NEWS: 8 things to talk about today.

1. The Therapeutic Goods Association in Australia has issued a safety alert for the contraceptive pill Diane after the French Government put a stop to sales of it because of a possible link to the deaths of four women. The TGA said it was reviewing the safety information for Diane. They recommended talking to a health care professional if you’re concerned about your own prescription.

2. Under new child care guidelines being introduced by the National Health and Medical Research Council, children will no longer be able to blow out candles on birthday cakes – and should instead bring their own cupcakes to day care. The new rules also call for staff to wash toys, doorknobs, floors and cushion covers every day and for children to wash their hands before and after going in the sandpit. The Australian Medical Association has equated the rules to ‘bubble wrapping’ children.

3. British MPs have voted in a draft law that would allow gay marriage to be legally recognised in the UK and Wales. The House of Commons voted 400 to 175 in favour of the bill. The next step is the House of Lords and if its passage is as easy, gay marriage will become the law.

4. Two Sydney brothers received a big surprise when they appeared on The Ellen Show yesterday. Julian and Dailius Wilson flew to LA after they won a competition at Sydney Opera House to attend a recording of the show last week. When they arrived at the studios, Ellen presented the pair with $25,000 in cash to help their father, who is suffering from a brain tumour.

5. The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority is investigating the Essendon Football Club after the club admitted it did not know what was in supplements given to its players. It’s possible the supplements contained banned performance-enhancing substances.

6. The most common job for women today is the same as it was 60 years ago. And what is that job? It’s a secretary. According to the US Census, around 4 million people worked as “secretaries and administrative assistants” between 2006 and 2010 – and 96 per cent of the were women.

7. The trial of five men charged with raping and murdering a university student in New Delhi has begun. The group allegedly lured the woman onto a bus and then took turns raping her and beating her with a metal rod. She died a few days later in hospital but her death sparked outrage in India and calls for harsher penalty for sex crimes in India.

8. Senior Federal Government Ministers Tony Burke and Stephen Conroy have been drawn in to the Eddie Obeid scandal after they admitted to staying at Obeid’s ski lodge at Perrisher.