news

Saturday's news in less than 5 minutes.

Authorities warn: don’t leave children in hot cars.

As temperatures soar in the southern states to an expected top of over 40 degrees, children have been left in hot cars in four separate incidents.

In one case, three children under five were left in a car at a fast food restaurant in Geelong, southwest of Melbourne.

“I don’t know how many times we have to say: Don’t do it,” Ambulance Victoria state health commander Paul Holman told the Herald Sun.

“Small children very quickly will become dehydrated and the consequences – we’ve already seen deaths in the past.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has also warned people not to leave their children alone in cars even for a moment because he said it could have deadly consequences.

Leaving children unattended in cars is illegal, with a financial penalty in Victoria of $2214 or three months jail.

Authorities are encouraging the community to remain cool and warning of the deadly effects of a heatwave. Mr Holman reminded that heat alone can be a killer: “In 2009, we (had) 370 excess deaths in three days the week before Black Saturday,”

 

1. Warning of Ash Wednesday conditions as fires burn in SA and Vic.

By ABC News.

An out-of-control bushfire has destroyed at least five houses, two sheds and a fire truck in South Australia overnight and sparked the evacuation of hundreds of people as it moves closer to Adelaide’s north-eastern suburbs.

ADVERTISEMENT

Firefighters in South Australia are expecting tougher conditions over the weekend. Source: ABC.

One person is also missing and authorities have told residents within 15km of Kersbrook to enact their survival plans now amid fears that more homes will be lost.

“Homes cannot be defended due to 100km winds and all CFS staff and volunteers are now withdrawing from fire ground,” the CFS said.

“Roads are starting to become congested.”

The fire is so big in the Adelaide Hills that a large plume of smoke can now be seen from Adelaide’s CBD. Firefighters have called on assistance from water bombers in Victoria and New South Wales as the conditions have been named the worst in over a decade.

Meanwhile, one house has been destroyed in western Victoria in a fast-moving grass fire at Moyston yesterday. Overnight 250 firefighters, with the assistance of air cranes and two air tankers, managed to halt the spread of the Moyston fire.

For more information on the South Australia fires visit www.cfs.sa.gov.au or call 1300 362 361

This is an edited version of an ABC News article, the original appears here.

2. Man in critical condition after sustaining ‘one punch’ hit from his own brother.

A man has been left with critical head injuries after sustaining a ‘one punch’ hit from his own brother in Sydney’s Kings Cross last night.

The victim, a 32-year-old Irishman, began holidaying in Australia with his older brother, age 33, and his father just three days ago.

ADVERTISEMENT

It is being reported that the younger brother, who was hit about 3am this morning, fell to the footpath and was treated by paramedics in a pool of blood and vomit. There are also reports he went into cardiac arrest.

The older brother is now assisting police with their investigation at Kings Cross Police Station while his younger brother is undergoing emergency surgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital.

3. Dozens of bodies have now been recovered from AirAsia flight QZ8501 as search for black box continues.

By ABC News.

Officials say 30 bodies have now been recovered from the northern Java Sea after the crash of AirAsia flight 8501.

The plane, which plunged into the water on Sunday en route to Singapore, was carrying 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans, and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia and Britain. The co-pilot was French.

Singapore, France and the United States have sent ships or sophisticated equipment to help locate the wreckage in the northern Java Sea off Borneo.

Bad weather has been hampering the search, but on Friday, more than 20 bodies were found and pulled from the sea, many of them by the US navy ship Sampson.

Some of the victims were still buckled into their aircraft seats.

The first body has been laid to rest.

Of the 162 passengers and crew on board the AirAsia flight, many were believed to be still in the fuselage of the plane, which still had not been found.

ADVERTISEMENT

Searchers recovered a window panel and were continuing to search the relatively shallow waters with specialist equipment for the fuselage and the black box flight recorders.

They are focused on an area of 1,575 square nautical miles of the northern Java Sea.

Authorities said conditions were difficult, with strong winds and heavy seas preventing divers from conducting an underwater search.

This is an edited version of an ABC News article, the original appears here

4. Amal Clooney threatened with arrest in Egypt.

Amal Clooney has been threatened with arrest by Egyptian officials after presenting a report that exposed flaws in the country’s judicial system.

Amal Clooney.

The British-Lebanese human rights lawyer, who recently married George Clooney, represents one of Al Jazeera’s three convicted journalists, Egyptian-Canadian bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy. Fahmy was convicted of terrorism in December 2013 alongside colleagues Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed.

The report, which was compiled on behalf of the International Bar Association, considers the level of independence of Egypt’s judicial system – a topic that is politically sensitive in the north-African nation. Mrs Clooney was warned that, due to the controversial nature of the piece, she could be arrested if she visits Cairo.

 

00:00 / ???