ABC NewsMail - Afternoon Edition

NewsMail Afternoon Edition Thu 20 Feb, 2014 Top Stories More Top Stories » WA to go back to the polls for new Senate election Western Australia will go back to the polls for a new Senate election, the High Court has ruled. The Australian Electoral Commission had petitioned the court asking for the Senate results from September's federal election to be declared void after 1,370 votes could not be found for a recount. Earlier this week, Justice Kenneth Hayne ruled the election was invalid because the loss of the ballots had prevented electors from voting. More » Police find stolen car with baby inside Coalition will be Medicare's 'best friend', says Abbott Australian arrested in North Korea not just a tourist, travel company told Navy incursions causing 'go slow' in Indonesia relationship: Hurley Michael Clarke says Shane Watson won't play second Test if he can't bowl Pussy Riot members beaten and whipped in Sochi More Analysis » Reality bites: pollies fake it for the cameras Reality TV is known to blur the boundaries between what's true and what's confected, but in politics an entire universe is created at a self-serving arms length from the truth. While Alcoa, Holden, Toyota and SPC Ardmona all say one thing, the government says another. The sad result is that by evading the truth, politicians invite the Australian people to abandon politics as a meaningless irrelevance. More » WA is heading back to the polls - what can we expect? Point of order on Murray Inquiry Sorry Shane, but we need a break Wolf Creek 2: luring the lucrative murder tourists Forget debt - it's our jobs we're worried about Thomson verdict doesn't vindicate his enemies Spectre of jobless recovery looms Poll pain could await Liberals in WA National parks aren't your personal playground Just In More Just In » Sydney photo exhibition captures historic early photographs of Pacific islands Bruce Hill for Radio Australia An upcoming free exhibition of historic photographs at the University of Sydney's Macleay Museum will show some of the first photos of the Pacific during the early colonial period. More » Tasmanian tiger 'reappears' in crop field Coalition will be Medicare's 'best friend', says Abbott Police find stolen car with baby inside CFA issue emergency warning for Goongerah fire Dollar slides as China manufacturing index hits seven-month low Australians among 12 detained in Abu Dhabi over plane fires Arson investigation after fire guts Old Sydney Town 70yo woman trapped in roof for four days Mum admits guilt over 4yo's backyard motorbike death World More World » Dollar slides as China manufacturing index hits seven-month low By business reporter Michael Janda The Australian dollar has lost around half a cent after a Chinese manufacturing index hit a seven-month low. HSBC's flash China manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell 1.2 points to 48.3 in February, and now sits easily below the 50-point level that would indicate improvement in the sector. The result also missed analyst forecasts in a Bloomberg survey which centred on the flash PMI remaining at 49.5. However, some analysts warn that more data is needed to establish whether China's economy is slowing rapidly, given the effect of the recent Lunar New Year national holiday. More » Profile: Life and career of Peter Greste Facebook acquires WhatsApp in $19 billion deal Pussy Riot members beaten and whipped in Sochi Ukraine president agrees 'truce' with opposition after latest violence Eight drown in sewage in Pakistan road accident Business More Business » Dollar slides as China manufacturing index hits seven-month low By business reporter Michael Janda The Australian dollar has lost around half a cent after a Chinese manufacturing index hit a seven-month low. HSBC's flash China manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell 1.2 points to 48.3 in February, and now sits easily below the 50-point level that would indicate improvement in the sector. The result also missed analyst forecasts in a Bloomberg survey which centred on the flash PMI remaining at 49.5. However, some analysts warn that more data is needed to establish whether China's economy is slowing rapidly, given the effect of the recent Lunar New Year national holiday. More » Myer reappoints Brookes to lead DJs hunt Fairfax profit halves but says underlying earnings rising AMP posts profit fall on life insurance issues Troubled Treasury Wine Estates announces new chief Share market up as several companies beat profit expectations Politics More Politics » Coalition will be Medicare's 'best friend', says Abbott By political reporter Narda Gilmore Prime Minister Tony Abbott has declared his government will be the "best friend Medicare has ever" had after Health Minister Peter Dutton flagged an overhaul of the system. More » Navy incursions causing 'go slow' in Indonesia relationship: Hurley High Court expected to rule today on WA Senate election Business backs Hockey's G20 push for global growth target Education experts sound alarm over Tasmanian literacy levels Sport More Sport » Clarke rules Watson out as specialist batsman Michael Clarke has indicated that Shane Watson will not return to the Australia side as a specialist batsman. More » Roosters warned of Wigan challenge Duffie out for season with torn ACL Toua comfortable playing full-back against Brumbies Hewitt retires against Matosevic in Delray AFL, Bombers discuss player welfare measures Science and Technology More Science and Technology » Facebook acquires WhatsApp in $19 billion deal Facebook has announced it is buying the fast-growing mobile messaging service WhatsApp in a deal worth an eye-popping $19 billion, expanding the global footprint of the social networking giant. More » Monkey controls another's movement via computer link US scientists achieve 'turning point' in fusion energy quest 'Inadvertent errors' force nutritionists to correct controversial sugar paper China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover comes 'back to life' Environment More Environment » Nun, 84, jailed for breaking into US nuclear facility An elderly nun who broke into one of the most carefully guarded nuclear facilities in the United States has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison. More » Government to review Renewable Energy Target Kerry warns of climate change threat US, China to share policy ideas to fight global warming Bushfire-hit farmer sees hope by de-stocking 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 © 2014 ABC | Conditions of Use | Privacy Policy | Discover other ABC Email newsletters