news

Wednesday's news in under five minutes.

We’ve rounded up all the latest stories from Australia and around the world – so you don’t have to go searching.

1. Salim Mehajer “stalked” wife Aysha, police sources claim.

Controversial former deputy major of Auburn council, Salim Mehajer, has denied reports his wife Aysha Mehajer is no longer living in their Lidcombe mansion.

Aysha is reportedly afraid her husband of less than 12-months will turn violent, but Mehajer says the situation is a police vendetta, The Daily Mail reports.

Yesterday police filed an apprehended violence order against Mehajer on behalf of his wife, but the scandal-engulfed property developer insists the couple is solid, and currently in the casting process for a reality TV series.

ADVERTISEMENT

Salim and Aysha Mehajer on their wedding day in August 2015. Source: Provided. 

“She is currently in audition. At the moment we cannot disclose the show (or) series name,” he told The Daily Mail.

“I begin casting in August 2016. You can follow our Facebook page if you wish.”

But Aysha has not been seen with her husband for some time, and police sources are claiming she was concerned because her husband kept “popping up” wherever she was.

The AVO hearing will be heard in the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney later today.

2. Roxy Jacenko has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Prominent PR personality Roxy Jacenko has shared the shocking news that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The 36-year-old has said that found a lump in her left breast while in the shower a short time after her husband Oliver Curtis was sent to jail for insider trading.

The mother-of-two has revealed the diagnosis to Curtis in a call to his jail which lasted for six minutes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Roy Jacenko. Source: Channel 9 / A Current Affair. 

"He happened to phone when I was at the specialist, so I just told him then,' she told The Advertiser. 'Obviously he has got no control to be able to assist with anything, so it is particularly challenging for him."

Jacenko's mother Doreen Davis has previously suffered from breast cancer and the gene runs in her family.

She will find out the progression of the cancer within the next week and a half.

3. Get your gloves out: snowy weather is expected to hit Australia's east coast later today.

With parts of Melbourne expected to receive snow fall on Wednesday morning, it seems the arctic chill of winter is far from over.

The result of an intense low pressure system, the stormy weather will also make its way up to Canberra and Sydney, with  forecasters dubbing the days ahead as the 'Big Freeze'.

ADVERTISEMENT

While severe weather warnings have already been issued throughout parts of Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, ACT and South Australia, we can't recommend rugging up enough.

"We could see snow above 400m during the evening and into Wednesday morning, but by Wednesday the temperature will get quite cold during the day, reaching a top of 11 degrees," Weatherzone meteorologist Kim Westcott told Daily Mail Australia.

4. A major train crash in Italy has left at least 22 people dead.

A head-on collision between two passenger trains in Italy has killed at least 22 people and injured a further 43.

The crash occurred outside of Andria, a small city in the Puglia region of Italy just before midday.

"Surely one of the two trains shouldn’t have been there," police Commander Giancarlo Conticchio told Sky TG24. "And surely there was an error. We need to determine the cause of the error.”

An aerial image of the collision. 

News agency ANSA has said ambulances and fire trucks were at the scene shortly after the collision, with rescue workers working tirelessly to pull victims from the rubble.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has not yet confirmed if any of the victims onboard were Australian.

“The Australian Embassy in Rome is making urgent enquires with local authorities to determine whether any Australians have been involved in the train crash in southern Italy,” a DFAT spokesman said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Further details to come.

5. Bernie Sanders endorses Hillary Clinton's bid for the US presidency.

It was a day many were worried would not come, but Bernie Sanders has endorsed Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee for president of the United States.

Sanders’ endorsement means Clinton will head into the Democratic Nominating Convention as the party’s only candidate and will avoid bitter or awkward scenes at the event, to be held later this month in Philidelphia.

The announcement came at a joint appearance of the former rivals in New Hampshire.

"Secretary Clinton has won the Democratic nominating process, and I congratulate her for that," Senator Sanders said.

"She will be the Democratic nominee for president and I intend to do everything I can to make certain she will be the next president of the United States."

The pair have been in talks for weeks, after it became clear Sanders would not be able to win the primary race against Clinton.

They are now united in their desire to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November’s general election.

Now speculation turns to who Clinton will pick for Vice President, as the race to replace Barack Obama reaches its final leg.

Do you have a story to share with Mamamia? Email us news@mamamia.com.au

00:00 / ???