Thursday afternoon'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. Urgent warnings over potentially deadly gas heater and washing machine.

Residents are being warned to turn off thousands of potentially deadly gas heaters due to potential deadly carbon monoxide leaks.

Urgent safety checks are required for around 20,000 Cannon Fitzroy and Canterbury in-built gas heaters made between March 2001 and October 2009 and sold in Australia, News Limited reports.

An alert advises users not to operate the heaters until an authorised Cannon technician checks each appliance’s safety.

It comes one day after a recalled Samsung washing machine caused a fire in a New South Wales home.

Two adults and two children escaped the Lake Macquarie house after the fire broke out on Tuesday evening, the ABC reports.

Six Samsung washing machine models have been recalled for safety issues since 2013.

2. Prime Minister says “heads should roll” at ABC.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has ordered an “urgent” inquiry into the ABC, after it allowed a former terrorist suspect into the audience of its Q&A program.

Prime Minister Abbott said “heads should roll” after the Monday night program was aired again today.

“They compounded the mistake by re-broadcasting the program,” Mr Abbott told media today. “Now, frankly, heads should roll over this.”

ABC came under fire earlier this week after it broadcast a question by Zaky Mallah — a man arrested and later acquitted of terrorist charges under the Howard government.

Foreign Affair spokesman Steve Ciobo told Zaky he would be glad to see him out of the country, to Zaky responded by saying the government “justified” young people joining ISIS.

Fairfax Media reports that Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ordered a department review into the controversial ABC episode.

3.  Thousands call for Belle Gibson donate interview fee to charity.

People are flocking to express their disgust at rumours Belle Gibson was paid a fee for an up-coming tell-all interview with Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes.

The Whole Pantry blogger has promised to tell “the whole truth” on Sunday night’s episode of the current affairs program.

However, some viewers are outraged after hearing a rumour that Gibson was paid a whopping $45,000 for the exclusive interview.

“Belle Gibson is playing us for fools – she fed us false claims of cancer survival, a neglected childhood and the healing powers of organic foods,” writes Stefanie Spinks on her change.org petition.

“Now she continues to obtain money off her fraudulent lies – with 60 minutes paying her a reported $45,000 in an interview to air this Sunday.

“I am calling on you, Belle Gibson to donate the money received for the 60 minutes interview to cancer research, putting it on public record how sorry you are to those you hurt.”

The petition currently has more than 2,200 signatures.

4. Man who tricked Australian teens into making online porn receives prison sentence.

Trigger warning: This post deals with child sexual abuse.

A man who groomed teenage girls to perform web cam sex acts has been sentenced to serve five and half years in prison.

Zacharias Johnathon, 45, posed as a teenage boy in order to get girls aged between 13 and 15 to send him nude photographs and pornographic videos.

The Melbourne man told the girls he was a teenage boy and even created an elaborate network of friends and family to support his fake life.

According to the Herald Sun, police recovered 2,500 illicit images in Jonathon’s possession.

Mr Johnathon reportedly groomed the girls for weeks and gave them gifts, including iPhones.

He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of using a carriage service to groom and transmit indecent material to minors, and for possession child pornography.

5. Men more likely to talk to loved ones than doctors about mental health.

A national study has found men are more likely to discuss their problems with loved ones, as opposed to professionals.

The study conducted by the Black Dog Institute found men wanted help but didn’t want to ask for it.

“Men actually do want help,” Lead researcher Doctor Michael Player told ABC News.

“Unfortunately we don’t have a really good dialogue or opportunity for men to talk about their mental health.

“This goes back to the way we have been brought up. We haven’t had really good role models that have shown adequate ways to deal with mental health issues.”

The study found particularly that men were responsive to help offered by trusted people.

The study findings were drawn from interviews with 35 men who had attempted suicide within the last six to 18 months. Family and friends of these victims were also spoken to.

Men currently comprise 75 per cent of all suicides in Australia.

Do you have a news tip? Email us at news@mamamia.com.au.
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