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RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today

THE internet has exploded with speculation after LeBron James signed his latest deal. And if rumours are true, he would unequivocally be following in Michael Jordan’s footsteps.

NICK WHIGHAM and WIRES
11 min read
July 23, 2015 - 5:48AM

GOOD morning, and welcome to our headlines-in-a-hurry news coverage. We bring you the morning’s biggest stories 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.

9:50am:

A popstar in Korea has been jailed for 18 months for smoking marijuana. The K-pop star was sentenced to jail on Wednesday for smoking the drug three times at his home and a parking lot between September 2014 and March 2015, reports The Korea Times.

Kang Min-ho, better known by his stage name E Sens was also ordered to pay a $650 fine.

Under South Korean law, use of marijuana is banned and its users can be sentenced to a maximum of five years in jail or fined up to 50 million won (A$6,000).

K-Pop star sentenced to 18 months prison.
K-Pop star sentenced to 18 months prison.

9:40am:

Speculation is running wild that Warner Bros. are preparing to make a Space Jam sequel with NBA superstar LeBron James.

The 1996 film featuring Michael Jordan was a cult classic among basketball fans and many are beside themselves with excitement after Warner Bros. Entertainment announced they had struck a deal with James’s entertainment company.

“LeBron James has one of the most powerful, well-known brands in the world and we are excited to be in business with him and his partner, Maverick Carter, and SpringHill Entertainment,” Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara said in a statement.

The move comes just a month after Warner Bros. filed news trademarks for “Space Jam”.

9:30am:

The nation’s leaders have agreed to broaden the GST to cover overseas online transactions under $1000 and haven’t ruled other changes to the tax.

The Prime Minister Tony Abbott with state premiers and territory chief ministers. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG). Pic Stephen Cooper
The Prime Minister Tony Abbott with state premiers and territory chief ministers. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG). Pic Stephen Cooper

Following Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s leaders retreat with premiers and chief ministers, a formal statement released today said there was an agreement to refer this issue to a meeting of the country’s treasurers.

All leaders agreed to keep options on the table for future tax reform, including GST and the Medicare levy.

-AAP

9:15am:

Have you ever wanted to be a giant water bomb? Perhaps the idea has never occurred to you but evidently it did to a group of young men in the UK.

The prolific YouTubers filmed a video of the experiment at 1,000 frames per second, showing the exact moment the giant water balloon bursts.

The ultra slow motion footage puts the viewer right in the action as the range of emotions slowly flicker across the face of the balloon dweller as it explodes around him.

9am:

Two ISIS militants have reportedly been killed by a roadside bomb that had previously been planted by other members of the group, a Peshmerga official said.

“A mine had been planted by ISIS troops in previous battles in the village of Kharbadan to target the Peshmerga, the vise versa happened, killing two of the group’s local leaders on the front,” Ali Hussain, commander of the Mekhmour front told Rudaw.

“One of the slain Emirs [Leader] was the group’s administrator in the area named Abu Malik, and the other one named Abu abdul-Aziz,” he added.

The bomb reportedly went off when an IS convoy were travelling on the road.

8:50am:

The man accused of slaying of nine black church members in Charleston last month has been indicted on 33 federal counts, including hate crimes, firearms violations and obstructing the practice of religion, which could include the death penalty.

Dylann Roof could face the death penalty.
Dylann Roof could face the death penalty.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced the federal grand jury indictments of 21-year-old Dylann Roof. The charges have been expected since Roof was arrested following the June 17 shootings at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston.

Roof, who is white, appeared in photos waving rebel Confederate flags, and survivors told police that he hurled racial insults during the attack.

-AP

8:40am:

A man has been charged following the discovery of an indoor cannabis plantation in Sydney’s south. After searching the man’s house in Peakhurst on Wednesday, officers seized 112 cannabis plants, as well as equipment and ten kilograms of dried cannabis worth about $380,000.

The 25-year old man was charged with multiple drug offences and will appear in Sutherland Local Court today.

-AAP

8:30am:

He’s one of the best players in the NBA, but his tremendous talents on the basketball court clearly don’t translate to sports involving smaller balls.

While playing in a charity softball match, Kevin Durant became the momentary laughing stock

after he dropped an absolute sitter.

When a flyball came his way, the Oklahoma Thunder superstar could only offer up a complete air-swing as the ball sailed past his glove.

He latter blamed the sun.

8:20am:

ABC Shops will be phased out around the country, with 300 staff set to be affected.

ABC Commercial director Robert Patterson said the decision “has not been taken lightly” but the move was “in keeping with the shift of ABC audiences to accessing content across an array of digital platforms”.

You won’t see this sight for much longer.
You won’t see this sight for much longer.

Under a new strategy announced by ABC Commercial, the national broadcaster will look to bolster its ABC Shop Online and partner with other retailers for branded space within stores.

There are currently 50 ABC Shops around the country and 78 ABC Centres located in other retail outlets.

The ABC employs up to 300 people in its retail operations, many of whom were informed of the changes last night.

“The ABC Shops have been an important part of the ABC’s relationship with its audiences for the past 35 years,” Mr Patterson said. “However, this strategy will create a more cost effective, nimble and flexible approach to servicing customers. Consumers will still be able to purchase much loved content both online and in stores.”

Read more at The Herald Sun.

8:10am:

You can’t blame him for trying. And if nothing else, Donald Chaney, 60, proved he’s got a pretty good imagination after he attempted to hold up a 7-11 with a finger gun.

Oregon police said he entered the business and held his hand like it was a gun and tried to rob the store of cigarettes and $50, reports ABC 12.

Unfortunately for the wannabe robber, he didn’t keep his hand in his pocket and unsurprisingly the staff weren’t convinced by the weapon.

Police say the man left without anything, was arrested nearby and charged with attempted robbery.

8am:

A mum who took a photo of her toddler with Down syndrome in a washing machine has copped criticism after posting it on Facebook.

Courtney Stewart, 21, of Erskine in Renfrewshire in Scotland, has defended the picture, saying that her son loves being inside the washing machine.

Ms Stewart said the door “was not closed right over”, as the photo shows a hand holding it shut.

“He loves the washing machine. We took a picture and it was a laugh,” she told the Scottish Daily Record.

The mum who posted this photo has hit back at criticism.
The mum who posted this photo has hit back at criticism.

But Ms Stewart’s neighbours and the local town have been angry and shocked to see the photo, which also prompted police to question her.

Ms Stewart said her son was not forced into the machine at any stage for the photo to be taken. Instead, he climbed into the machine himself.

She also defended herself against members of the public who called the police.

“What did they think I was doing to him? Taking him for a spin?,” she said.

7:50am:

If you’ve ever had an airline lose your baggage, it likely pales in comparison to this story. Cathay Pacific airline lost a bag filled with $890,000 in cash at Hong Kong International airport, this week.

As we all know too well, it’s pretty easy for airlines to lose luggage — about 26 million suitcases go missing each year. But this loss was above and beyond the usual slapstick carelessness, almost like something out of a sitcom. According to The Shanghaiist the bag was one of 12 carrying a total of $9 million in New Zealand currency on their way from New Zealand to Hong Kong, destined for deposit at the Bank of China.

The flight arrived at 9:10pm, and thanks to surveillance cameras, authorities know that bags made their way to a cargo transfer service provided by a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific. The bags were put onto a trailer, but then the truck turned a corner — and three bags fell off. While two were recovered, one is still missing.

According to reports, police are still investigating the disappearance and are listing it as a theft.

Read more at The New York Post.

7:40am:

A manhunt is continuing in the Northern Territory for a man wanted over a firearms incident who is on the run with up to seven children.

Brett Mahoney.
Brett Mahoney.

Brett Mahoney, 31, was last seen driving a faded red Toyota Land Cruiser, NT registration CB19SM, in the Marrakai area with the children aged between eight months and 11 years.

“He is potentially armed and potentially a risk to the community if he is confronted,” Police Assistant Commissioner Jeannette Kerr told reporters.

“NT Police are deploying significant resources to locate the children and safely apprehend Mr Mahoney.”

Northern Territory police have taken to Twitter and Facebook to appeal to the public for help in tracking the man down.

-With AAP

7:25am:

He’s either a time-wasting troll or an overly precious wuss but police have criticised a British man who called an emergency number when a seagull stole his sandwich.

Better call the police.
Better call the police.

The Bristol man called police after the seabird swooped down in an effort to pinch his sandwich, reports The Telegraph.

“I just walked out of Sainsbury’s towards McDonald’s right, and one of them seagulls basically tried to rip the sandwich out of my hand. If you look on the camera ...” he pleaded earnestly before being cut off by the operator.

“OK hang on a sec,” the woman replied. “What’s this got to do with the police? It’s a seagull!”

Either embarrassed or secretly pleased with himself, the man promptly hung up.

Audio of the phone call has been circulating online and represents just the latest in a string of ridiculously inane incidents to spur emergency calls in the UK.

7:15am:

It was one of Barack Obama’s election promises well before he ever stepped foot in the White House — and he’s making one last effort to deliver before his presidency comes to an end.

A White House spokesman says the administration is in the “final stages” of drafting its latest plan to close the prison holding terrorism detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

President Barack Obama’s efforts to shut the prison have been stymied by opponents in Congress for years.

Press secretary Josh Earnest says closing Guantanamo remains a priority. Earnest said Wednesday it’s a waste to spend more than $100 million per year on a prison holding only 116 detainees. And he said terrorists use Guantánamo Bay as a recruiting tool.

-With AFP

7am:

A young foal with a particularly striking coat has quickly become a viral sensation, delighting internet users everywhere.

The young horse named Da Vinci was born in North Yorkshire, England and some people are calling him two horses in one. That’s because the young foal has a patch near his mane that looks like the silhouette of another horse.

Da Vinci.
Da Vinci.

“I bought his mother at a sale and didn’t know she was ... (pregnant) so that was a bit of a surprise,” Da Vinci’s owner, Wendy Bulmer said.

“Chestnut horses have irregular patches but they don’t normally make something as recognisable.”

6:50am:

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is prepared to fight for Labor to implement a boat turn back policy at this week’s ALP national conference.

Mr Shorten believes Labor should turn back asylum seeker boats, admitting his party made mistakes on immigration policy when in government.

He says the option to turn back vessels carrying asylum seekers must be on the table to prevent drownings at sea and defeat people smugglers.

The opposition leader has until now remained on the fence on turn backs, an issue which has divided his party.

While revealing his new position on Wednesday, Mr Shorten admitted Labor made errors on asylum seeker policy when in government and conceded the coalition’s policy appeared to be working.

“I think it’s clear that the combination of regional resettlement, with offshore processing, and also the turn back policy, is defeating people smugglers,” he told ABC’s 7:30 last night.

-AAP

6:40am:

A base jumper has died in a freak accident in Turkey in which his parachute failed to open as the shocking incident was being filmed by a local TV station.

Ian Flanders, a 37-year-old BASE jumper and wingsuit flyer from southern California was taking part in the extreme sports showcase on Tuesday when tragedy struck.

BASE jumper Ian Flanders has lost his life.
BASE jumper Ian Flanders has lost his life.

His first flight went perfectly fine.

“It was a gorgeous flight, a beautiful view of the town. You get to kind of fly over, fly over the town,” he told the local television crew. “We landed in the river, which was also actually kind of fun.”

However his final jump of the day would prove disastrous.

When he pulled the chute chord, the lines apparently got tangle around his legs and his fatal plummet into the rocky cliff face was all caught on camera, reports CBS.

The video of the tragedy has found its way online and a woman can be heard screaming after he disappears into the shadows.

The incident has renewed safety concerns around the extreme sport.

6:30am:

Embattled former billionaire Nathan Tinkler has attempted to launch an assault against a Courier-Mail photographer in the car park of a busy Brisbane pub.

It came as the one-time mining magnate rejected the assertion a warrant had been issued for his arrest in another state.

Nathan Tinkler in the carpark of the Kenmore shopping centre.
Nathan Tinkler in the carpark of the Kenmore shopping centre.

As he was leaving the Kenmore Tavern in Brisbane’s west about 7.30pm yesterday, Mr Tinkler ordered the photographer to stop taking photographs, before lunging at him.

Watch the video at The Courier Mail.

6:15am:

The cheating capital of the world has been revealed.

A purported one million Australians were presumably nervous wrecks on Tuesday in the wake of the Ashley Madison data hack, there was another concentrated cluster of cheaters wringing their hands on the other side of the world.

One in five Ottawa residents are allegedly subscribed to the cheating website, according to figures provided by the Toronto-based company, whose slogan is “Life Is Short. Have an Affair”.

In February, 189,810 Ashley Madison users were registered in the Canadian city, which has a population of about 883,000. It’s the biggest affair city in Canada and potentially the highest globally per capita, Reuters reports.

Noel Biderman, chief executive of Avid Life Media, which owns Ashley Madison, told a Canadian newspaper earlier this year that Ottawa was the marriage infidelity hotbed of the world. He claims the top postcode for Ashley Madison members is Parliament Hill, the home of Canada’s parliament.

Read more here.

6am:

It’s been a tough week for the speaker of the house, Bronwyn Bishop. She has been place on probation by Prime Minister Tony Abbott after reports of her excessive use of travel entitlements at the expense of the tax payer, and now she’s getting attacked for her Facebook cover photo.

The cover photo of Ms Bishop’s Facebook account in an ariel shot taken from above Sydney, quite possibly from a helicopter.

Bronwyn Bishop’s Facebook account.
Bronwyn Bishop’s Facebook account.

The news that Ms Bishop charted a private $5,200 helicopter from Melbourne to Geelong to attend a Liberal Party fundraiser on taxpayer money sparked outrage and led to her current probation.

While the photo was uploaded in October of 2012, in light of recent events a number of people flocked to her account and expressed their disdain for the choice of photo.

“Taken from a helicopter. How ironic. You’re a disgrace,” Mark Halliday wrote.

“You are so self obsessed and out of touch with the feelings of Australians, to have this picture as your cover photo must only mean you are having a laugh at all of us,” wrote Elizabeth Evans.

Labor MP Jason Clare also picked up on the photo and posted his own version to his Facebook page.

“You couldn’t make this stuff up,” he wrote alongside the post.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Bronwyn Bishop.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Bronwyn Bishop.
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