Monday's news in under 5 minutes.

A Malaysian Airlines flight on route from Kuala Lumpur to Bangalore was forced to turn back after three hours last night. The situation occurred due to one of the tyres on the right hand landing bursting during take-off. All 166 passengers and crew members on board the flight have now successfully disembarked from the aircraft.

The Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein tweeted, “they have landed safely- thank God.”

2. Melbourne man charged with the murder of two sisters.

A man in Melbourne’s north east has been charged over the murder of two young girls, reportedly aged 3 and 4, this morning. Firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene on Sunday afternoon, but were unsuccessful in attempts to revive the pair.

For more on this story, read this post.

3. Death toll in South Korean ferry disaster rises. Further details emerge.

Fifty eight people on board the South Korean ferry that sunk last week have now been confirmed dead. Two hundred and forty four are still missing, though authorities are at this stage are presuming them dead too.

It is still unclear why exactly the ferry capsized. On Saturday the captain Lee Joon-seok – who has faced criticism over leaving the ship – was arrested, facing five charges including negligence of duty and a violation of maritime law.

A conversation between vessel controllers and the ship has now also been leaked by coastguards. It reveals that it took more than two hours for the ferry to capsize completely, and that during this time passengers were ordered to remain in their cabins.

Fairfax have reported that China is building informant networks to monitor the ethnic Chinese community in Australia. Such monitoring is said to be largely occurring in tertiary education institutions, including Sydney and Melbourne University. This is reportedly in an attempt to protect Beijing’s “core interests,” as over 90,000 Chinese students studying in Australia are exposed to ideas not readily available to them in China.

Such findings have prompted the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation to increase their counter-intellgience capabilities.

5. Politicians pay tribute to former Premier, Neville Wran.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has joined with other politicians to pay tribute to former Premier Neville Wran, who passed away on Sunday night aged 87.

Mr Abbott noted some of Wran’s achievements, including his decision to support the building of the Sydney Entertainment Centre and the redevelopment of Darling Harbour. He also described Wran as “one of the most significant figures of his generation”.

Malcolm Turnbull said he could not have asked for a better friend or colleague than Wran. He got into politics to do things, and he did,” the Federal Communications Minister said.

Kristina Keneally, Barry O’ Farrell and Bob Carr also payed their respects.

6. Disability pension for under 35s under Coalition scrutiny.

The minister for social services, Kevin Andrews, is considering a reassessment of the disability support pension scheme currently in place for under 35s. His plan would see independent doctors reassess eligibility.

Andrews had previously promised a review of the welfare network would not include retrospective changes for those on the disability support pension. However, recent comments made by him suggest the government is actively considering this option:

“It’s really looking at whether or not particularly younger people – say under the age of 30 or 35 – who prospectively might go on to the DSP, if we can keep them in work,” he said.

An interim report has been prepared by welfare consultant Patrick McClure. This report will be released in the next few weeks so consultations with the community can start.

7. National Water Commission likely to be axed.

The National Water Commission, the independent statutory authority advising the Commonwealth government on water policy, could be axed as part of the Federal Government’s budget cuts. The Commission overlooks programs like the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Staff have been told their future is under review. If scrapped, the Government would save over $30 million over the next four years.

Fans, however, were left disappointed by their arrival. The pair gave a quick wave to the 200 fans ready to welcome them, before strapping baby George into his car seat and driving to Government House.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was forced to break the news to crestfallen fans. “George was starting to cry,” she said.

On Tuesday the Duke and Duchess will enjoy a trip to Uluru and Alice Springs.