Sunday's news in under 5 minutes.

Tony Abbott not angered by Governor General’s comments.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said he finds it “more than appropriate” for the Governor General Quentin Bryce to express personal views on gay marriage and Australia one day becoming a republic.

Speaking at her fourth and final Boyer Lecture, the Queen’s representative said that she hoped Australia might become a country where “people are free to love and marry whom they choose.” She also put her support behind the republican movement, saying, “Perhaps, my friends, one day, one young girl or boy may even grow up to be our nation’s first head of state.”

Abbott, who is known for his opposition of gay marriage and respect for the monarchy told the media, “It’s more than appropriate for the governor-general approaching the end of her term to express a personal view. And as you’d expect of Quentin Bryce, she did it in graceful style.”

 Surfer killed by Great White Shark off the Western Australia Coast.

A man has been killed in a shark attack off the Western Australia Coast. The 35 year old was surfing at Lefthanders Beach near Gracetown, south of Perth yesterday afternoon – where it is believed a Great White Shark killed him, almost instantly. Surrounding beaches were closed last night after the Department of Fisheries issued an imminent threat order on the shark. The area is known by locals as a shark ‘hotspot’.

 Indonesian Official says he will no longer stop boats coming to Australia.

Rustanov, the Head of Immigration at the Law and Human Rights agency in North Sumatra, has said that Indonesia will no longer stop boat traffic coming to Australia. Speaking to the Jakarta Post, Rustanov said, “We have no business with Australia. Let boat people head there. No surveillance is needed … Now there is no need to waste energy arresting them”. The news comes after the ABC revealed that the Australian government spied on the Indonesian President in 2009.

 Cyclone Alessia headed for the Northern Territory.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a category one-cyclone warning for areas of the Northern Territory coast and the Northern Kimberley Coast. Cyclone Alessia, currently making its way across the Indian Ocean, is set to hit land late Sunday afternoon, with locals being warned to expect strong winds, storms and localised flooding.

 Death toll from Typhoon Haiyan expected to rise.

The death toll in the Philippines is expected to continue to rise, with 1613 people still missing two weeks after the disaster, which has so far claimed 5235 people’s lives.

UN humanitarian chief  Valerie Amos has said that more needs to be done. “I am very concerned that some 1.5 million children are at risk of acute malnutrition and close to 800,000 pregnant and nursing mothers need nutritional help,” Amos said at a news conference yesterday. “Much more needs to be done. Food, clean water and shelter remain the top priorities”.

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