Wednesday'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.

Another man arrested in connection to the alleged murder of Stephanie Scott.

Police have arrested a 24-year-old man in South Australia today, as part of the investigation into the alleged murder of Leeton school teacher, Stephanie Scott.

South Australian detectives had a search warrant for a home in Forreston, South Australia where they arrested the man.

NSW Police have requested his extradition to stand trial for his possible involvement in the Stephanie Scott killing.

Once in NSW, the man is expected to be charged as an alleged accessory after the fact.

The accused will appear before Mount Barker Magistrates Court today.

1. Joe Hockey: “Get a good job that pays good money.”

The Treasurer is copping it over comments he made about housing affordability yesterday when he said in order to enter the housing market young people just needed to “get a good job that pays good money.”

Mr Hockey was speaking at a press conference to announce over 200 cases where restrictions on foreign investment in real estate may have been breached and an ongoing ATO investigation.

Mr Hockey said that while house prices in Sydney were “inflated” the market was still affordable for first-home buyers.

“If housing were unaffordable in Sydney, no-one would be buying it,” he said.

But he said it would have to be a really well-paid job, not just on average wages, and that it was “reasonably expensive entry costs for first home buyers.”

“The starting point for a first homebuyer is to get a good job that pays good money,”

“If you’ve got a good job that pays good money and you have security in relation to that job then you can go to the bank and you can borrow money.

“That’s readily affordable, more affordable than ever. (It’s more affordable to) borrow money for a first home now than it’s ever been.”

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen was one of the first to declare Mr Hockey out of touch.

“That’s just an insult to the nurses, the teachers, the people who are working hard, who just are finding it very hard to break into the housing market,” Mr Bowen said.

“This is Joe Hockey’s ‘poor people don’t drive cars’ moment all over again.

“The Treasurer is completely out of touch, he completely misunderstands the Sydney housing market, and he just can’t help himself. He just insults people who are hard workers at every opportunity.

“To say to young Australians in particular who are trying to crack into the housing market that what they should do is get a well paid job is just an insult to those Australians, those younger Australians, who are working hard, saving hard, and all they get from the Treasurer is an insulting lecture.”

The hashtag #adviceforJoe has been trending overnight.

2. Suspected child abduction in Sydney suburb of Bonnyrigg Heights.

Police have launched an air and ground search for a man and a child involved in a suspected child abduction in Sydney’s southwest.

While police aren’t releasing many details they have said that they hold concerns for the child who was last seen with a man on Brown Road and Kinghorne Road, Bonnyrigg Heights at 4.45pm on Tuesday.

Seven News helicopter footage showed police searching for a red car in Bonnyrigg around 7pm last night.

The man is described as being of Caucasian in appearance and wearing a khaki cap, a green top and pants.

The child is described as having blonde hair, and wearing shorts and joggers.

Police have said that there have been no reports of children missing but they continue to appeal for the man who was seen with the child or any other witnesses to come forward and contact Fairfield Police Station on 02 9728-8399 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

3. Café explosion critically injures three.

A ute that crashed into a café in the far north Queensland town of Ravenshoe has left 20 people injured — three critically.

The Courier Mail reports that a fireball left victims with their clothes burnt off.

4. Spiderman toy found in Bill Spedding’s van.

News Limited reports that police have questioned washing machine repair man Bill Spedding over a Spiderman toy found in his van while they were searching for evidence surrounding the disappearance of toddler William Tyrrell.

Mr Spedding, who is currently under arrest on un-related child abuse charges, was named as a person of interest in the disappearance of William Tyrrell.

He has denied any involvement.

It is reported that he claimed the toy was left there by a child who has now been removed from his care.

5. More than 30 babies and toddlers may have been infected with tuberculosis at a Queensland hospital.

The families of more than 30 babies are being contacted after a health worker at Gladstone Hospital tested positive to tuberculosis.

Hospital staff believe newborn babies and toddlers under two may have been exposed to the employee between March and May.

“The health worker stopped work as soon as the possibility of TB was identified during routine testing,” Central Queensland Health and Hospital Service executive director Nicki Murdock said yesterday.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that is spread by coughing or sneezing. It can be cured by medication but can cause death if left untreated.

Concerned patients or parents are urged to contact the hospital on 4920 7025.

6. Australians paying for free-range eggs that aren’t free-range at all.

Choice Magazine has revealed Australian consumers are paying twice as much for what they believe are free-range eggs – when in fact they are not getting what they think.

Choice says egg companies are cashing in on the desire of shoppers to buy ethically, but the lack of a national “free range” standard means it is meaningless.

“For the first time we’ve actually put a number on the amount of eggs being sold in Australia that don’t meet the free range expectations of consumers and it’s over 213 million eggs sold last year,” Choice spokesman Matt Levey said.

One third of so-called free-range egg productions stock more than 20,000 hens per hectare.

A code of practice for the industry recommends a maximum of 1,500 hens per hectare.

The report says “the largest producers and sellers of eggs labelled ‘free range’ – Pace Farm, Farm Pride, Manning Valley, Woolworths and Coles – declare the highest stocking densities. This is completely at odds with data on consumers’ expectations of what a free range stocking density should be.”

7. UN urged Abbott Government to stop attacking Gillian Triggs.

The UN’s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, expressed his “grave concerns” to the Abbott Government over the verbal attacks on Professor Gillian Triggs.

Fairfax Media reports that in a letter Mr Forst asked the government to “please explain” their continued criticism over Professor Triggs.

In a response signed by Australia’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, John Quinn and quoted by Fairfax Media the government insists it had not “sought to remove any member of the commission” and maintains it respected the independence of the commission and “recognises that it will sometimes be critical of the government.”

8. Authorities in New Delhi say rape victims require a digital vaginal examination – then change their minds.

The BBC reports that a medical decree has been made, then withdrawn requiring doctors to perform digital vaginal examinations on victims of rape and sexual assault in New Dehli.

The permission, which appeared to contradict a medical ban, was made to local hospitals, the BBC reports.

According to the BBC the note said doctors could insert two fingers into the patient’s vagina to assess injuries and said that forgoing it “would amount to incomplete assessment of the survivor.”

New Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said the test was “banned for sexual assault victims”.

“Today we held a meeting and we are issuing a fresh notification. The earlier advisory was misinterpreted,”

“As per the instructions, it is advised that the medical professionals should not perform the two finger test unless it is medically required for only treatment purposes. It cannot be performed for ascertaining sexual assaults. More scientific methods will be adopted for this purpose,”

It was subsequently banned by the Department of Health Research and the Indian Medical Council in guidelines issued in 2014.

9. Indonesian mayor orders curfew for women.

The mayor of the capital of Indonesia’s Aceh province has imposed a partial curfew for women that it says will reduce sexual violence.

Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal ordered venues including restaurants, sport centers, Internet cafes and tourist attractions to not serve women after 11 p.m. unless accompanied by their husbands or other male family members.

The directive also prohibits women from working after 11 p.m.

Last year in Aceh a law was passed that punishes gay sex by public caning. People convicted of gambling, adultery and drinking alcohol also face caning, and women who wear tight jeans can be legally caned.

Banda Aceh Mayor is quoted by The Sunday as saying” employing women until late at night constitutes exploitation and makes them vulnerable to sexual harassment.”

“We have studied the matter thoroughly and this is in line with the labor laws,” Djamal said. “Our aim is to protect women employees, especially those working at entertainment spots.”

10. A report has found that two thirds of Indigenous people die before the age of 65.

The figures, from the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report showed that 65 per cent of deaths among Indigenous people occurred before the age of 65, compared with 19 per cent of deaths among non-Indigenous people during the five-year period 2008–2012.

It also showed no significant change in suicide rates among Indigenous people.

But the gap in mortality rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people did reduce by 17 per cent in the same period, the report found.

“The reduction in the gap was mostly due to a significant narrowing of the mortality gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous females (30 per cent decline in the rate difference),” the report said.

“By comparison, among males, there was no significant decrease in the mortality gap.”

Under national the Close the Gap national partnership agreement the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia is targeted to close by 2031.

National director of Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation, Andrew Meehan told the ABC the Close the Gap agreement lacked national coordination.

11. Is your name naughty or nice?

Christmas is still six months away but the annual naughty and nice list has already come out. Is your name on it?

A study has released the names most likely to be that of naughty kids and the nice ones.

Girls named Amy, Georgia, Emma and Charlotte are the most likely to be the good ones.

And for the boys – the best-behaved are named Jacob, Daniel, Thomas and James.

While those on the naughty list are most likely to be called Ella, Bethany, Eleanor, Olivia, Laura, Holly, Courtney and Amber.

For boys Joseph, Cameron, William, Jake, Joshua, Jamie and Lewis.

Police have charged another 24-year-old man, Vincent Stanford, with the sexual assault and murder of Ms Scott.

Do you have a story to share with Mamamia? Email us news@mamamia.com.au
[post_snippet id=324408]