RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today
YOUTUBE sensation Zoella has quit the internet as it emerges she didn’t really write the book that made her a more successful author than JK Rowling. Now trolls have forced her offline.
Good morning, and welcome to our morning news coverage. We will be bringing you the best of what’s happening this morning, so you can get across the news quickly.
10am
That’s it for our live #RUSHHOUR news blog. You can get across the stories you need to know today below or go to news.com.au for the latest headlines.
9.55
Australia has the chance to avenge its 4-0 capitulation to India in 2013, as well as honour the life of teammate Phillip Hughes, when the four-Test series begins on Tuesday morning at the Adelaide Oval.
Keep up with all the action from the First Test here.
9.40
Mothers who hide the birth of their babies and fail to register them will now be pursued under tough new rules announced by the Attoney-General Brad Hazzard in the wake of two high-profile infant abandonment cases.
Police, health and welfare officials have been called in to form a taskforce that will close loopholes in the system following the recent abandonment of two babies in Sydney — the baby boy who survived after being dumped down a drain at Quakers Hill and the body of a baby girl buried in the sand at Maroubra.
Since the inquest into the death of abandoned baby Tegan Lane in 2006, hospitals have had to notify the registry of all births within seven days but the onus remains on the parents to register their baby within 60 days.
Mr Hazzard told the Daily Telegraph he was in the process of setting up an inter-agency taskforce “to develop a consistent policy to improve the way we respond when a baby is born and not registered within 60 days”.
Read more at The Daily Telegraph
9.30
A tourist who plunged to his death from a 90m clifftop trying to get a better view of the Sydney sunrise was an avid BASE jumper.
Remembered for his “big heart and cheeky smile” Englishman Gareth Jones, 25, had made some of the most death defying leaps from Asia to the Swiss Alps.
But a seemingly innocent trip to one of Sydney Harbour’s best vantage points to watch the sun rise on Sunday cost him his life after he fell 90 metres from North Head.
Two of four friends who were with him scrambled down ladders used by fisherman but there was nothing they could do to revive him.
Mr Jones was in Australia on a student visa had had regularly travelled in and out of the country over the past year.
Friends have paid tribute to the adventurous young man.
Read more at The Daily Telegraph
9.15
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will declare the Great Barrier Reef is not “in danger” as she today heads off an international push to blacklist the national icon.
Ms Bishop will warn world leaders to back off, arguing a push to list the Australian icon will put their own heritage sites in the firing line.
The Foreign Minister believes a successful ruling against Australia would set a precedent activists will use to list key world heritage sites across the world.
“Every country that has an environmental icon that activists seize upon would be at risk,” she said.
Read more of this story at the The Courier-Mail
9.00
UPDATE: Three residents of a house hit by a small, private jet were among six people killed in the crash in Maryland near Washington DC.
It’s believed a mother who was on maternity leave and her two small children were killed in the crash.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Chief Steve Lohr says three people were aboard the jet when it crashed Monday into the home in Gaithersburg, a Washington suburb.
Authorities later confirmed that three people were in the home when the jet crashed and were killed.
They did not immediately identify the residents but have said a family of five lives in the home, and that a man and a school-aged child were safe.
Property records and neighbours say two parents and three children, including a newborn and a toddler, lived in the home.
The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to investigate the crash.
8.55
A young Sydney woman facing a possible death sentence over drug trafficking in China met her co-accused on the dating app Tinder just two weeks before their alleged attempt to smuggle a massive haul of ice into Australia.
Kalynda Davis, the daughter of a former NSW police officer, left her home in Penrith and would not tell anyone where she was travelling last month, but told friends: “If you don’t hear from me, something’s gone wrong”.
Authorities claim the 22-year-old and Richmond man Peter Gardiner were allegedly stopped while trying to smuggle ice out of Guangzhou.
The pair flew from Sydney to China on November 5 and were scheduled to return three days later but were intercepted at the airport by Chinese authorities.
Customs officers allege they found at least 36kg of ice in the couple’s checked-in luggage during routine screening.
Read more at The Daily Telegraph
8.45
A British MP has been busted playing Candy Crush in parliament.
Parliamentary authorities have launched an investigation after The Sun published embarrassing pictures of Tory MP Nigel Mills playing games on his iPad during a select committee meeting.
A source said they had seen the Amber Valley MP playing the game over a period of two and a half hours.
Mills admitted: “There was a bit of the meeting that I wasn't focusing on and I probably had a game or two.”
“I shouldn’t do it but if you check the meeting I would say I was fully engaged in asking questions that I thought were particularly important in how we get the pensions issue right. I shall try not to do it in the future.”
MORE: UK MP Nigel Mills caught playing Candy Crush
8.35
Two massive fires have torn across the Los Angeles skyline, severely damaging four buildings and closing down freeways during the morning commute.
No injuries were reported but the gigantic flames near a downtown freeway interchange could be seen for miles and billowing clouds of smoke closed down adjacent highways in two directions.
There's a huge fire in DTLA! Stay safe everyone! (Photo by Eric Politzer) #downtownla #dtla #fire #losangeles #lafd pic.twitter.com/obWWh7W0ze
— Jenny Powers (@Jenny_Powers) December 8, 2014There's a huge fire in DTLA! Stay safe everyone! (Photo by Eric Politzer) #downtownla #dtla #fire #losangeles #lafd pic.twitter.com/obWWh7W0ze
— Jenny Powers (@Jenny_Powers) December 8, 2014💔 #losangelesfires #lafires #downtownlafire be safe LA! This is crazy pic.twitter.com/Gm0zYxl7U7
— Ryan Burgess (@BurgoLive) December 8, 2014More than 350 firefighters fought the blazes, with 250 at the first inferno that was sparked around 1.20am at a block-long building site, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas said.
MORE: Hundreds of firefighters battle two massive fires in Los Angeles
8.05
Claims have emerged Australia soldiers fighting with Islamic State are being exploited and used as “cannon fodder”.
The Australian reported nearly one in four Australian jihadis fighting in Syria and Iraq have been killed as key battlegrounds have been transformed into “graveyards”.
Warnings are coming from within the community that foreigners are being used as “cannon fodder” by IS militants hell-ben on waging war a propaganda war.
Of the estimated 90 Australians who have travelled to and remain in the conflict zone, it’s believed 20 have been killed.
Read more of this story at The Australian
7.55
Oh, Greg Bird.
The Gold Coast Titans are under pressure to dump their co-captain after the NRL bad boy’s latest dash with the law.
The NRL integrity unit is awaiting a full report from the Titans after Bird allegedly urinated on a fully-marked police car while celebrating his honeymoon in Byron Bay on Sunday night.
An embarrassed Bird on Monday issued a public apology for his antics but denied allegations he urinated on the police vehicle, claiming he “went to the toilet” in a space between two cars.
The incident comes at the worst possible time for the Titans as Bird prepares to face a disciplinary hearing while his team continues to search for a major sponsor.
Read more of this story at the Courier Mail
7.50
The tax man is after Google and other digital companies.
Up to 10 multinational firms, including the world’s leading tech companies, are being audited by the tax office in the largest investigation into offshore “super profit” shifting in the nation’s history.
At least five digital companies, one believed to be the internet giant Google, have been forced to throw open their books as part of a $1.5 billion tax hunt.
Commissioner of Taxation Chris Jordan confirmed yesterday that a specialist team of 50 auditors was now “camped out” in the Australian offices of several high-profile global companies, including five leading tech firms.
Read more at The Daily Telegraph
7.25
The owner of a London gay bar taught a major company a lesson cancelling their Christmas party following a homophobic request.
An inquiry came through from a company, reportedly an international car dealership, checking whether the club was “a Gay bar”.
“We need to know as it’s against some people religion so we will need to make them aware,” it went on.
Homophobia is homophobia, we don't care what religion you are. pic.twitter.com/cxc4HT1rXo
— Proud Camden (@ProudCamden) December 5, 2014
The owner of Proud Camden, Alex Proud, replied bluntly: “We are pretty gay and a lot of gay stuff happens here. Gay drinks, gay food, gay loos etc ...”
He informed the company their booking was cancelled and took to Twitter posting the response saying he was “shocked this still happens”.
“Homophobia is homophobia, we don't care what religion you are,” Proud said on Twitter.
Proud has been overwhelmed with support, and told The Independent “the reaction has been lovely”.
“I just didn’t expect it to get quite so noticed — no one expects their post to go viral and go round the world!”
7.00
A WA woman has been charged after she allegedly scammed expectant mums by selling them ultrasound pictures of the same babies.
The Department of Consumer Protection received 77 complaints between January 30 and February 26 this year about Bunbury-based Amazing 4D Imaging, run by Rawinia Hayes.
Dozens of women also flocked to social media to complain about the business, which appeared to have given numerous parents the same baby photos.
Consumer Protection said on Monday it had taken legal action against Hayes, alleging she made false and misleading representations to consumers.
She faces multiple charges under Australian consumer law and is due in the Bunbury Magistrates Court on January 12.
6.40
At least three people have been killed in a private jet crash near Washington DC.
The small jet crashed into a house in Maryland’s Montgomery County killing three people on board and leaving three residents unaccounted for and there are fears a fourth person could have been on board.
The twin-engine jet was approaching to land at an airport less than two kilometres from where it crashed.
Several homes were hit by debris from the plane, destroying large sections of the houses.
Numerous homes were set on fire by the crash as well.
6.25
An A380 has been turned back to Sydney making it the third Qantas plane to be forced into an unscheduled landing in 24 hours.
The QF7 flight headed for Dallas had to return to Sydney after about four hours in the air due to a technical issue the in-flight entertainment system and toilets.
The Sydney to Dallas flight is one of the longest in the world at more than 15 hours — you’d want the toilets to be working.
Customers were put up in hotels for the night and Sydney locals were given transport home and the flight is rescheduled for 10.30 this morning.
Qantas #QF7 to DFW now scheduled for 1030 after it returned to Sydney last night with technical difficulties. pic.twitter.com/z1sd2pedMz
— Chris Urquhart (@chrisurquhart) December 8, 2014
Two planes made emergency landings as Perth airport yesterday.
Karratha-bound QF904 returned to Perth about 2.40pm after cabin crew noticed an unusual odour.
Earlier on Monday, a Qantas A380 passenger jet travelling from Dubai to Sydney was diverted to Perth when the air conditioning developed a fault as the plane was over the Indian Ocean.
All calm on board #qantas #qf2 pic.twitter.com/CEKUu0eGi8
— Nigel Richardson (@NigelRichardson) December 7, 20146.10
Beauty vlogger Zoella’s has the internet to thank for her fame and fortune, and the fact that her first book has made her bigger than Harry Potter author JK Rowling.
But a ‘ghostwriting’ scandal surrounding her book ‘Girl Online’ that’s seen her rise to fame over the past couple of days has caused her to shy away from the world that made her.
That’s right, Zoella has quit the internet.
Bare with me on vlogmas. I'm taking a few days out and off the internet because it's clouding up my brain. Thanks for understanding â¤ï¸
— Zoë (@ZozeeBo) December 8, 2014
The 24-year-old has left her more than 6.6 YouTube followers, 3.5 million Instagram followers and 2.6 million Twitter followers in the lurch after it emerged her book had been ghostwritten.
Speculation began a few days after the YouTube star broke records shifting more than 78,000 copies in the books first seven days on shelves.
Her publishers confirmed yesterday the speculation she hadn’t penned the book entirely on her own was “factually accurate”.
Despite the backlash she’s received online, there’s also been an outpouring of support from Zoella’s loyal fans.
This might answer some of your tweets! X pic.twitter.com/NCuC3VhxiG
— Zoë (@ZozeeBo) December 7, 2014
‘Hey dumbass!’: Brothers’ Palestine posters charge
Two brothers charged with pasting “troubling” pro-Palestine posters throughout a major city CBD have faced court.
Crumbl’s cheeky dig amid Aussie announcement
The news follows a ‘scam’ pop-up where a group allegedly spent more than $13k importing and reselling the cookies.
Dangerous act against posties on the rise
More and more Australia Post drivers are being subject to this concerning act, and it’s prompted a plea from the national service.