ABC NewsMail - Afternoon Edition

NewsMail Afternoon Edition Thu 16 Jan, 2014 Top Stories More Top Stories » Heatwave brings fire, health dangers and drains power grids Victoria and South Australia are braced for the spread of bushfires as heatwave conditions persist in south-eastern Australia today. More » Tasmanians go to polls on March 15 Police smash webcam child abuse ring involving Australians Morrison rejects reports Navy fired warning shots at asylum boat Missing Australian soldier fails to board return flight from US Australian Open: Extreme heat policy in effect as temperatures soar above 40 degrees More Analysis » Stop the boats: the answer to the wrong question It is hard to imagine a more feeble response to the international flow of people than simply stopping the flow of boats between South East Asia and Australia. Yet "stopping the boats" is the simple totality of the political proposition in this country - all that need be done. If our politics neither interrogates the means by which this is achieved and its implied cruel and extreme deterrence, then that is not the failure of our political practitioners, but those among the Australian people who allow the issue to be defined so tightly and inhumanely with such an evident eye to political self-interest. More » The Marmalade Files: DFAT's cabinet of curiosities The great Australian air con Dethroning GDP as our measure of progress Hanging up their lab coats: Australia's new brain drain 2014 may be the year of deflation Home buyer beware: the illusion of affordability Australian Open: the glorious rut of men's tennis Constancy or madness in the midsummer heat? The farce of an ideologically neutral curriculum Just In More Just In » Players react to Australian Open heat A number of stars at the Australian Open have reacted on social media to the staggering temperatures in Melbourne. More » Qld coroner completes autopsies on mum and daughter who died in Bali Shorten urges voters to send message to Abbott in by-election Victoria bakes: bushfires burn out of control, commuters urged to leave city early Bega sells WCB stake to Saputo for up to $101 million Tsonga beats Bellucci in the shade Tasmanians go to polls on March 15 Heat policy in effect at Australian Open Crocs prove toothy OHS issue for rail repair gang CFS battling several fires in SA's extreme heat World More World » Kenya mall massacre suspects front court Four men have faced court charged in connection with last year's massacre at Kenya's Westgate mall, an attack claimed by Somalia's Al Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents. More » Apple to refund $36 million for kids' app purchases At least 73 dead in bloody day in Iraq Thieves try to steal Sigmund Freud's ashes Thai government says Bangkok protests declining World nations promise $2.4 billion in aid to Syria Business More Business » Dollar sinks as report shows thousands left work in December By business reporter Michael Janda Australia's unemployment rate has held steady at 5.8 per cent, despite the estimated loss of 22,600 jobs in December. The Bureau of Statistics estimates that 31,600 full-time jobs were lost last month, with only 9,000 part-time jobs created to offset a small part of that decline. The large and unexpected job losses have pushed the Australian dollar down almost a cent to the lowest level in three-and-a-half years. More » Bega sells WCB stake to Saputo for up to $101 million Companies may be handed audit powers under ATO rethink Miners lead share gains in early trade Rio Tinto books record production of bauxite, iron ore and thermal coal Fortescue Metals Group under investigation after safety incidents at its Solomon Hub mine Politics More Politics » Shorten urges voters to send message to Abbott in by-election Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the by-election for Kevin Rudd's old seat gives voters a chance to tell Prime Minister Tony Abbott to "stop breaking promises". More » More experts can be called in for curriculum review: Pyne Fardon to stay out of jail after High Court appeal abandoned Audit chief won't rule out privatising key assets Underpaid disabled workers to be offered one-off payment Sport More Sport » Heat policy in effect at Australian Open Australian Open officials have applied the extreme heat policy for the first time this week at Melbourne Park. More » Sharapova through to third round after marathon Tsonga beats Bellucci in the shade Emerton announces retirement from football Wanderers' Shinji Ono to return to Japan Watson rested for Sydney and Perth ODIs Science and Technology More Science and Technology » Bitcoins catching on with Australian businesses, despite reservations By consumer affairs reporter Amy Bainbridge The real-world use of virtual currency is catching on with Australian businesses, despite criticism the system is too unreliable.. More » Zoo deems bananas too unhealthy for monkeys Cheap genome sequencing available after Australian institute buys new machine Scientists 'e-tag' honey bees to track population decline Google buys 'smart' thermostat maker for $3.5bn Environment More Environment » Heatwaves in Australia more frequent, hotter and longer, report reveals Heatwaves in Australia are becoming more frequent, hotter and are lasting longer because of climate change, a report released today by the Climate Council says. The interim findings of the report come come as southern Australia swelters through a heatwave, with the temperature in Adelaide today forecast to hit 46 degrees Celsius The report says heat records are now happening three times more often than cold records, and that the number of hot days across Australia has "more than doubled". "It is clear that climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and severe," report co-author Professor Will Steffen said in a statement. "Heatwaves have become hotter and longer and they are starting earlier in the season." More » 2014's hottest places in Australia so far West African lion close to extinction: study Italy's army to combat 'Triangle of Death' mafia dumps Cuts to regional NSW psychiatry funding could be deadly: doctors 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. 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