POLITICS & POLICY

While the Winemakers Federation of Australia (WFA) has said changing Australia’s wine taxation system would be futile, two of Australia’s leading winemakers are taking an opposing stance.

China's security officials headed by Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu have visited Islamabad on Tuesday to pursue Pakistan's cooperation in seizing Chinese Muslim extremists who may be seeking refuge in the Muslim territory, reports said.

One might think these are stills from a new zombie thriller movie, but they aren't.

Another hurdle has been crossed on the looming takeover of Australia’s number one brewery firm, Foster’s Group, as the country’s competition regulator indicated on Wednesday that SABMiller’s $10.7 billion buyout plan poses no competitive constraints.

Amid the rising prices of gold expected to peak at $2,300 an ounce, the Greens are pushing for the inclusion of gold in the proposed mineral resource rent tax (MRRT). The party estimates that gold would add $1.8 billion to government coffers in the next 10 years.

Current global and domestic economic conditions call for a slide on Australia’s interest rate, according to the latest business sentiment indicator published on Wednesday by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).

Members of the 300-member Greek parliament voted 154-143 in favor of the new property tax on Tuesday to comply with deficit reduction goals necessary in averting default.

Residents of New South Wales Blue Mountains have declared their area a nuclear-free zone, a federal government report released on Wednesday said.

Contrary to popular belief, it looks like Anna Wintour won't be expecting Kate Middleton on the cover of U.S. Vogue anytime soon.

The Australian Industry (Ai) Group will push for an increase in the goods and services tax (GST) rate in the Oct. 4 and 5 tax forum organized by the federal government.

The AUD is trading just above USD 0.9900 today, a little higher than yesterday, as currency markets have managed to stabilise over the last couple of days.

The Federal Trade Commission has been asked to investigate reports that MSN.com and Hulu.com install undeletable cookies onto users' computers. Representatives Joe Barton and Ed Markey both asked FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz regarding FTC's action plans on the so-called 'supercookies.'

A research team led by Associate Professor David Wilson from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) conducted the national surveillance report for sexually transmitted infections and found that the increase in chlamydia cases has reached "epidemic" proportions among 15- to 30-year-olds.

AFTERNOON REPORT (4.30pm AEST)The Australian share market snapped a three day losing streak today, rallying by 3.5pct as investor sentiment was boosted by hopes European leaders will announce fresh measures to address the sovereign debt crisis. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) added 135.9pts to 4063.5, after touching an intra-day high of 4049. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (XJO) firmed by 140.7pts or 3.6pct to 4004.6.

Rick Santorum is fighting a losing battle and it isn't the GOP Presidential race. The former Senator from Pennsylvania is losing out to Google.

The federal cabinet approved on Monday frontline combat duty for Australian women. Defence Minister Stephen Smith said the change had strong support from the chief of the Defence Force.

The latest Australian Industry Group/Deloitte CEO survey released on Tuesday, "Business Regulation," points to the high and rising cost of complying with regulation for Australian businesses.

In the first India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue held in Beijing, Indian delegates headed by Deputy-chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia told media the dialogue serves as a "knowledge transfer" conveying substantial benefits to both countries, The Hindu reported.

The four largest Australian banks have a combined $25.9 billion direct loans to European nations. Since it comprises only 1 per cent of their combined loan book of $1.8 trillion, the banks have a strong buffer against the ongoing global market turmoil caused by the eurozone debt crisis.

Blame it on the jet lag but Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd further fuelled speculations of a Labor leadership struggle when he quipped upon his return from Washington that he is a “very happy little vegemite being Prime Minister.”

A slip of the tongue by Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd fueled more speculation that the former prime minister could be interested in his old job amid calls from the opposition for incumbent Prime Minister Julia Gillard to resign.

U.S. stocks jumped Monday, with blue chips clawing back more than one third of last week's steep losses, as investors bet that efforts will be taken to stem Europe's sovereign-debt crisis. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 272.38 points, or 2.5%, to 11043.86, in choppy trading that saw the measure leap to an early triple-digit gain, give almost all of it back midsession and then move higher still.

Thousands of farmland owners staged a massive riot against the authorities in Guangdong province last week in protest for forcibly selling the farmers' lands for a commercial complex, New York Times reported.

Motivated to put an end to incessant speculations about Dalai Lama's reincarnation, the Tibetan's supreme spiritual leader, 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, finally issued a declaration on Saturday clarifying that only he has the legitimate authority to decide how and where his reincarnation shall take place.

Suburban rail and tram workers in Greece went on a 24-hour strike on Monday to protest the government's planned austerity measures meant to meet international creditors' requirement for a $10.7 billion bailout loan.

Amidst the ensuing news of economic downturn in most giant economies, one of Asian four tigers, South Korea collaborated with trading partners Japan and China in establishing a Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat aiming for cooperative developments in their respective nations, Korea Times reported.

South Korea has successfully developed its own supersonic cruise missile, Haesong II, senior defense officials announced on Monday.

It seems that Pippa Middleton is truly out of the market after reports surfaced that the Duchess' younger sister has started to move her things inside her boyfriend's house.

The hot new fashion icon was spotted attending a friend's wedding wearing a dress by 'Project D', Danii Minogue's fashion line