It’s the weekend and we’ve got all your top stories for this Saturday morning in under 5 minutes.
1. Phil Walsh’s son may have been on ice when he attacked his father.
News.com.au reports Adelaide police are investigating whether or not 26-year-old Cy Walsh was under the influence of meth-amphetimine while he allegedly murdered his father, Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh.
Cy Walsh is currently undergoing psychiatric assessment under police guard at the Flinders Medical Centre.
ABC reports, Walsh’s lawyers have told the Adelaide Magistrates Court via phone link they have been unable to receive any instructions from their client. “He’s currently sedated,” lawyer Rebecca Gristwood told magistrate Sue O’Conner, “and I haven’t been able to take further instruction from him other than this morning.”
Investigations into Cy Walsh’s lifestyle began on Friday, revealing him as a self-described ‘couch surfer.’ The 26-year-old was offering a room to rent on couchsurfers.com, stating “My parents and me share the space, the spare bedroom is ready to go with inflatable mattress…Smoking is fine, pet dog in residence (jack russel), near oval for Aussie rules games. We sleep early and wake early … 3 nights max.”
Walsh will remain in custody and is set to appear before the courts again in September.
2. Baby drifts out to sea while her parents lay sun-baking on the beach.
Metro reports the 10-month-old little girl was rescued after drifting almost 1km out to see at Melda Ilgın Çanakkale beach in Turkey.
The baby was floating on an inflatable toy while her parents lay sun-baking on the beach. Her parents told Turkey’s BGN News they had forgotten they had placed her on the device, and only realised their child’s situation when other beach-goers began swimming out to rescue her.
The current was too strong for other civilians to reach the 10-month-old, so the coast guard was called.
The little girl was brought back to shore and is now safe.
3. Belgian doctors rule a 24-year-old woman has the right to end her life.
A clinically depressed 24-year-old from Belgian has been granted the right to end her own life.
Belgian doctors have ruled the woman, known only as ‘Laura,’ who has suffered depression since early childhood, should have the right to make her own choice regarding her life.
The Independent provided a translation from Belgian publication De Morgan whom ‘Laura’ told, “Death feels to me not as a choice. If I had a choice, I would choose a bearable life, but I have done everything and that was unsuccessful.”
‘Laura’ contemplated suicide as young as 6-years-old, The Independent reports.“Even though my childhood certainly contributed to my suffering, I am convinced that I had had this death wish even though I grew up with a quiet, stable family” she said.
Euthanasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002, which the average number of applications at 1,400. In 2013 Belgian parliaments amended the legislation, extending the right to children suffering from terminal illness. That same year, the number of requests peaked at 1,800.
4. NRL comes out in support of marriage equality.
Tom Burgess, star of the South Sydney Rabbitohs has spoken out in favour of same-sex marriage.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports, Burgess grew up with a lesbian couple as close family friends, who he referred to as his ‘aunties.’
“We always thought it was normal,” Burgess says. “They were really helpful in our growing up and we loved them.”
Burgess is keen to support the rights of same-sex couple, including some of his friends. “I wouldn’t want them to be unhappy in life,” he said.
The NRL is one of nearly 400 Australian organisations publicly supporting marriage equality. NRL COO Suzanne Young said, “One of the NRL’s core values is inclusiveness and we have put in place practices and policies to support and recognise the rights of our LGBTI community. Accordingly, the NRL supports marriage equality.”
Despite a history of homophobic slurs in the code, marriage equality advocates are pleased to have the league on board. Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome said, “We applaud the NRL for its principled stand in support of marriage equality and for its defence of fundamental Australian values like equal opportunity and a fair go.”
5. Tattoo artist turns little girl’s leg braces into Disney villains.
Aaron Guillemette is a tattoo artist in Fall River, Massachusetts who has made one little girl feel on top of the world.
Huffington Post reports Guillemette has tattooed the faces of Disney Villains Ursula and Cruelle DeVille, onto the leg braces of 8-year-old Hope Laliberte.
Tattoo artist gives girl’s leg braces a Disney-style makeover http://t.co/6XAzdFOyP7 pic.twitter.com/y9wKevdvzc
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 29, 2015
Hope and her twin sister page were born prematurely, and Hope suffers from cerebral palsy and a rare form of epilepsy.
“I’m glad to be in a position where I can help the community in any way,” Guillemette told Today Parents. “When I was first approached about designing Hope’s braces, I thought it would be an awesome idea — especially when I heard what the subject matter would be. Hope wanted Disney villains on her braces, not princesses.”
Huffington Post reports, when Hope saw her new braces she screamed with excitement.
Guillemette was equally as thrilled, telling Today “The look on her face when I gave them to her was worth everything it took to make them.”
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