ABC NewsMail - Afternoon Edition

NewsMail Afternoon Edition Wed 23 Apr, 2014 Top Stories More Top Stories » $12 billion for 58 extra Joint Strike Fighters not new spending: Abbott By political correspondent Emma Griffiths Prime Minister Tony Abbott says the multi-billion-dollar program to purchase new jet fighters for the Defence Force does not involve any "new spending" by taxpayers. The Government has given the go ahead for the purchase of 58 more F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) at a cost of $12.4 billion - making it the nation's most expensive Defence asset. "I want to stress that this is money that has been put aside by Government over the past decade or so to ensure that this purchase can responsibly be made," the Prime Minister said. More » UNHCR wants answers over asylum seeker policy Peter Dutton fuels speculation of Medicare co-payment Adelaide welcomes Royal couple Qld MP quits ethics committee over theft charges University funding shake-up could see student fees rise Canadian woman receives letter 45 years later 'Brutally tortured' body of Ukrainian politician found Inflation within target takes pressure off Reserve Bank South Korean prosecutors raid home of ferry owner More Analysis » Coalition banks on blind faith in budget 'fix' At present Joe Hockey and Tony Abbott would prefer you just assume that "fixing the budget" will improve the economy without them actually having to demonstrate how. Behind such talk is the implicit belief that ongoing deficits are bad for our economy, and the debt is a drag on our growth. But the link between government debt and economic growth is pretty skint and we shouldn't confuse correlation with causation. More » Urban planning offers path out of domestic violence Business as usual is no longer an option Wealth inequality is back with a vengeance Election promises are there for the breaking Brandis misses the finer points of free speech Gen Y chooses Wills and Kate over President Rudd Neville's life lived in good measure Tread warily in the real estate war of words Shine a light on shady lobbying Just In More Just In » Reserve Bank unlikely to shift from neutral stance despite the Treasurer's displeasure By business reporter Michael Janda Today's lower than expected inflation reading is not low enough to force the Reserve Bank to change tack on rates, even if that is what the Treasurer would like it to do. More » Canadian woman receives letter 45 years later MP steps down from Qld ethics committee after theft charges revealed Blues release Marshall for return to NRL $12 billion for 58 extra Joint Strike Fighters not new spending: Abbott Man accused of friend's murder changes plea to guilty South Korean prosecutors raid home of ferry owner Peter Dutton fuels speculation of Medicare co-payment Comparison: How Australia's F-35s stack up against the rest UNHCR wants answers over asylum seeker policy World More World » Canadian woman receives letter 45 years later A letter has mysteriously arrived in the mailbox of a Canadian woman 45 years after it was sent by her younger sister. More » Blues release Marshall for return to NRL South Korean prosecutors raid home of ferry owner Okinawa base tensions remain as Barack Obama heads to Japan 'Brutally tortured' body of Ukrainian politician found Biden warns Russia over separatists in Ukraine Business More Business » Inflation within target takes pressure off Reserve Bank By business reporter Michael Janda Inflation has remained within the Reserve Bank's 2-3 per cent target, taking pressure off the RBA to consider early rate rises. Economist forecasts had centred on a consumer price rise of 3.2 per cent in the year to the end of March, but the Bureau of Statistics figures show inflation was 2.9 per cent over that period. Prices rose just 0.6 per cent in the quarter, below an expected 0.8 per cent, with much of the increase due to seasonal factors. More » Reserve Bank unlikely to shift from neutral stance despite the Treasurer's displeasure Consumer advocates worried rising gas prices will hit hard Oakajee mystery financier revealed as former hair treatment clinic owner Shares rise on overseas leads, JB Hi-Fi falls as CEO departs Trade Minister hits back at Japan deal criticism Politics More Politics » $12 billion for 58 extra Joint Strike Fighters not new spending: Abbott By political correspondent Emma Griffiths Prime Minister Tony Abbott says the multi-billion-dollar program to purchase new jet fighters for the Defence Force does not involve any "new spending" by taxpayers. The Government has given the go ahead for the purchase of 58 more F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) at a cost of $12.4 billion - making it the nation's most expensive Defence asset. "I want to stress that this is money that has been put aside by Government over the past decade or so to ensure that this purchase can responsibly be made," the Prime Minister said. More » Peter Dutton fuels speculation of Medicare co-payment Comparison: How Australia's F-35s stack up against the rest University funding shake-up could see student fees rise PM's chief business adviser backs Medicare co-payments Sport More Sport » Blues release Marshall for return to NRL Benji Marshall has been given an early release from his Super Rugby contract with the Blues. More » Moore wins back-to-back Bells titles SBW never in Kiwi contention: Kearney Moyes sacked as Manchester United manager Boxer gatecrashes Leapai media conference Only All Australians eligible for International Rules team Science and Technology More Science and Technology » Gene test could boost breast cancer survival rate By Stephanie Smail A Queensland scientist has developed a new test that could help improve the survival rate for breast cancer patients. More » US scientists discover 'Earth-like' planet Kepler-186f High-tech tool to reveal Milky Way origins Hubble's galaxy cluster image reveals 'cross-section of the Cosmos' Research investigations mounting for embattled professor Environment More Environment » National Water Commission under threat from budget cuts By Alexandra Kirk The National Water Commission could be axed as part of the Federal Government's savings drive. The decade-old commission, an independent statutory authority which advises the Commonwealth on water policy, is "in the mix" for cuts and AM understands it is likely to be wound up. Scrapping the commission would save the Government about $30 million over four years. More » People who don't engage climate deniers 'ignorant and medieval': Brandis US city ditches drinking water over urination scare China government survey shows 16 per cent of its soil is polluted Landholders claim secrecy over experimental coal gasification plant 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