Vittorio Hernandez

Lawyers of the largest class action lawsuit in Australia told the High Court on Tuesday that ANZ bank charged customers with excessive bank fees for overdrawing their accounts.

A National Australia Bank (NAB) official said on Tuesday that in the next few years, Australian banks would rely less on wholesale funding and instead focus on deposits as the main source of their lending operations.

Despite China being a major manufacturing hub and the second largest economy, the desultory Made-in-China tag continues to hound the Asian giant. Ateco Automotive, the Australian importer of made-in-China vehicles, could recall 25,000 Great Wall and Chery brand vehicles over its asbestos fibre contents in the car's engine and exhaust gasket.

Four Australian cities landed on top 10 list by the Economist Intelligence Unit of the Global Liveability Survey of 140 worldwide cities. However, Brisbane officials are questioning the survey because the city is only 20th on the list below Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Perth.

Local stocks managed a small win today, despite a negative lead from the US Dow Jones Index and as European shares eased from four month highs. Defensive stocks led the gains locally, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) adding 7.9pts or 0.2pct by close to finish at 4317.

The Australian sharemarket is improving for the second straight day, despite a weaker start to trade this morning. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is up 0.2 pct or 8.1 pts to 4317.6 at lunch. Most sectors are gaining modest ground, with the exception of the miners and financials.

Along with the return of its chief executive, ING Direct launched on Monday a new TV advertisement that features male backside as its catch-on.

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) is making renewed efforts against insider trading by launching a number of cases involved leaked information during the merger and acquisition phase of businesses.

Although small- and medium-enterprises (SME) in Australia are recognising the inevitable need to have online presence, their actual online activity leaves much to be desired.

More Queensland public workers' jobs are at stake after the state government defined what a frontline job is. To enjoy job stability, public servants in the state must spend at least 75 per cent of their working hours in direct interaction with the public in person or by phone.

Qantas is on a roll. After winning Fair Work Australia's nod in its labour row with unions, the flag carrier is attempting to recover lost market sharing with the launch of three daily flights to Gold Coast.

The Australian share market started off stronger this morning up 23 points after a strong close on Wall Street on Friday. The US markets closed higher for the 5th straight week and European markets closed just off recent highs. The volumes traded on the overseas markets were still quite low and are expected to stay that way throughout this week as most major European official departments will remain closed until the 20th of August this year. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) held on to an 17 point ...

British scientists have uncovered 10 new gene regions where DNA changes are linked to Type 2 diabetes. The discovery brings nearer the science community of a biological understanding of the ailment.

The resort-island of Bali in Indonesia may be one of the top tourist destinations in the world because of its beaches and a favourite holiday destination for Aussies, but it could also be one of the most dangerous places for them.

Due to dining and retail establishments push to scrap the penalty rate for Sunday work, unions have launched a counter offensive by launching the Save our Aussie Weekends campaign.

Dairy farmers from Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) are not taking the sides of either Coles or Woolworths in the two supermarket giants' price war. They instead urged on Sunday the boycott of the two supermarkets' branded milk at the ongoing Ekka, Queensland's largest public event which attracts over 400,000 visitors.

Queenslanders should expect another controversy to erupt soon as another safe sex campaign ads featuring a condom and gay men were posted on Sunday in bus shelters and billboards.

The Australian sharemarket lost a little ground for only the second time this week, following some disappointing economic news in China. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) eased by 0.6 pct or 27.3 pts to 4302.8. Almost all sectors fell with the financial sector holding back the market most significantly.

The local share market is trading lower at lunchtime in the East, following a mixed finish on Wall Street and weakness in financial stocks. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is down 14.1pts or 0.3pct to 4316 at midday in the East.

Scientists from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute of the Melbourne University had established a link between the heavy use of marijuana and damage to brain memory and learning capacity.

In response to criticisms that Gina Rinehart's Roy Hill project is favouring foreign labour over Australian workers, the firm has initiated measures to hire locals for the construction phase of the iron ore venture.

Former Prime Minister Paul Keating pushed for stronger ties with China and for Australia to loosen ties with the United States.

The Australian Navy rescued on Thursday 211 asylum seekers on Christmas Island. The vessel crew initially contacted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on late Wednesday night due to engine problem.

After a week of continuous heavy downpour which flooded Metro Manila and nearby provinces, the sun finally shone on the Philippines on Thursday.

The Australian share market was on track to post a fourth consecutive session of gains today, however those gains evaporated late in trade after Chinese industrial output and retail trade figures for July came in lower than expected. By close the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) was lower by 2.8pts or 0.1pct to 4330.1, after reaching an intra-day high of 4350.

The Australian sharemarket is gaining for the fourth straight day, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) up 0.2 pct or 8.7 pts to 4341.6. Some better than expected employment numbers have helped lift the market, while economic news in China so far today has been largely in-line with forecasts.

Due to more incidents of workplace bullying as Australia's economic condition weakens, national workers' compensation claims for harassment almost doubled in three years.

The small Australian town of Wandoan, located near Chinchilla, is seeking $100 million from mining giant Xstrata as a condition for the town to open its doors to the firm's coal mining venture.

The more than 300 millimetres of rain that the monsoon dumped on Metro Manila and nearby Philippine provinces failed to dampen the Filipinos' penchant for updating their statuses on social networking sites.