news

Sunday's news in 2 minutes.

Leader of the Greens Christine Milne

 

 

 

 

1. The Leader of the Greens Christine Milne has called for the Australian government to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka, due to the country’s poor track record on human rights.

2. The US and Britain have claimed that the Syrian government used chemical weapons in the conflict of March 2011. Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi has said that this is a “barefaced lie”.

3. News Ltd has revealed that one of the largest abortion clinics in Australia sometimes receives requests for abortion on gender grounds.  However, the Fertility Control Clinic’s Dr Susie Allanson said such requests were “extremely rare”, and always refused.

Australian entertainer Rolf Harris

4. Rolf Harris has been let go as the ‘face’ of British paints. The paint company, which first partnered with Harris in a television commercial over 30 years ago – alleges that the parting of ways is not due to Harris’ recent arrest in the UK.

5. Fairfax has reported that over 14,000 people are hospitalised, and 350 people killed due to injuries related to excessive drinking every year – whether their own drinking habits, or someone else’s. Surgeons around Australia are pushing for a change in our drinking culture.

6. Two teenage boys – aged 13 and 14 – allegedly robbed four people in Sydney on Saturday night. The boys reportedly threatened their victims with knives.

7. The Australian Communication and Media Authority has released new research that shows 35 percent of primary school-aged children have their own mobile phones. News Ltd reports that in some cases, children as young as 8-years-old have smartphones – which have experts worried that children have unlimited access to what are essentially ‘mini-laptops’.

8. Some scientists claim that women are developing antibodies to botox, which means that for repeat users the treatment becomes less effective over time.

Have you seen anything in the news you want to talk about?