ABC NewsMail - Afternoon Edition

NewsMail Afternoon Edition Sat 12 Apr, 2014 Top Stories More Top Stories » Live: Damage kept to minimum as Cyclone Ita downgraded to category 1 Residents in far north Queensland are surveying the damage from Tropical Cyclone Ita as the storm continues to sweep down the coast. The cyclone made landfall at Cape Flattery last night as a category four storm but weakened as it travelled inland. Destructive winds of up to 120 kilometres per hour and torrential rain are lashing the region from Cape Melville to Cape Tribulation, while localised flooding is threatening low-lying areas. In Cooktown, the West Coast Hotel and at least two houses have had their roofs blown off but other major structural damage appears to have been kept to a minimum. Up to 8,500 homes in the region are still without power and emergency services had to rescue two adults and three children from a flooded road south of Cooktown. Follow all the developments on our live blog or read a full wrap. More » Missing 3yo girl Chloe Campbell found by authorities Oscar Pistorius: I did not hear Reeva scream No new signals detected as MH370 search narrows in on black box Blain by-election: Voters head to the polls to replace Terry Mills and decide fate of Country Liberals Vic police officers injured in farmhouse explosion Scott fights back, Senden leads Aussie charge at Masters More Analysis » Revenue lobbyists should leave the GST alone Australia should get its excessive spending under control without resorting to the tempting but unwarranted consumption tax grabs we have recently seen in other countries. Politicians generally do not respect fiscal rules for too long, and a rise in the GST would disproportionately hurt the poor. That's why the current institutional arrangements for managing the GST should be preserved in the face of recent pressure from revenue lobbyists like Martin Parkinson and Ken Henry. More » Ten should adopt these ratings winners - seriously Coal is no cure for energy poverty Bullock: the straw that breaks the camel's back? We still don't know how to talk about China Who's afraid of anti-discrimination laws? Cultural patronage offers a tilt at immortality Fair trials at risk in age of social media Bob Carr's diary reveals a true satirist Democracy is about the people, not the parties Just In More Just In » Hi-tech Sydney playground coaxes digital natives By Jessica Kidd It's near impossible to tear this generation of children away from their smartphones and videogames but a hi-tech playground in the centre of the Western Sydney Parklands is coaxing them into the great outdoors. More » Tommy Berry dedicates win for brother Nathan Chinese investment rules for farmland won't change: Robb Cyclone Ita: In the words of residents Several rescued from floodwaters in cyclone-hit far north Qld No new signals detected as MH370 search narrows in on black box US denies visa to Iran's UN envoy Russia to honour European gas contracts, despite Ukraine's debts Votes trickle in for vital Blain by-election Man in court over 1998 Northern Ireland Omagh bombing World More World » Chinese investment rules for farmland won't change: Robb By Jane Norman, staff Trade Minister Andrew Robb has assured his Coalition colleagues there will be no changes to foreign investment rules on farmland as part of a trade deal with China. More » US denies visa to Iran's UN envoy Russia to honour European gas contracts, despite Ukraine's debts Man in court over 1998 Northern Ireland Omagh bombing Oscar Pistorius: I did not hear Reeva scream Scott fights back, Senden leads Aussie charge Business More Business » Coke shares drop as market loses its fizz Australian stocks have retreated from yesterday's near six-year high, posting losses across the board. The All Ordinaries Index dropped 1 per cent to close at 5,424 and the ASX 200 lost 52 points to 5,429. The sell-off was not as bad as feared after a much bigger slump on Wall Street, where investors sold down internet and social media stocks. Coca-Cola Amatil suffered its biggest drop in 23 years to close 14.5 per cent lower at $9.74 after cutting its profit forecasts. More » Analysts say US tech stock slump is a correction, not a crash Bank of Queensland announces profit jump and acquisition Abbott arrives in Shanghai for talks with Chinese president Holden's former workers finding job search tough Oakajee Port: Padbury Mining says finance secured Politics More Politics » Tony Abbott meets Chinese president Xi Jinping By China correspondent Stephen McDonell Prime Minister Tony Abbott has met with Chinese president Xi Jinping in Beijing on the penultimate day of his tour of North Asia. More » Single-decker v double-decker trains: Barry O'Farrell's claim doubtful Obeids did not invest in AWH, Eddie Junior tells ICAC Macklin accuses Government of preparing to cut age pension SA leads national push for sexting laws Sport More Sport » Live: Blues v Demons, Port v Lions, Giants v Bulldogs, Suns v Hawks, Cats v Eagles Follow all the AFL action as we host five big games across Saturday, finishing with the Cats v Eagles at Geelong. More » Live: Raiders v Knights, Eels v Roosters, Tigers v Cowboys Live: Phoenix v Victory, Heart v Wanderers, Roar v Mariners Scott fights back, Senden leads Aussie charge Hooker calls it quits on athletics ARU sensationally withdraws Folau from Waratahs' line-up Science and Technology More Science and Technology » NSA, White House denies using Heartbleed bug to spy US intelligence agencies have denied a report that they exploited the Heartbleed bug in internet encryption to gather intelligence, saying they were not aware of the vulnerability before it was publicly exposed. More » CSIRO develops world's first fish-free prawn food US to test futuristic high-speed electromagnetic railgun Second study from UQ research pair retracted after misconduct probe Novartis removes top Japanese executives over drug trial scandal Environment More Environment » US denies visa to Iran's UN envoy North America Correspondent Jane Cowan Concerns talks over Iran's nuclear program may be disrupted after the US refuses to grant a visa to the Iranian official nominated by Tehran to be its next ambassador to the United Nations. More » Whaling around the world: How Japan's catch compares Court wants Alpha Coal project rejected or new conditions imposed WA Govt seeks to extend shark baiting program Shark attack victim's husband swims again at Tathra beach 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