Wednesday news hit: top stories of the day

Welcome to your Wednesday news hit. Grab your morning coffee and catch up on what’s making news across Australia and around the world. We’ll be bringing this to you each and every morning, so you don’t have to go chasing.

Enjoy.

1. Female soldiers will join the frontline.

It’s happened. Almost. The Australian Army has got the jump on the Federal Government’s review and briefed Aussie diggers that they will be joined by women in almost every conceivable army job – provided they can pass the physical and team tests required of them. Not all troops are happy about the announcement. They have until 2012 to process the announcement before they’re joined in the fighting by women. Commando and SAS roles would still remain for only open to men. For now.

2. Police break open national pedophile ring.

Australian police have broken into a pedophile ring and arrested 11 men, taking the place of each one until the operation had finished. It was a months long investigation that nabbed a scout leader, farmer, convicted sex offender and teacher from 26 to 67 years of age. Police also rescued two abused children. The men didn’t use Internet sites to trade their volumes of horrible abuse, but peer-to-peer file sharing programs. There may be more arrests.

3. More people disapprove of PM Gillard than approve.

For the first time since she overthrew Kevin Rudd, more than half of punters disapprove of Julia Gillard’s performance as Prime Minister of Australia. That’s 54 per cent, for those playing along at home. Only 34 per cent approve. Ouch. Tony Abbott’s (leader of the Opposition) figures aren’t too much better, but less than half disapprove of him on 48 per cent and 38 per cent. What does this all mean? Well, pretty much what the average voter has been saying for the last year: we deserve better.

4. Awe-inspiring before and after photos of the Japan tsunami clean-up.

The staggering earthquake killed more than 26,000 people and triggered tsunamis that knocked out entire cities, ports and critical insurance systems at several nuclear power plants. Now, three months on, and the clean-up is well and truly underway. But as these before and after photos show, the clean-up can be at once remarkable and pain-staking. In some scenes, tremendous headway has been made. In others, barely a dent has been made in the rubble. It’s hard to know where to begin as the debris dwarves five-storey buildings.

5. India, a nation in search of a hangman.

For a country that has 1.2 billion people, you’d think finding a hangman would be easy. It’s not, as authorities have shown. They launched a nationwide hunt after a last minute mercy plea for a murderer was rejected by the President. One slight catch, however: all the nation’s hangmen were either not accepting work or dead themselves. Kumar, a fourth generation hangman, eventually stepped forward to accept the position and the $75 a month retainer.

6. Actor Alan Rickman writes a thoughtful letter of thanks to JK Rowling.

It’s been more than a decade since the first Harry Potter book was released and a decade itself since the first film hit Australian cinemas. Now as the 8th and final film nears release, actor Alan Rickman (who plays Professor Snape) has penned an open letter to JK Rowling, basically saying ‘thanks for the memories’. The actor remarked on what a privilege it was to see the young actors – particularly Daniel Radcliffe – grow up before his eyes. He closed by saying: “It’s an ancient need to be told stories. But the story needs a great storyteller. Thanks for all of it, Jo.”

7. Bookstores will become obsolete, according to Government.

Small Business Minister Nick Sherry yesterday said most book stores would become obsolete in 5 years, as people turned to purchasing their books online. Understandably, this made quite a few booksellers cranky because it was the Government’s decision to maintain import conditions that made it hard to compete.

8. Hugh Hefner left without a bride.

Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner has been left by his fiancee just days before the wedding, after rather a large fight. Crystal Harris, 25 to Hefner’s 85, apparently left the Playboy Mansion in tears late on Sunday night. What’s more, she seems to be dating the son of Dr Phil. Well, these things certainly are complicated.

9. Man escapes rape conviction because he thought unconscious woman consented.

A Melbourne man has had his rape conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal after they found the jury may not have been told to consider proper consent. You see, Thomas Getachew maintains the woman offered consent before falling unconscious. This despite evidence she twice said ‘no’ before losing consciousness. There will be a re-trial.

What’s making news in your world?