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NewsMail Morning Edition Thu 20 Feb, 2014 Top Stories More Top Stories » Health Minister flags Medicare overhaul Health Minister Peter Dutton has flagged an overhaul of Medicare, suggesting Australians who can afford it should pay more for their healthcare. Mr Dutton has used a major speech to declare he wants there to be a frank, fearless and far-reaching discussion about the health system. He argued the system is unsustainable and he wants to "modernise and strengthen" Medicare. "One important job of the Abbott Government is to grow the opportunity for those Australians who can afford to do so to contribute to their own healthcare costs," he told the ABC's 7.30 program. "If they have a means to contribute to their own healthcare, we should be embarking on a discussion about how that payment model will work." More » Hacking trial hears Tony Blair offered to advise Brooks, Murdoch Education experts sound alarm over Tasmanian literacy levels Navy breached Indonesian waters six times, review finds Australian missionary detained in N Korea Witnesses describe graphic scenes during Manus Island riot Ukrainian police launch fresh assault on protesters in Kiev 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 » 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 The great corporate welfare con-versation Come clean on your climate stance, Prime Minister A coalition of the willing on IR reform Just In More Just In » Man injured in helicopter crash at Mission Beach By Kirsty Nancarrow Police say a man has been injured in a helicopter crash at Mission Beach, south of Cairns in far north Queensland. More » High Court expected to rule today on WA Senate election Eight drown in sewage in Pakistan road accident Retailers start Bangladesh garment factory inspections Hacking trial hears Tony Blair offered to advise Brooks, Murdoch Taliban sets conditions for ceasefire with Pakistan Business backs Hockey's G20 push for global growth target Education experts sound alarm over Tasmanian literacy levels Thai court bans use of force against peaceful protests Geale sets signs on Golovkin after schooling Wood World More World » Eight drown in sewage in Pakistan road accident At least eight women and children have drowned in a sewage ravine after they were thrown from a speeding truck in Pakistan's city of Karachi. More » Retailers start Bangladesh garment factory inspections Hacking trial hears Tony Blair offered to advise Brooks, Murdoch Taliban sets conditions for ceasefire with Pakistan Thai court bans use of force against peaceful protests Indian state orders release of ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi's killers Business More Business » ABS figures show annual wages growth slowest on record By business reporter Michael Janda The official measure of wage growth has recorded its slowest growth on records that go back to 1997. The Bureau of Statistics wage price index (WPI) rose just 0.7 per cent in the December quarter and 2.6 per cent over the past year. Private sector wage growth was 0.6 per cent in the December quarter, seasonally adjusted, and public sector pay grew 0.9 per cent. South Australia had both the best public and best private sector pay increases last year, Tasmania the worst wages growth among the states. More » Price pressures see first home buyers miss out on grant Business backs Hockey's G20 push for global growth target Sensis to shed 800 jobs in digital refocus ASIC boss calls for tougher penalties to punish corporate crooks Share market posts modest gains amidst mixed earnings results Politics More Politics » High Court expected to rule today on WA Senate election The High Court is today expected to hand down its ruling on whether the West Australian Senate election will be declared void and voters will be sent back to the polls. The Electoral Commission called for the Senate results in WA to be declared void after nearly 1,400 votes were lost. Sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns earlier this week, the High Court ruled the lack of ballot papers for a full recount meant electors were prevented from voting. More » Business backs Hockey's G20 push for global growth target Education experts sound alarm over Tasmanian literacy levels Thai court bans use of force against peaceful protests Indian state orders release of ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi's killers Sport More Sport » Pittman, Radjenovic finish 14th in bobsleigh Australian pair Jana Pittman and Astrid Radjenovic have finished 14th in the women's bobsleigh competition in Sochi. More » Clarke rules Watson out as specialist batsman Geale sets signs on Golovkin after schooling Wood Bjoerndalen wins record 13th Games medal Australia, New Zealand to host 2017 Rugby League World Cup NRL gives Flanagan and Elkin more time Science and Technology More Science and Technology » Monkey controls another's movement via computer link By Will Ockenden Scientists have successfully used computer chips to link two monkeys together allowing one monkey's brain to control the other's body movement. More » 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' WA coral reef decimated by marine heatwave: study 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. 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