Tuesday's news in under 5 minutes

 1. Diplomatic spying

Indonesia has recalled its ambassador to Australia amid fury in Jakarta over news that Australia has been spying on Indonesia. Australian spies have reportedly tried to listen to the phone calls of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and senior ministers.

The revelations come amid already heightened diplomatic tensions over asylum seeker issues, putting Jakarta-Canberra ties in an arguably record low in the past several years. For more on this see this post here. 

2. Undercover asylum seekers

Two journalists have gone undercover to document the journey from Indonesia to Christmas Island. The New York Times Magazine writer and photographer made the voyage with 57 other people in an open decked 10-metre boat. ‘There was no toilet..The men urinated on the hull, the women in their pants … The bow – reeked dizzyingly of vomit and urine.’ To read more on this extraordinary story click through to this post here- ” Undercover journalists first-hand account of asylum seeker journey.”

3. Concerns over childcare costs

There are concerns that the costs of childcare may rise under a proposal to provide government rebates for families who employ nannies. The Australian Nanny Association is pushing for an extension of the nanny rebate. Childcare Alliance Australia president Gwynn Bridge said applying a rebate to nannies was not the answer to affordable care.

4. On air mammogram

Today Show co-host Lisa Wilkinson and Georgie Gardner have had a mammogram live on air. Lisa had said that she felt like “a fraud” for delaying having her own mammogram.  Georgie had never had one before. An American news anchor recently was tested live on TV for breast cancer with a positive diagnosis coming back. ( Read more about that here).

Lisa Wilkinson and Georgie Gardner are hoping to raise awareness of the importance of regular check-ups.

5. Hopes for female president

Former US President Bill Clinton says he hopes there will be a woman in the White House in his lifetime. “I hope we have a woman president in my lifetime, and I think it would be a good thing for the world as well as for America,” His wife, Hillary has not said whether she plans another presidential run.

6. Breast cancer campaign ban

A breast cancer campaign banned in New Zealand is receiving complaints that it shows too little flesh. The ad shows women’s breasts obscured by objects such as pot plants, after authorities would not let the original ad be shown on TV which features naked breasts, and was deemed offensive. The original Scottish ad (shown below) had been attributed to a doubling in the number of women contacting their doctors about the disease.

7. PM’s rental bill

There are reports today that taxpayers are spending $3,000 a week to rent a house in Canberra for the PM while he lives elsewhere. The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet is now trying to terminate a 12-month lease

8. Indonesian smoking toddler

The Indonesian toddler who was discovered smoking two-years ago has some good news to share – he has given up smoking. However its been revealed that he has a new addiction – food. Drinking up to three cans of condensed milk a day. The five-year-old weighs double what he should.

9. Doris Lessing dies

Nobel Prize-winning novelist Doris Lessing – one of the most important English-language writers of the late 20th century – has died aged 94. Her 1962 novel The Golden Notebook was the book that made her internationally known.

10. Tough Mudder safety concerns

The safety of the “Tough mudder” events are being questioned over the amount and extent of injuries resulting from the race. “The volume and severity of injuries in the Tough Mudder race we studied was unusually high, possibly leading to some permanent disabilities,” said the lead study author.

11. Awesome scientist

A twelve-year-old boy has been named America’s Top Young Scientist for 2013.

Among his impressive inventions is an idea he dreamed up after Superstorm Sandy for redesigning the traditional sandbag. The design earned him $25,000 along with the Top Young Scientist award.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z9199FMcaw

In Brief:

A manhunt is underway in Paris after a gunman attacked offices of the newspaper Liberation and fired outside the HQ of the bank Societe Generale.

Pink Floyd singer songwriter Roy Harper has appeared in a UK court charged with committing a series of child sex offences in the 1970s

What news are you talking about today?