Wednesday's news in under 5 minutes.

1. Search for missing William

Police have said they are baffled there is no sign of missing three-year-old William Tyrell, with reports that police dogs deployed have not picked up a trace of his scent at all.

As the search enters its sixth day, The Australian reports police have launched a “parallel investigation” involving detective from the sex crimes squad.

Detectives have spoken to a range of relatives and other people connected to him.

Superintendent Paul Fehon said it remained unclear whether William, who was last seen wearing a Spiderman suit, had wandered off of his own accord or whether something “more sinister had occurred.”

For more on William, read this post here.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to call Triple-0

2. Two boys missing Father won’t assist

Gold Coast Police are searching for two missing brothers – with reports their father is refusing to tell police where his sons have gone.

Jayden and Joseph Brady aged 14 and 11 have been missing since 3am Sunday morning.

The ABC reports that their father, Daniel Brady helped them leave a Tweed Heads property.

Police have said that the father had breached a court order preventing access to the children. He was arrested yesterday and bail was refused.

Police could not say where the boys may have travelled.

Anyone who sees them or believes they know their whereabouts is urged to contact ‘000’ or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

3. PM to announce a referendum on acknowledging indigenous Australians in the Constitution

The Prime Minister will announce that the referendum on acknowledging indigenous Australians in the Constitution will take place in 2017, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum writes The Australian.

Meanwhile it has been reported that he will interrupt his week in Arnhem Land in order to fully deal with the developing situation in Iraq.

Fairfax Media reports that the PM will fly out tomorrow to farewell troops headed to Iraq, but will then return to Nhulunbuy on Friday.

4. High Profile sports star indicted on child abuse

A high profile football star in the US who has been indicted for child abuse has justified whipping his son with a tree branch saying it was out of love.

Adrian Peterson is still being allowed to play in his team’s next game this Sunday.

For more read this post here.

5. Outrage after council fails on CCTV

The Herald Sun reports that two years after Jill Meagher was killed while walking home alone from a Brunswick bar, the local council has failed properly install CCTV cameras on the street where she was last seen alive.

This is despite $250,000 from the State Government to install nine cameras along Sydney Rd, Moreland.

The Herald Sun reports today that Moreland Council has actually installed four of the nine CCTV cameras but amazingly none is operational.

6. NSW moves on medical marijuana

NSW have moved a step closer to legalising marajuana for medical use with Premier Mike Baird announcing changes to police guidelines yesterday.

He said that terminally ill patients would soon be able to use cannabis without being charged in NSW.

7. Thai police question three over Thailand deaths.

Police investigating the murders of British tourists Hannah Wetheridge and David Miller on the Thai island of Koh Tao have released a still image from CCTV cameras showing a man they consider a “prime suspect”.

Detectives are questioning three migrant workers from Burma over the killing of two British tourists on the resort island.

Fairfax Media reports that Thai authorities often accuse migrants from Myanmar and Cambodia of committing crimes where they make up a poorly paid workforce.

The bodies of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, aged 23, were discovered semi-naked on a beach in the divers’ paradise of Koh Tao yesterday.

A bloodstained hoe, believed to be the murder weapon, was found nearby.

8. WHO describes Ebola as unparalleled

The World Health Organisation has described the Ebola outbreak as unparalleled. 2,461 people in West Africa have died from the virus.

“Quite frankly, ladies and gentlemen, this health crisis we’re facing is unparalleled in modern times,” World Health Organization Assistant Director General Bruce Aylward told a news conference in Geneva.

“We don’t know where the numbers are going on this.”

He said the number of infected and dead had doubled in the past fortnight.

9. Navy trial

Four Navy sailors have appeared in court facing eight charges including indecent and sexual assault for raping a colleague with a rubber chicken in a “sea ritual” on a naval ship.

A court martial in Sydney heard that ABLE Seamen Rohan Angre, Mitchell Summers, Michael Thompson and Jonathan Walter are accused of holding the man down, smearing him with Deep Heat and Vegemite before assaulting him while onboard the HMAS Newcastle when it was stationed off the coast of Western Australia in August 2011 reports News Limited. 

Angre has already pleaded guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

10. Proposal to put childcare centres into clubs

Andrew Wilkie has described the proposal to put childcare centres into Clubs as a “sick joke” according to The Guardian.

 Fairfax Media reported earlier in the week that the productivity commission’s childcare inquiry had a submission from Club’s Australia for 1000 licensed clubs to fill the childcare shortfall by opening childcare centres on their premises in exchange for tax breaks on gambling profits.

Clubs Australia executive director Anthony Ball wrote in his submission “Not-for-profit clubs are well positioned to deliver affordable access to childcare. The industry’s extensive community networks, sizeable facilities, geographic footprint and capital expenditure programs ensures that clubs can help fill service gaps where demand is most acute.”

11. Man refuses to give up his bus seat

It’s the first step in common courtesy isn’t it?

You give up your bus seat for the elderly.

Well a man in China has found out the hard way what happens if you don’t.

In a video, posted on YouTube, a young man refuses to give up his seat marked for the use of elderly and disabled.

A group of older Chinese however decided they were going to jostle the man until he did.

China News Service reportedly confirmed the young man had not suffered any serious injuries. Surely now he will think twice about where he will sit on the bus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwWhSS3xVCQ

12. Breastfeeding survey

47% of those in China see the act as “embarrassing”, while 57% in American say it is “perfectly natural”.

In Hungary, 41% of mothers think breastfeeding is “unavoidable”, while in Turkey, one-fifth believe it is “wrong”.

Mothers were also asked what their reaction would be to a two-year-old breastfeeding. In the UK 50% said they would think to themselves that the baby is too old to still be nursing. In France only 5% think, “She shouldn’t be breastfeeding in public.”

13. We are stressing out our Moggies people.

A report today that cats are being increasingly stressed because we are treating them like dogs.

The Telegraph quotes a leading animal behaviouralist who says that people just expect cats to be thoroughly domesticated and to enjoy being petted.

“They fail to understand that lavishing a cat with affection will not necessarily make it feel more content.” Said Dr John Bradshaw

“Unlike dogs, the cat is still halfway between a domestic and a wild animal, and it’s not enjoying 21st century living.”

He said one of the chief causes for stress was people who had more than one cat.

“Cats are not very good at getting on with other cats he said.”

See further proof that dogs are better.

(Just kidding… Kinda..)
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