Thursday's news in under 5 minutes

1. Search for MH370

Malaysia’s Defence and acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has released details of 122 objects floating in the Indian Ocean spotted by a French satellite.

The objects measure from one metre to 23 metres long and some are brightly coloured.

The latest images are not far from the objects seen on Australian and Chinese satellites on March 16 and 18.

Meanwhile, a US law firm says it has started “multi-million dollar” proceedings against Malaysia Airlines and Boeing over flight MH370.

The legal action was filed on behalf of Januari Siregar, “a lawyer who lost his son in the terrible crash”, the firm said.

2. Washington Mudslide

The likely death toll in the US mudslide has risen to 24, though authorities are keeping the official toll at 16 until eight other bodies, located in a debris field, are recovered.

Hundreds of rescuers and heavy equipment operators are searching the mud following the search dogs over the unstable surface.

“Going on the last three days, the most effective tool has been dogs and just our bare hands and shovels uncovering people,” Travis Hots, a county fire chief said.

In one piece of good news, a four-year-old boy and his father have been pulled from the mud by a helicopter. Dramatic vision of the rescue has been released.

3. Babysitter cleared

A babysitter accused of killing a 10-month-old baby girl has been found not guilty in Melbourne.

Ketapat Jenkins was accused of harming the baby while she was in her care. Chloe Murphy died in hospital three days after being cared for by Ketapat Jenkins. It was determined to be unclear how she suffered horrific and fatal brain injuries, and also had several fractures in one arm.

Ketapat Jenkins denied she had ever hurt the baby.

4. Medibank Private sale

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has announced that Medibank Private will be sold off to the public in the next 15 months.

Experts have estimated its value at about $4 billion.

5. Immunization stats

The Byron Shire’s immunization rate is the worst in the nation according to a new report. Only 66 per cent of children in the shire are fully immunized.

Data to be released today by the National Health Performance Authority shows that across Australia 75,000 children aged five were not fully vaccinated against diseases like measles and whooping cough in the last financial year.

Nearly 15,000 parents recorded a conscientious objection to vaccinating their children.

There is also concern over the uptake of the cervical cancer vaccine, which is provided free in schools for children aged 12 and 13. With some areas only showing a 59% uptake.

6. Salvation Army Inquiry

The second public hearing into how the Salvation Army handled allegations of child sexual abuse opens in Sydney today.

The public hearing will inquire into the policies, practices and procedures of the Salvos eastern territory division between 1993 and 2014, for responding to claims of child sexual abuse at children’s homes it operated.

7. Teacher’s Facebook rant

A Darwin teacher has resigned amidst a controversy over a vitriolic Facebook post written allegedly about a 16-year-old former student. The post, which accused the boy of being a bully, was written the day after the boy committed suicide.

In it he describes the teenager as a “bully” and a “disrespectful little brat”.

For more, read this post here “Should a teacher be allowed to write this?”

If you or anyone close to you needs help, please contact Lifeline on 131 114 

8. Mother jailed for breastfeeding her baby while drinking

A US mother who was jailed for breastfeeding her baby while drinking beer has spoken to the current affairs show 20/20.

The mother was in a restaurant and says she drank two beers. However, a concerned waitress called the police.

She was arrested over endangering the welfare of a child.

“I did drink. I did breastfeed,” Tasha Adams said “I didn’t know it was illegal. If I knew it was illegal, I wouldn’t have done it.”

The charges have since been dropped as the authorities have said there was not enough evidence to prove she had drunk ‘too much’.

9. Schools cheating at NAPLAN

Naplan protocols sent to principals for this year’s tests will ban schools from coaching students prior to the exams.

News Limited reports that schools in the past have been caught giving verbal cues to students to get them to change test result, and placing notes to change answers.

The new protocols ban schools from copying, transcribing or transmitting student responses and from photocopying completed test books.

10. Pregnant women should be warned about obesity

Obesity Australia will today release a report No Time to Weight calling for obesity to be recognised as a disease.

The report also calls for pregnant women to be warned about the dangers of being fat or dieting while pregnant.

“Women who are obese should lose weight before considering pregnancy,” the report says.

“The first four years of life (including pregnancy) are crucial in combating obesity because they define the set-points for hunger and satiety in a child for its entire life,” the organisation said.

The recommendation is that mothers should breastfeed their children for the first six months and then feed their babies vegetable and meat mush rather than baby rice cereal, Obesity Australia chief Professor Funder told News Limited.

11. Lachlan Murdoch

Lachlan Murdoch has announced he will step down as a chairman and director of Ten Network. He has been named non-executive co-chairman of News Corp and 21st Century Fox.

The move is being reported as a clear a sign that his father Rupert may finally be putting in place a succession strategy.

What news are you talking about today?