Monday's news in less time than it takes to drink your coffee.

 1. Convicted child rapist on the loose

A convicted child rapist is on the run after fleeing a facility in Ararat, Victoria. The Herald Sun reports police issued a warning after 42-year-old Andrew Darling walked out of the correctional facility, known as the Village of the Damned and home to some of the state’s worst sex offenders. Darling cut off his electronic tracking bracelet at about 2:30am yesterday, triggering an alarm. Police used dogs to try to find him, but have not yet been successful.

It is the second time in five years Darling, who was convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl, has been hunted by police. The sex offender previously broke his parole just a day after being ­released from jail, the Herald Sun reports.

Police say he is a danger to the public and should not be approached. Members of the public who see Darling, who often wears camoflague clothing, should call 000 immediately.

2.  Outrage over asylum seekers returned to Sri Lanka

Australia has returned sylum seekers, including 4 Tamils, to Sri Lanka — a country that it has alleged  is responsible for government-sponsored torture and abuse. Immigration minister Scott Morrison confirmed the transfer this morning. The Federal government originally refused to comment on or confirm that two boats suspected of carrying up to 200 asylum seekers had made it to Australians waters. But the Daily Telegraph reports this morning that at least one of the boats was intercepted off Christmas Island and has been sailed back across the Indian Ocean by an Australian navy boat acting under border protection command. The Tamils will shortly be transferred to the custody of a Sri Lankan naval ship at sea, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Reports suggest the group was screened at sea — in an operation conducted under the enhanced screening policy first introduced by Labor in 2012 — and most were deemed to be economic refugees.

One of the asylum seekers ‘ claims to refugee status was found to be credible under the screening process, the Daily Telegraph reports, but he asked to be returned home after being told he would be taken to Manus Island for processing.

The government decision to return the Sri Lankans back to their country of origin has drawn sharp criticism from refugee rights groups, raising concerns Australia has breached its obligations under international law.

Under the “non-refoulement” clause of the 1951 UN Refugees Convention, Australia cannot send refugees back to a place where they face threat of persecution.

3.  Two celebrities claim Rolf Harris assaulted them

A BBC radio presenter and a singer have come forward to say UK entertainer Rolf Harris assaulted them.

Vanessa Feltz, a former TV presenter who now works for BBC radio, says Harris slid his hand up her dress while she interviewed him on live UK breakfast television, News.com.au reports. She told The Express his wife looked on as the act took place. Singer Linda Nolan also came forward to say she was abused by Harris on a tour of South Africa when she was 15, saying the entertained licked her neck. Harris was jailed for five years on Friday after being found guilty of a string of sexual assaults.

4. Voice Kids star audition ends in tears

The Voice Kids has drawn criticism after a 12-year-old contestant broke down in tears after her audition was unsuccessful. 

5.  Australia tops list for recreational drug use: report

Australia has the highest proportion of recreational drug users in the world, a new UN report has revealed.

The number of drug users is also continuing to rise steadily, according to the United Nation’s 2014 World Drug Report.

The report lists Australia as leading the world in the use of party drug ecstasy, third in methamphetamines and fourth in cocaine, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Australia also ranks second only to the US in rates of addiction­ to prescribed or black market opioids such as codeine and morphine.

6. Grandma charged with murder of husband

A 75-year-old grandma has been charged with the murder of her husband. Tony Colella, aged in his 70s, was found dead with serious stab wounds to the head inside the couple’s home in South Australia at 7:50am on Sunday morning, News.com.au reports. His wife Luce Colella, who was taken to hospital with minor injuries, has been charged with his murder and faces a bedside court hearing on Monday. Residents said they could not comprehend why such a horrific crime would happen in their street, News.com.au reports.

7. Arrests made over burning of Palestinian teenager

Israeli police have arrested a group of extremists in connection with the kidnap and murder of a Palestinian teenager who was burned to death, News.com.au reports. Israeli police and the Shin Bet security agency said in a statement the suspects were being interrogated. The July 2 killing of 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khder, which was set off violent protests, was thought to be a retaliatory move after the kidnapping and murder in the West Bank last month of three Israeli teenagers.

8. O’Keefe makes Bali bombing joke

Weekend Sunrise presenter Andrew O’Keefe made an inappropriate joke about the tragic Bali bombings on Sunday. The Australian media personality and former lawyer made the unfunny one-liner while interviewing the finalists of Seven Network’s House Rules alongside co-host Monique Wright, the Daily Mail reports. O’Keefe made the comment after contestant Lisa said: ‘We are so proud of what we’ve done for Carole and Russell we’ve gone for a Balinese style type feel and we absolutely hope that they’re blown away from it.’ “Well let’s hope they are blown away – although, you know, getting blown away in Bali is not a good idea,” said O’Keefe. The 2002 and 2005 Bali terrorist attack claimed the lives of 92 Australians.

9. Students get credit for not shaving

Students at Arizona State University in the US are passing their course by letting their underarm and leg hair run out.

10. Pistorius re-creates shooting in video

The extraordinary leaked footage was aired last night by Channel 7’s Sunday Night. In the video, Pistorius is shown without his prosthetic stumps with his right arm held out as if clutching a gun, News.com.au reports. The video is reported to have been shot by an American company and the paralympic gold medallist’s lawyers are said to be furious at its release, News.com.au reports. Pistorius’ family have also condemned “a staggering breach of trust” after the broadcast of the video.

11. Peter Holmes a Court’s wedding cancelled after tragedy

Australian businessman Peter Holmes a Court’s wedding to American photographer Alissa Everett has been cancelled following a tragedy in Zimbabwe.

A tourist tram his guests were travelling on collided with a freight train in the southern African country last Tuesday, leaving at least one member of the 32-strong wedding party dead, the Daily Mail reports.

It’s not known whether Holmes a Court or his bride to be were on the train.

“Whilst the tram train was at the Victoria Falls main station, the train operator stopped intending to change the railway line and the tram train was hit from behind by a goods train which was coming from the same direction”, allafrica.com cites Zimbabwe Republic Police national spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba as saying.

Millionaire Jason Gissing, who was Holmes a Court’s best man, suffered a broken arm and leg in the accident and was flown to South Africa for treatment.

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