RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today
SECURITY footage has emerged showing a bus driver being thrown through a windscreen. But what happens after is incredible.
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.
9.30am
Football fans will be eagerly anticipating the start of the Asian Cup tonight. Australia is hosting the event and the first game will see the Socceroos playing Kuwait in Melbourne.
The four Asian nations who qualified for the 2014 World Cup — Australia, Japan, South Korea and Iran — all failed to win a game in Brazil. Who will stand up at the Asian Cup?
Only one sleep to go until #AC2015 kicks off! Who is pumped for the Asian Cup? pic.twitter.com/1IgH4Z5EKW
— Nutmeg (@nutmeg_2015) January 7, 20159am
Mother Nature is really taking aim at South Australia.
After battling some of the most ferocious bushfires since Ash Wednesday, emergency crews are now bracing themselves to cope with the heaviest rainfall event in the state since January, 1984.
The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted rainfall across the entire state over the next three days, with torrential rain creating a serious risk of flooding and damaging winds, with gusts in excess of 90km/h, expected to batter the state.
8.40am
The feud that ended one of the most successful partnerships in Australian racing is over — Gai Waterhouse and John Singleton have kissed and made up.
“I just feel an enormous sense of relief,” said Singleton at the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast on Thursday. “I didn’t realise just how much it had affected me.”
Waterhouse, who at the height of the feud labelled her lifelong friend Singleton “old” and “a drunk”, described it as a “lovers tiff”.
“I was very sad when it happened and I am very pleased he apologised and we have moved on,” Waterhouse said.
The lifelong friendship blew up spectacularly over the running of More Joyous in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes at Royal Randwick in April 2013.
8.30am
The plummeting oil price is emerging as a threat to the Queensland budget.
As campaigning continues ahead of the state election on January 31, the situation will add pressure on the next state government to pursue privatisation of assets.
According to The Australian, economists said that royalty estimates for liquefied natural gas could be affected by the halving of the oil price since June, while the free-market Institute of Public Affairs declared the next Queensland government should “vigorously” pursue expenditure savings or press ahead with privatisation plans.
Queensland Treasurer Tim Nicholls’ office yesterday conceded that the oil price could be a factor in the budget but that some of the shock would be absorbed by the falling exchange rate.
Meanwhile the state Labor party has conceded that the spiralling debt it left the Newman Government was a problem and would move to pay it down under a “range of measures’’, which it is keeping secret until later in the campaign.
8.10am
A baby girl was mown down and killed while playing in her backyard during a police pursuit which involved a violent offender in a stolen car.
Police are now conducting a critical investigation into the pursuit which Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli described as an “absolute tragedy” that had devastated the police officers involved.
“I am overwhelmed for the poor family and what they are going through,” he said.
7.50am
The real artist responsible for a striking image mistakenly attributed to street artist Banksy and widely shared on social media following the attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, has come forward.
The illustration of three pencils was posted on an unverified Banksy Instagram account and received more than 100,000 likes. But a London-based graphic designer, Lucille Clerc, has emerged as the real artist behind the image. She shared the drawing to her Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Break one, thousand will rise #CharlieHebdo #JeSuisCharlie #raiseyourpencilforfreedom pic.twitter.com/3n5fOEmrwJ
— Lucille Clerc (@LucilleClerc) January 7, 2015Clerc told Mashable that she wasn’t upset about the confusion.
“This is irrelevant, I don’t want to turn into polemic and distract people from the real issues.
“There are way more important things to talk about at the moment, and in the end what matters is that this image speaks to people, so the more it spreads the better it is.”
French paramilitary forces are hunting two brothers believed to be involved in the deadly attack. They have swooped on a sleepy village northeast of Paris. Click here for our rolling coverage and latest updates.
7.30am
A man has been arrested after a woman’s body was found in a Melbourne unit.
Police were called to the Brunswick West unit about 1.30am on Friday and found the body inside. A 29-year-old Brunswick West man was arrested and is assisting police, with homicide detectives investigating.
Police believe the pair were known to each other.
7am
Angelina Jolie has visited Pope Francis at the Vatican to give him a special screening of her movie Unbroken.
Jolie was invited to show the Pontiff her film, which focuses on the story of Olympian and war hero Louis Zamperini. The actress-turned-director also enjoyed a private audience with the Catholic leader on Thursday morning.
In a statement released to Us Magazine, Jolie says it was an honour to meet with the head of the Catholic church.
“Being invited with my film to the Vatican is an honour and a great tribute to the story that I have told in Unbroken. The story of the hero Louis a great example of strength and forgiveness,” Jolie said.
A statement from Universal Pictures Italia adds: “Pope Francis, aware of the incredible life story of Louis Zamperini, graciously welcomed the opportunity to view the film.”
6.40am
Incredible footage of the moment a bus driver went flying through the windscreen of his vehicle has emerged after a truck crash.
KOAT Action 7 News managed to get security camera footage that captured the moment that a US driver was thrown through a bus windscreen after the vehicle was hit by a truck that ran a red light in Albuquerque.
Luckily both the bus driver and the driver of the truck were able to walk away without serious injuries.
6.10am
Almost 2000 people gathered at Sydney’s Martin Place on Thursday night to hold a minute’s silence at the same time as France stopped to remember those killed in the attack on the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday.
France’s ambassador to Australia, Christophe Lecourtier led the crowd in a rendition of French national anthem La Marseillaise that echoed around Martin Place. Another, even louder rendition concluded the vigil.
Emotional scenes as one minute's silence is held for #CharlesHebdo victims in Martin Place. pic.twitter.com/IuKrnjkaEo
— Mohamed Taha (@Mo_Taha1) January 8, 2015According to ABC, the hastily organised Martin Place vigil at 10pm attracted almost 2000 people and was timed to correspond with a minute’s silence held in France at noon on Thursday. Supporters also gathered in Melbourne’s Federation Square at 6pm.
A large section of Martin Place - the site of the recent floral tributes after the deadly Sydney siege - was filled with people, most of them holding placards reading “Je suis Charlie”, referring to the Paris-based magazine. In Perth, more than 200 people gathered in the city’s Forrest Place.
“I’m glad to see a lot of French people here tonight. We must not be afraid.” Ronan Dumas, 19, said he was overwhelmed by sadness about what had happened.
“There is no words to describe it,” said Mr Dumas, a Sydney student from Corsica.
“It’s hard to find the words. It’s painful.”
A condolence book has been set up at the Sydney’s French consulate and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance headquarters in Redfern, where a mural of jailed Australian al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste has been painted. The expression “Je suis Charlie” has been written on the wall next to it.
Grandpa’s crazy skate park skills goes viral
A grandpa has gone viral on social media showing off his crazy mobility scooter skills at a suburban skate park.
Public warned about suspended dentist
The public have been warned about a suspended practitioner who authorities say may still be operating as a dentist or nurse.
Manhunt after alleged gangland shooting
A major police taskforce has taken charge of the investigation into the shooting of three people, including an alleged underworld figure, in a busy western Sydney street.