RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today
A DOCTOR has faced huge backlash and could lose her job after an ill-timed selfie went viral.
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.
9:45am:
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has lashed out at the media and accused Fairfax and the ABC of trying to bring down the government and committing a form of “jihad”.
Mr Dutton said there was a “huge move by Fairfax at the moment to try and bring the Government down” which was being helped by the public broadcaster.
“I think regardless of what Tony Abbott does, Fairfax will say it’s bad,” he told the ABC’s AM program.”
The accusations follow a Friday operation by Australia’s Border Force which Mr Dutton’s office was heavily criticised for. Mr Dutton said some journalists were not performing their role in a fair and responsible way.
“They aren’t supposed to be political players, they’re supposed to be objective reporters of the news and I think many of them have morphed into frustrated politicians,” he said.
9:35am:
They call it the city of brotherly love for a reason. Two men have been caught on camera involved in a street fight in Philadelphia which ended in hugs.
The two men who appear to be very intoxicated are sharing a cigarette on the side of the street when the altercation broke out. As the two men stand toe-to-toe, wildly flailing their fists at one another, the scrappy affair eventually devolves into a prolonged embrace between the two.
9:25am:
Those running the Auschwitz concentration camp have found themselves in hot water after installing mist showers in the former Nazi extermination camp in a bid to “cool down” visitors to the onetime slaughterhouse, which is now a museum commemorating the Holocaust.
The showers which spray a light mist of water were introduced to help tourists deal with the high temperatures during Poland’s summer.
However for some Jewish visitors to the museum, the showers have evoked harsh memories of the execution of more than 1.1 million at the death camp, many of whom were murdered by being marched into showers filled with poison gas.
“I was in shock. It was a punch to the gut,” one Israeli visitor told Ynet.
9:15am:
Australian comedian Rebel Wilson is under fire from black activists for joking about police injustice during a skit at the MTV Video Music Awards.
“A lot of people have problems with the police,” said the 35-year-old actress, who was dressed in a cop uniform at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.
“But I really hate police strippers,” she continued. “You guys know what I’m talking about. They come to your house, you think you’re getting arrested, and you just get a lap dance that is usually uninspired,” she said.
The skit didn’t go down well with Black Lives Matter activists, who accused the Pitch Perfect 2 star of trivialising the police murders of black people in the US.
9am:
Around 20,000 people have marched in Vienna to demonstrate against ill-treatment of migrants, after the bodies of 71 refugees were found in an abandoned truck last week.
Holding up large banners reading “Refugees welcome” and “I don’t want Europe to be a mass grave”, demonstrators of all ages rallied at the city’s Westbahnhof train station before heading down a major shopping thoroughfare, police said.
A large part of the inner city had been cordoned off for the march.
As they slowly wound their way through the capital, the protesters sang Austrian pop songs about love and solidarity, to spontaneous applause from bystanders.
Among those marching were parents carrying children on their shoulders, while police officers watched from the sidelines with their helmets under their arms.
The demonstrators, many dressed in white, congregated in front of parliament, where they lit a sea of candles.
-AFP
8:50am:
The World Gravy Wrestling Championship took place in Lancashire, UK on Monday and the bizarre event delivered everything it promised. Which is basically just men and women grappling in a pit of gravy sauce as people cheered on.
Nicole Taylor-Lyons, 20, was crowned the woman’s champion while Joel Hicks aka “Gandalf the Gravy” took out the men’s title.
First of the men's semi-finals is won by Gandalf the Gravy - Joel Hicks #Gravywrestling pic.twitter.com/JxrO5sQ1xv
8:35am:
A man has died after the petrol tanker he was driving veered off a highway and rolled southwest of Toowoomba in Queensland.
The truck driver, believed to be aged in his 50s, was travelling on the Gore Highway near Pittsworth when he crashed around 4.30am this morning and died.
The highway is closed in both directions as crews attempt to move the tanker and clean up spilled fuel.
-AAP
8:25am:
A 51-year-old North Dakota woman has given birth to her own granddaughter after acting as a surrogate for her daughter.
Mandy Stephens and her husband Jamie struggled to get pregnant after marrying in 2013 and when it finally happened, the devastation of losing the baby after 20 weeks proved too much.
When looking into alternative options, Ms Stephens’ mother who suffers from multiple sclerosis put her hand up to volunteer to have the baby via in vitro fertilisation.
“I decided that if they needed somebody to carry their child, I would volunteer,” Sherri Dickson told ABC News.
The baby was born just weeks ago with both infant and grandmother happy and healthy.
Acting as a surrogate, North Dakota woman gives birth to her granddaughter: http://t.co/SLUy3FjUmz pic.twitter.com/PZ3I66hOJ8
8:10am:
Do you often get less than six hours of sleep? If so, you could likely be reaching for some Codral.
A new study shows that those who get less than six hours sleep are 4.2 times more likely to catch a cold compared to those who got more than seven hours of sleep a night.
The findings were published in the journal Sleep and are based on a study of 164 volunteers who allowed themselves to be exposed to the cold virus by researchers who were also tracking their sleep habits.
First, the subjects underwent health screenings and completed questionnaires so researchers could understand factors such as stress, temperament, and alcohol and cigarette use.
Their sleep habits were measured for one week prior to the beginning of the study, which required them to stay in a hotel room in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.
Once sequestered in the hotel, researchers administered the cold virus via nasal drops and monitored the volunteers for a week, collecting daily mucus samples to see if the virus had taken hold.
-With AFP
8am:
Queensland Police have refused to rule out the possibility that the fire which claimed the life of 3-year-old Baileigh on Sunday night was lit deliberately.
Baileigh was pronounced dead at the scene while his mother Crystal Cartledge suffered burns to 90 per cent of her body and was rushed to hospital.
Four men, who lived in units nearby, risked their own lives trying to save the family of five trapped inside, punching through glass and running through the flames to try to save the children.
Dane Wallace was one of the men who rushed to help. He said he was alerted to the inferno by the sound of children screaming.
“I was inside watching some TV and heard screams, so I woke my partner up and told her to call triple zero and then I went down to see if I could help out,” he said.
Along with Mr Wallace, Brendan Tansley, Ben Pugh and a man who wished to be identified only as Isaac were the first to respond to the screams.
Read more at The Courier Mail.
7:45am:
A shocking video has emerged showing a customer dragging a McDonald’s worker through the drive-through window by the hair after a verbal stoush.
It is not clear what triggered the brawl, but mobile phone video shared on LiveLeak shows a customer in the car shouting at a young worker standing behind the counter.
Out of the blue, the customer grabs the fast-food worker by the hair and drags her effortlessly into the car. Several people can be heard yelling before the footage ends.
7:30am:
A Chicago man thought all his Christmases had come at once when he won the state lottery. However in a cruel twist of fate, he won’t receive anything until the state gets its affairs in order.
Danny Chasteen and his girlfriend thought they’d struck gold when they won $US250,000 from the Illinois lottery, but instead they got an IOU.
The couple are among the many who are waiting to receive their lottery winnings after the state halted payments over $25,000 because lawmakers have been unable to pass a budget, reports the The Chicago Tribune.
“For the first time, we were finally gonna get a break,” Chasteen’s girlfriend said. “And now the Illinois Lottery has kind of messed everything up.”
7:20am:
Jarryd Hayne in one step closer to his NFL dream after he survived the first round of roster cuts at the San Francisco 49ers.
The NFL team cut 10 players on Monday and while Hayne remains on the team, Lawrence Okoye, a former British discus star and another project of coach Jim Tomsula, were releases from the team.
The former NRL star Hayne has enjoyed three impressive performances for the 49ers in recent pre-season games and is now expected to survive the final cut later this week when the team announces its final 53-man roster for the regular season.
“I’m pretty confident in Jarryd’s ability to field the ball,” Tomsula said. “I’ve watched a tonne of tape of him fielding a rugby ball.”
“The tackling, coverage part, I’ve seen lot of improvement.”
7:10am:
New penalties to deter phone-happy drivers on Queensland’s roads are to come into effect.
From today, police will issue double demerit points for drivers busted using a mobile phone behind the wheel two or more times in a year.
That means a $353 fine and six demerit points for those caught. Police are also encouraging Queenslanders to dob in drivers for using their mobile phones as part of the crackdown.
Road Safety Minister Mark Bailey said the new penalty was an important safety measure given driving while distracted by a mobile phone can be just as dangerous as drink driving.
“We’ve got to start thinking of it like that because people are dying and getting maimed on Queensland roads because people are continuing to use their phones,” Mr Bailey said.
-AAP
7am:
A man and small child have been miraculously pulled from the rubble following an air strike in Syria, according to a video circulating online.
A Twitter used named Sakir Khader posted a video of a group of men frantically digging out the two victims after a reported attack in Saqba, near Damascus. The air strike is believed to be carried out by loyalists to President Bashar al-Assad.
“Miraculous: Man and child pulled alive from rubble after being buried following an air strike on #Saqba, Syria today,” the video’s caption reads.
More than 220,000 have been killed in Syria after nearly four years of civil war — with an estimated nine million displaced.
Miraculous: Man and child pulled alive from rubble after being buried following an air strike on #Saqba, Syria today. pic.twitter.com/H51MYD2CCc
6:45am:
A Sydney woman has found the body of her dead husband in the backyard of their home overnight. Police are investigating the death of the man who appeared to have injuries to his upper body.
They were called to the Miranda home at around 7pm last night after the 54-year-old’s body was discovered.
Investigators say they have established a crime scene at the residence and are treating the death as suspicious.
6:35am:
NBC announced on August 31 that President Obama will appear on a special episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls. The outdoor adventure show typically involves celebrities simulating a survival experience in the wilderness with the host Bear Grylls.
It’s not uncommon for guests to eat or drink some pretty disgusting things, such as Michelle Rodriguez who ate a mouse boiled in her own urine. So naturally, the people want President Obama to do the same.
A petition has been created on the White House website in hopes of getting the leader of the free world to drink his own urine.
At the time of writing the petition has received just 62 signatures of the 10,000 required to receive an official response from the White House. But people seem hopeful.
The pair will trek through the Alaskan wilderness this week in an effort to highlight the impact of global warming.
God bless this internet. There's already a petition to make Obama drink his own pee on the Bear Grylls thing. http://t.co/CN3r7W1HWN
President Obama being on Bear Grylls show shows he's a guy you can really share your own urine with
So is Bear Grylls gonna make Obama drink his own pee or nah?
6:20am:
A Perth father accused of setting his three children on fire is due to face court.
Edward John Herbert, 43, allegedly poured a liquid and set fire to his son and two daughters inside the family’s Doubleview home, north of Perth, on Saturday.
An off-duty officer rescued the children and took them to a nearby residence to provide emergency first aid.
The youngest child, a girl who turned the age of four on Monday, remains at Princess Margaret Hospital in a critical but stable condition.
The father is scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrates Court this morning and is facing five charges, including two counts of grievous bodily harm.
-AAP
6:10am:
Australia's batsmen have choked in a nailbiting Twenty20 loss to England in Cardiff.
Steve Smith smashed a brilliant 90 off 53 that should have been enough to see Australia home, before the tourists fell in a heap at the death, losing 5-16 in the space of 14 balls to fall five agonising runs short.
Marcus Stoinis endured a baptism of fire in his international debut. Needing 12 to win off the final over, Stoinis hesitated first ball when he should have been coming back for a second run, leaving batting partner Matthew Wade stranded and the Australians scattered.
“Anytime you’re in those situations it’s tough,” Smith said of Stoinis’ difficult start.
6am:
A doctor in Malaysia has landed herself in hot water after a rather inappropriate selfie went viral.
The female doctor can be seen smiling at the camera and giving a peace sign with her left hand while delivering a baby with her right. As one would expect, the pregnant woman’s legs are spread wide open with plenty on view.
The photo was taken at Johor Bahru hospital in Malaysia and went viral after it was posted to Facebook. Fortunately for the woman, the area between her legs had been blurred out.
Administrators at the hospital said last week they have identified the doctor and will conduct an investigation into the inappropriate selfie, reports The Malay Mail.
The country’s health minister Dr Seri Subra also promised swift action to punish the doctor for the breach of medical ethics.
Hospital administrators said they are waiting for an investigation by the medical ethics panel before deciding whether she should be sacked or fined.
Inside feud that brought Sydney to a halt
Five months of transport disruptions and chaotic commutes were brought to an abrupt halt this week after a fiery fight between the unions and the government.
Driver charged over meat cleaver incident
A man has been charged after reports a driver allegedly wielded a meat cleaver at other drivers on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Commuters warned of further travel chaos
Commuters are being urged to brace for another day of cancellations and delays as the rail union and the NSW government take their fight to court.