince Harry gets in on the photo bombing action

Prince Harry has photo bombed a snap of the New Zealand Commonwealth Games officials as they watched the women’s swimming freestyle in Glasgow last night.

The thrilled officials uploaded the pic to their Facebook pages from where it went viral.

10. A UK wanna-be celebrity sells tickets to her birth

UK glamour model and celebrity Josie Cunningham has announced to her twitter fans that she has sold four tickets to the birth of her baby in October earning $50,000 in just 14 minutes.

Cunningham made headlines when she announced plans to abort the baby in order to appear on Big Brother – then changing her mind.

Two of the tickets were bought by journalists.

She had planned to sell DVD’s of her birth through a discount store – but the deal fell through.

11. Kids’ teeth

A study released today has shown that Australians consume more than double the world’s average sugar consumption per day.

With 1/3 of parents allowing their kids to have soft drinks, juices and energy drinks four times a week this has meant that 60% of children aged over eight have at least one filling.

The Australian dental association study says that 59% of parents find it hard to get their kids to brush their teeth twice a day.

12. Nigerian table tennis player’s amazing celebration

A 19-year old Nigerian table tennis player has had an amazing reaction to winning his game against India at the Commonwealth Games.

Ojo Onaolapo was so thrilled to win his bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games he pulled his shorts down!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjle66rfhQQ

13. Newborns contract herpes

An ancient and rare type of circumcision has caused two newborn baby boys in the US to contract herpes according to WNBC-TV.

The ritual called metzitzah b’peh involves the person doing the circumcision to use direct oral suction in an attempt to cleanse the wound, sucking and spitting aside the blood, and the saliva contact can transmit the infection.

Newborns, however, can run high fevers, have seizures, and even die if infected.

Experts have warned that circumcision is completely safe and provides health benefits, but that direct oral suction should be avoided due to risk of infection.

14. School tuckshop serves dinner

The Herald Sun reports that several schools are now offering take-home dinners for time poor working parents.

The meals offered at schools such as Coburg West Primary School are offered as a healthy alternative to takeaways. The tuckshop offers lasagna, curries and casseroles with prices ranging from $6 to $20.

15. Malaria vaccine on the way

The world’s forst malaria vaccine is one the way, experts say.

The BBC reports that experts believe a vaccine could be approved for use in 2015.

Researchers reported in PLOS Medicine that for every 1,000 children vaccinated, 800 cases of illness could be prevented, the BBC reports.

Regulatory approval has been sought by manufacturers GlaxoSmithKlin (GSK), the company said on Thursday.

Yahoo News reports scientists at GSK have been working on the vaccine for 30 years.

The World Health Organisation says malaria caused an estimated 627000 deaths in 2012, mostly among African children.

In Africa, a child dies every minute from malaria, according to the organisation.

16. Women shouldn’t laugh out loud: Turkish deputy PM

The Turkish deputy Prime Minister has sparked an outcry by saying women shouldn’t laugh loudly in public, The Guardian reports.

“Where are our girls, who slightly blush, lower their heads and turn their eyes away when we look at their face, becoming the symbol of chastity?” Bülent Arinc said in a speech on Monday, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

“A man should be moral but women should be moral as well, they should know what is decent and what is not decent.”

“She should not laugh loudly in front of all the world and should preserve her decency at all times,” he said.

He added that TV series geared toward young people caused teenagers to grow up as “sex addicts,” the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Arinc made the controversial remarks at a meeting held by the country’s ruling Justice and Development Party, of which he is a co-founder, the Guardian reports.