By MAMAMIA NEWS
1. 13 people have died in a gun massacre in the United States, and at least 12 others have been wounded.
A former Navy reservist, 34-year-old Aaron Alexis – who had won the National Defence Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal – snuck into a Washington DV Navy Yard using another man’s security pass, and opened fire.
Alexis had been discharged from the military some years ago for another gun-related incident.
The death toll includes the gunman himself, who was killed by police after he began shooting at them. Authorities are currently looking for a second possible attacker, who was disguised in military uniform. President Obama has delivered an address to the nation, saying that he mourned “yet another mass shooting” and declared it a “cowardly act.”
2. The royal commission into child abuse started holding hearings yesterday. The Commission heard from former Scouts Australia group leader Armand Hoitink about former employee Steven Larkins. Larkins is currently serving a sentence for possessing child pornography and indecent assault of two children. Larkins was allegedly left working with children even when others were concerned about his conduct because it would ‘look bad’ to fire someone who was part Aboriginal.
3. The parents of a woman who was brutally gang raped and bashed to death in New Delhi last year, gave an interview to ABC’s 7.30 report in which they said that they were disappointed one of the men received only a three year prison sentence for his crime. Four of the other men involved in the rape were sentenced to death.
Asha Devi and Badrinath Singh, the parents of the victim said: “They must be hanged because if they remain in society they will only spread filth.” The heartbroken father continued, “There are two kind of flies – one that eats from the side of your plate and flies away, and the other one who drops on your plate, spoils the food and even dies in it. They are these sort of men.”
4. Past and present female Liberal Party members have expressed disappointment that only one woman – Julie Bishop – was appointed to a senior cabinet position yesterday by Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott. Senator Sue Boyce, who is set to retire next July, said, “I think it’s shocking and I think it’s embarrassing, and it’s not just embarrassing nationally but I think it’s embarrassing internationally… I would hasten to add I do not see this as Prime Minister-elect Abbott’s problem, I think it’s a system issue for our party.”
