POLITICS & POLICY

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian dollar has rallied strongly overnight, pushing up towards USD0.9800 on the back of weaker manufacturing numbers in the US.

People of Istanbul call out on international media to report on what’s really happening in Istanbul

Google is obliged to hand over customer data to the FBI on the department’s demand and as ordered by the judge. The customer data will help shed light on a national security investigation, the federal judge said. Earlier in the year, the judge called the FBI’s request as unconstitutional.

At least 55 people have died in a fire blaze that gutted down a poultry processing plant fire in northeast China's Jilin Province on Monday morning. But authorities feared the death tally could rise in the comings days since there are still other workers believed to be trapped inside the building.

Effective July 1, Australia's 1.5 million minimum wage workers are set to receive an additional pay raise of $15.80 per week, a 2.6 per cent hike over their existing wages. Essentially, Australia's national minimum wage has been set at $622 a week, or $16.37 per hour.

The sale of a cat skin in an online auction site has sparked an investigation in New Zealand.

In just a little over a day after a quake hit North Cotabato in southern Philippines, the very same region encountered another shake on early Monday morning, registering the same 5.7 magnitude strength as with the first incident.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has opened this week slightly lower after significant falls on the US stock market on Friday night.

While economists agree that an overnight cash rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is unlikely this week, Westpac chief economist Bill Evans foresees the current 2.75 per cent key lending rate likely plunging to record low 2 per cent.

Queensland households will experience a 22.6 percent increase in their electricity rates beginning July 1 as announced by the Queensland Competition Authority on May 31. The increase will see an average household power bill shoot up from $1184 to $1451.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates attended an interview session at the University of New South Wales earlier this week. One of the audience members asked Gates about the possibility of negative consequences providing aid to Africa.

As the month of May comes to an end, the May 31 Friday night will provide one last spectacular 2013 Dance of the Planets view. Planets Jupiter, Mercury and Venus will be forming a rare straight alignment with the visibility of a “closer-than-usual” Supermoon.

Whether one admits it or not, the very reason racism still exists in Australia is because parents continue to put it in the minds of their young.

American-Iranian national Mansour J. Arbabsiar has been slapped with a maximum 25-year jail time by a New York federal judge on Thursday for his 2011 plot to murder Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States.

The mermaid hoax on Animal Planet drew mixed reactions from its 3.6 million viewers (and still counting). Social media channels are being filled with mermaid insights, jokes and memes. "Mermaids: The New Evidence" is drawing much publicity - both good and bad. Have you seen the mockumentary?

Should unmanned aircrafts, drones or robots be allowed to kill people without supervision or control? It seems like a plot right out of a science fiction novel but the answer to this question remains under debate as UN officials examine reports of developing countries planning to build armed defense robots.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar remains steady above USD 0.9600 once again after a relatively quiet session overnight.

Australian farmers are not happy with what’s happening and they are taking it out. More and more farmers are turning to social media to aid their cause. Just as corporations use social media for their promotions, Australian farmers are learning their value in terms of defending their livelihood and challenging their opponents.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed himself to history when he approved several measures legalizing marijuana. The governor took the first steps in implementing marijuana in the state making Colorado the first potential legal pot market for adults in the world. Colorado will become the first place to have legal, regulated and taxed marijuana.

The Philippines has called on China to stop interfering with its sovereign affairs in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines asserts ownership of the territory and claims China has no right to dictate on what the Philippines can or cannot do with its own domain.

The strong growth posted by the Philippines for the first quarter of 2013 has made the country the fastest growing economy in Asia, taking the pole position from perennial number one China.

It appears that Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is a favourite sandwich target among students. Within the same month, two sandwiches had been thrown at her.

Aimed to control the population of the Rohingya Muslims in Western Myanmar, officials imposed a two-child policy

The Big IF campaign in London adds Bill Gates and David Beckham to its list of contributors. The highly publicized rally is set on June 8 at Hyde Park.

Women empowerment, it seems, is slowly getting powerful in Saudi Arabia so much that Abdullah Mohamed al-Dawood, a self-help writer and cleric, had to create a hashtag in Twitter to spur a campaign against its women. But it was not simple tweet. He specifically wanted Saudi men to molest working women.

Labor says the deal made between major parties regarding electoral funding is not going as expected. Coalition backbenchers told ABC that some members of the party are not happy about the electoral deal – measures are not going smoothly.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar remains steady above USD 0.9600 this morning after a very volatile day yesterday and then an offshore session in which financial markets showed genuine skittishness as only they can at times.

Prime Minister Gillard came to the government’s defense following the discovery of funding records for Australia’s intelligence agencies. Four Corners previously reported that the cyber attack launched by Chinese hackers also targeted ASIO.

France blacklisted a total of 17 countries over alleged Foreign Aid Fraud