news

Thursday'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. Inquest into death of two-year-old Darcy Atkinson resumes. Mother’s boyfriend to give evidence.

Trigger warning: This item deals with injuries and the death of a child and may be distressing to some readers.

Darcy Atkinson died after suffering severe head injuries.

A man who declined to be interviewed by police after the death of his partner’s two-year old will give evidence at an inquest at the State Coroners Court in Sydney today.

Two-year-old Darcy Atkinson passed away at Sydney’s Children’s Hospital at Westmead on December 7, 2012.

Darcy died from severe intracranial pressure that was the result of a brain injury.

The boyfriend of Darcy’s mother, Adam Taylor, told police that the toddler had fallen backwards while the pair were paddle boarding.

An inquest earlier this year heard from a doctor who said the head injuries Darcy suffered could not have been inflicted from falling from a paddle board.

Fairfax Media reports Dr Barry Wilkins described the injuries sustained as ‘tram-line marks’, and said he had only ever seen them inflicted on a child.

“What I know to be fact is that the child was thrashed, probably that day … I know that he received a blow to the back of the head,” he said.

” … and even more importantly and relevant … I know that he was boxed on the ears probably that day … he died consequently.”

Dr Wilkins said it was possible the fatal brain injury was inflicted by the blows to Darcy’s ears. He said that such a ‘boxing’ could produce bruising deep inside the ears.

ADVERTISEMENT

2. Nick Cave’s 15-year-old son dies.

Desperately sad news for musician Nick Cave with the death of his 15-year-old son.

Nick Cave, wife Susie and sons Arthur and Earl. ( Getty Images)

Arthur Cave was found with life-threatening injuries after he fell from a cliff in Brighton, in the UK about 6pm Tuesday local time.

Walkers on the coastal path found the teenager and attempted to give him first aid. He was rushed to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, but passed away from his injuries.

“He died later that evening of his injuries in hospital,” a spokesman told AFP. “The death is not being treated as suspicious.”

For more on this story click here.

3. Child’s remains found beside a major highway.

Major crime detective are combing a site east of Adelaide where the remains of a child have been discovered.

A passing motorist found the bones hidden under a bush beside the Karoonda Highway.

Detective Superintendent Des Bray said that it is too early to tell the dead child’s age or sex or how long ago the remains had been dumped there.

“Certainly we have got a young child who appears to have been murdered and dumped on the side of the road, and somebody must have knowledge of someone who had a young child, and that child has disappeared and is not around,” Detective Bray said.

A suitcase and scattered clothing were also found nearby.

Police have indicated the child was murdered.

ADVERTISEMENT

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1300 333 000.


4. Bronwyn Bishop spent over $5,ooo on a helicopter trip from Melbourne to Geelong.

Bronwyn Bishop under fire for helicopter trip.

Speaker Bronwyn Bishop is under fire after her expenses show last year she chartered a helicopter for a 100km trip from Melbourne to Geelong to travel to a Liberal Party event at a golf club.

The chartered helicopter cost $5,227.27 out of her total expenses for the last half of 2014, which amounted to just under $400,000.

Had she driven the 100km it would have taken her around 45 minutes.

AAP reports that Mrs Bishop’s office said her charter transport was done “in accordance with the guidelines and within entitlement”.

Labor spokesman Pat Conroy said it was a costly trip that probably took more time in travelling to and from the airport than if she had taken a car.

“It’s for the Speaker to justify that this is part of her official duties, but it appears not to pass the pub test,” he told AAP.

“This seems a curious decision which is not only prohibitively expensive, but also inefficient,” Mr Conroy said.

5. Carrie Bickmore and Steve Price go head-to-head over breastfeeding tweet.

Carrie Bickmore on The Project last night.

The Project’s Carrie Bickmore has had it out with radio star Steve Price over his comments regarding a breastfeeding mother.

On Tuesday, Price tweeted about a woman who was breastfeeding her infant while walking through the Qantas domestic terminal.

ADVERTISEMENT

 

“Why do women have to do it discreetly, what is your issue with it?” Bickmore asked him.

His response: “I think walking through a crowded airport is an unusual place to breastfeed a child.”

“If my wife and I got off a plane – and we have two daughters, she breastfed both of them – and Wendy said to me ‘I think I might breastfeed Lucy while we walk to the car’ I would say ‘are you insane? Sit down and do it properly.”

Price said it wasn’t the fact she was breastfeeding but the fact she didn’t sit down, he claimed he has no problem with public breastfeeding.

“In fact, three weeks ago in a production meeting at The Project you were breastfeeding your gorgeous little baby daughter, so if I had a problem I might have said something,” he told Bickmore.

“Absolutely, but you used the words ‘discreet public breastfeeding okay’, which means you clearly think it should be done privately in a room away from you.” Bickmore responded.

“And just for your information, we feed where we want to, not where you want us to.”

“There is more chairs in an airport than there is in just about any other building in the world,” Price told her.

“All she needed to do was sit down.”

The reaction from social media? Mixed.


6. QLD to revamp vaccination and child care laws.

Changes to QLD vaccination laws.

A bill has been introduced to Queensland parliament that will allow childcare centres to refuse enrolment to children who are not immunised.

ADVERTISEMENT

Health Minister Cameron Dick said the laws would legally protect childcare centres that refused enrolment, but still allow centres to accept children who aren’t vaccinated.

“This bill gives power to those local childcare centres to make those decisions,” he said.

“The Palaszczuk Government had set a target for 95 per cent of all children to be fully immunised against preventable diseases.”

“We have made good progress towards this target with around 92 per cent of five-year-old Queensland children being fully immunised,” Mr Dick said.

“Vaccination is important for protecting our children and those around us.”

7. Rosie Batty calls for compulsory domestic violence prevention lessons in schools.

Australian of the Year Rosie Batty will call the states to commit to delivering compulsory domestic violence prevention lessons in schools.

Ms Batty is due to appear before next week’s Council of Australian Governments meeting.

In an email to supporters of her ‘Never Alone’ campaign she says:

“Schools are places where respect and equality can be modelled, to help shape positive attitudes and behaviours at an early stage of life.

“They can play a central role in teaching young people what violence against women and children looks like and that it is never okay.”


8. Bookkeeper of Auschwitz guilty of accessory to 300,000 murders.

A German court has sentenced 94-year-old Oskar Groening, the so-called ‘Bookkeeper of Auschwitz’, to four-years in prison after being found guilty of being an accessory to the murder of 300,000 people.

ADVERTISEMENT
94-year-old Oskar Groening

During his time at Auschwitz, Groening’s job was to collect the belongings of people arriving at the camp by train.

Groening, who was 21 and by his own admission an enthusiastic Nazi when he started work at the camp in 1942, inspected people’s luggage, removing and counting any bank notes that were inside and sending them on to SS offices in Berlin, where they helped to fund the Nazi war effort.

The charges against him related to the period between May and July 1944 when 137 trains carrying roughly 425,000 Jews from Hungary arrived in Auschwitz.

9. Search for missing Victorian teenager.

Victorian police have released an image of a missing 13-year-old girl from Ararat.

Abbey Quinlivian

Abbey Quinlivian was last seen at her home in Ararat on Sunday 12 July but has not been seen since. 

Police have concerns for Abbey’s welfare due to her age and believe she may be frequenting the Ballarat area.

Abbey is described as Caucasian in appearance, 160cm tall with a thin build and brown hair.

Anyone who sees Abbey is urged to call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

10.  Stay in bed! It’s getting colder.

The temps are dropping – again – today with the so-called ‘Antarctic Vortex’ kicking in for a second time this season.

The Bureau of Meteorology has said that today and Friday will see a second burst of cold, snowy weather on Thursday and Friday across NSW and Victoria.

In NSW areas like Guyra, Armidale and the Barrington Tops will see further snowfalls.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sydney will have wet, cold and windy conditions.

In Victoria snowfalls are expected to be above 1000 metres on Thursday and Friday, with Melbourne’s maximum around 12C-14C.

In QLD there is the chance of light snow or sleet around Stanthorpe.

Temps in Adelaide will be around 14 degrees. Perth? You don’t want to know… 20 degrees and sunny.

11. Phil Walsh’s wife urges mourners to “pray” for son.

As Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh was remembered at a funeral service yesterday, his wife requested the 1,000 mourners take a moment to think of the pair’s son.

Cy Walsh, 26, is currently detained in a psychiatric facility after allegedly stabbing his father to death on July 3.

Image: Adelaide Football Club/Twitter.

News Corp reports Phil’s wife Meredith and their 22-year-old daughter, Quinn, did not speak at the service, but sent a message via Adelaide Crows chaplain Mark Purcell.

“Come to him in his time of need. Watch over him and bring peace to his heart,” Purcell said of Cy.

“And sustain this dear family in their grief as you comfort them, and help them to move forward with the determination that Phil was renowned for.”

Walsh was remembered as a family man and a “dead set genius” by colleagues, friends and family who attended the service at Adelaide Oval.

Do you have a story to share with Mamamia? Email us news@mamamia.com.au
[post_snippet id=324408]