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WA couple denies they abandoned baby Gammy

An Australian couple has denied abandoning a boy born with Down syndrome to a surrogate they engaged in Thailand.
The plight of six-month-old Gammy, who also has a hole in his heart, has prompted calls for reform of surrogacy services in Australia.
Impoverished mother Pattaramon Chanbua claims a West Australian couple, who have not been identified, rejected Gammy and returned to Australia with his healthy twin sister.
But the baby girl's Australian father has told the ABC that the surrogacy agency only told them about the girl.
Meanwhile, an online fundraising site to help Gammy has exceeded its aim of raising $200,000.

Fears of surrogacy ban as WA couple rejects baby with Down syndrome

Live: WWI centenary
Commemorations are taking place across the world to mark 100 years since the start of World War I.
School bombing a 'criminal act'
The United Nations condemns an Israeli air strike that kills at least 10 people in a school in Gaza.
Drug safety data withheld
The makers of a "blockbuster" blood-thinning drug allegedly withheld safety information for marketing reasons.
Tamils 'taught to drive lifeboats'
Asylum seekers were almost sent back to India on orange lifeboats they were taught how to operate, advocates say.
Glasgow draws to a close
The Commonwealth Games draw to a close in a glittering ceremony as Glasgow hands over to the Gold Coast.
Hockey disputes Treasury data
The Treasurer says figures which show low-income families will be hit hardest by the budget are misleading.
Melbourne AIDS conference delegates 'seeking asylum'
NSW fires destroy houses in Clarence Valley
Houston disputes reports of shelling near MH17 site
Earthquake in China's Yunnan province kills at least 360

Commonwealth Games 2014

Glasgow send-off
The Commonwealth Games were drawn to a close in a glittering ceremony, as Glasgow handed over to the Gold Coast.
Cash flow
Australia's poorest Commonwealth Games since 1974 has officials chasing more funding.
Diamonds shine
Australia got Commonwealth Games revenge, hammering New Zealand by 18 goals to win netball gold in Glasgow.

The best photos from Glasgow
Have a look at how photojournalists covered the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with this selection of the best images from the past week.

Glasgow 2014 Medal Tally

	G	S	B	T
England	58	59	57	174
Australia	49	42	46	137
Canada	32	16	34	82
Scotland	19	15	19	53
India	15	30	19	64
New Zealand	14	14	17	45
South Africa	13	10	17	40
Nigeria	11	11	14	36
Kenya	10	10	5	25
Jamaica	10	4	8	22

Updated 4 Aug 2014, 09:10 +10:00

Business

Saving's X factor
A report finds younger households are struggling to save, while retirees benefit from rising asset prices.
Portuguese bank bailout
Portugal's third biggest bank has been taken over by the central bank in a 4.9 billion euro bailout.
Treasury gets higher bid
Treasury Wine Estates has received an improved takeover offer from a US-led private equity consortium.
Inflation pressures ease
A closely-watched inflation measure suggests price rises last month were surprisingly weak.
Necessary correction?
RN's business editor Sheryle Bagwell examines whether last week's sell-off is likely to start a bigger correction.

Analysis & Opinion from The Drum

Words are our best weapons
Diplomacy was allowed to fail in 1914 - we must not allow it to fail now, writes Ivor Roberts.
PPL failure
A refusal to negotiate could see a good PPL scheme buried in the name of fairness, writes Paula Matthewson.
Housing cash splash
This isn't just about housing affordability - it's about economic stability, writes Ian Verrender.
Why the silence?
What stops persecution of Christians filtering through to the "Christian" West, asks Natasha Moore.
One size doesn't fit all
Most unemployed people don't need long-term solutions, just a short-term safety net, writes Simon Cowan.
Other priorities
Australia's UN diplomatic coup may have made the MH17 mission that much harder, writes Jim Middleton.
Beyond hope and health
Two weeks after my visit to Christmas Island I'm haunted by what detainees told me, writes Elizabeth Elliott.
Keep the debate open
WikiLeaks and the courts: we need an open debate around our state institutions, writes Carla Silbert.

World

Asia Pacific

Saving infants through sanitation
An Australian aid organisation says simple equipment like straws and plastic bottles can help reduce the high death rate among infants in Kiribati.
'We didn't abandon Gammy'
An Australian couple denies abandoning a boy born with Down syndrome to a surrogate in Thailand.
Tamils 'taught to drive lifeboats'
Asylum seekers were almost sent back to India on orange lifeboats they were taught how to operate, advocates say.
India flood fears
Mass evacuations as more than 400,000 people face the risk of flooding after massive Nepal landslide.
Deadly earthquake
At least 367 people die after a strong earthquake strikes south-west China's Yunnan province.

Sport

Games sports chase more funding
Australia's poorest Commonwealth Games since 1974 has officials chasing more funding.
Kylie closes 'best ever' Games, over to you Gold Coast
The Commonwealth Games were drawn to a close in a glittering ceremony, as Glasgow handed over to the Gold Coast.

ODI squad
Cricket Australia has released its 14-man ODI squad for the tour of Zimbabwe, and in-form Phil Hughes has missed out.
Diamonds shine
Australia got Commonwealth Games revenge, hammering New Zealand by 18 goals to win netball gold in Glasgow.
Five straight
Chris Ciriello scored a hat-trick as Australia beat India 4-0 to win gold in the men's hockey at the Commonwealth Games.
Rory reigns
Rory McIlroy deposed Adam Scott at the top of golf's world rankings after winning the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.

TV & Video

Video

Warning on military PTSD
Military medical data on PTSD is outdated and inaccurate, hiding the true scale of the problem.
Video

Covered in snow
Snow is falling in parts of Victoria that rarely see snow, as a cold snap grips part of the state.
Video

Aboriginal take on history
Artist Michael Cook has transposed Aboriginal faces onto portraits of Australia's prime ministers.

Video

Major parties delay democratic reform
Although both major parties in NSW seem to be postponing action on reform, former ALP premier Nathan Rees and Liberal dissident John Ruddick are calling for urgent changes.
Video

Reservists opened WWI account in Tasmania
When World War I was declared, possibly Australia's first military engagement happened in southern Tasmania, where reservists captured a civilian German merchant ship.

Health

Tradies' health
Did you know one in five of all serious workplace injuries involves a tradie and every day 10 tradies are injured at work in Australia?
Why do we own pets?
What is it about animals that makes us want to invite them into our homes, onto our couches and even into our beds?
Understanding fever
Fever is usually a sign that your body is fighting an infection, but there can be other causes.

Should you 'push through pain' when you exercise?

ABC Fact Check

Do e-cigarettes help you quit?
E-cigarettes are increasingly popular with smokers and people who are trying to quit smoking. But are they any better for you than conventional cigarettes? ABC Fact Check investigates.
Promise Tracker
ABC Fact Check's Promise Tracker reveals how many major Coalition promises are delivered and broken.
Asylum seeker backlog
Track the Coalition's promise to clear the backlog of 30,000 asylum seekers waiting to be processed.
Your say: Abbott's performance
What you think the Promise Tracker says about the Abbott Government's performance.

Rural

Green Army launched
Five training organisations will roll out the Coalition's Green Army program across Australia.
Treasury gets higher bid
Treasury Wine Estates has received an improved takeover offer from a US-led private equity consortium.
Asian food bowl hurdles
Farmers in Western Australia's Ord Valley say production costs will have to be cut to make exporting to Asia possible. (audio)

Fox bait stolen by hungry quokkas

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