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Afternoon Edition. Fri 13 May 2011
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Top Stories	More Top Stories >
Population strategy aims to curb city growth The Federal Government has released its first population strategy which focuses on boosting growth in regional areas and away from the outer suburbs of capital cities. Bin Laden revenge blast kills 80 in Pakistan Pakistani Taliban suicide bombers killed at least 80 people at a paramilitary force academy in the north-west of the country, and vowed further bloodshed in retaliation for the death of Osama bin Laden. Trash talk undermines Tidy Town win Two councillors in the NSW city of Lithgow claim their council lied in its award submission for Australia's top accolade for civic pride. Man busted with menagerie in luggage A man whose luggage contained a baby bear, a pair of panthers, two leopards and some monkeys was arrested as he tried to smuggle the live animals out of Thailand, police said. Pilot hurt in fiery chopper crash A pilot has had a lucky escape after his helicopter crashed and burst into flames at Sydney's Bankstown Airport this afternoon.
The Drum	More from The Drum >
Looking for a great opposition leader. Still looking. Like Malcolm Fraser in 1975, Tony Abbott may only need to stay on his feet to win whenever the next election is held. But on his performance over the past week, heÂ'll need to defy a 40 year trend and get there despite himself. Based on this weekÂ's performance, Tony Abbott still sits with the long list of low achieving opposition leaders: populist, contradictory, rhetorical and shallow. Finding a coin for the journalistic juke box People who are prepared to work for free will stop feeling that way pretty quickly once they suspect that someone is taking advantage. A prize of one's own: the case for an Aussie orange Perhaps the question isnÂ't, 'Why should a women's only Australian literary award exist?' but 'Why the hell shouldnÂ't it exist?' Corruption in sport? Amazing. Australia spent tens of millions of dollars bidding for a World Cup awarded to Qatar. Who could have guessed there'd now be investigations that allege bribery? Minority government: stick together or perish alone You can forgive the impatience of anyone who has been deeply involved in fashioning a budget to get an early read from one of those who will pass judgement on months of painstaking work in the space of a few short sandwich-and-samosa-fuelled hours. A cartoon and a 100-point headline on the front of a tabloid can trash hundreds of thousands of words. Any budget has to be seen in context and the inescapable circumstance of this one is minority government.
Just in	More Just In Stories >
Freed drug trafficker facing more charges A convicted Australian drug trafficker granted clemency by the Thai King has been extradited to face further charges in the United States. PM defends Malaysia deal amid Amnesty criticism Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded to a new report which is highly critical of the treatment of asylum seekers in both Malaysia and Australia. Pilot hurt in fiery chopper crash A helicopter has crashed and burst into flames at Sydney's Bankstown Airport.
World	More World Stories >
Freed drug trafficker facing more charges A convicted Australian drug trafficker granted clemency by the Thai King has been extradited to face further charges in the United States. PM defends Malaysia deal amid Amnesty criticism Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded to a new report which is highly critical of the treatment of asylum seekers in both Malaysia and Australia. Man busted with menagerie in luggage A man whose luggage contained a baby bear, a pair of panthers, two leopards and some monkeys was arrested as he tried to smuggle the live animals out of Thailand, police said.
Business	More Business Stories >
Late bounce puts market in black A bounce in the afternoon, particularly for mining stocks, helped the Australian share market to a modest gain. Historic cattle station prepares to celebrate The 100th anniversary of a well-known cattle station in Central Australia will be celebrated this weekend. More homes for rent but prices still rising A new report shows home rental rates in Canberra have increased by 2.5 per cent over the three months to March.
Politics	More Politics Stories >
Councils back in charge as 3A scrapped The New South Wales Government has confirmed it is returning responsibility to local councils for $9 billion worth of developments lodged under the 3A planning laws. Archives storage funding delayed The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) says new Freedom of Information laws will be ineffective unless the National Archives of Australia (NAA) receives more funding. Education union to protest against budget cuts The education union will meet today to decide what action it will take in response to cuts to education in the Victorian budget.
Sport	More Sport Stories >
Science & Technology	More Science & Technology Stories >
Lonely Planet jobs head overseas The Melbourne-based international travel guide publisher, Lonely Planet, is partly blaming the strong Australian dollar for the sacking of 70 staff. First whales of season arrive in Bight The first whales of the season are now arriving in the waters of the Great Australian Bight. Planets align for awesome foursome showcase Astronomers and stargazers were looking to the dawn sky Friday as planets Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter aligned over the southern hemisphere.
Environment	More Environment Stories >
Environment court knocks back quarry expansion The Lismore Mayor, Jenny Dowell, has welcomed a ruling by the Land and Environment Court against the Champion's Quarry. Trash talk undermines Tidy Town win Two councillors in the NSW city of Lithgow claim their council lied in its award submission for Australia's top accolade for civic pride. Warnings issued for island tree clearing Resort developer Tower Holdings says it will work with contractors to ensure there are no future breaches of tree clearing restrictions on Great Keppel Island off Yeppoon in central Queensland.
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