7 Friday news bites + Week in Pics (August 26)

The news, brought to you by Rick:

1. Review into sexting penalties: is 10 year’s jail too long for horny kids?

Victoria has launched a review of the criminal penalties for sexting in the state which in some cases could see teenagers sent to prison for 10-years for sexting each other. Even both parties agreed to sext at the time. Sexting is the practice known as sending naked or erotic pictures of yourself to someone else, usually using a mobile phone. Some teenagers have been placed on sex offender registers for the offence and advocates said it needed to stop, across Australia.

2. Coles releases grocery store fashion range

And the fashion commentators have given it a tentative thumbs up calling it fresh and saying it shows a sort of ‘unpretentious trendiness’. The range is cheap, from $4 to $39, and includes the latest block colour, animal print and neutral trends. It’s so cheap not all stores will have change rooms to try them on, but Coles says you can always bring them back for a refund on your net grocery trip. The range is called Mix. Are you tempted?

3. The weird and wonderful found in deposed Libyan leader’s opulent mansion

The rebels who marched in Tripoli and eventually seized Muammar Gaddafi’s own sprawling compound have found some pretty bizarre things. Like a photo album filled with pictures of former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The dictator had a bit of a crush on her. The rebels found Gaddafi’s son’s collection of luxury cars and a brochure for yachts, one Saif had his eye on was about $10m Australian. There was also a DVD of gay porn, so the rebels say. The finds come as Gaddafi has apparently released a message over radio telling loyalists to fight until the end. But that sounds like bluster, more than anything.

4. China Bans Lady Gaga, Backstreet Boy songs

Well it’s hardly a surprise. The Chinese Government has added a raft of (mostly) pop songs to the list of tunes banned in the country as they might ‘harm the security of state culture’. The banned list includes ‘Edge of Glory’ and ‘Bloody Mary’ among 98 others. Websites can’t play them. If you had just one song you could ban – for whatever reason – what would it be?

5. KFC gets rid of toys from kid’s meals

The time has come. KFC will soon remove the children’s toy from kid’s meals in all 600 of its stores across the country, just three years after it stopped promoting them. The company said it was the right thing to do and the move has been welcomed by health groups. Corrina Langelaan from The Parents’ Jury said: “It’s a start, but parents would like to see this rolled out across all fast food outlets.  These deals have helped foster a culture of pester power and, with one in four Australian children overweight or obese, fast food producers have a responsibility to help tackle it.”

6. Middle children are not resentful and angry, says psychologist

This debate’s been raging for a while now. What character traits apply to whom in the birth order scenario, and does it even matter? Psychologist and author of The Power of Middle Children Catherin Salmon says those stuck at the centre of their families are often very settled in their independence, their careers and their relationships. She says they often make the best leaders and diplomats. They have more empathy too. Is she on the right track?

7. Nearly 40% don’t tell bosses about their mental illness

That’s the finding from the Working Life and Mental Illness study (from SANE Australia) which surveyed more than 500 working Australians about the relationship they have with their bosses and whether their mental illnesses are taken into account during their employment. The study found the majority of those surveyed didn’t believe their manager understood mental illness well enough and that less than 30% were offered flexible working arrangements where they did tell their bosses about it. SANE Australia says about 1 in 5 people experience mental illness at least once a year.

And, check out the week in pics!