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NewsMail Morning Edition Mon 19 May, 2014 Top Stories More Top Stories » Government suffers post-budget slump in polls Voter support for the Coalition has slipped on the back of last week's federal budget, according to polls published in Fairfax and News Corp papers today. A Nielsen poll in the Fairfax newspapers has the Coalition down four points and Labor up four points on a two-party preferred basis, with Labor in front 56 to 44 per cent. The Newspoll published in The Australian also has Labor in front 55 to 45 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. Speaking on RN Breakfast, Mr Abbott brushed aside the polls, saying the Howard Government suffered a similar drop in popularity after its first budget in 1996. More » Deaths linked to melanomas that look like pimples Three charged, 25 arrested over Turkish mine disaster Perkins reveals panic attack before historic Olympic win Fossils of largest dinosaur found in Argentina Ukraine nears point of no return: UN Cambodia edges closer to refugee resettlement deal with Australia Hundreds presumed dead in N Korea building collapse Syria's air defence head killed near Damascus: rebels Sam Thaiday to miss State of Origin opener More Analysis » Labor's choice: chaos or kudos In the post-Budget wash-up Labor must decide what is the right style of opposition to adopt: Tony Abbott's grinding negativity or the Howard/Rudd model of selective differentiation. While Bill Shorten has opted for discussion over destruction, particularly with some elements of the Budget, some Labor supporters are hoping he will take a more aggressive stance. One tactic will help him re-establish Labor's links with core supporters and build the party's standing as an alternative government. The other will deliver delicious schadenfreude. More » The fungible world of federal budgets Selling tough budgets: from London to Canberra Shorten's war cry over Medicare is misguided Squealing may mask a hidden GST agenda Limp language masks a tough budget Keep our enemies close, but our allies closer Slashing welfare is a recipe for crime Hockey exposes us as fair weather friends A fib too far: the death rattle of political trust Just In More Just In » Father and son to face court over four people stabbed at Yagoona A father and son will face court today charged over a fight between neighbours that led to four people being stabbed in Sydney's south-west. More » Ukraine nears point of no return: UN Matildas beat Vietnam to clinch World Cup qualification Government suffers post-budget slump in polls Cambodia edges closer to refugee resettlement deal with Australia Cadel keeps Giro lead as Weening wins ninth stage Djokovic stuns Nadal to win Rome Masters Deaths linked to melanomas that look like pimples Syria's air defence head killed near Damascus: rebels Perkins reveals panic attack before historic Olympic win World More World » Ukraine nears point of no return: UN By Europe correspondent Barbara Miller, wires A senior United Nations official says the crisis in Ukraine is edging towards "the point of no return". More » Djokovic stuns Nadal to win Rome Masters Syria's air defence head killed near Damascus: rebels Fossils of largest dinosaur found in Argentina Three charged, 25 arrested over Turkish mine disaster Early George Harrison guitar fetches $US657,000 at auction Business More Business » New Zealand forecasts 2014-15 surplus in budget By New Zealand correspondent Dominique Schwartz It is hard to imagine the contained New Zealand finance minister bopping in his office ahead of delivering the nation's budget, as Joe Hockey apparently did. But the Australian Treasurer's dance song Best Day of My Life would have been more appropriate for his New Zealand counterpart Bill English, who has served up one of the rarest of economic dishes: a forecast budget surplus of $NZ372 million ($340 million) in 2014-15, after a $NZ2.4 billion ($2.2 billion) deficit this financial year. Also on the menu were election year sweeteners including extended parental leave, and free doctor's visits and prescriptions for children up to 13 years old. By contrast, Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey delivered a hard-to-swallow $50 billion deficit accompanied by a collection of bitter pills, among them, co-payments for GP visits and cuts to welfare, family benefits and the public service. More » GM to pay record $35m fine over recall scandal Rio Tinto cool on asset sales but will consider attractive offers Leighton reaches $69m shareholder class action settlement Small shareholders join Westfield restructure revolt Economist says budget deserves more balanced media coverage Integra lays off 500 coal miners near Singleton in NSW Hunter Valley Politics More Politics » Government suffers post-budget slump in polls Voter support for the Coalition has slipped on the back of last week's federal budget, according to polls published in Fairfax and News Corp papers today. A Nielsen poll in the Fairfax newspapers has the Coalition down four points and Labor up four points on a two-party preferred basis, with Labor in front 56 to 44 per cent. The Newspoll published in The Australian also has Labor in front 55 to 45 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. Speaking on RN Breakfast, Mr Abbott brushed aside the polls, saying the Howard Government suffered a similar drop in popularity after its first budget in 1996. More » Cambodia edges closer to refugee resettlement deal with Australia Syria's air defence head killed near Damascus: rebels UN troops to defend staff in Somalia from Al Shabaab Thousands evacuated from Vietnam after anti-China violence Sport More Sport » Sam Thaiday to miss State of Origin opener Aidan Guerra looks set to make his State of Origin debut with Sam Thaiday reportedly withdrawing with injury. More » Djokovic stuns Nadal to win Rome Masters Peerless Marquez makes it five from five MotoGPs Waratahs charge up Super Rugby ladder Suns rise to fifth after beating Saints Panthers hold out improved Raiders Science and Technology More Science and Technology » Fossils of largest dinosaur found in Argentina Palaeontologists in Argentina's remote Patagonia region have discovered fossils of what was likely the largest dinosaur ever to roam the Earth. More » 13,000-year-old skeleton sheds light on Native American ancestry Clean energy bodies criticise 'depressing' budget cuts Scientists say budget cuts will be crippling Seaweed extracts used to help reproduce human bone, repair tissue Environment More Environment » Plant death is latest threat facing Macquarie Island By Fiona Breen Scientists are in a race against time to solve the mystery surrounding the dieback of a plant which grows in high-altitude areas of Macquarie Island. More » World Heritage advised to reject delisting of Tasmanian forest Coalition stands firm on World Heritage forest reduction Scientists say budget cuts will be crippling Fire truck freed from 'sink hole' after 10-hour drama 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