Tuesday's news in under 5 minutes

1. Father of slain sisters faces court

The father of the Melbourne sisters murdered on Easter Sunday will face Melbourne Magistrates court today, charged with their murder.

Charles Mihayo, 35, is reported to have been living in a granny flat at the back of the property where they were killed. He had seperated from the girl’s mother about a year ago.

The family released images of the girls, Savannah, 4, and Indianna, 3, yesterday with a statement saying “We are utterly devastated at the loss of Savannah and Indianna.”

2. Father abandons three-year old toddler in burning car

A father has been arrested after allegedly leaving his three-year old daughter in a burning car while he fled the scene.

WA Police were called to the scene of a domestic incident where a 25-year-old man fled the scene taking his three-year old daughter with him in a stolen car. Police monitored the car finding it crashed into a concrete barrier and on fire a short time later.

The man had run away leaving his daughter in the burning vehicle. She was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Her father was arrested at a later stage and refused bail.

3. Missing swimmer

A massive search which took place for a missing swimmer at the Gold Coast beach of Currumbin yesterday may resume at first light today. There is confusion now over the reported missing woman with a member of the public coming forward to claim the clothes police thought to be the woman’s.

Beachgoers reported that a blonde woman about the age of 30 entered the surf yesterday and did not return. The Westpac Surf Life Saving helicopter, lifesavers, water police and members of the public searched for the blonde woman until dark.

4. Manus Island Riots footage

Fairfax Media has obtained exclusive footage of PNG Nationals employed as security guards attacking asylum seekers on Manus Island 24 hours before Iranian national Reza Berati died.

The footage shows guards throwing rocks at asylum seekers who hid in a room after being chased back into the facility.

5. Royal Outrage

There has been outrage in Britain about unauthorized footage of the Royal couple playing with Prince George during their day off yesterday. The images shown on Nine and Ten News last night showed the Duke and Duchess walking hand in hand through the garden – one shot showing the Duchess kicking her heels in delight.

Still papazzari images printed by News Limited showed Kate carrying Prince George on her shoulders.

The Times reports that Kensington Palace asked the Australian media not to continue broadcasting the film, but the requests were ignored.

6. Peaches Geldof Funeral

Overnight the funeral of Peaches Geldof has taken place with the young mother’s coffin adorned with a family portrait.

The funeral was held in the same church where that of her mother Paula Yates took place. Her father, Bob Geldof, led tributes to his daughter.

The coffin was painted sky blue, with clouds and flowers along the side and a picture of Peaches’ family at the back. The painting also depicted her pet dogs and cat.

Mystery still surrounds the reasons why Peaches Geldof died.

7. Policeman charged with rape

A NSW Policeman was charged yesterday with raping a young child.

The senior constable was charged with aggravated sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 10. He also faces charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He will appear in Goulburn Court in June.

8. $6 bulk-bill GP fee

The upcoming budget will include a co-payment of $6 for bulk-billed visits to the GP.

The Australian reports that co-payment will be capped at 12 visits, meaning a maximum extra cost of $72 a year for patients.

9. Pregnant woman died after wrong organ removed

An inquest has heard that a 20-week pregnant woman who went to a UK hospital to have her appendix removed died after a trainee surgeon removed her ovary instead.

The woman went on to give birth to a stillborn boy and then she died several days later.

For more read this post here “Pregnant woman died after the wrong organ was removed.”

10. Teenage stowaway

A 16-year old runaway has survived a flight from San Jose, California, to Maui, Hawaii hidden in the landing-gear wheel well of a Boeing 767.

The teenager who had had a fight with his family ran away and hopped a fence at the airport and hid in the wheel well of the plane.

Officials believe the boy rode in the tiny, cramped compartment for almost five hours, at altitudes that reached 38,000 feet, without oxygen and under subzero temperatures.

The boy lost consciousness when the plane took off. An hour after the plane landed he was spotted crawling out of the wheel well. He will not be charged.

11. Mum forced to chose between burning car or lions

A family in the UK were faced with a terrifying dilemma after their car caught fire in a lion enclosure at a UK safari park.

The woman was in her car with her son aged nine and 12-year old daughter.

She told the BBC that she sounded her horn and both she and her son opened their doors, before rangers came running towards them. “Unfortunately they were shouting to us: ‘Get back in the car, do not get out of the car’,” she added.

They were rescued by Rangers. The Lions reportedly watched the events unfold from afar.

What news are you talking about today?