Thursday's news in under 5 minutes

1. Torah Bright wins Australia’s first medal

Torah Bright has won Australia’s first medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics. The former Olympic champion won silver in the women’s half pipe this morning. For more read this post here.

2. Father shot after 12-year old boy dies

A horrific incident last night at a local community cricket training has led to the death of a 12-year old boy and his father. His father was shot by police at the scene and died overnight in hospital.

Police have confirmed that the 12-year old boy who was at Tyabb Cricket Ground in Tyabb, on the Mornington Peninsula was stabbed. Commander Doug Fryer told the media that the boy’s injuries were ‘significant’ and ‘quite brutal’.

Police would not say if the father inflicted the boy’s injuries.

Unconfirmed witness reports also say they saw him beaten with a cricket bat.

When Police arrived they were confronted with a man with a knife and unsuccessfully tried to talk him down – he was then shot and later died.

The Age reports that the boys mother was ‘in the vicinity’.

3. Police charge woman over boy’s death

Police have charged Soheila Fazeli, 46, with negligent driving occasioning death after the fatal accident on the final day of school last year outside Carlingford Public School in Sydney.

The incident let to the death of a six-year old boy, and injuries to a four-year old girl.

The SMH report that the boy’s mother was walking her niece to her last day of kindergarten on December 18.

Police said that the driver had been performing a three-point turn in the school’s driveway when the accident took place.

4. Mammograms don’t reduce cancer death

The study – one of the largest of it’s kind involving 90,000 women and lasting a quarter-century

It found that the death rates from breast cancer and from all causes were the same in women who got mammograms and those who did not. One in five cancers found with mammography and treated were not a threat to the woman’s health and did not need treatment such as chemotherapy, surgery or radiation.

5. Schapelle Corby’s interview liabilities

There is growing unrest in Indonesia about the impending tell-all interview that Schapelle Corby is planning with the Seven Network.

There are media reports that her parole officer visited her yesterday in her luxury hotel in order to warn her not to say anything damaging.

Officials have insisted that an Indonesian bureaucrat sit in the room when the interview is conducted.

Kerobokan prison governor Farid Junaedi told the Denpost newspaper it was “stupid” if she did an interview.

“On parole, she is still considered as a prisoner, though she’s free and outside … I’ve made it clear to the family that if she’s willing to be interviewed, that would be stupid of her,” he said.

6. Shaw pushes to change Victoria’s abortion laws.

Victorian MP Geoff Shaw is once again pushing to change the abortion laws in Victoria. He has told the ABC “The laws in Victoria are some of the worst in the world. There is gender-selection abortion, it allows partial birth abortion so I’m not in favour of that. I’m also against that doctors don’t have a conscience in this state to be able to advise the way they want to advise.”

He has asked Premier Denis Napthine for permission to draw up a private member’s bill.

The Premier has indicated that the government did not intend to introduce laws “that would reduce a woman’s right to choose.”

7. Father charged over marriage’ of 12-year old girl

The father of the 12-year old girl who was ‘married’ by an Imam in the Hunter Valley to a 26-year old man has appeared before a court charged with procuring a child for unlawful sexual activity and being an accessory before the fact to someone having sexual intercourse with a child.

He was refused bail yesterday with the Judge saying he had a disregard for the laws of this state.

8. Child escapes from day care

A Melbourne childcare centre is under fire after footage has emerged of a four-year old boy escaping from the centre and running near a busy road.

Luckily his mother arrived moments later.

The boy’s mother has told Channel 7 that she is furious her son was put in danger.

“All I could think of was him crossing that road, being hit by a car or some sicko picking him up,” she said.

The centre is reviewing security arrangements and the Department of Education is investigating the incident.

9. Mum pleads for help with her son

A mother has made a cry for help with her ten-year old son who flies into uncontrollable rages and has threatened to kill the family. She says that more must be done to help children with mental illness.

For more read this post here “Childhood bipolar disorder”

10. Baby girl mauled to death by banned dog

An 11-month old girl in the UK has been mauled to death as she slept by a banned American pit bull dog. Her mother and her mother’s boyfriend – who owned the dog – were downstairs in their home when the attack took place.

They were arrested on the suspicion of manslaughter and child neglect.

11. Lebanese skiers topless photos cause political tension

Photos of a Lebanese Olympic skier, Jackie Chamoun, posing topless in the snow have sparked controversy in Lebanon with many saying it could lead to a ministerial investigation. Lebanon’s Youth and Sports Minister Faisal Karami is calling for an investigation into the photos to ensure “the protection of Lebanon’s reputation.’’

The skier has apologized for the photos, but many supporters on twitter and Facebook have told her she has done nothing wrong.

What news are you talking about today?