Friday's news in under 2 minutes

BY MAMAMIA NEWS

1. Madeleine McCann

Portuguese Police have announced they are reopening their inquiry into the 2007 disappearance of British girl, Madeleine McCann. Kate and Gerry McCann said in a statement that they are “very pleased”. Portuguese authorities closed their investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance in 2008.

2. NSW Fire Death

Tragedy in NSW with the death of a water-bombing pilot, who was assisting firefighters. The Rural Fire Service Commissioner has paid tribute to David Black, a 43-year-old father of three. David was fighting a fire approximately 40 kilometres west of Ulladulla, when his Dromader aircraft crashed around 10am yesterday. Several bushfires in the Blue Mountains in NSW remain uncontained.

3. PM Abbott wrong on bushfires

Despite Tony Abbott saying that climate change and bushfires are not linked, a report by the Climate Council has found there  is increasing evidence that the two are connected. Mr Abbott had criticized the comments of a senior UN official who said there was a clear link between bushfires and climate change, saying she was talking out of her hat.

However this new report, which will be released in full next month, says “”South-eastern Australia is experiencing a long-term drying trend. In NSW, soil moisture levels have been at record low levels now for a number of months. More intense and frequent hot weather, as well as dry conditions, increases the likelihood of extreme fire weather days.”

4. Toddler deaths

Five men have been accused of kidnapping, raping and killing two little girls in South Africa. The crime was so shocking that mass demonstrations are  currently taking place. The girls aged two and three were taken from their home in broad daylight.

Yonelisa and Zandile Mali were found a few days later in Diepsloot, dumped in a public toilet block. The two girls had been raped and murdered. Arrests for rape are rare in South Africa; only 6% of rape cases lead to convictions.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world, with an average of 55,000 reported cases a year. The trial has been adjourned until November 1

5. Maria’s Mum found?

Police in Greece and Bulgaria are investigating whether a Bulgarian woman could be the biological mother of Maria, the girl found living in a Roma community in central Greece.

She has been named by local media as 35-year-old Sasha Ruseva, originally from Burgas, a city on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast.

Neighbours of Ruseva said that she had at least eight children and that four of them were “very blonde like Maria”.

The new details seem to support the version of events told to a judge on Monday by Christos Salis, 39 and Eleftheria Dimopoulou, 40 who were charged with child abduction. They deny snatching the child but insist she was given to them when she was a few weeks old by an impoverished Bulgarian woman who said she couldn’t care for her.

6. Nightclub “rape video” condemned

A nightclub is being condemned after it was seen to be encouraging young men to engage in violent sexual acts against women.

The nightclub in the UK released a video of students joking about girls being raped to promote a night called ‘Fresher’s Violation’.

The film featured clips of male clubbers talking about ‘violating’ other students, with one suggesting a girl was going to ‘get raped’.

During the clip, a presenter went around the nightclub interviewing clubbers and asked: ‘How are you going to violate a fresher tonight?’ Police in the UK have investigated and said it was highly inappropriate.

7. Spite House

There are nasty divorces and then there is this. This tiny home, with a front that is only 4.5 metres wide, is up for sale in Seattle in the US.

Originally built in 1925 there are two stories about why it was originally constructed.

Some neighbours tell the tale of a husband, a wife and a divorce settlement. Allegedly a judge awarded the husband the house and the wife the front yard; so out of spite up went the tiny home.

Others say there was a land dispute.
The home went up after the next-door neighbour, who wanted to buy the pie-shaped corner lot, made a low-ball offer to the property owner. The property owner was so mad at the offer he built the house to get back at his neighbour, who eventually ended up moving.

Whatever the reason it’s up for sale for A$413 000.

8. Pushy Parents

A former English football captain has hit out at parents for putting too much pressure on their kids. Gary Lineker criticized the ‘utterly depressing’ culture of pushy parents trying to turn their children into footballing superstars.

He said the behaviour of competitive parents puts pressure on the children and stops them enjoying themselves – and hinders their development as players.

The Former sports star turned British TV star said they should just ‘shut the fuck up’ while watching their youngsters.

9. Switched at Birth

Two mothers have been reunited with their newborn daughters after spending 3 weeks caring for each other’s child.

The Argentinian mothers noticed the mistake when they met by chance three weeks later. For one of the mums, Maria Lorena Gerbeno, suspicion started when her newborn’s weight seemed wrong.

According to the mother of three, the facts simply did not add up. It wasn’t until the two mums met at a newborn clinic 3 weeks later and got to talking that the mistakes added up.

DNA tests have proven the mothers are right, and they were reunited with their biological daughters on Monday. They are now considering legal action against the hospital.

10. Do you believe in Santa?

A survey out today shows that fewer children believe in Santa Claus. The average age of non-belief in the big fat man, has dropped back to eight.

The study found that ¾ of parents believe the innocence of childhood is being lost sooner, thanks to peer pressure, less free play and celebrity culture.

In very sad news for all the elves, it showed that playing imaginative games is also less important to preschoolers than watching television. We just hope that Mrs Claus isn’t reading this…

IN BRIEF:

One study has found that teachers add little value for top performing students because their lesson plans generally cater to only one level of ability.

Pirates have kidnapped two US crew members in an attack on oil supply ship off the Nigerian coast.

Don Randall has defended his entitlement use as within the rules.

A toddler has died after being pulled unconscious from backyard pool.

What news has gotten you talking this Friday?