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Friday's news in under 5 minutes.

We’ve rounded up all the latest stories from Australia and around the world – so you don’t have to go searching.

1. Two teenage girls posed for a selfie with a woman as they beat her to death.

Two teens drank alcohol and laughed as they beat a woman to death – stopping only for a selfie with the victim during a “brutal and sustained” attack, a court has heard.

Englishwoman Angela Wrightson, 39, suffered more than 100 injuries after two girls, aged 13 and 14, allegedly fatally bashed her in her home using an array of household items, the New Zealand Herald reports.

A jury heard the girls took photos mocking their victim, smiling alongside her, and one girl took a photo of the other in the back of a police van after they persuaded police to give them a ride home – and shared the image with friends on Snapchat.

The girls are accused of mutilating the frail woman’s body by placing gravel and broken glass around her genitals and ash in her right ear.

The court heard Miss Wrightson pleaded for her life, begging her attackers: “Please don’t. Stop. I’m scared.”

The girls have pleaded not guilty. The trail is expected to run for a month.

2. Man in critical condition after being attacked by a shark on the NSW north coast.

A 32-year-old bodyboarder was critically injured in a shark attack at Lighthouse Beach, near Ballina, yesterday.

One of the two friends that assisted the injured man reportedly tried to help 41-year-old Japanese surfer, Tadashi Nakahara, after he was fatally attacked by a shark at nearby Shelly Beach earlier this year, the ABC reports.

Police officers said a man suffered significant leg injuries after being bitten by a shark around 10am.

selfie murder
A Great White shark. (Image via iStock)

A 16-year-old was killed by a shark while body boarding at the same beach in 2008.

Ballina Mayor David Wright said a large shark had been spotted in the area around the time of the attack.

“It appears that they’ve got some part of the shark, a tooth or something like that, and they think it’s a [Great] White,” he said.

All beaches within the Ballina Shire were closed for 24 hours.

3. Belle Gibson taken to court over alleged fundraising fraud.

Consumer Affairs Victoria has gone to court demanding disgraced wellness guru Belle Gibson respond to questions about her alleged fundraising fraud.

The watchdog began investigating the 23-year-old four months ago, when it came to light that several charities had not received the thousands of dollars in donations promised from the sale of her popular app, The Whole Pantry, the Herald Sun reports.

Belle Gibson during her 60 Minutes interview.

CAV went to Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to demand a response to 27 questions, including whether she had ever suffered brain cancer, and copies of any charitable receipts.

Blair Ussher, for CAV, told the court Ms Gibson had been given a two-week extension to provide the information, but sought a further extension, claiming her lawyer was on holidays.

Ms Gibson, who did not appear at court, was given a new deadline of July 9 by the magistrate.

4. Four men allegedly gang raped a Sydney teen at a house party.

Four men have been charged over an alleged gang rape of a teenage girl at a western Sydney house party last month.

The 18-year-old told her mother she was attacked at a Blacktown party on June 21, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Four local men were arrested and charged.

Three men – two aged 20 and one aged 19 – were refused bail after being charged with aggravated sexual assault in company and aggravated indecent assault in company.

A 27-year-old was charged with sexual assault in company and aggravated indecent assault in company and bailed to appear in court later this month.

 5. At least 36 people are dead after a ferry capsized minutes after leaving port.

A ferry capsize in the central Philippines has left 36 people dead and 19 still missing.

The boat, which was carrying 173 passengers, was barely 200 metres from shore went it ran into trouble, CNN reports.

The 118 survivors have been taken to local hospitals.

6. Prime Minister’s sister challenged her brother to allow conscience vote on gay marriage.

Tony Abbott’s sister Christine Forster has urged her brother to allow Liberal party members to vote with their conscience on the upcoming marriage equality bill.

Christine Forster and her brother, Tony Abbott.

Ms Forster, also a City of Sydney Councillor, has been in a long-term relationship with a woman and is a strong supporter of same-sex marriage.

“This is something that as a party we need to define – and hopefully redefine – our position on; that marriage is an issue on which members can exercise their consciences,” she said, according to Fairfax Media.

The marriage equality bill sponsored by members of both parties is set to be presented to parliament in August.

 7. An anti-Islam organisation was posing as a domestic violence support group.

A racist organisation has been deregistered after it was discovered posing as a domestic violence support group.

According to Fairfax Media, the Patriots Defence League of Australia was registered in Queensland in 2014, and described itself as an organisation “to raise awareness of womens and childrens [sic] rights and domestic violence against women and children.”

However, the group is widely known for its anti-Islamic propaganda and involvement in rallies like Reclaim Australia. It has violently campaigned against Islam and referred to its devotees as “rats” and “cockroaches”.

Fairfax reports that the Office of Fair Trading investigated the League and found it was “carrying on an operation which is beyond the scope of the objects of the incorporated association”.

It found that cancelling the PDLA’s registration was in “the public interest.”

8. Adelaide Crows coach killed.

The coach of AFL team Adelaide Crows has died and police have his son in custody.

Phil Walsh was found in his home with critical injuries but died at the scene.

His 26-year-old son is in police custody.

Mr Walsh’ wife is in hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

9. Jetstar flights cancelled.

All Jetstar flights to Bali have been cancelled after an ash cloud hovers near Denpasar International Airport.

ABC News reports flights to and from Cairns, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, as well as one way flights to and from Singapore, Adelaide and Darwin have been affected.

According to a statement released by Jetstar, passengers with cancelled or rescheduled flights will be contacted by the airline.

Watch today’s news in 90 seconds

Video via ABC News

Do you have a news tip? Email us at news@mamamia.com.au.
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