Cheat Sheet: Today's news in 60 seconds

Your speedy update on all the day’s big stories, Thursday, May 1 2014

Killer squirrel gets selfie revenge.

An American man felt the wrath of a bitter squirrel when he attempted to take a photo with it during a walk. The Reddit user, named Supplenupple, was on a hike when he spotted the cute squirrel on the board-walk rail and made use of the opportunity, taking a selfie with the furry mammal (left). The unsuspecting man wasn't ready for what happened next... He told Buzzfeed: "I approached it making a clicking noise with my tongue; phone drawn. When I got close enough, the squirrel actually tried grabbing my phone. I shook it off, then snapped this photo. Next thing I knew, the squirrel was on my shoulder, then under my shirt, and then hanging off my back! This photo (above) is courtesy of my mom, who collapsed laughing shortly after."

Sinkhole closes Queensland highway. 

A 3.5 metre wide sinkhole which caused the closure of the Bruce Highway today for 14 hours has finally been filled and the highway has reopened. The sinkhole was initially thought to be 2m wide but it grew to 3.5m and 1.5m deep. A northbound lane collapsed on the highway, 20km south of Bowen. A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said the sinkhole was caused by water that was seeping through the road, adding: “We have done excavation and repairs throughout the night and our priority is the safety of all road users and reopening the road as soon as possible."

Warning: New BPA danger discovered.

Controversial BPAs, found in many plastic bottles and containers, is subject to a new warning. A study, published in the The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology has shown that the controversial compound  could be causing obesity and diabetes. Bisphenol A (BPA) is banned in most countries in the world but in Australia it is still used in the manufacture of plastic containers. BPA can leak from the container into food or drink, particularly when heated. Deakin University has found a new pathway for BPA to spread in the body. Dr Yann Gibert  believes that Australia needs to introduce a ban on BPA, or revise consumption levels. Current guidelines say it is safe to ingest up to 50 micrograms of BPA per day. However the new study shows that these guidelines need to be re-thought. In Europe the intake is soon to be dropped to 5 micrograms per kilo per day.

The last thing you'd expect to find in a new handbag.

An Australian woman, who lives in Harlem, has told of her experience discovering a slave's letter,

Scott Cam's million-dollar mansions.

Scott Cam, the much-loved host of The Block, has quietly been creating a property portfolio worth millions in NSW, making him one of the richest TV talents in Australia. Having just won the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television, the 51-year-old carpenter owns a Vaucluse home worth $6 million, a $2-million dollar home in Rosebery, a house at Narrawalee on the South Coast and a property close to Mudgee. Of his accelerating success in the industry, Cam says: “Fifteen years ago, a fellow named Stuie Clark came to me in the pub and said “I want you to do a screen test for a TV show we’re going to do.” I didn’t know much about it — I didn’t know anything about it ... but he certainly has changed my life."