news

Monday'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. Children doused with petrol out of hospital.

43-year-old Edward John Herbert

Two children, from Perth, who were allegedly doused in petrol by their father and set alight have been discharged from hospital.

The father, 43-year-old Edward John Herbert appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Saturday where he entered no plea to five charges, including one count of aggravated grievous bodily harm and two counts of attempted grievous bodily harm.

His three-year old daughter who was allegedly lying in her cot when doused in petrol remains in a critical but stable condition in Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) with burns to her face and upper body.

Her seven-year-old sister was discharged from hospital yesterday along with a third child, a six-year-old boy, who was not burnt.

The ABC reports that Herbet was “shirtless, incoherent and humming to himself during his court appearance.”

He will face court again on Tuesday.

3. Chrissie Hynde under fire for suggesting it can be a woman’s fault if she is raped.

Chrissie Hynde ( Getty Images)

Chrissie Hynde, the 63-year old rock legend from The Pretenders has come under criticism after telling a British magazine its a woman’s fault if she is raped.

“You know if you don’t want to entice a rapist, don’t wear high heels so you can’t run from him,” she said, in an interview in The Sunday Times.

Hyde says she talks “full responsibility” after she was sexually assaulted aged 21 in Ohio.

ADVERTISEMENT

“If I’m walking around in my underwear and I’m drunk. Who else’s fault can it be?”

In her autobiography, Reckless, Hynde writes of how she was sexually assaulted by members of an Ohio motorcycle gang who had promised to take her to a party, but instead took her to an abandoned house.

“Technically speaking, however you want to look at it, this was all my doing and I take full responsibility,” “If I’m walking around and I’m very modestly dressed and I’m keeping to myself and someone attacks me, then I’d say that’s his fault. But if I’m being very lairy and putting it about and being provocative, then you are enticing someone who’s already unhinged – don’t do that. Come on! That’s just common sense.”

If you need help call 1800RESPECT – 1800 737 732 National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service.

4. Girl loses hand after dog attack.

At no time has it been suggested the dog was out of its yard

An eight-year old girl has lost her hand after a dog attack near Newcastle in NSW.

The young girl was playing with other children in a cul de sac when she put her hand under a fence to pat the dog, believed to be an Alaskan Malamute, just after 3pm yesterday.

‘‘There were other children in the area playing, under supervision of an adult,’’ Newcastle City police duty officer Inspector Gerard Lawson said.

‘‘An investigation has been launched by Lake Macquarie City Council rangers and they’re being assisted by Lake Macquarie detectives.

ADVERTISEMENT

‘‘At no time has it been suggested the dog was out of its yard.’’

The Newcastle Herald reports that the dog was one of the three Alaskan malamutes that lived at the premises.

5. Facebook posts by man accused of murdering Jayde Kendall exposed.

“For only then I will know how black my heart really is.”

The Courier Mail has reported chilling Facebook posts by the 18-year old man accused of murdering Jayde Kendall.

18-year old Brenden Bennetts was charged with murder and interfering with a corpse after the body of Jayde Kendall was discovered in a paddock at Upper Tenthill, about 17km of Gatton on Thursday.

Bennett’s Facebook page shows an interest in death with the aspiring writer posting comments about how “black my heart really is” when he faces death.

“In death there is no lie only what you’ve done in this life” he writes.

For when my time comes, when the moment of truth comes down like the fist of iron, I will stand there and see what path I must take.

“For only then I will know how black my heart really is.”

And another:

“The human body is such a fragile thing the line of life and death is so close and also so easy to go over.

“The thing is can you live with yourself if you do make someone go over?”

Bennetts has been charged with Jayde’s murder and will appear in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Friday.

ADVERTISEMENT

6. India village council orders rape of two sisters.

The women aged 23 and 15 were ordered to raped and paraded naked with their faces blackened after their brother ran away with a woman from the village’s dominant Jat caste.

Earlier this month, the older sister filed a petition before India’s Supreme Court seeking protection for her family so they can return to their home after the fled following the ruling.

On August 18, the Supreme Court ordered Uttar Pradesh authorities to reply to the petition by September 15.

But one of their brothers told Amnesty: “After we went to the Supreme Court, the villagers are even more aggressive.”

“In the panchayat [council], the Jat decision is final. They don’t listen to us. The police don’t listen to us. The police said anyone can be murdered now,” he said.

Amnesty organised a petition calling for authorities in Uttar Pradesh to ensure the family’s safety, to investigate the ruling passed by the council to rape the sisters and prosecute those who ordered it, and to ensure the safety of the woman from the Jat caste family.

The petition has been signed by nearly 150,000 people.

7. Former NSW Liberal Leader talks about his suicide attempt.

Warning: This item deals with suicide and may be difficult reading for some.

John Brogden

Former NSW Liberal Leader John Brodgen has spoken frankly about his suicide attempt saying that we need to talk more about suicide.

ADVERTISEMENT

John Brogden has told Fairfax Media that his suicide attempt in 2005 was the start of a long and slow road to recovery from depression.

He has called for people to talk about suicide more, for to not be off limits.

“Experiences like mine show there is a way back,” he said.

“About 25,000 people have killed themselves since I tried. If 25,000 people had been killed in domestic violence or on the roads, we’d be doing something about it, and we’re not.”

“The way we talk about suicide – the hushed tones, the oblique asides, the euphemisms – isn’t helping anyone”,

“One of my great revelations in the past 10 years is that most people think if you have a friend who is suicidal, you shouldn’t talk about it. But the reality is, you should. All the evidence is that you should bring it out, and ask that incredibly direct question, are you suicidal? We should never glorify suicide, but we have to bring it out.”

For help: Lifeline 13 11 14;   Beyondblue 1300 224 63;   Kids Helpline 1800 551 800.

8. Naked man wearing just a mask attacks women.

Police are searching for the offender.

Two women have been attacked by a naked man wearing just a surgical mask in the Sydney suburb of Hornsby.

The women, aged 18 and 20 were at Hornsby train station about 3.45am on Sunday morning when they were attacked by the man.

He allegedly jumped on the 20-year-old, pushing her to the ground, and grabbed the 18-year-old’s skirt.

ADVERTISEMENT

Police said that the women were not injured.

The women described him as Asian in appearance, about 20 years old, and wearing only the surgical mask and a beanie.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

9. Father punches daughter’s killer in court.

A man in the US has punched the killer of his three-year old daughter when he faced him in court.

Dwayne Smith was about to give a victim impact statement in a Detroit courtroom when he crossed paths with Clifford Thomas, who was convicted of the involuntary homicide of three-year-old Jamila Smith along with the child’s mother Jasmine Gordon.

Footage of the attack which has been broadcast shows Mr Smith lean in and attack Thomas, who had his back to his attacker.

Mr Smith is then restrained by a security guard.

Gordon’s daughter died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries in September last year with her death ruled a homicide.

Thomas and Gordon have been convicted of involuntary manslaughter and were awaiting sentencing when the courtroom attack occurred.

“No charges were pursued against those involved as the judge declined to hold Dwayne Smith in contempt of court,” Paula Bridges, a spokeswoman with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said.

10.  Author and neurologist Oliver Sacks dies.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 82-year old, author of best selling books such as The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, died Sunday at his home in New York City.

Dr Sacks first won attention in 1973 for his book Awakenings, about a group of patients with an atypical form of encephalitis at Beth Abraham Hospital in the Bronx.

11. Naps are good for you.

Naps are good for you.

Hurray!

A study has shown that taking a nanna nap might just save your life.

Research presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in London found people benefited if they had a snooze, preferably of an hour or more – cutting their blood pressure and the chance of suffering a heart attack or stroke, while also cutting the need for blood pressure medications.

Dr Manolis Kallistratos, a cardiologist at Asklepieion Voula General Hospital in Athens, Greece, who led the new study, said “Two influential UK prime ministers were supporters of the midday nap. Winston Churchill said that we must sleep some time between lunch and dinner while Margaret Thatcher didn’t want to be disturbed around 3pm. According to our study, they were right because midday naps seem to lower blood pressure levels and may probably also decrease the number of required antihypertensive medications.”

Guess what we are doing this afternoon?

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