Thursday's news in under 5 minutes

BREAKING NEWS: A third teen has been charged with murder  over the death of Australian Christopher Lane

Michael Jones was one of three teenagers charged in the thrill kill of Lane while the Australian baseball player was on a jog in Oklahoma.

Jones was originally charged with use of a vehicle while a weapon was being discharged and accessory after the fact to first degree murder. Overnight the District Attorney filed new charges of murder in the first degree and is now charging Jones as an adult.

1. Mystery woman identified

A mystery woman found on a Dublin street has been identified as Samantha Azzopardi a 25-year-old Australian. It was previously thought she was a 14 – 16 year-old teenager who may have been a victim of human trafficking.

Ms Azzopardi was virtually unable to communicate when she was found in Dublin almost a month ago. The Irish media are reporting that she has a previous conviction for welfare fraud and received a six-month prison sentence. However, the sentence, handed down late last year, was suspended for 12 months. Her family are travelling to Dublin.

2. Balcony death trial

“Please don’t let any guy talk to you today … don’t look at any guy as your eyes should only gaze on me, the one.”

In the Simon Gittany trial text messages he sent to his fiancé Lisa Harnum were shown to the court yesterday.

‘‘Who the fuck do you think you are walking around the house like you own it or coming and going without my permission? “

Prosecutors claimed that Gittany was apoplectic with rage when he found out Harnum was going to leave him. The court heard that Simon Gittany told his fiancee not to leave their unit without permission, not to see any friends when she was overseas and asked her to refrain from wearing high heels or revealing clothing.

He also forbade her from wearing her hair out and monitored her text messages through a computer program, it has been alleged. Simon Gittany has pleaded not guilty.

3. Navy initiation rites

Defence is facing another scandal with military investigators sent to look into an apparent initiation incident on a navy frigate.

The Chief of Navy, Vice-Admiral Ray Griggs, said the Australian Defence Force Investigative Service is examining claims of ”inappropriate behaviour” by members of a ship’s company.,Defence sources said it looked to be a case of initiation rituals, or hazing, that had got out of hand.

4. Crying baby kicked off bus

A Western Australian mother has been asked to leave a bus as her baby was crying too loudly. The mother-of two says she was left humiliated as the female bus driver was yelling at her to make her child quiet.

She was forced to leave the bus, and find another way to get her daughter to school. The mother said the ordeal had left her embarrassed and she had filed a complaint with Transperth.

 5. Russian homophobic attack

A horrific homophobic stunt in Russia with a 20-year-old student lured to an apartment, stripped down and taunted.

South African student David Smith was tricked by anti-LGBT activists who pretended to be a 15-year-old boy in an online sting.

In the disturbing and often graphic footage, posted online, the University student is bullied, pushed, forced to imitate sex acts. The South African was later expelled from his university, according to the anti-gay group.

6. Driving arrest

A Kuwaiti woman has been arrested in Saudi Arabia after she was caught driving. Saudi authorities have warned women of legal measures if they defy a long-standing driving ban in the kingdom. At least 16 women were stopped by police last Saturday and were fined and forced along with their male guardians to pledge to obey the kingdom’s laws. A growing number of men are quietly helping steer the campaign.

The woman remains in custody pending investigations.

7. Worst costumes EVER

Two British teenagers have been widely condemned after wearing what has been called “the most offensive costumes ever” to a nightclubs Halloween party’s dress up contest. The Sun newspaper reports that the girls dressed as the Twin Towers – and won the contest. According to the report, the costumes worn by 19-year-olds Amber Langford and Annie Collinge featured decorations depicting explosions, flames and even people “jumping” from windows.

8. Hurray to you Debenhams!

UK retailer Debenhams have announced they will use size 16 mannequins. The new mannequins will be used in all of the UK stores, and will appear alongside size 10 dummies on all women’s fashion floors. Debenhams director Ed Watson said: “The average British woman is a size 16, but the high street has been showing them clothing on a mannequin that is three sizes smaller – until now.

“Having worked on this project for three years, we hope that it will help people in some small way to feel comfortable about their bodies and, crucially, that other retailers will follow.”

9. When can they walk alone?

Australian parents of 10- to 12-year-olds are more hesitant to let their children walk home from school alone than British mums and dads a study has shown.

More than half of Australian primary school kids are transported to school by car, compared with less than a third of primary school children in England. 78% of 11-year-old British kids were allowed to walk home from school alone, compared with 43% of Australian children. Most British children of that age (85%) were allowed to cross the road alone, compared with 64% of Australian kids.

10. Crossfit backlash

The hottest fitness craze around at the moment may just be one of the more dangerous. It’s reported today that along with the boom in CrossFit is an equal boom in injuries. Chiropractors are reporting a growing number of slipped disks, torn rotator cuffs and incidents of knee tendinopathy.

While injury rates aren’t officially tabulated, the spokesman for the American Chiropractic Association Robert Hayden says the rise of CrossFit related injuries is obvious.

11. Book Bandit

It’s a crime that most of us have committed at some stage (come on be honest) but I bet you never thought this would happen.

A man in Texas has been jailed for not returning library books. The 19 year old man checked out a study guide in 2010 and allegedly failed to respond to letters and phone calls from the library. And in case you were wondering after he was quickly released on bond, he did return the overdue book!

12. Gender bias rating

Movie theatres in Sweden are introducing a new rating to highlight gender bias in movies.

To get an “A” rating, a movie must pass the so-called Bechdel Test, which means it must have at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man.

“The entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, all Star Wars movies, The Social Network, Pulp Fiction and all but one of the Harry Potter movies fail this test.”

In brief:

Police in Brazil want to speak to Justin Bieber about photos that allegedly show the pop star spray painting graffiti on a wall.

More than 230 asylum-seeker children on Christmas Island will not go to school, but will have lessons using contractors.

Marvel Comics has debuted a female Muslim superhero.

What are you talking about in today’s news?