Sunday'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 toddler has drowned in a backyard spa in Darwin. 

ABC News is reporting that a three-year-old boy has drowned in a backyard spa in the suburb of Herbert, Darwin.

At 12:50pm on Saturday, emergency services were urgently called to the home, with St John Ambulance crews arriving shortly after.

Police stated family members had already made a number of attempts to resuscitate the little boy, however, the boy was found dead at the scene.

Territory Duty Superintendent, Louise Jorgensen, has described the events as “tragic”.

“This is a tragic situation and a report is being prepared for the coroner.”

Further details surrounding the child’s death have still not been released, however police have confirmed they are investigating the circumstances that caused the child to drown.

The Royal Life Saving Society’s annual 2015 report on drowning found a 30 per cent increased in the number of young children who had died due to drowning.

Amy Peden, the society national manager of research and policy, reported the most at-risk age of drowning was children under five.

“Children under five are actually the age group that is most at risk of drowning and the majority occur in and around the home – commonly in home swimming pools.”

Adults and parents are urgently reminded that supervision of children around water is a necessary, ensuring their access to the water is restricted, there is appropriate fencing, and children are trained in swimming.

2. Man who burnt partner has jail time down-graded.

Victoria’s Court of Appeal has severely reduced the jail time for a 22-year-old man who burnt his pregnant partner.

Yavaz Kilic was sentenced last year to 15 years in prison after he doused his then pregnant partner and set her on fire, after she told him she wanted to end the relationship.

After he set her alight, he screamed, “You want to make my heart burn, now you can burn, bitch.”

The victim received burns to 20 per cent of her body and subsequently had to terminate her pregnancy, which was at the 12-week mark. She spent nine days in the intensive care unit with injuries that were potentially fatal.

Kilic has previously threatened his partner and two others with samurai swords.

County Court Judge, James Montgomery, who initially presided of the case, sentenced Kilic to 15 years’ in jail, with a non-parole period of 11 years. It was second-longest sentence ever handed down in Victoria’s history for the crime.

In his sentencing, Judge Montgomery reinforced the message that violence against women is not okay.

“…The courts have to send a message to the community that violence against women will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” said the judge.

“I made the comment before that it leads me to a conclusion that for some men, it seems like there is a war on women. So I have to impose a sentence that sends a message to the community that this will just not be tolerated.”

However, the Court of Appeal has rebuked Judge Montgomery’s sentencing, claiming he was too “emotional” and that he gave “too much weight to aggravating factors and too little weight to mitigating factors”.

Justices Robert Redlich and Simon Whelan of the Court of Appeal, accused Judge Montgomery of not giving enough attention to factors such as Kilic’s relative youth (at age 22), his display of “genuine remorse”, lack of premeditation, and that the victim did not sustain life-long injuries, like many in similar assaults.

Kilic’s sentence has been downgraded to 10 years and 10 months in prison, with a non-parole time of seven years and six months.

3. Security for paramedics won’t be increased despite horrific attacks.

Queensland paramedics have been increasingly victims to horrific attacks by patients they are trying to medically aid. However, the Assistant Commissioner for the Queensland Ambulance Service has refused to increase security to protect the workers from any further assaults.

The speculation around security follows a horrific attack in Brisbane, where a patient allegedly punched an ambulance officer in the face.

22-year-old Louis Hancock had been found unconscious in a unit in Brisbane’s north. When paramedics were rushing him to hospital, he woke up and became dangerously violent.

The paramedics were forced to pull of the road and release him from the vehicle, however, he then repeatedly punched the officer in the face.

Assistant Commissioner for the QAS, Chris Broomfield, described the attacks as “disgraceful”, however, denied plans to increase paramedic security.

“Paramedics are there to help people, not harm people,” Broomfield stated.

“Our paramedics come tow work and they really want to fight to save the patient’s life, not fight to save their own.”

Hancock was released on bail and will face court in February.

4. Report: domestically violent fathers attempt to turn children against their mothers.

A report by the Sydney Morning Herald has released details about upcoming research that reveals victims of domestic violence face traumatic issues in effectively parenting their children.

The research conducted by La Trobe University and the Australian Institute of Family Studies found for women facing domestic violence, “Mothering is more emotionally and physically challenging.”

Co-author of the report, Leesa Hooker, acknowledged that a woman’s relationship with her children can be often undermined by an abusive partner who often use their children as pawns in situations.

“Motherhood and women’s relationship with their children can be an immensely satisfying experience, one that violent and often jealous men may want to disrupt in order to further control her,” said Hooker.

In addition, the report acknowledged due to the abuse women suffer, their parenting capacity can often be diminished. They are more like to develop anxiety and depression, along with other substance abuses.

Often, children grow up believing their mother is harsh and quick to unfairly discipline, however, the report identified this was most likely a mother’s way to protect the children from their father. Similarly, abusive men will also assault their partner if they believe they have not satisfactorily punished their children.

The researchers did stress that these struggles faced by women in domestically violent situation should in no way be blamed on them.

“We should be mindful not to blame women for being victims of abuse and having difficulties with parenting,” Hooker said.

5. South Korea pushing North Korea into war by playing K-Pop. 

A high-up North Korean official has confirmed that South Korea’s use of loudspeakers across the border is pushing the country into the “bring of war”.

South Korea has set up masses of loudspeakers broadcasting propaganda into North Korea, in response to the nuclear testing it has been conducting over the past week.

The loudspeakers are set up in 11 different basses, playing K-Pop music and criticism of the Pyongyang regime.

Kim Ki-nam, head of the ruling Workers’ Party propaganda, told a rally in North Korea that South Korea’s retaliation was fueled out of “jealousy”.

“Jealous of the successful test of our first H-bomb,” said Ki-nam, “the US and its followers are driving the situation to the bring of war, by saying they have resumed psychological broadcasts and brought in strategic bombers.”

Last year, South Korea first used the loudspeakers which promoted an exchange of artillery fire.

Do you have a news tip? We’d love to hear it. E-mail us at: news@mamamia.com.au