Vittorio Hernandez

The Australian sharemarket is improving for the third straight session, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) up 0.8 per cent or 34.3 pts to 4540. All sectors are rising with the mining, healthcare and telecommunication industries the standouts. This is despite the closure of U.S markets last night for the second consecutive day due to bad weather. This was the first time in 124 years the American markets closed due to bad weather for two sessions in a row.

The Queensland Parliament passed on Tuesday night legislation that would change the dates two important holidays would be observed in the Australian state. Affected are the Queen's Birthday holiday and Labour Day.

National Australia Bank's (NAB) weak UK business caused the company's yearly profit to go down 22 per cent by $1.1 billion to $4.1 billion in the year to Sept 30, NAB reported on Wednesday.

Two pit bull terriers attacked on Tuesday a 19-year-old male from East Hills, Sydney. The victim was walking his pet dog along Lean Street when he was attacked by the two American Staffordshire bull terriers.

About 100 carcasses of horses were found in a dried dam in a remote Aboriginal reserve in northeastern Western Australia. The horses died after they got stuck in the mud at Balgo which is within the Halls of Creeks Shire in Kimberley, WA.

The Australia Post announced on Tuesday the launch of its digital mailbox, which would serve as a digital storage vault for Australians and would connect consumers with banks, utility companies and government agencies.

The Australian sharemarket improved for the second consecutive session, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) edging higher by an unimpressive 0.1 per cent or 6.3 pts to 4505.7. Almost all sectors gained at least some ground, with the exception of energy stocks and the industrials.

New smartphone and similar devices had been released recently by familiar names in the technology business such as Samsung, Apple, ASUS and Microsoft, bearing different flagships from three operating systems - Android, iOS and Windows. But they are not the only ones competing in the tech war, Sony, LG, and Motorola have their own devices with Android OS to join the fray for enthusiasts and users, the Xperia SL, Optimus G and RAZR I, respectively.

Local stocks are trading modestly higher at lunchtime in the East, despite falls on the Canadian and European markets overnight. All US markets were closed due to Hurricane Sandy, which is currently bearing down on New York City. It's expected US markets will also close tonight (Tuesday) - which will be the first time bad weather has forced the closure of the NYSE for two consecutive sessions since 1888. The last time a Hurricane closed the NYSE for one day was in 1985. Nearing lunchtime in t...

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) ordered on Monday a five-year ban on trading on Apple Investment Company and a three-year ban on providing financial advice on Alec Khoo & Associates.

A few years ago, Nokia was the top mobile phone with users comparing one Nokia model with another handset from the same Finnish company. Nokia attempts to recapture its glory, lost to Apple and Samsung mainly, by launching its Lumia series.

While Australia's Parliament is studying the imposition of a travel levy on residents who fly overseas, foreign students in New South Wales (NSW) would enjoy up to 35 per cent discount on public transportation.

Australia's organic market is growing, a report from the Biological Farmers of Australia said. The 2012 Australian Organic Market estimated the industry's value at $300 million a year.

Australia's housing market is improving based on the results of Super Saturday the country's biggest auction day of the year. Held between the football grand finals and the Melbourne Cup, the auction on Oct 27 resulted in sale of more than 2,400 properties in a single day.

The Australian share market started the week's trade in the black, although earlier gains were pared back following news all US markets will be closed tonight as Hurricane Sandy bears down on New York.

There are several changes and improvements from Windows 7 to Windows 8 on computers, tablets and smartphones. Windows 8 has allowed these three classifications of devices to sync with each other and even allows one another to use features that are normally exclusive to just one type.

LG recently released a new addition to its Optimus line of smartphones, offering a high speed, latest technology and durable device.

The Australian sharemarket is kicking off the week in positive fashion, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) edging higher by 0.4 per cent or 16 pts to 4512.3 at lunch. Most sectors are improving, with the exception of the defensive healthcare and telco sectors.

The Saturday election in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) yielded a deadlock after the Liberal and Labor Parties won 8 seats each in the 17-member Assembly. With the situation, the power broker in the state politics is Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury.

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has ordered its members of stop working on electric meters in homes constructed before 1983. The order is in response to a hazard warning that Sydney-based company, Endeavor Energy, issued to its workers due to risks from asbestos exposure.

To indicate the importance that Asia will play in the prosperity of Australia in the next 100 years, the Asian Century White Paper released on Sunday recommended that one-third of board members of the top 200 public companies in Australia must have deep experience and knowledge of the continent by 2025.

Investors were faced with a variety of news over the last 5 trading days. A large number of companies have hosted investors at AGM's. The Mid week release of higher than expected QIII CPI numbers startled interest rate and equity markets, whilst the local currency ran higher. WA and NSW were put on negative credit watch by Standard and Poors. Historically such an outcome would have seen a substantial down draught for the currency. Regional stock indices seemed unimpressed by an improved read ...

American PC maker Dell is gearing up for a price war with the newly released Microsoft Surface by placing on its Web site the XPS 10, its 10.1-inch Windows RT table, as available for pre-order.

Due to Australia's geographical location, Aussies were among the first in the world to purchase the rolled out Windows 8 operation system by Microsoft, as well as new devices that run on the OS.

Despite a positive start, local stocks have turned south at lunchtime in the East, as losses from the big mining players detract from gains elsewhere. Overnight, US stocks rose modestly although volumes were light ahead of US growth numbers being released tonight. European markets also had slight gains, with UK September quarter economic growth figures bouncing by one percent, although these figures were distorted by the effects of the Olympics on the economy. At lunchtime in the East, the All O...

Prime Minister Julia Gillard will launch Australia's Asian Century white paper on Sunday at the Lowy Institute in Sydney. The 300-page policy blueprint, which took the federal government 13 months to prepare, will spell out long-term targets for the country's political, economic and personal ties with Asia.

Firefighters across Queensland are battling 40 blazes. At least more than 100 firemen had been deployed to douse the fires that had burned mostly forest areas due to the high temperature.

Mining giant BHP Billiton (AXS: BHP) warned on Thursday that the mining industry faces short-term instability over eurozone instability and concerns on China's growth. To address this situation, he said the company will instead focus on volume instead of price.

The US Federal Reserve announced overnight that it would continue with its current economic stimulus program, QE3. The move failed to excite local investors, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) finishing only slightly higher, up 2.9pts to 4533.5pts.