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Saturday'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. A QLD police officer has been sacked for alleged domestic violence.

A senior police officer in Queensland has been sacked for allegedly committing domestic violence.

The senior constable, 41, was dismissed from service yesterday following a disciplinary hearing, the Courier Mail reports.

The officer was reportedly found to have made acts of domestic violence and abusive and threatening phone calls, among other troubling acts.

The news comes after Deputy QLD Police Commissioner Brett Pointing told The Courier Mail the police force has a culture that “doesn’t take domestic violence as seriously as it should”.

He was speaking out after two deaths due to domestic violence in the last two days on the Gold Coast, the attempted murder in Brisbane of a woman and the murder of a six-year old girl allegedly at the hands of her father on Monday.

“It would be naive to think that we didn’t ourselves reflect the same inappropriate attitudes that exist in the broader community, and my very great challenge is to make sure where those remnants exist, we change those attitudes, beliefs and behaviours to ensure world’s best practice when it comes to investigating, preventing and investigating domestic and family violence,” he said.

If you are in danger of domestic violence, call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 7328) to access counselling delivered by qualified, experienced professionals 24/7. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.

2. Aylan Kurdi’s dad refutes claims he was a people smuggler.

A woman who was on the Greece-bound boat that capsized, killing three-year-old Aylan Kurdi and at least 11 others, has claimed Kurdi’s father was a people smuggler.

Abdullah Kurdi has denied he was a people smuggler.

Zainab Abbas, whose son and daughter also died in the boating tragedy, also told Network 10 Abdullah Kurdi was the “driving the boat” that capsized.

Mr Kurdi has angrily denied that allegation.

“This is not true. If I was a people smuggler, why would I put my family in the same boat as the other people? I paid the same amount to the people smugglers,” Mr Kurdi said.

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“I am devastated for the loss of my family and what happened to me. This is too much for me and now they want to ruin my reputation.”

Read about the tragic death of Aylan Kurdi here.

3. Missing teen found after surviving on creek water.

Missing Canberra teenager Kathleen Bautista has finally been found alive in the ACT after surviving on creek water in bushland for seven days.

QLD police officer accused of domestic violence
Photo: ACT Policing

The 19-year-old was last seen driving a black car in Canberra’s south on Saturday September 5.

ABC News reports the teen was found by search and rescue members near the Cotter Reserve area in the ACT’s west about 10:25am on Friday.

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4. Peter Dutton overheard making a climate change joke.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has been caught making a poor-taste joke about rising sea levels due to climate change — and Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been caught laughing at it.

“Time doesn’t mean anything when you’re about to be, you know, have water lapping at your door,” Mr Dutton said on Friday, referencing the plight of Papua New Guinea during a discussion about the delay of a meeting.

Mr Abbott could be heard laughing.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott (front, left) and Health Minister Peter Dutton (front, right).

Mr Dutton and Mr Abbott soon realised the microphones over their heads were switched on, once their colleague Scott Morrison alerted them to the awkward fact.

Related: Let’s celebrate all of Tony Abbott’s achievements as Minister for Women.

5. 9/11 commemorations take place across the US.

The US has solemnly commemorated the 14th anniversary the devastating 9/11 terror attacks.

Almost 3,000 people were killed on 11 September, 2001 when the twin World Trade Centre towers in New York collapsed, after al-Qaida terrorists flew two hijacked planes into the towers.

Another 125 people died when a plane was flown into the Pentagon, just outside Washington DC; a fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew fought with the terrorists on board.

The Guardian reports that in New York, citizens carried flowers and photographs of the people lost in the tragedy, at a sad anniversary ceremony on Friday.

The National September 11 Memorial and Museum on the site was also closed to the public on Friday, with security guards turning tourists away so family and friends could mourn their lost loved ones.

Do you have a news story to share? Email news@mamamia.com.au

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