7 Tuesday new bites (4 October)

1. Italian court clears American woman Amanda Knox of murder

She has spent the past four years in prison proclaiming her innocence and now she is free. American Amanda Knox, now 24, was convicted of what was at the time described as a ‘satanic sex orgy murder’ with her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. Knox and co-defendant Raffaele Sollecito, her former boyfriend from Italy, were convicted of murdering Meredith Kercher in 2009. Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison, Sollecito to 25. Also convicted in separate proceedings was Rudy Hermann Guede, a drifter and native of the Ivory Coast. Overturned DNA evidence led to the convicitons being quashed. And whoever the murderer is or was, there are now few suspects.

2. DVT not drugs blamed for  backpacker’s death

When Aussie backpacker Madeline Cawley was found dead in a campsite in Rome whilst on a Contiki tour – it was thought drugs or heavy drinking were to blame.  It is now believed that DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) was the cause of  death for the 23-year-old.  Madeline was from Cudgera Creek on the NSW far north coast and was on her first trip to Europe.

The Humane Society has reported that some Australian ugg boot companies are using the pelts of animals (such as raccoon dogs) skinned alive in China and labelling it as “wool” on their footwear and clothing lines. The raccoon dog is indigenous to east Asia.

5. Demand for imported vegies soars thanks to TV cooking shows

It’s being dubbed the ‘MasterChef effect’ – if TV viewers see a dish being cooked on their screens they want to cook it immediately, regardless of whether the produce is out of season.  According to a report on News.com.au, this year-round demand for produce drove up vegie imports by $54 million, or 10 per cent, in 2010-11.And it looks like consumer are happy to pay astronomical prices. Asparagus is being flown in from Peru with consumers paying about three times what the Australian spears cost when available.

6. Dads are missing from the family table

A new survey has revealed that longer working hours has impacted the family meal with dads routinely absent from the dinner table – particularly if their children are very young. According to a report in the Herald Sun, figures show nearly half of dads with partners do not make it home for dinner every night when their children are aged 2-3. More than a third are at the dinner table only a few times a week. Children aged 8-9 are luckier, with 65 per cent of dads home every night for an evening meal, the Fathering in Australia report found.