ABC will be cut by $50m a year, costing 500 jobs by Christmas, as Turnbull defends Abbott on Q&A

The axe is coming to the national broadcaster this week, with the ABC breaking the details of its own looming amputations on Monday night: $50 million a year in new cuts will mean the loss of up to 500 jobs by Christmas, the death of state-based current affairs, a tighter budget for Lateline and foreign news offices closed.