RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today
A MAN accused of sleeping with his sister and fathering three children in an infamous Australian incest family has fled the country saying “I’ve never abused a child in my life”.
TODAY
• Shocking paintings of celebrity chef Nigella Lawson being choked by her ex-husband Charles Saatchi are being offered for sale on his art website.
• A man accused of sleeping with his sister and fathering three children in an infamous incest family has fled the country, sparking a global manhunt.
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.
9.55am
Jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq have announced the establishment of a “caliphate” and demanded allegiance from Muslims worldwide.
The declaration could trigger a wave of infighting among the Sunni militant factions that formed a loose alliance in fighting across Iraq.
The spokesman for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as ISIL, declared the group’s chief, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as the leader of the new caliphate, or Islamic state.
9.40am
A $600 million eco-tourism resort on Great Keppel Island was approved despite serious concerns about its impact on the Great Barrier Reef.
Documents obtained by the ABC under Freedom of Information laws reveal that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority identified issues with the development, which it later approved.
In approving the resort’s marina and sewage systems, the authority found its environmental impact statement was contradictory, vague and missing information.
Marine park officers also warned that impacts on nearby reefs could not be adequately mitigated.
9.30am
Support for Campbell Newman’s government in Queensland has fallen behind Labor for the first time. The Premier’s personal popularity also continuing to slide as he gears up to lead the Liberal National Party to an election due early next year.
9.10am
North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea, Seoul’s military said, the latest in a series of launches staged in an apparent show of force ahead of a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the South.
The North fired the missiles into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) from the country’s east coast Sunday morning, a defence ministry official told AFP.
8.50am
The heaviest cat brought in to the RSPCA in at least half a century has been put on a strict diet.
At 14.3kg, Sumo, 9, weighs at twice as much as he should.
8.30am
A MAN accused of sleeping with his sister and fathering three children in an infamous incest family has fled the country, sparking a global manhunt.
Charlie Colt (not his real name) boarded a flight to the UK from Melbourne last week but investigators did not know of his escape until contacted by The Daily Telegraph last night.
The NSW Child Abuse Squad has been searching for the 41-year-old since June 6 when he failed to attend court. Police want to get his DNA to prove he engaged in incest, if found guilty he faces eight years in jail.
Colt says: “I’ve never abused a child in my life, I’ve never abused another person”.
8.10am
SURFERS came within metres of a Southern Right Whale off Freshwater beach in Sydney yesterday, sparking criticism for being too close.
7.55am
Two goals in the dying minutes has completed a dramatic comeback for the Netherlands in the game against Mexico. For live World Cup coverage, click here. Also this morning is Costa Rica v Greece.
7.35am
Commuters are facing huge train delays around Brisbane this morning. The Beenleigh, Gold Coast, Ferny Grove and Airport line trains have been delayed up to 30 minutes in both directions.
7.20am
Israel’s prime minister has called for the establishment of an independent Kurdistan as Sunni extremists continue to make gains in Iraq.
In a policy speech on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave one of the most detailed responses from a world leader to the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as ISIL.
As part of a broader alliance with moderate forces across the region, Mr Netanyahu said that Israel would also have to maintain a long-term military presence in the West Bank to keep ISIS from powering its way to the outskirts of Tel Aviv.
7.05am
Police have released an image of a man wanted for questioning over a grisly murder in Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens.
Scott Allen Miller, 42, is the key suspect in the woman’s death after her naked body was discovered by joggers on Saturday morning.
The woman, aged in her 30s, was walking to work when she was killed and her body was left under a tree.
7am
A strange craze has come to light over the weekend thanks to Sharks player Todd Carney who was sacked after a lewd photo went viral on social media.
The image shows Carney in the toilets of Sutherland Shire nightclub Northies urinating into his own mouth, an act known as ‘bubbling’.
If you really must know more, here is an explanation.
6.50am
Young jobseekers could be restricted in how they spend their dole cheques under a proposal to extend income management.
An interim report has called for sweeping changes, including collapsing 20 income support payments into just four, quarantining the disability support pension for people with a permanent incapacity, and radically streamlining the child payment system.
“The need for reform is obvious, the system is complex and inefficient, and its long term sustainability is an issue with $100 billion of government outlays each year,” Welfare expert Patrick McClure said yesterday.
6.20am
Shocking paintings of celebrity chef Nigella Lawson being choked by her ex-husband Charles Saatchi are being offered for sale on his art website.
There are seven images on Saatchi’s website ranging in price from $250 to almost $25,000.
The owner of the Saatchi Gallery defended the artwork saying “would it have been a better story if I had censored artists whose work might be personally disobliging?” in an email to The Mail on Sunday.
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.
PM dodges $3m super tax question
Anthony Albanese sidestepped a question on whether he’ll be immediately hit with Labor’s proposed tax of super balances above $3m.
Dad’s funeral refusal ‘discrimination’: court
A man has claimed he was subject to religious discrimination after the government refused to pay for his deceased father’s Greek Orthodox funeral when he could not afford it.
Dire warning for Aussie favourite getaway
A major warning has been issued for travellers planning to head to a favourite Aussie tourist getaway – urging them to “exercise a high degree of caution”.