RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today

MALCOLM Turnbull has been left out of the loop lately, but now he’s being asked to rescue his colleagues after their embarrassing slip-ups.

TODAY

• Russia has announced sanctions against Australian agricultural products.

• A US father who killed his wife in front of his two young sons posted a remorseless message on Facebook afterwards.

• Eric Abetz has hit back at claims he linked abortion to breast cancer.

• Malcolm Turnbull is trying to salvage debate on the government’s latest policy.

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.

9.35am

A new edition of the Roald Dahl classic book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is causing controversy with some fellow authors criticising its creepy new cover.

In a post on its blog, publisher Penguin said the new edition celebrates its 50th year anniversary and the inclusion of the book on its Modern Classics list, one of the few children’s books to be featured.

It does not depict any of the characters in the book but rather “highlights the way Roald Dahl’s writing manages to embrace both the light and the dark aspects of life”.

I'm not liking the new cover for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, looks more Lolita! pic.twitter.com/aR1oeCBh7e

— Giles Paley-Phillips (@eliistender10) August 7, 2014

Seriously, Penguin Books. Why not just get Rolf Harris to design the next one?

— Joanne Harris (@Joannechocolat) August 7, 2014

9.10am

The Pentagon has denied claims that US warplanes bombed two areas of northern Iraq.

Holgard Hekmat, a spokesman for the Kurdish Peshmerga force said: “F-16s first entered Iraqi airspace on a reconnaissance mission and are now targeting Daash (Islamic State, also known as ISIL) in Gwer and in the Sinjar region”.

But Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby posted on Twitter: “No such action taken”.

Islamic State group militants and Tribal fighters take control of a checkpoint that belonged to Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. AP Photo

8.45am

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull is trying to salvage debate on the federal government’s controversial data retention laws despite reports he was excluded from cabinet discussions on the policy.

Attorney-General George Brandis has struggled to explain the policy this week and was widely mocked for a confusing interview on Wednesday.

During an interview on Today this morning, Mr Turnbull tried to clarify the details and said the government was not asking telcos to keep a record of internet browsing histories.

Only IP addresses - the number assigned to individual computers - and “traditional” telephone records already kept by some telcos for more than two years, such as the caller, the call party, the time and duration of call, will be sought, he said.

Out of the loop: Now Malcolm Turnbull is being called on to salvage government data retention policy.

8.20am

A photo of a man who looks exactly like former CEO Steve Jobs in Brazil has gone viral after being uploaded to Reddit.

This photograph was taken this week in Brazil. Steve Jobs is alive! pic.twitter.com/9SzoEGStKn

— DCHomos (@DCHomos) August 7, 2014

You be the judge: A photo of Steve Jobs, is he still alive in Brazil?

7.55am

Employment Minister Eric Abetz has hit back at claims he linked abortion to breast cancer during an interview on The Project last night.

During the interview, Senator Abetz said: “I think the studies, and I think they date back from the 1950s, assert that there is a link between abortion and breast cancer”, before acknowledging there were differing views.

They cut me off: Senator Eric Abetz says reports that he linked abortion with breast cancer are incorrect.

The Australia Medical Association has slammed his comments as not being based on current or conventional medical evidence.

According to ABC News, Senator Abetz released a statement saying that he had “studiously avoided” making a link between abortion and breast cancer and that he was “cut off” before he was able to acknowledge that it was not the accepted medical view.

However, Mia Freedman, who interviewed the senator, challenged this on Twitter this morning:

We challenged you repeatedy @SenatorAbetz & you maintained there was evidence"back to the 50s" linking abortion/breast cancer @theprojecttv

— Mia Freedman (@MiaFreedman) August 7, 2014

7.30am

A US father who killed his wife in front of his two young sons posted a remorseless message on Facebook afterwards: “Had an argument. She was cheating on me. I won”.

According to the New York Daily News, Keith Belajonas attacked his 28-year-old wife Christina inside their US home in front of their four and five year old sons.

His wife was found with a gunshot wound to her head and multiple stab wounds. Mr Belajonas fled with his two sons before shooting himself.

Killed his wife and then shot himself: Keith Belajonas. AP Photo/Pennsylvania State Police

7.10am

All BP petrol tankers in Victoria have been taken off the road after three people died when a trailer came loose and smashed into two cars.

Witnesses said the truck was travelling normally before the trailer detached while rounding a bend and rolled on top of one of the cars, crushing it.

“The tanker uncoupled from the tri-axle primary vehicle, the trailer has then crossed on to the wrong side of the road and collided head on with two vehicles,” Det Insp Bernie Rankin told reporters at the scene near Wodonga.

The crash killed a four-year-old boy, his mother and another woman. BP has recalled its entire Victorian trucking fleet as a precaution.

A petrol tanker crashed into two cars at Staghorn Flat on Wodonga-Yack Rd.

6.55am

Prince William will train as a helicopter pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, royal officials said Thursday. If successful, he could be flying with the charity as early as spring 2015.

6.40am

A surprise spike in unemployment has sparked a new fight over the federal budget.

In the largest month-to-month change since the global fin­ancial crisis, the national jobless rate jumped from 6 per cent to 6.4 per cent last month.

Youth unemployment rate for Australians aged 15-19 rose from 17.8 per cent to 20.4 per cent — the worst level in 17 years.

Mr Hockey told The Australian the jobs fears proved the need for reforms.

Still trying to sell his budget: Treasurer Joe Hockey, (left) with Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

6.25am

The Australian father of baby Gammy is a “good man” and a “wonderful father” who is trying to put his child sex convictions behind him, says his family.

The man’s daughter told Nine News Perth that the family would publicly explain why baby Gammy was left behind but would “the only thing that we are going to say right now is that my father is a wonderful father”.

Meanwhile surrogacy agencies in Thailand are directing clients offshore as their government cracks down on the commercial trade in the wake of the baby Gammy scandal.

Baby Gammy was born with Down syndrome, at the Samitivej hospital. AFP PHOTO / Nicolas ASFOURI

6.15am

Russia has hit back against Australia and announced its own trade sanctions on Aussie agricultural products.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced the embargo will affect “imports of beef, pork, fruit and vegetable produce, poultry, fish, cheese, milk and dairy products from the European Union, the United States, Australia, Canada and Norway”.

Ukrainian troops stop a car at a checkpoint in the eastern city of Debaltseve. AFP PHOTO/ ANATOLII STEPANOV

It follows Australia’s move to impose sanctions on Russia over its response to the Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told AAP it was disappointing that Russia had retaliated and the government would try and minimise the impact on Australian agricultural producers.

Australia exported $405 million worth of produce to Russia last year, including meat, wool, horticulture and alcohol.

6am

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.