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NewsMail Afternoon Edition Sat 13 Aug, 2011 Top Stories More Top Stories » UK courts under fire over riot sentences London correspondent Anne Barker, wires English magistrates are facing intense public pressure to come down hard on convicted looters, as courts work night and day to clear the backlog of cases. More than 1,600 people have been arrested throughout England after riots ripped through the country, leaving neighbourhoods smouldering and five people dead. Jail terms have been handed to many youngsters, some for stealing a few t-shirts. In one case a man was sentenced to six months jail for stealing a few bottles of water.More » Palin stokes presidential campaign speculation Tastebuds could hold key to obesity battle Man missing in Gippsland floodwaters LNP hopeful stands aside over Gillard email Fears for boys missing on Sunshine Coast Refugee camps overflowing in Africa crisis US ups pressure on Syria after more deaths Princess Mary’s young son starts school Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie 'just friends' More Analysis » Riot to reform: it might be just a stone's throw away The riots in the UK have provoked a backlash that seeks to paint participants narrowly as 'mindless', 'criminals', 'thugs' and an 'external' threat to social order. Part of this argument has been an interesting variant on the theme of historical forgetting. In it, the urban uprisings and riots of the past are painted as being of a higher calibre than the current conflagration; more conscious, more political and directed at "genuine" grievances.More » Engage the youth, avoid our own 'English summer' Building a brighter future for disabled Australians Woodstock for nerds: a few days on Google+ A riot of consumption Conversations: shining the spotlight on Indigenous policy Lock the doors Eddie, the poor are revolting Interest rate cuts needed now Cheap populism and the 'doing it tough' con Britain's perfect storm of civil discontent Just In More Just In » UK courts under fire over riot sentences London correspondent Anne Barker, wires English magistrates are facing intense public pressure to come down hard on convicted looters, as courts work night and day to clear the backlog of cases. More than 1,600 people have been arrested throughout England after riots ripped through the country, leaving neighbourhoods smouldering and five people dead. Jail terms have been handed to many youngsters, some for stealing a few t-shirts. In one case a man was sentenced to six months jail for stealing a few bottles of water.More » Magpies lose Maxwell to thumb fracture UK police probed for tipping off journalists Police probe hotel robbery Home invaders arrested on NSW coast Tastebuds could hold key to obesity battle Schools employ company to monitor online behaviour Man arrested for pipeline bomb Man missing in Gippsland floodwaters Jennings forced to buy 2,000 tickets World More World » US ups pressure on Syria after more deaths Washington correspondent Craig McMurtrie, wires The US has stepped up pressure on the Syrian government, calling on other countries to stop buying its oil and gas as security forces killed at least 16 people overnight.More » London council moves to evict rioters Palin stokes presidential campaign speculation Refugee camps overflowing in Africa crisis Chinese bullet trains pulled over 'flaws' Chimp maul woman shows new face US loses prototype hypersonic bomber Japan considers canning whaling program Mexican hitman 'admits killing 300 people' Business More Business » US, Euro markets rally to end volatile week North America correspondent Craig McMurtrie, wires Global markets have rallied after one of the most turbulent weeks on record, as four European economies imposed a temporary ban on short-selling financial shares.More » Bargain hunters win market tug of war Markets roiled by French bank rumours ASIC seeks more disclosure on CFDs Tiger flights back in the air Investors upset at Trio fraud sentence BlueScope flags $900m write-down Westfield expands into Italy Customers spending hours on telco complaints Politics More Politics » LNP hopeful stands aside over Gillard email A Liberal National Party candidate has stepped aside as his party investigates an email in which he allegedly said he hopes Prime Minister Julia Gillard "follows the history" of assassinated US president John F Kennedy.More » More asylum seekers arrive as swap deal stalled Abbott's razor gang makes no apologies Report scathing of detention conditions Government shrugs off rising jobless figures Sport More Sport » Hoffman fireworks light up Lockyer's 350th By James Maasdorp Darren Lockyer celebrated a thrilling victory in his 350th NRL game as the Broncos beat the Cowboys 34-16 in Townsville. More » Pies end Saints' streak at six Tigers continue winning streak Evans backs cycling's anti-doping regime Jennings on final warning with Panthers Science and Technology More Science and Technology » Bird bones could be one million years old Leah MacLennan A bird skeleton uncovered on the Nullarbor Plain could lead to a better understanding of the history of the modern wedge-tailed eagle. Scientists say the bones could be one million years old.More » US loses prototype hypersonic bomber Pre-historic eagle and wallaby discovered NSW opens way for R18+ games NASA's Juno probe sets sail for Jupiter Environment More Environment » Australia urged to stake claim in Antarctica An expert says Australia needs to increase its presence in Antarctica so it can have a say in what happens to the frozen continent's resources. More » Japan considers canning whaling program Japan PM vows nuclear-free future Fukushima stokes fear on Hiroshima anniversary Turnbull decries war on climate science About this email You received this email because you are subscribed to ABC News email alerts. This message was sent to you at starnewsposting@gmail.com Please add newslists@your.abc.net.au to your email address book to see images by default and stop the email being treated as spam. This email address is not monitored - Please don't reply to this email. Manage your preferences | Unsubscribe | Contact Us   This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 700 Harris Street, Ultimo NSW 2007 © 2011 ABC | Conditions of Use | Privacy Policy | Discover other ABC Email newsletters