POLITICS & POLICY

Kate, the future Queen of England, is known for her high fashion choices, but is she willing to give it all up just so she can have a modest and regal reputation?

John Lloyd, the Director of the Institute of Public Affairs Work Reform and Productivity Unit, today called on the Opposition and non-government members of the Parliament to oppose a bill to abolish the office of Australian Building and Construction Commissioner.

See why Prince William is proud to be the husband of such a regal and elegant woman in her best "queen-to-be" outfits.

China, the world's biggest consumer of iron ore raw material, on Monday launched its own iron ore price index in a bid to gain a foothold in the global pricing of the raw commodity.

South Australian parents shouldn't take their infants with them to their beds after the SA health passed new guidelines about safe sleeping.

China unveiled on Monday one of its new towering skyscrapers that Beijing watchers said symbolised the once isolated nation’s ascension to dizzying prosperity while being ruled by a communist government that essentially embraced the basics of capitalism with great success.

Iron ore miner Sundance Resources said on Tuesday that it expects no delay in the Foreign Investment Review Board's (FIRB) decision on the $1.65-billion takeover bid by China's Sichuan Hanlong Mining.

About 60 Marriage Equality representatives from around Australia will travel to Canberra on Wednesday to meet with more than 40 MPs to discuss with Parliamentarians on both sides of the house how marriage equality affects their lives, and the lives of their family and friends.

The Middleton sisters have truly caught the attention of the world as they are set to appear in an episode of E! True Hollywood Story.

The 14-year-old Australian boy who was arrested in Bali for possessing a small quantity of marijuana will most likely be released from custody soon after Indonesian police authorities said they were considering him more of someone who needed rehabilitation.

New Zealand authorities have acknowledged on Tuesday that the country could be facing its toughest maritime environmental disaster yet in decades as a damaged container ship, trapped off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, remains in danger of spewing tonnes of oil in heavy seas.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has endorsed the proposed Malaysia swap plan in a boost for the Australian government.

The Australian dollar continued to gain near parity with the U.S. currency amid the eurozone currency problems, but this new trend undermines the prospect of a benchmark rate cut anticipated by some market analysts.

Global prices of copper and uranium are likely to go down in the coming years as is expected from the oversupply that will be boosted by the planned expansion of Australia's Olympic Dam by global mining company BHP Billiton Ltd.

The Australian government has supported reforms in the industry for the benefit of Australian retirees, resulting in the decision of AustralianSuper to implement a freeze on membership fees effective July of 2011 until 2014 provides a major advantage for members who are nearing retirement.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is leaving The Lodge but her office quickly clarified that the imminent departure was mostly due to necessary home improvements needed to be undertaken on the decades-old government structure.

Unlike other post offices which refuse to adapt to information technology, Australia Post is instead riding on the online shopping trend to boost its income.

Adelaide-based filmmaker Cyan Films and Family First MLC are offering assistance to the family of an Iranian actress sentenced to jail and lashing in Iran for doing an Australian movie illegally and inappropriately.

The Nobel Prize winner for Economics will be known on Monday completing this year’s search in different categories for the most prestigious honors in the world.

Pippa Middleton is one of the most talked about socialites of today and a poll has been done to determine which Hollywood actor fits the bill as Pippa's boyfriend: Ryan Reynolds.

The Prince of Wales is enjoying some downtime as he was seen enjoying a burger at a fast food and partying while off duty for his training as an Apache helicopter pilot.

Bell FX Currency Outlook The AUD has had a strong rally overnight, trading through parity on renewed investor confidence and demand for higher yielding currencies such as the AUD.

U.S. stocks rose sharply as investors cheered a pledge from France and Germany to resolve the euro zone's banking and sovereign-debt troubles. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 278 points, or 2.5%, to 11381. All 30 Dow components rose, with bank stocks leading the charge higher. Bank of America climbed 4.7% and J.P. Morgan Chase advanced 4.3%. The gains came after the blue chip index managed a 190-point rally last week.

Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr has been sentenced to spend a year in jail and receive 90 lashes for her leading role in Australian film "My Tehran for Sale," which is about western influence in the Islamic republic.

MORNING REPORT (7am AEDT)There were solid data readings from major European nations on Monday. Industrial output rose by 0.5pct in France in August with Italian output up 4.3pct - both results well ahead of market expectations. And German exports rose by 3.5pct in August to record highs.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is keeping a close watch on the country's major supermarket chains, airports and the telecommunications sector to ensure these service providers do not abuse their market power in the delivery of their services to the paying public.

Have skis. But where's the snow?The Australian government and populace may need to consider diverting some of its focus from staging a continuous mining boom to augment its economic stability, to laying down immediate strategies to curb global warming if it wants to save its world-renowned Australian Alps.

AFTERNOON REPORT (4.30pm AEDT)The local share market posted its fourth win in a row today, kick-starting the trading week on a positive note. Investor sentiment remained buoyant after German and French leaders agreed to do all that is necessary to secure the recapitalisation of European banks. Share markets around the Asian region were generally positive, despite ratings agency Fitch cutting the credit ratings of Italy and Spain. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) gained 37.3pts or 0.9pct to 42...

Mexican drug cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have entered Australia and is now operating in the country, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrator Chief of Intelligence Rodney Benson told the U.S. Congress last week.