Vittorio Hernandez

The Australian government intercepted on Tuesday afternoon two more asylum boats near the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. One boat has 49 passengers and the other 54, disclosed Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare.

The Australian sharemarket lost a little ground for the third straight day, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) easing by 0.3 pct or 13 pts to 4382.5. It could have been worse however; as American markets dropped by around 1 pct overnight. Charles Plosser, a Federal Reserve member from Philadelphia said that the U.S central bank's decision to stimulate the economy a few weeks ago is unlikely to help boost growth. This is the type of commentary that markets tend to not digest very well. Shares...

Yesterday the Australian share market lost ground for the second day in a row, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) off by another 13 points to 4,395 points. It was a day of 2 half for both the European and US markets. After strong economic numbers out in early US trade, showing US consumer confidence lifted to a 7 month high and better than expected housing data, key European markets pushed aside early global growth concerns and tracked higher. The US markets opened stronger but then fell away s...

Australia's spending on healthcare reached $130.3 billion in 2010/11. It represents a 6.5 per cent increase from the $122.5 billion spent in 2009.10, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reported.

A survey released on Tuesday by Choice, a consumer advocate group, identified Harvey Norman as having the lowest customer service rating among large Australian retailers.

As Australian companies grapple with talent shortage, Caltex launched on Wednesday a babycare package which offers a 12 per cent bonus package for employees who return to their jobs and stay with the firm until their child turns two.

Rather than violate the terms of memoranda of understanding in knocking the shipment back, Western Australian Farmers Federation President Dale Park advised Australian live sheep exporters on Tuesday to instead focus on four Middle Eastern markets which have been long-standing customers.

Resources Minister Martin Ferguson warned Coalition leader Tony Abbott on Tuesday of the negative impact of constant Opposition anti-China messages on foreign investments.

The Australian sharemarket lost ground for the second straight day, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) slipping by 0.3 pct or 13.7 pts to 4395.5. This was expected, due to a lack of market moving events locally and offshore between Monday and Wednesday this week in addition to weakness in global markets overnight. The volume and value of shares that exchanged hands today was extremely light once again.

The Australian share market finished lower yesterday, with the All Ordinaries Index off by 21 points to 4409.2, after big slides in commodity prices out of Asia hitting mining and energy stocks. The weakness in commodity related firms continued to impact the overseas markets. The European markets held back by concern over the Euro turn-around story and how long it will take to occur, and lower than excepted business confidence out of Germany.

After prices of coal and iron ore had dipped dramatically in the past few months, another major Australian export item is at the risk of falling commodity prices: liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) just granted three local firms to export 190,000 sheep and 400 cattle indicating the resumption of the country's live export to the Middle East despite the unresolved problem over 21,000 Aussie sheep in Pakistan.

A baggage handler of Qantas caught last week a 60-centimetre crocodile at its cargo hold. The reptile escaped from its cage while mid-air on a Brisbane-Melbourne flight.

Virginia Australia is opposed to the agreement between flag carrier Qantas and Middle Eastern airline Emirates. It asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to withhold the grant of an interim authorisation until the two airlines could prove their tie-up would benefit Australian consumer.

Australian miner Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) is planning to axe jobs in the coal mines operation of Coal & Allied due to the drastic decline in prices of the commodity and the high currency.

The Australian sharemarket has kicked off the new trading week in the red, with the All Ordinaries Index falling by 0.5 pct or 21.6 pts to 4409.2. Last week was a relatively uneventful one on the economic front, with a lack of market moving information released; however the XAO rose by a modest 0.5 pct over the week. On Friday, U.S equities eased a touch by 0.1 pct.

After a strong close on the Australian share market on Friday, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) adding 11 points to 4, 430 points European market rallied. European index's up near 1% driven by gains in on news that Spain is heading closer to asking for an official bailout. This would be not great for global growth or the Eurozone recovery story, but at least we would know where we all stand.

Police forces in New South Wales and Victoria contained Islam protests on Sunday in the two Australian states. The protests are part of the ongoing global mass action against a 14-minute video posted in YouTube titled Innocence of Muslims.

Western Australia (WA) Premier Colin Barnet warned on Sunday that the country risks losing the live sheep export trade in the Middle East unless the problem with 21,000 Aussie sheep under threat of culling in Pakistan is resolved soon.

Like his federal counterpart, Opposition leader Tony Abbott, Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu said on Sunday that Liberal MPs in the state would not be allowed a conscience vote on a same-sex marriage bill introduced by Greens MP Sue Pennicuik in June.

In yet another classic example of excessive executive compensation while the rest of the nation is reeling from high prices and economic slowdown, officials of power firms in New South Wales are enjoying astronomical pay hikes while residents pay through the nose because of higher electricity rates.

The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) is proposing to impose a $1,000 fine on parents whose minor children enter pubs, clubs and bottle shops to imbibe alcoholic beverages. The current fine is $440 under the Liquor Act.

The Australian sharemarket ended the day a little higher for the third time this week, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) rising by 0.2 pct or 11 pts to 4430.8. The defensive healthcare sector lost a little ground but all other regions of the market ended in the black. Overall however; this has been a very uneventful week for broad market movement, with the XAO gaining just 0.5 pct over the past five sessions.

Local stocks are holding up relatively well in the early session, given a fairly subdued offshore lead. US and European investors were shaken by the weaker than expected manufacturing data out of China, however were also heartened by a successful Spanish bond auction. The Dow Jones Index finished up 0.1pct to 13596.9pts, while European shares were mostly lower. At lunchtime in the East, the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is up 10.2pts or 0.2pct to 4430.

Like their counterparts in other global cities, Australians lined up on Friday morning to buy Apple's iPhone 5 officially launched last week but made available only beginning Sept 21 in retail outlets in selected countries.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced on Thursday that it registered a $1.076 billion profit in the last financial year. It is a turnaround from the $4.889 billion loss the central bank logged the previous financial year.

In the latest twist to the ongoing drama over the fate of the 21,000 Australian sheep in Pakistan, an independent veterinarian from the United Arab Emirates concluded the animals to be healthy, free from diseases and fit for slaughter for human consumption.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard will address the United Nations General Assembly next week. She would deliver her address while attending the opening of the 67th session of the General Assembly. She will be in New York from Sept 23 to 27.

For the second consecutive day, Australian legislators turned down a same-sex marriage bill in the Senate on Thursday. On a 26-41 vote, the lawmakers said no to a similar bill earlier rejected by MPs on Wednesday on a 42-98 vote.