news

Saturday's news in less than 5 minutes.

1. Police hunt for armed girlfriend of Paris supermarket gunman.

Hayat Boumeddiene is the most wanted woman in Paris.

The 26-year-old remains armed and on the run after holding up a kosher grocery store at gunpoint with her boyfriend, Amedy Coulibaly, 32. 

Hayat Boumeddiene, left, and her boyfriend, Amedy Coulibaly who was shot dead on Friday.

 

It is believed the pair, who have been in a relationship since 2010, were both part of the same terrorist web as brothers Cherif Kouachi, 32, and Said Kouachi, 34, who police identified as the men behind the killings at Charlie Hebdo.

Coulibaly, who was previously imprisoned for four years on charges of terrorism, was mentored by Islamic radical Djamel Beghal, who was also jailed for plotting to bomb the American embassy in Paris.

It is reported that Boumeddienne was previously interviewed by French anti-terror police in 2010 but it remains unclear as to whether any action was taken against her at that time.

These are the victims of the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in Paris.

Coulibaly was shot dead on Friday by police after threatening to kill hostages inside the grocery store in East Paris if the Kouachi brothers, who were holed up 40km, were not released.

You can read more here: Charlie Hebdo suspects killed, but four hostages die in second siege.

2. The PM will today attend the Keriba Omasker service for 8 children murdered in Cairns.

By Allyson Hom.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Queensland’s political leaders will join family and friends at the funeral for eight children who were killed at their Cairns home.

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The four girls and four boys, aged between two and 14 years old, were found dead at the Murray Street property days before Christmas.

Raina Mersane Ina Thaiday, mother of seven of the children and aunt to the eighth, has been charged with eight counts of murder.

A shrine was set up near the home where the children’s bodies were found last month.

 

The children were part of the city’s tight-knit Torres Strait Islander community.

This morning’s funeral service at the Cairns Convention Centre has been named Keriba Omasker, which means our children in the Erub dialect, a language of their heritage.

Thousands of people are expected to turn out for the funeral, which will also be attended by Premier Campbell Newman and Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk, who have both suspended election campaigning for the day.

This is an edited version of an ABC News story. You can read more here.

3. Bomb scare at Melbourne airport causes shutdown and evacuation overnight.

Melbourne airport was shut down for 8 hours.

 

Parts of Melbourne Airport, including a TigerAir plane, were evacuated overnight after a bomb scare that started around 9pm yesterday.

Disruptions to the Tiger airlines schedule are expected to continue throughout the day despite the airport being declared safe at 5am, eight hours after the scare started.

The site of the scare, terminal 4, saw a plane-load of passengers moved from their aircraft onto buses last night as police searched the terminal for dangerous materials.

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Victoria Police spokeswoman Belle Nolan this morning confirmed that this search failed to turn up anything hazardous but would not reveal what sparked the scare.

TigerAir passengers are being encouraged to check the airlines’ website and twitter feed today as lengthy delays are anticipated.

4. Police release image of car theft suspect as family mourns loss of toddler.

By ABC News.

Police have released a photograph of a man they believe stole a car that was later involved in a police pursuit in which a Sydney toddler was killed.

suspect in toddler car chase
Police have urged the public not to approach Christopher Chandler but to call triple-0 if they see him. Source: NSW Police.
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Christopher Chandler is wanted over the theft of a dark-coloured Audi from Anzac Parade at Kingsford in eastern Sydney on Wednesday.

The car was involved in a high-speed police pursuit at Constitution Hill in the city’s west on Thursday evening.

A toddler has been killed in a police car chase in NSW.

Tateolena Tauaifaga died after the stolen car pursued by police vehicles veered off Bessbrook Way and drove through the backyard of her home.

New South Wales Police have described 22-year-old Chandler as being 175-185cm tall with short brown hair, facial hair, green/hazel eyes and a thin build.

They have urged the public not to approach him but to ring triple-0 if they see him.

The backyard where Tateolena was playing with her siblings.

 

Tateolena suffered critical injuries and was taken to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead where she later died.

Her family has released a statement in which they asked the media to respect their privacy while they grieve.

This is an edited version of an ABC News story. You can read more here.

5. Miscarriages to receive formal recognition by NSW Government.

From this month, the NSW Births Deaths and Marriages will provide an optional “recognition of loss” certificate for women who miscarry before 20 weeks.

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The SMH reports that while one in four pregnancies in NSW end in miscarriage, this certificate is the first time formal recognition of this kind has been available.

In the past, only stilbirths (pregnancies lost after five months) have been recognised.

The NSW Attorney General Brad Hazzard told the SMH that he hopes the move will help grieving parents, at least in some small way.

“Families who experience the loss of a baby early in pregnancy have a difficult grieving process and often feel that their loss isn’t recognised,” he said

The certificate is available through the NSW Births Deaths and Marriages website and parents can choose whether to include a name on the certificate or simply to choose to write “baby of” the parents’ names.

The certificate will not be a legal document, but rather a recognition of a loss felt by the family.

How a devastating miscarriage changed this dad forever.

Pro-choice campaigners are comfortable with the change as it acknowledges a family’s grief without threatening broader reproductive rights.

Co-president of Reproductive Choice Australia, Jenny Ejlak told the SMH: “It sounds like a good idea without putting any risks in place that could criminalise any behaviour by pregnant woman.”