ABC NewsMail - afternoon edition

Afternoon Edition. Tue 19 Apr 2011
You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to ABC NewsMail. If you would like to change your preferences, please enter your email address and click 'Login' here.
Top Stories	More Top Stories >
Mokbel guilty on drug trafficking charges Gangland boss Tony Mokbel laughed and joked in the dock as he pleaded guilty to drug offences after protracted legal cases that have dogged the Victorian Supreme Court. Triple-0 operator berates Toowoomba flood victim The chilling emergency calls of two victims of Toowoomba's flash flood have been played to the Queensland flood inquiry. Bring it on, Windsor tells Joyce Independent MP Tony Windsor has challenged Barnaby Joyce to give up his seat in the Senate if he is serious about challenging him in his New England House of Representatives seat. PM backs away from medical research cuts Prime Minister Julia Gillard has appeared to confirm reports that a planned $400 million cut from medical research has been scrapped. Australian shares slide on US debt warning A downgrade in the US credit outlook from neutral to negative has seen around $20 billion wiped off the value of Australian stocks.
The Drum	More from The Drum >
Why bad policy can be good politics Why would the Gillard government want to cut an unambiguously popular area of government spending - medical research? Because, perversely, it may be good politics. The government needs to talk about tough choices. And nothing demonstrates toughness than cutting medical research. Is all medical research spending the most efficient research spending? Long story short Poor old long-form journalism. Has it really come to this? Run out of town by Facebook and YouTube and kitten pix on the Huffington Post and the ravages of 24/7 news churn? Defence and the Department: what's in a name? Having spent over 25 years in the army and then a couple of years in the public service, it was interesting to see how the public service views itself relative to the military. Comedy by committee will free us from offence It was thought that the proliferation of digital channels and online outlets would fragment audiences and promote the evolution of niches. But as the world flattens, so too does the media. Everyone wants a piece of the resource boom pie The Economist magazine last week lamented the concern that the Australian economy could develop the so-called Dutch disease. It's one of the big public policy issues facing the Federal Government and it's playing out in all sorts of ways. Gillard might think a carbon tax looks hard but there are more complexities to sort out before Australia clearly maps out its economic future in this environment.
Just in	More Just In Stories >
Nuke plant workers pump out toxic water Workers at the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan are removing highly radioactive water from a reactor turbine building, a key step towards restoring cooling systems, the government said. Sydney restaurant ranked among world's top 50 The latest list of the best restaurants in the world is out and only one Australian restaurant has made it into the top 50. Abbott shoots down talk of Joyce as deputy Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has dismissed suggestions Barnaby Joyce could become his deputy if the Nationals Senator wins a Lower House seat in New South Wales.
World	More World Stories >
Nuke plant workers pump out toxic water Workers at the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan are removing highly radioactive water from a reactor turbine building, a key step towards restoring cooling systems, the government said. Sydney restaurant ranked among world's top 50 The latest list of the best restaurants in the world is out and only one Australian restaurant has made it into the top 50. Retail investors join fear-driven gold rush The price of gold touched a record high overnight, at just under $US1,497 an ounce.
Business	More Business Stories >
Sydney restaurant ranked among world's top 50 The latest list of the best restaurants in the world is out and only one Australian restaurant has made it into the top 50. Tax Office 'lacks technical, legal expertise' A review of the way the tax office handles small and medium-sized enterprises has heard that Australian Tax Office auditors lack technical and legal expertise. $5m collected in inner Sydney parking fines It is not just finding a parking spot that is causing pain for inner Sydney motorists.
Politics	More Politics Stories >
Abbott shoots down talk of Joyce as deputy Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has dismissed suggestions Barnaby Joyce could become his deputy if the Nationals Senator wins a Lower House seat in New South Wales. Town camps want to move to better addresses Three Alice Springs town camps are proposing changes to address identification that will change daily life for residents. Tax Office 'lacks technical, legal expertise' A review of the way the tax office handles small and medium-sized enterprises has heard that Australian Tax Office auditors lack technical and legal expertise.
Sport	More Sport Stories >
Hodgson re-signs with Force Western Force have re-signed Wallabies flanker Matt Hodgson for the next two Super Rugby seasons. Smeltz signs with Glory Perth Glory have signed two-time golden boot winner Shane Smeltz for the next three A-League seasons. I must keep improving: Nadal Rafa Nadal says he must try to keep improving his game after securing a seventh straight Monte Carlo Masters title at the weekend.
Science & Technology	More Science & Technology Stories >
Antarctic Summer NASA keeps latest balloon launch under wraps NASA launched a massive research balloon in Alice Springs today in an operation carried out under a veil of secrecy. ANU man gets chief scientist job Former vice-chancellor of the Australian National University, Ian Chubb, has been named Australia's new chief scientist.
Environment	More Environment Stories >
Carbon compensation debate shifts to brown coal As the Government hammers out the details of its carbon tax, an environment group is urging it to tread carefully when considering the compensation demands from electricity generators. Ukraine wants $1b for new Chernobyl shelter Ukraine is seeking more than $1 billion in donations to help build a new concrete structure to seal the remains of the Chernobyl nuclear plant. Job losses likely as wind farm owners split Hydro Tasmania is to end its Roaring 40s wind farm development joint venture with China Light and Power.
To change your preferences, please enter your email address and click 'Login' here or to unsubscribe click here. © 2009 ABC | Privacy Policy This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.