Thursday's news in under 5 minutes.

We’ve rounded up all the latest stories from Australia and around the world – so you don’t have to go searching.

1. Teenager recruited by extremists and given gun.

The teenager who shot and killed a police accountant on Friday in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta was recruited by extremists and provided a handgun by them because the extremists felt they were under too much surveillance to do it themselves, police believe. Yesterday police raided four homes across Sydney and arrested four men as part of their investigation.

News Limited writes that three of the four homes raided yesterday had also been targeted last September, in an operation that foiled an alleged Islamic State-ordered plot to behead someone in Sydney’s Martin Place.

Three of the men were then released late yesterday. An 18-year old remains in police custody.

News Limited reports that the teenager, Farhad Jabar met several men at Parramatta mosque in the lead-up to the execution.

Police will allege these men provided him with a handgun.

Fairfax Media quotes a police source who said that the men had been anting to a cry out an attack but had to recruit someone else to do it.

“Some of them might have been wanting to do an attack but were concerned. They’ve managed to radicalise a poor vulnerable person to do it instead,” a police source said. “It’s almost like they’ve groomed him like paedophiles to do something for them.”

2. Victorian bushfire still burning after out of control burn off goes wrong.

Residents are angry after a controlled burn off by the Department of Environment, Water, Land and Planning on public land started a bushfire near Lancefield in central Victoria.

Four buildings have been lost and more than 300 fire fighters battled the blaze for a second day yesterday.

Residents at a public meeting said they were angry.

Labor State MP Mary Delahunty, who has a property at Cobaw told The Age said she was “furious” the burn had endangered lives.

“Someone in the department must be accountable for the fear, the anxiety, the loss of property.”

Environment Minister Lisa Neville said the burn-off in the nearby Cobaw State Forest had been “unacceptable” and promised an external review.

3. One-year old baby falls from window.

A one-year-old baby has fallen from the window of a home in Innisfail, south of Cairns.

Queensland Ambulance Service said the boy was to be flown to Townsville Hospital for treatment.

He suffered serious head and neck injuries and is in a serious condition.

4. Melbourne man arrested after mother’s disappearance.

A 34-year old Melbourne man has been arrested after his mother went missing in what is believed to be another case of suspected family violence.

Homicide Detectives yesterday appealed to the public to be on the look out for 34-year old Stephen Bailey who was last seen on Tuesday cycling away from the townhouse he shared with his mother, Penny Bailey

Overnight he was arrested by police in the Melbourne CBD and he remains in hospital with unknown injuries.

For more read this post here.

5. Man charged with attempted murder in Sydney office.

A 23-year old man has been charged with attempted murder after a stabbing in an office in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst yesterday.

Police allege the man entered an office block on William Street, allegedly armed with a knife and stabbed a female employee in the hand. She also sustained a small wound to the face, before he was brought under control.

The injured woman, aged 28, was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The man was charged with attempted murder and intentional wounding.

He was refused bail, and is due to appear in Central Local Court today.

5. New mother nearly dies after following low carb diet.

A 32-year old woman has nearly died after developing a life-threatening condition due to eating a low carbohydrate diet while breastfeeding.

The woman, from Sweden was rushed to hospital with nausea and vomiting, heart palpitations, trembling and spasms in her limbs.

The Journal of Medical Case Reports says that she had been following a strict low carbohydrate high fat diet (LCHF) in order to lose her baby weight.

The woman had lost 4kg on the diet but had developed ketoacidosis, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition normally seen in people with type 1 diabetes.

“The primary diagnosis was thought to be ketoacidosis due to starvation induced by the LCHF diet,” doctors wrote.

Dr Magnus Ekelund, head of endocrinology at Helsingborg Hospital, Sweden, told The Daily Mail that because she had been breastfeeding that takes up a lot of energy, and eating a low carbohydrate diet her body had begun to starve and eat its own fat.

He wrote, “New diets are popular and with our modern communication, through the internet and blogs, the information spreads fast and is easily accessible.

“If someone is following a low carb diet and begins to feel nauseous, or their breath begins to smell of acetone, they may be going into ketoacidosis and should see a doctor immediately.”

5. Pauline Hanson “No more mosques, Sharia law or Muslim refugees”

On her Pauline Hanson “Please Explain” page she has vowed to “make a difference.”

She told Sunrise yesterday  “Both sides of parliament are not doing enough to address this whole issue,” Ms Hanson said from Queensland.

“What Islam stands for it is not compatible with our country … let the Muslim countries take them.

“There are 400 on our streets now under surveillance,” she went on. “This is is the only religion we’ve had so many problems with. It’s a political ideology that’s not compatible with our way of life.

“We need to know what’s being taught in Islamic schools and mosques … get out of your glasshouses and go and see what’s happening.”

6. Laundry balls that use infrared rays to clean but do not work among the top ten dodgiest products.

The three – as well as Nanosmart, balls that use infrared rays to clean but do not work have been referred to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for their “outrageous” claims.

Choice handed out eight Shonky Awards yesterday.

ACCC deputy chairwoman and head of product safety Delia Rickard told News Limited the Kleenex flushable wipes, that don’t flush were concerning.

Arnott’s were awarded the prize for creating its own “school canteen — meets amber guidelines” logo for Tiny Teddies.

7. Russia “hit IS in Syria from Caspian Sea.”

Russia has claimed to have launched rocket strikes on Islamic State group targets in Syria from warships in the Caspian Sea – about 1,500km away.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said four warships fired 26 sea-based cruise missiles on 11 targets, destroying them and causing “no civilian casualties.”

Earlier this week Nato told Russia to immediately stop its attacks on Syrian rebels and civilians and instead focus its efforts on fighting Islamic State, as well as calling on the country to “cease and desist” what it described as an “irresponsible” and dangerous violation of Turkish airspace during strikes.

8. Maxi-pad bandit strikes US stores.

A robber has found a new use for pads (or feminine hygiene products as the more conservative press say) – a method of disguise.

The thief was caught on CCTV allegedly breaking into a shop with a maxi-pad wrapped over his face as a disguise.

Gary Victor, 51, wasn’t the brightest of thieves – approaching the store unmasked and being caught on camera before donning the pad.

Store owner Mark Wedell told NBC Los Angeles. “We had a pretty good picture of his face ’cause he came to the store the first time and looked in the window without his maxi pad on,” he said.

“But when he came back and he had the maxi pad over his eyes, I guess he thought it was going to take care of everything.”

9. Tom Hanks is just a helpful guy.

“Lauren! I found your Student ID in the park. If you still need it my office will get to you. Hanx,” the good old nice guy tweeted.

He has now been retweeted thousands of times with fans thrilled at his gesture.

“You’re just awesome,” one person replied to the original tweet.

The two-time Oscar winner himself was on the receiving end of a god deed a while ago.

He tweeted in March: “A guy named Tony found my credit card on the street in NYC and returned it! Tony! You make this city even greater! Thanx. HANX.”

Aw Hanx. You are a keeper.

Do you have a story to share with Mamamia? Email us news@mamamia.com.au
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