Thursday afternoon'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. Prince Harry receives a cheeky pash from a female fan.

An Australian girl proposed to Prince Harry and then planted a sneaky pash on the unsuspecting prince as he made a public appearance in Sydney today.

Armed with a sign that read, “Marry me, Prince Harry”, 21-year-old Victoria McRae was picked out of the crowd by the new uncle to Princess Charlotte.

Ms McRae said His Royal Highness did not jump at the marriage proposal but she was “very happy” with her royal pash.

“He said could he think about it and I said I’d be happy with a kiss,” she told Sky News.

“He let me kiss him on the cheek I went in for it.”

She said she also kissed Premier Mike Baird, but didn’t know who he was.

“Harry was better to kiss and I got Harry’s lips, I only kissed the Premier on the cheek.”

2. Police searching for man who indecently assaulted Melbourne teen on tram.

A 14-year-old girl was indecently assaulted on an inner city tram as she commuted to school this week.

The teen was on the city-bound number 86 tram near High Street, Northcote, when an unknown man attacked her around 8.30am on Monday.

“The girl screamed and the man got off the tram and began walking back toward Preston along High Street,” Victoria Police spokeswoman Belinda Batty said.

The man is believed to be Caucasian, 175cm, aged in his mid-30s, with a thin build and dark blonde or brown hair and acne scarring.

He also had a distinctive silver-coloured ball piercing underneath the left side of his lip and smelt of nicotine.

Police had released a face image and CCTV of a man they wish to speak to.

Anyone with any information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

3. Tight race expected in today’s UK election.

Around 50 million British voters will cast their votes today in what is expected to be a tight election.

Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron and Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband have been neck and neck in opinion polls for months, which may mean neither party will win enough seats for an outright majority in the 650-seat parliament.

A handful of seats are expected to be declared by midnight, with the final results expected on Friday afternoon.

If neither wins an overall majority, talks will begin with smaller parties in a race to strike deals to form a coalition or minority government.

4. Victorian teen missing from Canadian ski resort.

There are growing fears for a teenage snowboarder who has vanished from Canadian ski resort Whistler.

Jake Kermond, 19, is from Harrietville in Victoria’s Alpine region and was last seen by hotel staff in the lobby on April 26.

They reported him missing four days later after discovering his belongings were still in his room and appeared to have been abandoned.

His parents have not heard from him.

5. Chief Judge stands down from Daniel Morcombe murder appeal.

Queensland’s Chief Justice has withdrawn himself from an appeal decision over the murder of schoolboy Daniel Morcombe.

Lawyers for Brett Peter Cowan, who was convicted of murdering Daniel, wanted Chief Justice Tim Carmody disqualified from delivering judgment, arguing there was a perceived bias because he held a private meeting with a well-known child protection advocate last month.

The Court of Appeal was to decide the disqualification application today, but the Chief Justice withdrew himself at the start of proceedings, the ABC reports. 

He said the allegation of bias was “absurd and extraordinary”, but he did not wish to delay justice and waste taxpayer money.

“It is in the best interests of this court and overall public confidence in the administration of justice that I withdraw instead of prolonging this bizarre sideshow,” Justice Carmody said.

“As head of jurisdiction, I must take steps – which sometimes seem extraordinary and, in this case, regrettable in the extreme – to preserve public confidence in the administration of justice and the institutional integrity of the system.”

Do you have a news tip? Email us at news@mamamia.com.au.

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