Saturday's news in less than two minutes

Julie Bishop accuses Russia of making MH17 site unsafe by arming rebels

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop has accused Russia of making the MH17 crash site in eastern Ukraine unsafe by arming rebels in the region.

Addressing the United Nations Security Council on Friday, Bishop said a new report released by the Dutch Safety Board confirmed Australia’s original assessment that Flight MH17 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

“The security situation around the site and in much of eastern Ukraine has deteriorated because of Russian support to arm separatist groups,” she said.

“That support continues and it must cease.”

Speaking in response, Russian ambassador at the United Nationa Vitaly Churkin said that the incident was being used to “exacerbate international tensions… without any verified proof”.

Joe Hockey: Russia will attend G20 summit in Brisbane

Russia will attend November’s G20 summit in Brisbane, Treasurer Joe Hockey has announced.

Speaking at the opening of the summit’s meeting of finance ministers and central bankers in Cairns, Hockey told The Guardian, “If one party is to be excluded for various reasons then it requires the agreement of all parties to the G20.”

“They are member of the G20, we expect they will attend the G20 meetings.”

White House evacuated over security threat

Parts of the White House have been evacuated following a security threat.

White House staff and reporters were evacuated by Secret Service staff after a man jumped the fence and was spotted running around outside the executive mansion.

It is believed that the man entered the property just minutes after President Obama left with his family via helicopter to visit the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

France launches first Iraq air strike

French jets have launched their first air strike against IS, destroying a logistics depot.

In a statement released overnight, French President Francois Hollande said: “This morning at 9.40, our Rafale planes carried out a first strike against a logistics depot of the terrorist organisation Daesh in north-east Iraq. The objective was hit and completely destroyed.”

Unlike the United States, who have committed to aerial involvement in both Iraq and Syria, French involvement will only take place against IS in Iraq.

Leader of Scotland’s independence campaign resigns following ‘no’ vote

The leader of Scotland’s pro-independence Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond, has announced that he will resign following a ‘no’ vote in the independence referendum his party introduced.

Salmond has led the party for 20 years, during which time it became Scotland’s most popular political party by membership. He will be stepping down from both the party, and his position as Scotland’s first minister (the Scottish parliament’s prime minister equivalent).

At a press conference in Edinburgh, Salmond said: “I am immensely proud of the campaign that Yes Scotland fought and particularly of the 1.6m voters who rallied to that cause.”

Ebola aid workers killed by villagers in Guinea

The bodies of eight international aid workers have been found in a septic tank after they were attacked by angry locals, the Guinean government has announced.

The aid workers, who had been sent to south-eastern Guinea to educate villagers about the spread of Ebola, had lost contact with the government after their delegation was pelted with stones during an outreach visit on Tuesday.

Over 600 Guineans have died from the highly contagious disease, which has a 50 per cent mortality rate. Containing the disease in remote areas is proving to be problematic, as villagers are often highly suspicious of aid workers purporting to help stop its spread.

Catalonian independence vote to be held in two months

The region of Catalonia will hold a referendum to gage public support for permanent separation from Spain.

Taking their lead from the recent Scottish referendum, the regional government of Catalonia has proposed that its residents will go to the polls on November 9.

The referendum will be non-binding – as Spain has not approved the vote – but, even then, Spain seems reluctant to allow the vote, with ministers pledging to block it in the courts.

Prince Harry gallantly comes to the rescue of 5-year-old girl

Prince Harry has come to the rescue of a 5-year-old girl struggling to see the stage at the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games, the Commonwealth sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick members of the armed forces.

@InvictusLondon @H4H_SR Thank you!! What an amazing end to an amazing week.#invictusgames pic.twitter.com/YEuHe46n0E

— taryn nixon (@tarynnixon1) September 15, 2014

Isabella Nixon was upset that she was too small to see the stage at the standing-room-only event, until the royal spotted her and hoisted her onto his shoulders, so that she could enjoy the rest of the Foo Fighters’ performance.

“He approached us and smiled at me and just literally picked her up and just started to dance so she could see the stage,” Isabelle’s father, Adam, the captain of Britain’s wheelchair basketball team at the games, told the Daily Mail.