ABC NewsMail - Afternoon Edition

NewsMail Afternoon Edition Sat 21 Jun, 2014 Top Stories More Top Stories » Paying asylum seekers to go home is standard policy, Government says Paying asylum seekers who return home voluntarily has been standard practice for more than 10 years, the Federal Government says, amid reports some are being offered as much as $10,000 to return to their country of origin. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison's office will not confirm individual dollar figures, saying they are determined on a case-by-case basis. Fairfax Media is reporting Lebanese asylum seekers have been given $10,000 to leave Australia's offshore processing centres on Manus Island and Nauru and return home, while "return packages" for Iranians amount to $7,000 and Afghans are offered $4,000. More » Graffiti vandals spray swastikas on Ukrainian church in Sydney Accused drug trafficker says seized pills are mints Former hostages urge Peter Greste to keep hope alive Little chance of finding missing Mt Isa miner alive Iraq's most senior Shiite cleric calls for compatriots to unite against ISIS World Cup 2014: Five reasons behind Costa Rica's surprising surge Asylum seeker in hospital 'after self-immolation attempt' Tracy Morgan moves to rehab facility after fatal crash CIA created bin Laden doll that transformed into demon More Analysis » The law of war: how are our troops deployed? Australia has sent soldiers to protect its Baghdad embassy, while questions remain about whether it would offer military support to any United States action in Iraq. While the the Governor General traditionally authorises engagement in foreign conflicts, this process was not followed in 1991 and 2003. Instead, it appears that Australia's previous involvement in Iraq was legally authorised by the defence minister. The big question, then, is whether this legal and political process should be changed for future deployments. More » It's oh so quiet on the world's financial markets Fear and loathing as Aussies join fight Sexism diplomacy: Clinton's cautious approach Victory turns Brazilians into believers Fright without solution: the cult of ISIS The Assange legacy is deserving of our respect Howard's battlers back to bite the Government ISIS fighting for a new 'House of War' Australia has its own education solution: Gonski Just In More Just In » The rapid unravelling of PNG's political stability By PNG correspondent Liam Cochrane At the start of this week, Papua New Guinea's often-volatile political landscape seemed relatively calm. The prime minister's Peter O'Neill's coalition controlled around 100 votes in the 111-seat parliament and he was still riding high on the excitement of the first lucrative shipments of liquid natural gas to Asia. Fast-forward a week and PNG's political scene is in turmoil, with the prime minister's attempts to dodge corruption allegations sinking him deeper into a legal and political quagmire. More » Graffiti vandals spray swastikas on Ukrainian church in Sydney PNG police prosecutor calls on PM to talk to fraud investigators German explorer thanks crews for cave rescue mission What's behind Costa Rica's World Cup surge? Accused drug trafficker says seized pills are mints Chinese police shoot dead 13 attackers in Xinjiang 84 US workers exposed to deadly anthrax virus Former hostages urge Peter Greste to keep hope alive Little chance of finding missing Mt Isa miner alive World More World » The rapid unravelling of PNG's political stability By PNG correspondent Liam Cochrane At the start of this week, Papua New Guinea's often-volatile political landscape seemed relatively calm. The prime minister's Peter O'Neill's coalition controlled around 100 votes in the 111-seat parliament and he was still riding high on the excitement of the first lucrative shipments of liquid natural gas to Asia. Fast-forward a week and PNG's political scene is in turmoil, with the prime minister's attempts to dodge corruption allegations sinking him deeper into a legal and political quagmire. More » PNG police prosecutor calls on PM to talk to fraud investigators German explorer thanks crews for cave rescue mission What's behind Costa Rica's World Cup surge? Chinese police shoot dead 13 attackers in Xinjiang 84 US workers exposed to deadly anthrax virus Business More Business » It's oh so quiet on the world's financial markets Yesterday the volatility index hit its lowest level since 2007 - just before concerns about sub-prime loans hit the mainstream. What are the risks out there that traders might now be ignoring? More » Widespread losses as market reacts to US Fed comments Super funds warn financial advice changes will see commissions return Westfield Retail Trust shareholders back Frank Lowy's $70b restructure plans Mining industry says evidence to support FIFO depression rates' survey is 'limited' Ford workers 'will be forced' to take redundancies Politics More Politics » The rapid unravelling of PNG's political stability By PNG correspondent Liam Cochrane At the start of this week, Papua New Guinea's often-volatile political landscape seemed relatively calm. The prime minister's Peter O'Neill's coalition controlled around 100 votes in the 111-seat parliament and he was still riding high on the excitement of the first lucrative shipments of liquid natural gas to Asia. Fast-forward a week and PNG's political scene is in turmoil, with the prime minister's attempts to dodge corruption allegations sinking him deeper into a legal and political quagmire. More » Paying asylum seekers to go home is standard policy, Government says Iraq's most senior Shiite cleric calls for compatriots to unite against ISIS UN urges arms embargo on Syria ISIS using social media to recruit fighters Sport More Sport » Live: Wallabies v France Tune in and follow live updates from the Wallabies' final Test against France at the Sydney Football Stadium. More » Sydney FC chasing Tim Cahill Live: Saturday AFL Socceroos cannot afford Spain letdown: Jedinak World Cup: France thumps Switzerland 5-2 What's behind Costa Rica's World Cup surge? Science and Technology More Science and Technology » FBI investigates anthrax scare involving 75 scientists Scientists at an Atlanta lab are being monitored after they may have been accidentally exposed to deadly anthrax. More » Hacking attack on phones with popular messenger app Antarctica under threat from human visitors: scientist Study finds genetics affect betting and investing behaviour Berlin home to technology hub for start-up businesses Environment More Environment » Obama, NZ PM discuss 'robust' climate change action By North America Correspondent Lisa Millar, wires A week after meeting with Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the White House, the US president has hosted New Zealand prime minister John Key, telling reporters they discussed plans for robust action on climate change. More » Iran rejects 'excessive demands' in nuclear talks with Western powers Environment Dept takes 'passive approach to monitoring' Fiji singles out 'selfish' Australia for climate criticism Bid for Muckaty Station nuclear dump withdrawn About this email You received this email because you are subscribed to ABC News email alerts. 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