POLITICS & POLICY

The American Red Cross is responding in Massachusetts where tornadoes cut a destructive swath through the western part of the state yesterday. At least 480 people spent Wednesday night in Red Cross shelters in Massachusetts.

Japan's already reeling economy could be crushed by over-reaction to the Fukushima disaster, warns radiation scientist T.D. Luckey in the summer 2011 issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.

Australia's services sector showed poor signs of improvement, according to the latest Australian Industry Group/Commonwealth Bank Australian Performance of Services Index (Australian PSI®), the seasonally adjusted index fell 1.6 points to 49.9 after a strong lift the previous month (readings below 50 indicate a contraction in activity).

Despite progress made in Fair Work Australia, CPSU has warned today that industrial action in some public sector agencies cannot be ruled out from July 1.

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting another active hurricane season in its just-released annual forecast.

Nationals Senate Leader Barnaby Joyce announced that if ever elected, the opposition would revoke any suggested cuts on the income tax linked with a carbon tax.

The State of Massachusetts is placed under a state of emergency after two confirmed tornadoes hit towns in western areas that left four people dead and destroying houses and buildings across a 40 mile radius.

Australia’s current iron ore prices are at risk from competition with the coming of Brazil and Africa as market players, warns a new report from an international journal.

Australia’s telecommunication watchdog has issued its preliminary report this week, scoring the industry’s tricky advertising techniques that take away the significance of premium communication services that telcos provide to consumers.

As signs of a recession could be well-around the corner in the medium term, the Australian Parliament is still sticking by its positive outlook that the economy can rebound from this slump. However, Australia's industry sectors are wary that the underlying weakness of the economy must be addressed immediately.

PayPal and eBay have filed a lawsuit against Google, claiming the internet giant used insider knowledge from a former PayPal employee during the design of the new Google Wallet.

The South Australian apple growers will file a protest before Canberra's Parliament House to stop the importation of apples from New Zealand.

An immediate ban on live exports to Indonesia was called for after inhumane treatment to Australian cattle in the country’s abattoirs was exposed through ABC’s Four Corners program aired on Monday.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has warned taxpayers to steer clear of tax avoidance schemes as they prepare to lodge their 2011 tax returns.

The commodity markets will sustain its growth in the medium to the long term in spite a projected slowdown in inventories of key buyers including China, Xstrata Plc's Chief Executive Officer Mick Davis in a mining conference on Wednesday.

Australia's economy has been hit by a decline in exports in the first quarter that would have likely pulled down the country's domestic growth-the biggest detraction since 1959.

The enormous value of Australian workers' accumulated annual leave entitlements was the subject of research undertaken by Tourism Australia in the wake of the global financial crisis.

In a paper released today by the School of Public Policy in Canada, Duanjie Chen and Jack Mintz analyze small business tax policies. The authors find that despite the common belief that small business tax concessions encourage job creation and economic growth, this cannot be substantiated.

His Highness the Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah called on all parties to adhere to the Amir's directives to respect the Constitution and the laws for the best interest of the country. The premier's remarks were made on Sunday amidst political tensions in some parts of the Middle East.

Space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to return to Earth for the final time on Wednesday, June 1, completing a 16-day mission to outfit the International Space Station. If Endeavour lands Wednesday, it will have spent 299 days in space and traveled more than 122.8 million miles during its 25 flights. It launched on its first mission on May 7, 1992.

In an unprecedented on-orbit maneuver, Commander Mark Kelly completed the first ever Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV)-like approach to the International Space Station at 3:24 a.m. CDT today as part of the Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation (STORRM). The orbital rendezvous verified the successful operation of the MPCV's next generation docking sensor, which NASA has identified as a critical technology needed for future space exploration missions.

Australia envisions becoming a world-leading digital economy by the end of the decade by fully realising the benefits of the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Australia’s peak body for the building and construction industry says it could not support the introduction of a carbon tax from 1 July 2012 unless the government properly addresses the cost impact and uncertainty in relation to the increased cost to housing and to the building industry.

Appearing in “We Say Yes” campaign commercials as a carbon tax ambassador, Cate Blanchett seemed unaffected by expected criticisms from those who do not support putting a price on carbon.

An Australian Army soldier, a member of the Mentoring Task Force was shot by an Afghan National Army soldier yesterday while undertaking guard duty at a patrol base north of Tarin Kot.

The Fukushima nuclear disaster has dealt more body blows to the uranium and nuclear power industries.

Japan can avoid turning the affected Fukushima Prefecture into a dead zone by immediately applying chemicals and planting radiation-absorbing plants at the contaminated soil, scientists said.

A gradual implementation of the carbon tax is the favoured scheme of industry groups led by the Business Council of Australia.

The Malaysian government has announced that an independent investigation on the planned rare earth facility by an Australian company is now being conducted to fast-track the report by next month.