ABC NewsMail - Afternoon Edition

NewsMail Afternoon Edition Wed 17 Sep, 2014 Top Stories More Top Stories » Troops may be forced to fire at Islamic State militants, Abbott warns By political correspondent Emma Griffiths Prime Minister Tony Abbott says Australian troops in Iraq will fire back if they are targeted by Islamic State terrorists. Australia is sending 10 aircraft, 400 military support staff and 200 special forces to the Middle East to be on standby for any action in Iraq. Mr Abbott, who insists the Government has "no intention" of putting combat troops on the ground in Iraq, has warned they may be forced into using their weapons. "Our troops will certainly be armed and if they're fired upon they'll be entitled to respond, but the whole point of military advisers is to have them with the headquarters of the units that you are working with," he said. More » Bias against older workers 'quite frightening' Driver who killed three people while high on ice jailed for 16 years Woolworths taken to court over product safety David Stratton 'surprised' by response to resignation Cane toad poison 'attacks prostate cancer cells' Missing boy could not survive six days in bush: police Taxi thief who slashed driver's throat appeals sentence 'Lovely angel' killed on ride named as Adelene Leong Australian on Ebola frontline welcomes US troop decision More Analysis » Fear Islamic State, not the Kurds There is a fear that by joining the fight in the Middle East, Australian weapons could end up in the hands of the PKK terrorist group. But while those concerns seem valid initially they oversimplify the complex dynamics of Kurdish relations and overlook Turkey's pivotal position in the regional balance of power. Concerned onlookers should instead place fear where fear is due: in the path of the Islamic State. More » Trivialising and excusing violence against women Cheap downloads? That's music to our ears Digging for gold: the $2.5 billion video game The cost of coastal flooding is measured in billions The ideological chasm of budget fairness Sinking feeling: saving money, losing support Don't let this be the last picture show The five issues to define the Islamic State war Fiji election: the long road to democracy Just In More Just In » Sydney-based money transfer business's trading licence suspended The trading licence of a Sydney-based money transfer business has been suspended because of suspicions it is helping fund terrorism. More » Troops may be forced to fire at Islamic State militants, Abbott warns Clive James writes heartfelt poem about facing death Dead fin whale washes up on Warrnambool beach Taxi thief who slashed driver's throat appeals sentence Cane toad poison 'attacks prostate cancer cells' Woolworths taken to court over product safety Conflicting evidence on treatment given to 3yo before death Australian on Ebola frontline welcomes US troop decision David Stratton 'surprised' by response to resignation World More World » Clive James writes heartfelt poem about facing death Terminally ill Australian author, critic and raconteur Clive James believes he has only a short time left to live, detailing his final revelations of life and death in an emotional poem. More » S Korea detains American 'attempting to swim' to North Thousands evacuate as California fires rage Iraq briefs Syrian president on efforts to fight IS militants Number of websites passes 1 billion German judge lifts ban on Uber car-sharing service Business More Business » Debate on whether new Chinese coal rules will hurt Australian exports By national resources reporter Sue Lannin The coal industry, Federal Government and some analysts have disputed predictions that new Chinese coal regulations will dent exports. The Chinese Government plans to impose restrictions on local production and imports of dirty coal which have high levels of ash, sulphur and other chemicals. While national restrictions are relatively loose, China is imposing tighter standards for several of its large coastal cities. The Federal Government says Australian producers will benefit from the ban, but Macquarie analysts estimate that some Australian thermal coal exports - used for generating power - could be hit. More » BHP Billiton cuts iron ore jobs in Port Hedland Telco complaints at six-year low, data cost disputes rising Woolworths taken to court over product safety Reserve Bank says rising housing risks warrant close observation Joyce reassures China over free trade deal Politics More Politics » Hospital overcrowding putting lives at risk, doctors say Many doctors believe patients could die as a result of overcrowding in South Australia's public hospitals, an audit by The Salaried Medical Officers Association has found. More » Iraq briefs Syrian president on efforts to fight IS militants 2017 firming for Indigenous recognition referendum Large queues as thousands cast their vote in Fiji Calls for Indigenous referendum vote by 2016 election Sport More Sport » Tigers let go of Potter as coach Wests Tigers have announced they will not renew the contract of coach Mick Potter for the 2015 season and beyond. More » NRL delays Flanagan's return to coaching No decision on my future until after season: Goodes Genia back in the Wallabies fold Ablett gets eighth All Australian AFL nod No conspiracy against Cowboys: Smith Science and Technology More Science and Technology » Number of websites passes 1 billion The number of websites has burst above one billion and is growing apace, according to figures updated in real time by online tracker Internet Live Stats. More » New spider's venom has 'exciting' potential applications Boeing, SpaceX to build 'space taxis' for NASA Comet landing site chosen for Rosetta mission Foil chip packets turned into life-saving water purifier Environment More Environment » Sea level rises will cost Australia billions: report By Hamish Fitzsimmons Future sea level rises could put more than $200 billion of Australian infrastructure at risk, a report by the Climate Council has found. The report showed sea levels were likely to rise by between 40 centimetres and one metre over the next century, with the gravest estimates creating an "impossible situation" for coastal communities. "If you look at some of our most vulnerable areas, and the Sydney region is one of those, you would say toward the end of this century that a one-in-100-year flood is going to be happening every few days," he said. More » EU surprised PM Abbott won't attend climate summit Foil chip packets turned into life-saving water purifier New record set for extent of Antarctic sea ice 'Almighty arm wrestle' predicted over Japan whaling plan 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