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Friday's news in just 2 minutes

Christie Jones talking to Channel 9

1. A first-time mum has been forced to give birth unassisted at a Sydney hospital. Christie Jones told Channel 9 News: “I was left alone just to be in pain and deliver my baby myself.” Ms Jones said she called out to hospital staff bot none responded. The Blacktown hospital is now investigating the incident.

2. In the latest twist in the Oscar Pistorius story, lead investigator Hilton Botha has been dropped from the case because he is facing seven charges of attempted murder for a shooting that occurred in 2009.  The charges were initially withdrawn, but were reinstated on Wednesday. He has been replaced by South Africa’s top police detective Lieutenant General Vineshkumar Moonoo.

3. Members of the Australian Swimming Team are expected to admit to behaving badly in the lead up to the  London 2012 Olympics when they front the media later today. The swimmers – including members of the men’s relay team – reportedly misused the banned drug Stilnox and took part in bullying and hazing rituals.

4. A mother in the US has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child after she reportedly hired strippers to attend her son’s 16th birthday party. It was another parent who alerted the police to the incident after she saw photos of the strippers on her son’s Facebook page.

5. There have been reports that the bodies of 98 Burmese asylum seekers were thrown overboard after they died of dehydration and starvation after two months at sea. The reports come via 91 survivors who were rescued by the Sri Lankan navy. They told officials they were trying to make it to Australia or Indonesia but instead spend two months adrift at sea.

Matguite’s page

6. Facebook has been forced to apologise to a 104-year-old woman who tried to create a page on the social networking site – but had to lie about her age because Facebook doesn’t allow people born before 1910 to register for a page. Marguerite Jopseph had to say she was just 99 years old to make her page – and her family has asked Facebook to fix the glitch before Marguerite turns 105.

7. A skull that was found in the woods in North Carolina a year ago has been confirmed as that of Zahra Baker. The 10-year-old Australia girl disappeared in 2010 after she was murdered by her stepmother.